Naming in Harry Potter

BA Dissertation by M. Carla Cingolani

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Universidad de Belgrano

Department of Foreign Languages and Studies

BA in English

AN ANALYSIS OF NAMES IN HARRY POTTER’S NOVELS

Estudiante: M. Carla Cingolani

Matrícula: 1104/1052

Tutor: Lorrain Ledwith

Director: Alejandro Parini

Firma del alumno:

2012


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To my father


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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to my tutor, L. Ledwith, for her patient guidance

and for letting me work and express my ideas without hindrance. Additionally, I wish

to thank P. D’Alessandro for her helpful and useful comments upon my draft work.

I am also most grateful to my family and friends, who supported and encouraged me

through this piece of research.


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ABSTRACT

The present study examines the influence of the meanings hidden in characters’

names on readers’ perception of them in Harry Potter novels. Specifically, it describes

the first and last name combination of ten characters and how their connotative

meanings build up on readers’ understanding of characters’ personalities; each is

analyzed in different tables of my own design which include four levels of analysis –

etymology, semantics, syntax and phonology. To the description provided by these

tables, a metaphorical fifth level has been added in order to explore how, in a way that

is different from their usual function (that is to point to somebody), names make their

connotative meaning illustrative of their bearers. This work includes a description of

characters’ names followed by an interpretive conclusion within Reader Response

Theory. An attempt will be made to describe the connection between the meanings

suggested by names and readers’ perception of them in each act of reading. That is, this

work studies the characters’ names in Harry Potter novels for it considers them not

arbitrary labels but sociocultural tags that have a sociocultural function and meaning

which each reader actively formulates in different ways during the reading process. In

this case, it will be suggested that the connotative meaning of names influences how

characters’ personalities are constructed by readers. The study concentrates on three of

Harry Potter novels – Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone; Harry Potter and the

Prisoner of Azkaban; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

KEY TERMS

Harry Potter – Reader Response Theory – Name – Character - Personality


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CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES: CHARACTERS’ NAMES........................................................vi 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................... 7 2. THE STUDY, DATA AND METHODS............................................................... 11

2.1 Research design ............................................................................................... 11 2.2 Data and sampling technique.......................................................................... 12

3. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS............................................................................... 12 4.CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................48

REFERENCES .............................................................................................................51

INTERNET RESOURCES ..........................................................................................52


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LIST OF TABLES: CHARACTERS’ NAMES

Table 1 – ‘Harry’ .........................................................................................................14

Table 2 – ‘Potter’ ..........................................................................................................16

Table 3 – ‘Dursley’ .......................................................................................................19

Table 4 – ‘Dudley’ ........................................................................................................19

Table 5 – ‘Petunia’ ........................................................................................................21

Table 6 – ‘Evans’ ..........................................................................................................22

Table 7 – ‘Lily’ ..............................................................................................................23

Table 8 – ‘Minerva’ ......................................................................................................26

Table 9 – ‘McGonagall’ ................................................................................................27

Table 10 – ‘Voldemort’ ................................................................................................28

Table 11 – ‘Dumbledore’ .............................................................................................32

Table 12 – ‘Albus’ .........................................................................................................33

Table 13 – ‘Draco’ ........................................................................................................37

Table 14 – ‘Malfoy’ .......................................................................................................39

Table 15 – ‘Weasley’ .....................................................................................................40

Table 16 – ‘Ron’ ............................................................................................................42

Table 17 – ‘Hermione’ ..................................................................................................44

Table 18 – ‘Granger’ ....................................................................................................45


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1. INTRODUCTION

Language is one of the most powerful emblems of social behaviour. In the process of

linguistic exchange, we use language to send vital social messages about who we are,

where we come from, and who we associate with. In literature, the linguistic interaction

between text and reader occurs within a framework that controls and limits the

interaction, through genre, tone, structure, and the social conditions of the reader and

author. Iser studies this interaction within the framework of Reader Response Theory;

Reader Response does not designate any one critical theory but focuses on the reading

process shared by many critical modes, both American and European, which have come

into prominence since 1960s. Reader Response is not actually a theory of literary

criticism but a theory of epistemology for it explains the way a reader makes knowledge

about a text (Rosenblatt, 1978 in Shagufta Imtiaz).

Reader Response critics focus on the ongoing mental operations in the responses of

the reader when interacting with the text. Many literary critics agree that meanings in

the text are the creation of a reader, hence there is no one correct meaning for all

readers. They emphasize the importance of the reader, the act of reading and the reader's

interpretation (Rosenblatt, 1987 in Shagufta Imtiaz). The following tenets reflect the

main principles of the position as a whole:

1. In literary interpretation, it is the reader and not the text which is the most

important component.

2. In fact, there is no text unless there is a reader, and the reader is the only

one who can say what the text is.

3. The reader creates the text as much as the author does.

Therefore, an aspect of language will be isolated and analyzed from the perspective of

Reader Response so as to explore readers’ perception of characters in Harry Potter

novels. The isolated aspect chosen is names for they will be taken not as arbitrary labels

but as sociocultural tags that have a sociocultural function and connotative meanings

which readers actively formulate in the reading process.

Harry Potter novels have gained remarkable popularity since they first appeared in

1997 by the hand of their British author, J.K. Rowling. It took no longer than four years


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for the protagonist, a little wizard called Harry Potter, to catch the attention of school

children and teenagers almost all over the world thus becoming a literary phenomenon.

Characters’ names in Harry Potter are important for they represent unique characters

and at the same time they serve as descriptors of their personalities, and the present

study intends to examine how the connection between characters’ names’ meaning and

their personalities is perceived by readers.

In 1843, the famous philosopher John Stuart Mill pointed out that Proper names are

meaningless marks set upon things to distinguish one from another (Keats-Rohan,

2007:156); however, this observation has often been opposed by viewpoints that

propose that names are not semantically reduced but have maximum of meaning

(Keats-Rohan, 2007:156). Meaning inside names, then, influences how readers are able

to perceive characters’ personalities. In the case of this study, compound elements of

first and last name are considered indicators of the linguistic, ethnic, social and cultural

group’s affiliations of their bearers. Names bestow social identity in the act of being

given, and they convey information about identity both to society and to the name-

bearer through the choice of the name itself (Keats-Rohan, 2007:159). Additionally,

name-title combinations also reflect aspects such as status, political aspirations or level

of formality/informality in relationships among characters. From the perspective of

Reader Response, it is possible to examine how meaning inside names is related to how

characters are socially and individually perceived. Names denominate and, in the

selection of names, the author is already giving information about her characters. In

other words, the act of reading characters’ names allows readers to perceive, for

instance, an invisible but existing boundary between the two different worlds, the

wizarding world and the muggle world, which coexist in Harry Potter.

When people first hear Harry Potter’s name, it denotes a specific individual but it also

conveys a picture of a young wizard. As Shakespeare’s famous quote from Romeo and

Juliet, ‘What’s in a name’ (Act II; Scene 2) says, in literature there is always more than

words and names are not the exception. This work will suggest that this ‘more’ hidden

in Harry Potter’s names may be one of the reasons why the novels are so rich and

appealing.

The empirical portion of this work comprises a qualitative analysis of only some of

the characters’ names. It was necessary to make a choice because the enormous number


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of characters in these novels falls out of the scope of this work. This choice has been

influenced by the closeness of the relationship they have with the protagonist. The

different forms of address will also be considered for it will be suggested that they

contribute to a better understanding of the story and the construction of characters. The

fact that names convey information about identity to society, individuals and the name-

bearer is strongly related to the purpose of this study. However, as not everyone is

familiar with Harry Potter novels, it seems necessary to provide a brief overview of

Harry Potter’s world before plunging into the analysis proper.

Harry Potter series of fantasy novels have its own universe, which comprises two

different societies, the wizarding world and the muggle world. The muggle world is the

name for the non-magical majority (which actually resembles many settings from its

country of origin, England) who coexist with the wizarding world, which remains

hidden from the awareness of muggles.

In the shaping of these worlds, the author includes many elements from popular

culture. Harry Potter enters the fantastic category which is halfway between the

marvellous1 and the mimetic2 and pulls the reader from the familiar to the strange

(Jackson, 1998:26). That is, by combining supernatural elements and imitating external

reality at the same time, a fantastic world can be created. The author puts in the same

cauldron different ingredients together with her own creativity. These ingredients

include archetypes, popular myths, legends and folklore, whose influence can be traced

both in the setting and in characters’ names, and which will help to shape the way in

which readers construct characters’ personalities.

In literature, characters, images, and themes that symbolically embody universal

meanings and basic human experiences, regardless of when or where they live, are

considered archetypes (Frye in Sugg, 1992:26). An archetype can be defined as a

symbol which recurs often enough in literature to be recognizable as an element of

one's experience and which devises an elaborate classification of modes, symbols,

myths, and genres. Common literary archetypes include stories of quests, initiations,

1 The Marvelous: has supernatural elements, the narrator is impersonal with a knowing authoritative voice; the events are completed and there are long distant past events with no effects on the present (Jackson, 1998) 2 The Mimetic: there is an imitation of external reality, the narrator is in the third person; implicit claim of equivalence between the representational fictional world and the world outside the text (Jackson, 1998)


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and scapegoats, descents to the underworld and ascents to heaven, among others.

According to Carl Jung (1966:84), these patterns are embedded deep in the collective

unconscious and involve racial memories of situations, events and relationships from

time immemorial. This collective unconscious is a set of primal memories common to

the human race, existing below each person's conscious mind. Archetypal criticism

assumes that there is a collection of symbols, images, characters, and motifs that evoke

basically the same response in all people. The archetypal patterns readers have in mind,

then, will help clarify the individual text by connecting it to more universal patterns

that often transcend literature itself. In Jauss’s (1976:145) words, it is interesting to

observe how archetypes turn on certain responses on the part of readers. Readers, then,

are able to understand Harry because every one of us shares the supreme ordeal

(Colbert, 2001:166).

Working with fantasy, J.K.R. also makes use of popular myths and legends not only

from Great Britain but also those from other parts of the world. For instance, the beast

guarding the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk, a creature which is more than a gigantic

snake and has existed in legends through centuries, mainly in Greek ones. Another

creature that appears in the series, the Erl King, comes from German mythology; it is

an evil creature in the Black Forest of Germany that tries to snatch children. Another

clarifying example is the griffin (a creature which gives the name to Harry’s House at

school), which is part lion and part eagle, and originated in India where they guarded

huge treasures of gold. Readers who are familiar with these may build up a richer

understanding of the story.

J.K. Rowling likes to play a lot with her readers and a great number of opportunities

of interpretation are given to them comprised just in a name. Iser (1987 in Jofre-

Blanco: 31) refers to this aspect as gaps of indeterminacy. Within these spaces that the

author leaves is where readers’ active role grows – that which is omitted is what the

reader has to imagine and gets him/her involved with the text. In this case, when a

reader learns a character’s name, he/she may feel it has more functions than designating

a particular character. For instance, the caretaker at the school is called Argus, which

comes from Greek mythology and is a watchman with a thousand eyes in his body

(www.theninemuses.net/hp/); it is clear that this has not been an accidental choice

(being a caretaker, a thousand eyes are a useful tool for this character). Another good

example is that of Harry’s uncle. He can turn himself into a dog, and not accidentally


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his name is Sirius, which often refers to the Dog Star and is known as the Great Dog in

the constellations (Colbert, 2001:43).

In the same way she resorts to archetypes, myths and folklore, J.K. Rowling also uses

words from different languages for her characters’ names. For instance, one of the

teacher’s first names is Severus, which comes from the Latin meaning harsh/stern.

These last two terms are then characteristics in his personality; he is the teacher whom

the protagonist hates the most.

All in all, the use the author makes of characters’ names goes beyond the simple

function of designating a particular character. It is therefore the purpose of this study

not to come up with new startling interpretations of Harry Potter characters’ names,

but to explicate how readers’ understanding is enriched by activating their hidden

meanings. Along these years much research has been done around the author's selection

of names, but only by fans and not from an academic point of view. The aim of this

study is to enlarge on this research within a more systematic framework. It will be

suggested in this paper that names have more than one meaning and that they help to

shape characters’ personalities in readers’ minds, thus influencing the readers’

perception of characters.

2. THE STUDY, DATA AND METHODS

2.1 Research design

The universe of names as objects of research does not have limits. The interest in

names can be linguistic or philosophical, theoretical or practical, legal or political,

ethnographic or religious; however, an analysis of characters’ names in Harry Potter

from all these perspectives would be practically impossible. In order to narrow down

the scope of this research, the data collected, that is, some characters’ names, will be

described from the point of view of etymology (the study of the origin and history of

words and their meanings); semantics (the study of meanings as expressed through

language); syntax (the study of the way in which words and phrases are put together to

form sentences in a language); and phonology (the study of the rules that define the

sound pattern of a language) – Pinker’s definitions (1999:24). This description will be

included in tables and the relationship between these tables and characters’

personalities will be analyzed below each table. A fifth metaphorical level will be


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added to the description included in the tables in order to explore how, in a way that is

different from their usual function (that is to point to somebody), names make their

connotative meaning illustrative of their bearers. The Western system of naming is the

one taken into account (names contain at least two elements, first and last name), and

the description will consider all the elements that conform the characters’ names

(except for Albus Dumbledore). The scope is narrowed down to concentrate on the

most striking features of these names which may reveal the secrets of their construction

and, following Reader Response Theory, the ways in which readers are able to perceive

them.

2.2 Data and sampling technique

In this study, an aspect of language will be isolated and analyzed from the perspective

of Reader Response so as to explore readers’ perception of characters in Harry Potter

novels. The isolated aspect chosen is names for they will be taken not as arbitrary

labels but sociocultural tags that have a sociocultural function and connotative meaning

which readers actively formulate in the reading process.

The research will be mainly focused on ‘Harry Potter and The Philosopher Stone’

(P.S.), ‘Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban’ (P.A.) and ‘Harry Potter and The

Order of the Phoenix’ (O.P.). The reason why it was necessary to leave out the other

books of the Harry Potter collection and choose these ones is because the enormous

number of characters in these novels would be unmanageable within the scope of this

work. The different forms of address will also be considered for it will be suggested

that they contribute to a better understanding of the story and the construction of

characters in readers’ minds. In decoding the clues and revealing the artfully hidden

meanings, this work aims at proving that there is more to these books, and mainly to

these names, than meets the eye; and that it is the readers’ task to see through them to

their fullest advantage. Along these lines, this study also speculates on alternative lines

of linguistic study to explore in Harry Potter that may open the doors to future

research.

3. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

J.K. Rowling creates a reality in which two different worlds coexist. One way she

chooses to make the fracture between these two worlds in her story apparent is through


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the characters’ names, which are influenced by their different backgrounds. The names

of wizards coming from muggle families (non- magical ordinary people) appear to be

much simpler than those used by pure blood families (wizard families with no muggle

ancestors). In fact, although the function of names seems to be to denominate, below

the surface they play a much more important role. Meanings suggested by names give

information about characters which readers use to construct their expectations and fill

in the gaps the author leaves. In other words, an invisible but existing boundary

between the two different worlds (the wizarding world and the muggle world) is created

and emphasised by means of names.

Being the main character, Harry is the link which brings the two different worlds

together. Harry is an orphan, and the archetype of the orphan can be traced as early as

the character of Moses from The Bible through millions in the middle to Charles

Dickens’s Oliver Twist and even further. Children’s literature include orphans as varied

as King Arthur in The Sword in the Stone, where Arthur (called Wart) is a small

scruffy-haired orphan and meets the wizard Merlin who takes him to a castle to educate

him (very similar to what actually happens to Harry Potter at Hogwarts, where he has

Dumbledore as his mentor and guide); Roal Dahl’s character whose life resembles

Harry’s life with the Dursley family is another good example - Matilda, who is also an

orphan and is mistreated by the Wormwoods. In the case of this particular orphan,

Harry is, at least by the Dursley’s strange standards, an Ugly Duckling. They think

everything about him is odd, so they treat him as Cinderella imprisoning him in a

world far less interesting than his birthright (Colbert, 2001:155).

Readers, then, are able to recognize these patterns and symbolic associations and they

are able to form assumptions and expectations from their encounters with Harry

Potter’s world. In that way, the author appeals to the innate memories that reside in the

collective unconscious of all people, making her main character an easy one to identify

with and also, but most importantly, a universal one. Following Reader Response

Theory, Jauss (1976:171) refers to these assumptions and expectations as the horizon of

expectations which each reader constructs from their own experiences. The reader and

text become partners in producing meaning along the reading process. Harry is left

alone in the world from the beginning of the series, at the care of his aunt and uncle

who mistreat him. In this case, the author’s use of the archetype of the orphan awakens

a part of readers’ collective unconscious which is familiar to the reader from previous


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experiences. The archetype of the orphan, then, may awaken different associations in

readers’ minds, as the ones described before, and certain expectations as regards his

behaviour are created. The same as King Arthur, Harry will have to learn all about a

new world making mistakes in that process; the same as Matilda, he will find a way

through which he can develop his abilities; and the same as an Ugly Duckling, he will

be left alone.

The starting point of this research and analysis will be, then, the main character.

Below is the description of his first name:

Harry

Etymology Verb – From Old English hergian, meaning to make war lay, waste, ravage or

plunder. The word was used in Anglo-Saxon chronicles for what the Vikings did in

England.

Nickname – It started as a mispronunciation of Henry, which was influenced by the

French Henri. It serves nicknames to Harold, Henry, Harriet (from French Henriette),

and also the surnames Harris and Harrison. (www.etymonline.com by Douglas

Harper, 2008)

Semantics Verb – 1. To annoy or upset somebody by continuously asking them questions or

for something (syn. To harass)

2. To make repeated attacks on an enemy

(Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 8th Edition; OUP, 2011)

Syntax It can function as a proper noun or verb as stated above

Phonology /’harē/

Table 1 - 'Harry'

The main character is just called by a nickname. This may lead a lot of people to

identify with him, due to the fact that it stands for many names. Iser (1987 in Jofe-

Blanco: 48) refers to identification as the establishment of affinities between oneself

and someone external to oneself, a familiar basis which allows us to experience the

non-familiar. Although this character may have little in common with the readers, the

familiarity of his name makes them move along with him from the beginning.

According to Jauss (1976:149), the way in which the reader experiments the text might


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reflect their own disposition; in that way, the text works as a mirror. The effect this

name may have on readers, then, will depend on how actively readers build up on the

different features suggested by the name. For instance, the phonology of the name is

quite simple. A reader can speak almost any world language; however, the

pronunciation of this character’s name will not be a problem. That is, it will sound

practically the same in English, French or Spanish. Additionally, practically all of us

know or have heard of someone nicknamed Harry. This may contribute to the process

of identification.

Although he has an ordinary nickname which is very popular and easily pronounced,

this character does not feel popular himself. All characters in the wizarding world know

his name before he meets any of them and he also catches the attention of many people

around the real world. Nevertheless, at no time does Harry show any arrogance or

superiority. This character is detached from what his name suggests (a well-known

name for a well-known, popular character) and remains modest and low profile. These

features can constitute what Iser (1987 in Jofre-Blanco: 42) calls readers’

expectations/illusions. These expectations are subjective to each reader and continually

modified along the reading process. Although these meanings may be suggested by the

character’s name, it is the reader in his/her interaction with the text and its gaps who

eventually reveals them. Harry’s name might suggest his popularity and readers might

create certain expectations around this feature and Harry’s attitude. These expectations

are disproved when readers finally see Harry in action. Whenever he finds himself in

the limelight, he never feels at ease and would prefer not to be there.

The semantics of the name allows readers to anticipate some features of this

character’s personality, too. Iser (1987 in Jofre-Blanco: 43) points out in this respect

that the semantics of a name as part of a text allows different interpretations. Each

reader will fill in the author’s indeterminacies with his/her own reality, leaving aside

other possibilities. In that way, the reading process is selective and the interpretations

derived from the hidden meanings of this name are not limited due to the fact that they

depend on readers’ perception. However, whenever his name is recognised as a verb in

readers’ minds, to harry clearly determines their construction of Harry’s personality

and his social behaviour. As he grows up in a world where he does not belong, once he

meets his real roots he becomes curious. He has many questions about this new world

he encounters and he harries his friends, teachers and also his enemy, from whom he


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can get answers. His interaction with the rest of the characters, then, is defined by this

feature of his name.

As regards his enemy, it is Harry himself who receives repeated attacks from him,

and not the other way around. His name actually means to make repeated attacks on an

enemy, but in the case his enemy harries him. The fact that he is repeatedly attacked

affects his personality because it helps him to become more determined, mature and

courageous at the same time. Although he is constantly attacked, he never gives up and

he keeps on perfecting himself – not only on skills but also on how to handle his

priorities. He is curious and harries the characters who surround him and he is harried

by his enemy. Horrible things happen to him but he maintains his heart’s purity and

innocence all the way through.

Potter

Etymology From Old English pottere and Old French potier; both roots are in pot. The first

record of pottery is attested from the late 15th Century, ‘a potter’s workshop’, from

Old French poterie (13th Century). As a verb, it dates from the 1520s and means to

poke again and again; also frequentative of obsolete poten – to push, poke. From Old

English potian – to push, sense of occupy oneself in a trifling way is first recorded in

1740. (www.etymonline.com by Douglas Harper, 2008)

Semantics Noun – A person who makes clay pots by hand

Verb – To do things or move without hurrying especially when you are doing

something that you enjoy and that is not important.

The Potteries – Area of English Midlands around Stoke-On-Trent. It has been an

important centre of the pottery industry since the 17th Century.

Pottery – pots and dishes made with clay baked in an oven especially when made by

hand.

Potty – 1. crazy; liking somebody/something a lot

Pot – for cooking; container; money, drug

Idioms – 1. Go to pot; to be spoiled because people are not working hard or taking

care of things.

1. Pot luck; you choose something or somewhere without knowing very much

about it but hope that it will be good.


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(Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 8th Edition; OUP, 2011)

Syntax As stated before, it is used as a noun and derives from a verb; in this case it

functions as a proper noun.

Phonology /’pätər/

Table 2 - 'Potter'

As Potter derives from one of the important industries of the U.K., it gives the series

an imprint of its origin, which some readers may be able to identify. However, as it is

expressed in Table 2, this surname has many other different meanings from the

semantic point of view each reader may activate.

Potty, for instance, points to the brave aspect of this character’s personality. Iser

(1987 in Jofre-Blanco: 43) mentions that each reader creates his/her own illusions

around a character, which are dissipated once the expectation is reached as in the

examples described. In their interaction with the text, readers organize and reorganize

the different components they encounter, creating different interpretations, too. Having

potty in mind, readers can anticipate certain attitudes in this character which in this case

are confirmed as they move along in the story. Although Harry considers some of his

attitudes righteous, many of the characters around him think that he is actually potty.

This can be illustrated with the episode in P.S. when, even though he knows that

carrying a dragon is something illegal in the wizarding world, he decides to help one of

the characters to protect it. The O.P. starts exactly with what potty connotes. Harry is

saying that his enemy has come back to life but the Ministry and the wizarding world at

large do not believe him and consider him once again to be a bit potty. A further

interpretation, for instance, can be derived from the fact that Harry is potty about magic

and the world he finds out he belongs to.

Considering the different modes used to address Harry, further expectations can be

awakened in readers. According to Jauss (1976:171), these multiple modes of address

allow readers to construct a familiar horizon of expectations, memories and anticipation

easily related to their life experiences. The main character is called Harry by his friends

and acquaintances and Mr Potter by the different Professors; the mode changes

according to the different status of the characters – that is, their power relationships


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define their modes of address. The most interesting mode is the one that gives the title

to the first chapter of the P.S. – the boy who lived. He is called so because, when the

darkest wizard attacks his house and family, his parents die, but not him. He gets a scar

on his forehead and makes this wizard disappear. This incident is considered of great

importance within the wizarding society, and this society is the one who starts calling

him that way.

Rosenblatt (1978 in Shagufta Imtiaz) says – there is no one correct meaning for all

readers; all the interpretations can only be developed in the convergernce between text

and reader which allows the character to exist. It may have been pot luck, for instance,

that he is the chosen one though little is known about his skills - there is only a hope

that everything might turn out right with him. Additionally, the word pot may be

related to this character’s personality due to the fact that he ends up like a container

himself. He is the one that absorbs and contains many of the fears and expectations the

characters’ around him have. In the O.P., a prophecy made about him and his enemy is

known; through it the reader discovers that in no other resides the only opportunity to

finish off evil but in Harry – none can live while the other survives. So, the boy who

lived, as he is referred to in the P.S., is the only hero that can face evil and survive –

Campbell’s archetypical patterns are illustrated by this character. Joseph Campbell

(1949:7) wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces, which refers to the common

character central to most cultures in the Western world. From Ulysses of the ancient

Greek myth to Luke Skywalker of Star Wars, these heroes and their legends bear a

striking similarity. Colbert (2001:158) mentions that Campbell summarized such

stories this way:

A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region

of supernatural wonder. Fabulous forces are there encountered and

decisive victory is won. The hero comes back from this mysterious

adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man

Campbell (1949:23) also points out that the hero’s journey has three stages labelled

Departure, Initiation and Return. J.K. Rowling does not follow the stages described

step-by-step; however, these patterns appear in each of her books, as they have in


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mythology and folklore for centuries, because the quest of heroes stays the same. In

order to battle dark forces in the world, heroes must face the dark forces within, and

rediscover in each adventure that they are worthy of victory. Readers, then, are able to

understand Harry because every one of us shares the supreme ordeal (Colbert,

2001:166).

Moving on from Harry, the first characters to appear in the narration are the Dursleys.

They are a standard family of three who have to take over Harry once he becomes an

orphan. They are related to him through his mother, who is the sister of Petunia Evans,

wife of Vernon Dursley. To complete the family circle, Dudley Dursley, their son,

needs to be mentioned.

Dursley

Etymology A little town in Gloucestershire. It is mainly a rural community with shoppers and

traders. It has poor transport links. (www.gazzetteseries.co.uk)

Semantics J.K. Rowling might have taken the name from a small town in Britain; as it is near

her hometown she used to go there frequently though she said she didn’t like it much.

(www.theninemuses.net/hp)

Syntax Proper noun, be it a last name or the name of a city.

Phonology /dësli/

Table 3 - 'Dursley'

In the reading process, if readers happen to know about the author’s attitude towards

Dursley town, they might be driven to believe that this family is not going to be

likeable either; their relationship with the protagonist is described as intolerant and

abusive along the three books under analysis. The Dursleys disapprove of the wizarding

world and they reject anything that comes from it, trying to live an ordinary life as

disconnected from that of wizards as possible. They hide his real background from

Harry and try to suck out all the magic he has until Harry’s world encounters him.

Dudley

Etymology A town in Worcestershire, England, so called from the Old English Dode-ley, the


20

place of dead, a burying ground. Dodelig in Danish signifies pale, death-like, and

mortal. Also in Dutch Doodelijk and German Todlich. Duv-da-lethe in Gaelic and

Celtic which has been corrupted to Dudley has the same signification.

(www.britishsurnames.co.uk)

Semantics 1. A play on dud, which is the British slang for a boring person.


2. Dud – a thing that is useless because it does not work correctly. (Oxford

Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 8th Edition; OUP, 2011)

Syntax Proper noun; dud noun

Phonology /’dədlē/

Table 4 - 'Dudley'

The spoilt son is Dudley Dursley. If readers happen to know the author’s attitude

towards the Dursley town, Dudley’s name may anticipate his bullying attitude towards

Harry. As dudley refers to death-like and mortal features, he is found, for instance,

prodding and pinching Harry without any apparent reason. According to Harry, Dudley

is the biggest and stupidest of his gang and he compares him with a gorilla. In the P.A.

he is portrayed as enormous and with a piggy face and bullying Harry is mentioned as

his favourite form of entertainment. Due to the archetype of the bully, readers’

collective unconscious can be easily awakened and they can construct an image of this

character quite easily. Besides, one of the nicknames he receives from his friends – Big

D - connotes not only his physical appearance but also their respect and fear of him. In

Iser’s (1987 in Jofre-Blanco: 30) words, readers construct certain expectations and a

mental image of this character through the description the author provides in the voice

of the protagonist which can be concreted when his nickname is introduced.

As regards the meaning of his first name, a dud being a boring person, it suggests to

readers that this character has an extremely ordinary life, and they will arrive at this

interpretation if they do not ignore this part of his name’s connotation. For example, he

can be said to be boring because he spends his summer in the kitchen or watching TV

only. As regards his relationship with his parents, they believe Dudley to be the finest

boy and they give him anything he wants. For instance, for his birthdays he receives a

certain number of presents and, if there are fewer than the previous years, he cries


21

loudly. Eventually, Harry finds all those presents broken and unused in a few days. In

the P.S. Dudley is also seen kicking his mother all the way up the street and rewarded

by his father in the P.A. for being good at punching. These attitudes are strongly related

to the second meaning mentioned in Table 4 (a thing that is useless because it does not

work correctly); Dudley himself is useless because he does not ‘work’ correctly in life.

Moreover, the many nicknames that he receives from his mother, father and aunt

(modes of address) illustrate the extent to which he is spoilt and allows readers to shape

his character in their brains - Duddy, Popkin, Dinky Duddy dums, Inckle Diddykins,

Dudders. Both his name and last name operate by helping readers in the portrayal of a

boring and ordinary character. In spite of his short appearances, all the connotations

analyzed before allow readers to have a vivid mental image of Dudley. When Harry

mentions him or relates him to other events along the story, the reader can easily

remember him and make the connections the protagonist is thinking of. Readers

continually fill in the indeterminacies the author leaves for this character with all the

tools she provides within his name; in other words, as Jauss (1976:164) suggests, the

author’s creation (the character) comes into life thanks to readers’ reception and

comprehension.

Petunia

Etymology 1825, from Modern Language. Petunia, 1789, from French petun, a hidden word for

tobacco plant; from Portuguese petum and from Guarani pety, it has a botanical

affinity to the tobacco plant. Pety was first recorded in German as bittin; it survives as

the regular word for tobacco only in Breton butun, but it was used in English in the

17th Century. (www.etymonline.com by Douglas Harper, 2008)

Semantics 1. Garden plant with white, pink, or red flowers. (Oxford Advanced Learners’

Dictionary 8th Edition; OUP, 2011)

2. Flower which happens to symbolize anger and resentment.


Syntax Proper noun; noun for a flower

Phonology /pə’t(y)o’onyə/

Table 5 - 'Petunia'


22

Harry’s aunt is Petunia Evans. As mentioned in Table 5, she is named after a flower

which symbolizes anger and resentment. These features can be discovered by readers in

many of her attitudes. For instance, she gossips away, she worships a new company car

and shows it off, she is upset at any reference to her sister’s name and for the same

reason she tries to squash magic out of Harry. Being a muggle, she thinks of her sister

and Harry as freaks or weirdoes for their condition as wizards and resents the fact that

her parents do not see what she sees in her sister. Then, through her name, readers

deduce certain aspects her personality, which are later, in Iser’s (1987 in Jofre-Blanco:

43) words, dissipated and concreted while reading.

Those readers familiar with the etymology of the name may be able to perceive how

she harms herself and her family from the inside (the same as tobacco), where she

keeps her anger and resentment shut. Besides, readers encounter this name only when

she is mentioned in relation to Harry as Aunt Petunia. This mode of address reminds

readers of how she is connected to the protagonist. She is sometimes mentioned as Mrs

Dursley, a last name Petunia acquires by marrying Vernon and described in Table 3

which, as mentioned before, serves readers to expect Harry and Petunia’s relationship

to be intolerant and abusive.

However, Petunia has her maiden name, which has a totally different influence on

readers’ shaping of her personality:

Evans

Etymology The Welsh for John – fearless; the 8th most common surname in Britain

(www.britishsurnames.com)

Semantics Evan – young warrior (www.theninemuses.net/hp)

John – gracious gift of God (www.genealogy.about.com)

Syntax Proper noun;

Phonology /’evənz/

Table 6 - 'Evans'

This last table for the character gives readers a different point of view about her

personality. She protects her family; she is faithful to her own ideas about the


23

wizarding world and also has power of decision over Harry’s situation. As readers

bring this character into life (Jauss, 1976:186), they are driven to understand her

attitude sometimes and not to be so harsh with her. The clash suggested by her two

different surnames shows the tension and ambivalence inside her, which readers can

easily perceive.

The next characters to appear in the P.S. are Harry’s parents - Lily Evans and James

Potter. Both appear on the same page, introduced by the narrator from Mrs Dursley’s

point of view. Mrs Dursley pretends she does not have a sister because her sister and

her good-for-nothing husband are as unDurselyish as it is possible to be. The adjective

she uses to refer to them allows readers to place them in direct contrast with the

Dursleys. Readers can perceive them neither as ordinary nor as intolerant but as special

and likeable. Due to a problem of scope it was necessary to select one of Harry’s

parents; it seems more interesting then to describe the contrast between the Evans

sisters, both of whom happen to be named after flowers.

Lily

Etymology 1. Old English lilie , from Latin lilia , plural of lilium ‘a lily’, cognate with Greek

leirion, both perhaps borrowed from a corrupted pronunciation of an Egyptian word.

Used in the Old Testament to translate Hebrew shoshanna and in the New Testament

to translate Greek krinon. The ‘lily of the valley’ translates Latin lilium convallium, a

literal rendition of the Hebrew term in the song of Salomon. It apparently was applied

to a particular plant (convallaria majalia) first by Germans herbalists in the 16th

Century. From the Latin word there are German lilie , French lis, Spanish lirio , Italian

giglio. As an adjective in the 1530s meaning white, pure and lovely. Lily pad is from

1834, American English lily-white is from early 14th Century and from 1930 with

reference to whites-only segregation; 1964 as irreproachable.

(www.etymonline.com by Douglas Harper, 2008)

2. The flower power symbol was virginity, purity, beauty and innocence. The flower

has also been worshipped in many religions. It is used by the Catholic religion,

especially at Easter, to symbolize Virgin Mary. Baptist Christians believe it

symbolizes the resurrection of life in Christ. (www.helium.com)

Semantics 1. Lily – majesty, wealth, pride, innocence, purity


24

2. Lily-white – purity, modesty, virginity, majesty, it’s heavenly to be with you. The

white lily is linked to Juno, the Queen of the Gods in Roman mythology, by the story

that while nursing her son Hercules, some excess milk fell from the sky creating the

group of stars we call the Milky Way, and lilies were created from that milk that fell to

earth.

3. Lily-orange – flame, I burn for you

4. Lily-yellow- I’m walking on air false, gay

5. Lily of the valley – return of happiness, purity of heart, sweetness, tears of the

Virgin Mary, you’ve made my life complete, humility, happiness, love’s good fortune.

The legend of the lily of the valley is that it sprang from Eve’s tears when she was

kicked out of the Garden of Eden. It is also believed that this flower protects gardens

from evil spirits. Also known as ‘flower of May’.

(www.marriage.about.com)

6. Lily- a large white or brightly coloured flower with petals that curl back from the

centre.

7. Lily of the valley – plant with small white flowers shaped like bells

8. Lily-white – almost pure white in colour; morally perfect

(Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8th Edition; OUP, 2011)

9. Lily – From many misfortune stories in mythology, lilies became the flower of

love and of a love which, although intense, might be unfulfilled and either repressed or

sublimated. Another symbolic meaning is that the lily possesses the power to exalt or

to bring down in death.

10. Lily of the valley – directly related to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden,

since it is the lily (Christ) which will restore a pure life, the promise of immortality

and salvation.

(Dictionary of Symbols; Penguin Reference, 1994)

Syntax Proper noun, noun, adjective

Phonology /’l Ǻli/

Table 7 - 'Lily'


25

Lily, like her sister Petunia, receives the name of a flower; however, as expressed in

Table 7, the symbolic value of her flower is totally different. Her purity could be seen

in her eyes, which Harry is constantly reminded of having inherited from her. She is

also described by other characters as a person with the habit of seeing the best in others,

even when they cannot see it themselves. The two adjectives that keep coming up in

connection with her are pure and kind hearted – readers, once again, are allowed to

bring this character into life through her name; in Iser’s (1987 in Jofre-Blanco: 30)

words, readers’ expectations are concreted with examples as follows: in the P.A., when

her husband bullies a character, she does not participate or tolerate bullying. This

episode also constructs in readers’ expectations the innocent side of her personality and

also the care and love she demonstrates to all of the characters, no matter their

backgrounds.

When analyzing Lily’s name metaphorically, popular mythology also plays an

important part. It is expressed in Table 7 that lilies, from many misfortune stories in

mythology, have become the flowers of love and of a love which, although intense,

might be unfulfilled and either repressed or sublimated (Dictionary of Symbols;

Penguin Reference, 1994). This creates the illusion in readers that Lily has the

possibility to love endlessly though her love is physically unfulfilled for she is never

really present in the flesh in Harry’s life. However, as she sacrifices herself when a

dark wizard comes to kill Harry, she gives him a protective shield that cannot be

broken, not even with magic. Besides, taking the lily of the valley metaphor, it can be

said that Lily’s sacrifice and love for Harry are the ones that will help him to go beyond

the path of evil and restore peace in his life, eventually bringing salvation to the

wizarding world at large.

As regards the way the other characters address her, she is mainly referred to as your

mother to Harry or just Lily among the characters that are closer to her. It can be seen

by readers that the perspective followed is always that of the protagonist’s, and that the

modes of address are acquired through their relationships. Then she is also referred to

together with her husband as the Potters. These modes stress the connection with Harry

and increases readers’ attention to Harry’s life.

Jauss (1976:157) proposes that the author’s creation (the character) comes into life

thanks to readers’ reception and comprehension; this has already been mentioned, but it


26

is relevant here again for it is clearly exemplified through the analysis of this character.

Taking into account her surname and what is expressed in Table 6, the hidden

meanings in Evans can be applied to readers’ construction of Lily’s character in many

ways – being a young warrior she saves her son by standing between him and his

potential murderer, she does not tolerate bullying and tries to stop it, she fights for

muggle rights and she is part of the Order of the Phoenix (an organization created to

fight against evil forces).

Another key element which projects these aspects of her personality is the fact that

she produces a Patronus (a guardian which gets its name from expecto – to throw out-

and patronus - guardian) in the shape of a doe. In Celtic tradition, the doe symbolizes

gentleness, unconditional love and kindness (Dictionary of Symbols; Penguin

Reference, 1994) which adds potential meaning to the previous description of her

name, and at the same time, her personality.

On page eight of the first book, the very first wizard to appear is severe-looking

Minerva McGonagall. She is mostly addressed as Professor McGonagall, due to the fact

that she is a teacher at Hogwarts School. She is sometimes addressed as Minerva only

by the Headmaster (with whom she has a really good and close relationship) or by other

teachers when arguing. In the latter case, when teachers address each other without

mentioning their status as Professors, it is to show some kind of disrespect.

Minerva

Etymology 1. Ancient Roman goddess of wisdom (later identified with Greek Athena); late 14th

Century, mynerfe, from Latin Minerva, from Old Latin menerva, from menes-wa, from

English root men (mind, understanding, reason)


2. The Romans may have associated her Etruscan name with their Latin word mens

meaning mind since one of the goddess’ aspects was her intellect. The name Minerva

may also derive from the Indo-European root men, from which the English words

mental and mind are also derived. It was only when she was identified with the Greek

goddess Athena that Minerva gained her role as a deity of war and combat. In Rome,

however, she was worshipped more from intently as a goddess of all activities

involving mental adeptness, such as handicrafts, writing and artistic endeavours. She


27

was also the Roman goddess of school children. As patron goddess of wisdom,

Minerva is frequently featured at educational establishments in the form of a statue or

as an image upon seals. There are statues of her from La Sapienzar University in

Rome, to Mexico where she stands over a fountain in Guadalajara. Her image is on

seals from the University of Lincoln in U.K. to Union College in new York.

(www.thenewworldencyclopedia.com)

Semantics Goddess of wisdom

Syntax Proper noun;

Phonology /mǺɑnə:və/

Table 8 - 'Minerva'

McGonagall

Etymology Scottish name (McGonigle, McGonegal) from Celtic name Conegal meaning the

bravest plus Mc meaning son of.


Semantics 1. William McGonagall – Scottish poet who’s Poetic Gems were published in 1890.

His poems show no skill or understanding of poetry but are very funny and popular as

a result (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8th Edition)

2. Named after this poet widely held as the worst in the English language


Syntax Proper noun

Phonology /mə’gǢnəg(ə)l/

Table 9 - 'McGonagall'

It is seen in the descriptions listed in Tables 8 and 9 that this teacher’s name connotes

wisdom, intellect, kindness, war, combat and bravery. Once again, readers can trace

these aspects in this character’s personality through the books. For instance, Professor

McGonagall gives Harry a really expensive broom (P.S.) and Hermione a Timerclock

which she has to ask the Ministry for (P.A.), episodes through which readers can get an


28

idea of her kindness. Besides, she is the only teacher who is able to keep the class quiet

and silent and takes off points even from her own House when the students misbehave,

which shows how wisdom is portrayed in her personality.

Not surprisingly, her name refers to the Roman goddess of school children. As

described in Table 8, the fact that the image of this goddess is connected to many

educational establishments around the world makes this character’s name significant to

readers for they can easily associate it with teaching situations. This aspect of the name

also awakens readers’ collective unconscious, which gives them the opportunity to

identify Professor McGonagall with the teacher archetype they have in their minds

(which will be dependent on each readers’ experiences with teachers).

Another feature that can be connected to these aspects of her personality is the fact

that she can turn into a cat, which brings about wider possibilities for the reader to

interpret this character’s personality. Stoic, silent and mysterious and associated with

magic since ancient times (Colbert, 2001:137), cats symbols allow readers to place

Professor McGonagall’s character among those symbols they represent: cleverness,

independence and intuition. She is not afraid of speaking her mind, she has quite a

sharp tongue sometimes and she maintains great emotional composure. Although she is

mostly described in the three books as strict and severe, she can also be very supportive

and warm in times of trouble and cares a great deal about her students both personally

and academically. Readers are able to experience and order the ideas that compose her

personality, for example, in the O.P. when a very strict teacher puts Harry in detention

many times and makes his hand bleed, Harry mentions that professor McGonagall

would go nuts if she got to know what was happening. In this situation, her wise

personality is revealed. Moreover, when one of the characters is forced to resign his

position, she is the one who controls the situation and goes to help even though there

are three people more than her to fight back. There, she gets badly hurt and ends up in

St Mungo’s hospital. This allows readers to confirm the expectations about her

bravery, the loyalty to her moral principles and warfare hidden in her name. Through

this name the author involves readers in the process of bringing her character to life by

giving them different schematized points of view hidden in it. Iser (1987:42 in Shagufta

Imtiaz) mentions that, in this way, the reading process is made active, creative and most

importantly, pleasurable for readers.


29

Voldemort

Etymology 1. In French, vole de mort means flight of death, with some hint of also meaning

theft of death. A famous pun on the French word vol was when Napoleon confiscated

the estates of surviving nobles of the pre- Revolutionary regime. One of the guys

whose estate was confiscated said: C’est le premier vol de l’aigle, which normally

means ‘it’s the first flight of the eagle’ but in this case vol was to be understood as

theft.


2. There was a dark wizard in medieval times named Voldemortist. In another

language Voldemortist means Lord of Evil or Dark Lord. Legend has it that

Voldemortist once tried to destroy Merlin before the time of King Arthur by

bewitching good people and simply bribing those who were already evil. Legend has

it that Merlin destroyed Voldemortist by using a simple Paralysing Charm, fed him to

the many-headed-beast of the lake, freed the bewitched people, and destroyed the evil

men.

(www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins2.shtml)

Semantics 1. Vol connected to Latinate volo (to wish), meaning wish of death or death wish


2. In Norwegian and Danish, vold means violence. In Danish volde means to cause

and could be derived from valde, meaning great, exceedingly, strongly, powerfully.

(eo1n.tumblr.com/post)

Syntax Proper noun in this case;

Phonology /vödəmöt/ Alludes to mort – mortal, mortality, mortify, morise (all connected to death or pain)

Table 10 - 'Voldemort'

Unexpected and just mentioned in the retelling of certain events, the next name to

appear is the most evil character – Lord Voldemort. The sudden appearance of his

name on the P.S. may cause a first impression of this character. In his name the reader

is able to shape many aspects of his personality and an immediate detachement and fear

is awakened. Opposed to his nemesis Harry, who receives an ordinary name, this

character is addressed by different modes through the three books under analysis and


30

each mode serves its own purpose. His important relation as Harry’s antagonist is what

puts him into focus.

He is first mentioned as you-know-who by a passer-by and then by Professor

McGonagall in the P.S. Another similar reference is he-who-must-not-be-named, also

used by those who fear or respect him, which is connected to the references made in

Table 10 - flight of death, theft of death, wish of death, death wish. As his name is

directly related to death, characters choose these other alternatives not to be connected

to him in any way and because the sole reference to his name frightens them. In the use

of these alternatives, readers are able to foresee the characters’ attitude towards

Voldemort. As they already know who they are referring to whenever any of these

different modes is used, readers are able to feel part of the same ghetto and significantly

involved with the story. The only character that refers to him by his name is the one

Voldemort fears the most, together with Harry himself, who refers to him as an equal

and by his first name. These different ways of addressing this character allow readers to

build evil expectations around this personality.

For instance, when the Divination teacher makes a prophecy in the P.A., she refers to

Voldemort as the Dark Lord. That name describes a whole category of literary villains

such as the Dark Lord in The Lord of the Rings with whom Voldemort has much in

common. A Dark Lord has often been already defeated but not destroyed and he inflicts

damage out of envy (Colbert, 2001:191). If we analyze this villain archetype briefly,

Dark Lord also expresses many deep features of this character’s personality. Dark has

many different meanings that extend from having no light to something that is evil or

frightening (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8th Edition). This character has no

light in his personality at all and as the villain, he certainly is evil and frightening;

readers are able to concrete their expectations for this character easily and actively.

Then, a Lord is a man of high rank or somebody who has been given the title Lord as

an honour (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8th Edition). In this case, the

character considers himself someone of the nobility and who must be honoured. His

supporters are the only ones who call him like that and this shows how they respect him

and how they are organised according to characters’ different status. This archetypical

creation of a villain and the many aspects of his personality connoted by his name help

readers significantly and allow them to have a clear picture of the fight between good


31

and evil, deeply embedded in the collective unconscious mentioned by Carl Jung

(1966:84).

Voldemort’s phonology has a strong connotation. The first part Vol has the same

connotations in different languages (see Table 10 - In French, vole de mort means flight

of death, with some hint of also meaning theft of death; In Norwegian and Danish, vold

means violence. In Danish volde means to cause and could be derived from valde,

meaning great, exceedingly, strongly, powerfully). Then, mort alludes to the same

things vol refers to: death, mortal, mortality, mortify, morise. It can be said then that

Voldemort’s personality is characterised by a desire to defeat death and he aspires to be

the Prince of the World. In every culture, immortality, though desirable, is against the

laws of nature, which shows his insane greed. Moreover, though it will cost many lives

to achieve his goal, he lacks all sympathy. In another respect, he is very much a

creature of his time. Because his father (who was a muggle) abandoned his mother (a

pure blood witch), he hates muggles with a racist passion. Given the state of the world

when these books were conceived, with genocidal wars based on race and religion

(First and Second World War, USA – Iran War), one can easily see fragments of our

society in Voldemort’s personality. As Iser (1987:37 in Shagufta Imtiaz -

www.languageinindia.com/june2004/shaguftarosenblatt.html) points out, Voldemort’s

different modes of address are the author’s different strategies within this character’s

name to activate readers’ imagination; in spite of how explicit this name can be, it is

readers who eventually need to interpret and make use of these hidden meanings which

possibly help them construct this character’s personality in their minds.

The next character to be mentioned is another key one to the development of the story

and an important influence on the protagonist’s life: Albus Dumbledore. Officially he is

the headmaster of Hogwarts but he is significantly more important in the wizarding

world. The protagonist’s first encounter with him is through a Chocolate Frog trading

card which notes he is considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times. In

appearance and dress, Dumbledore certainly is a wizard in the legendary mould - he

might easily be mistaken for Merlin of the Arthurian legends or Obi-WanKenobi of

Star Wars; he could even be taken as a twin brother of Gandalf, the wizard of JRR


32

Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (Colbert, 2001:70). This fact makes him an easily

identifiable archetypical character and pictured in readers’ minds.

He is mostly addressed as Professor Dumbledore with reference to his position as

headmaster. Rarely and by closest characters, he is sometimes referred to as Albus,

which is his first name. However, this character happens to have quite a large name:

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. This fact might possibly emphasize his

importance and greatness within the wizarding world. Due to a problem of space, this

study only concentrates on the compound Albus Dumbledore.

Dumbledore

Etymology 1. In 1787, noted as a dialect word in Hampshire, Cornwall for ‘bumblebee’


2. An 18th century English word for ‘bumblebee’ (www.theninemuses.net/hp)

3. Back in the day, bumblebees used to be called humble-bees. That is not

because people found the insects to be particularly modest; the bumble or humble

refers to the buzzing sound the bees make. Bumblebees are classified in the bee

genus ‘Bombus’, which from Latin translates roughly to ‘hum or buzz’.

(www.smartestyear.com)

Semantics 18th Century English word for ‘bumblebee’; an alternate meaning is a style of

hat that was made semi popular in London in the 1880s-1890s. Then, Albus

Dumbledore might stand for ‘White Hat’, which happens to be a term used for

the hero or protagonist of a story.

(www.hp-lexicon.org)

Syntactic Proper noun;

Phonology /dȜmb(ə)ldö/ Can be related to words such as tumble, fumble, humble, bumble, jumble or mumble. Its last part can also be related to door.

Table 11 - 'Dumbledore'

As described in Table 11, his personality can be metaphorically related to

bumblebees for the reader can imagine him flitting about the castle and humming to

himself, which makes reference to his passion for music at the same time. The

phonology of his name reflects his personality in humble, for instance, due to the fact

that he is modest; powerful as he is, he never shows off, he can easily defeat his


33

opponent (another meaning that humble has - Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

8th Edition; OUP, 2011) in this case illustrated in the last episode in the O.P. when he

duels with Voldemort and is able to defeat him. On repeated occasions described along

the books, Dumbledore is seen anticipating and defeating Voldemort’s movements and

attacks, which can be connected to another of humble’s possible meanings.

Fumble, bumble and jumble refer to doing something awkwardly or in a confused

way; this can be perceived in this character’s personality through the fact that Harry

(through whom the reader usually sees this character) finds his likes for chamber

music, tenpin bowling and lemon drops strange due to the fact he has been already

portrayed as all-powerful and these features seem weird in such a man. It is difficult to

see Dumbledore as human and having those kinds of habits and, the same as Harry,

readers see Dumbledore’s achievements as too impressive to ever be matched. As Iser

(1978, in Jofre-Blanco: 30) highlights, these potential connections with fumble, bumble

and jumble can only be made by the readers in their active participation over the text.

Whatever role this character plays, it appears to be crucial that, on the road to becoming

a mature wizard, Harry is to see Dumbledore as human, and flawed like everyone else

despite being deservedly revered. This interpretation is awakened in readers because

they follow the same expectations the protagonist has. Iser (1987, in Jofre-Blanco:48)

refers to the process of following the protagonist as identification - the establishment of

affinities between oneself and someone external to oneself, a familiar basis which

allows us to experience the non-familiar; in this case, readers are able to relate to an

awkward wizard by the hand of the protagonist.

Albus

Etymology 1. Latin meaning white and wisdom from alb; Old English Albe.


2. An Italian word meaning ‘sunrise’ (ww.theninemuses.net/hp)

Semantics 1. White symbols:

a. to invoke good

b. serenity and composure

c. light

(Dictionary of Symbols; Penguin Reference – 1994)


34

2. White- morally pure, in Old English associated with royalist causes, slang sense

of ‘honourable, fair’ in American English (www.etymonline.com by Douglas

Harper, 2008)

3. Idiom ‘whiter than white’ (of a person) completely honest and morally good

(Oxford Advanced Leaner’s Dictionary 8th Edition)

Syntactic Proper noun, noun

Phonology /’albəs/ Very much alike the one of Britain’s old name- Albion

Table 12 - 'Albus'

Readers usually see this character as Harry does: all-knowing and all-powerful.

Albus means white, which befits a wizard with well-earned grey hair and, most

importantly, makes him the perfect opponent of the Dark Lord, which allows readers’

to evoke the archetypical battle between good and evil. This affects readers’ perception

of his personality for he is seen invoking good in all the characters. He is motivated by

his belief in the power of the human spirit and frequently reminds Harry that love is the

greatest magic of all. He believes in the good in everyone and in giving second

chances. In the O.P., Harry’s best friend, Ron, mentions that he believes poisonous

toadstools don’t change their spots with reference to another character – Professor

Snape. However, Ron also points out the fact that Dumbledore might be cracked to

trust him for there is no evidence he has really stopped working with Voldemort;

Dumbledore trusts him, though. These episodes together with the connotation of his

name allow readers to be immersed in the continual formulation and reformulation of

their expectations (Jauss, 1976:171) over this character’s personality. That is, readers

can confirm their expectations on the character or otherwise renew them from a

different perspective. Readers encounter a likeable character that, in spite of being a

powerful wizard living in a different reality from theirs, can be identified with the

protective aspect of his personality and the aura of serenity and composure that

surrounds him.

Moving on, white’s second symbolic meaning mentioned in Table 18 can be related

to the fact that Dumbledore almost constantly gives off an aura of serenity and

composure, rarely displaying intense emotion of anger or fear. This can be related to

and portrayed through the humming mentioned before; instead of showing his fury, he


35

tends to walk along his office humming to himself. Readers can easily discover the

hidden meaning in that humming and feel this aura he gives off from the very

beginning of the P.S. While placing Harry with his aunt and uncle after Voldemort has

killed his parents, Professor McGonagall grievously notices Harry’s scar from that

episode and asks Dumbledore if he can do anything to it. Nevertheless and in spite of

his own sadness and fears about Harry, he comfortably answers that even if he could he

would not do anything because he thinks that scars can come in useful. He even quietly

jokes about a scar he himself has above his left knee which, for him, is a perfect map of

the London Underground. In the P.A., Dumbledore is described as follows:

... though very old, always gave an expression of energy. He had

several feet of long silver beard, half-moon spectacles and an

extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest

wizard of the age, but that wasn’t why Harry respected him. You

couldn’t help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as Harry watched him

beaming around at the students, he felt really calm for the first time

since the Dementor3 had entered the train compartment...

In this case, the protagonist himself can feel this aura of serenity and composure.

Harry also mentions another key fact included in Table 18 through an idiom, whiter

than white who perfectly applies to this character for you couldn’t help trusting Albus

Dumbledore; he is completely honest and morally good. This extract also mentions that

the protagonist feels calm as he watches Dumbledore beaming around at the students.

Through this beaming and the fact that Harry feels calm, the aura of serenity and

composure is portrayed again. This is so for, with beaming, the reader can see the

character with a big happy smile at the same time as he sends off a stream of light and

heat. It is necessary to mention, though, that all these interpretations are flexible and

will depend entirely on how engaged readers’ experience with this character’s name’s

hidden connotations are (Rosenblatt, 1978 in Shagufta Imtiaz -

www.languageinindia.com/june2004/shaguftarosenblatt.html). As regards light,

3 Dementor: a cloaked figure with its face completely hidden under its hood, which infest the darkest, filthiest places, glory in decay and disappear, drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around them


36

mentioned and described in Table 12, Dumbledore is fascinated with the functions of it.

In the P.S. one of his inventions is presented – the Put-Outer (Deluminator). It looks

like a silver cigarette lighter and, by clicking it, one can turn on and off lights. He uses

it, for instance, to turn off the lights in the street of Harry’s house so that the neighbours

are not able to see Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Hagrid when they

leave him. Metaphorically, this light can also be connected to the aspect in his

personality through which Dumbledore is able to see light in any person. The active

perception of these interpretations in the following situations will depend on readers’

eloquent interpretations of the text (Rosenblatt, 1978 in Shagufta Imtiaz -

www.languageinindia.com/june2004/shaguftarosenblatt.html). In the P.A. one of the

characters – Remus Lupin- is a werewolf and he explains that, until Dumbledore

became headmaster, he could not enter Hogwarts. He says that Dumbledore was

sympathetic to him and thought that, as long as they took certain precautions, there was

no reason he should not go to school.

Albus’s phonology described in Table 12 alludes to the books’ origin, for this name

is similar to Britain’s old name - Albion. Additionally, the Italian etymology in Table

12 can also be mentioned. It can possibly allude to the rebirth symbols associated with

Dumbledore’s personality. The closest one is his pet Fawkes, which happens to be a

phoenix. In www.theninemuses.net/hp/ the phoenix is described as follows:

...It is a large swan-sized bird with red and gold plumage. Its

scarlet feathers glide faintly in darkness, while its golden tail

feathers are hot to the touch and have many magical powers.

Phoenixes are known for nesting in mountain peaks and are not

known for fighting. As phoenixes approach their burning day they

resemble a half-plucked turkey, their eyes become dull and their

feathers start to fall. Then, the bird suddenly bursts into flames only

to rise from the ashes shortly after – meaning they are immortal...

The O.P. is named after the phoenix for it relates to the Order that Dumbledore has

created to fight Voldemort. Not only is this connected to him being fond of this animal

but it is also connected to the idea of fighting evil and being reborn, an idea strongly


37

related to Dumbledore’s personality and morals constructed previously by readers in

their interaction with the text.

Then, Harry meets the first boy of his age while buying his robes for his first year at

Hogwarts School. This boy is described as having a pale pointed face; while talking to

Harry, Harry is strongly reminded of Dudley and likes him less and less every second.

When travelling to Hogwarts School, Harry meets this boy again, who comes to

introduce himself knowing who Harry is this time – the famous boy who lived. He does

not greet Harry and simply says my name’s Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.

Draco

Etymology 1. Constellation representing a dragon, from Latin draco ‘dragon’, identified as such

since ancient times (www.etymonline.com by Douglas Harper, 2008)

2. Classical Latin word for dragon or snake, derived from the Greek drakon, a

fabulous kind of serpent perhaps as supposed to fascinate (www.myetymology.com)

3. Draco means ‘dragon’ in Latin; also, Draco was the name of cruel a Athenian

lawyer. His harsh legal code punished both trivial and serious crimes with death. From

there comes the expression of ‘draconian laws’- extremely severe and cruel


4. Dragon – early 13th Century, from Old French dragon, from Latin dracomen

(nominal draco) ‘huge serpent dragon’; from Greek drakon ‘serpent, giant sea fish’

apparently from drak strong direst stem of derfesthai ‘to see clearly’ perhaps the literal

sense is ‘the one with the deadly glance’. The youngs are dragonets (14th Century);

obsolete drake ‘dragon’ is an older borrowing of the same word. Used in the Bible to

translate Hebrew tannin ‘a great sea-monster’. (www.etymonline.com by Douglas

Harper, 2008)

Semantic 1. Draco is the Latin for ‘dragon’ from Greek drakon. Dragon is a term for any

mysterious snakelike creature in mythology. Dragons are often depicted as having a

snake body and four feet; there is no fossil evidence for dragons ever having existed.

(www.contellationsofwords.com)

2. Dragon’s symbols – seen as strict guardians or as symbols of evil and diabolical

tendencies. In Hindu, the dragon produces soma, the beverage of immortality, and is

the soma offered in sacrifice. It was quite natural for the dragon, a celestial, creative

and law-giving power, to become the symbol of the Emperor, easily seen in Chinese


38

culture, the dragon is above all linked to rain-making and to lightning, both

manifestations of celestial activities. Its image has its origin in the image of the whale

vomiting the Prophet Jonah since dragons are creatures which swallow, transfigure and

vomit up their prey. The Prophet’s journey to the Underworld completed, he returns

from the realm of the dead and his might-time prison in the sea. The battle between the

hero and the dragon shows more clearly the archetypal theme of the ego’s triumph over

regressive trends. (Dictionary of Symbols; Penguin Reference, 1994)

Syntactic Proper noun; noun

Phonology /’dræko/

Table 13 - 'Draco'

Beginning with this boy’s first name, it is possible to say that Draco clearly defines

who this character is. Through his Latin name, readers are able to immediately relate

him to one of the most ancient and universal symbols of evil – the dragon or snake. The

idea of the eternal battle between good and evil comes into picture again for readers.

They are driven, then, to identify Harry as the one representing good and Draco

representing evil. Taking the dragon symbols into account, it is possible for the reader

to have in mind the battles of Saint George or Saint Michael, so common a subject for

artists who illustrate the perpetual struggle of good versus evil. In a wide variety of

shapes and forms, this struggle pervades every culture and every religion, not excepting

dialectal materialism in the guise of the class struggle (Dictionary of Symbols; Penguin

Reference, 1994).

The fact that the protagonist is reminded of his cousin Dudley when talking to Draco

(see Table 4) also allows the reader to see him as Harry’s opponent and someone likely

to harm him. At the same time, and with Dudley’s picture in mind, readers create

certain expectations around Draco, which are connected to his personality being similar

to Dudley’s.

Though he is referred to as Draco fewer times than as Malfoy, Draco’s evil

suggestions about his personality can be traced through his attitudes. He dislikes

muggles and during his first encounter with the protagonist (P.S.) he even mentions that

muggles should not be let in Hogwarts School, showing himself as a racist. In that same

conversation, Draco says that he is going to bully his father into buying him a broom to


39

smuggle it into school and show off his abilities with it (readers’ expectations about his

similarities with Dudley are then confirmed). Readers can construct his personality,

then, neither as pure nor as innocent. Draco is seen through the series with two

sidekicks whom Harry believes to be his bodyguards – the symbol of the Emperor

described in Table 13 can be awakened in readers’ minds through these facts. The same

as Draco, they are said to look extremely mean (P.S.) and not surprisingly their names

evoke evil as this pale boy’s name does. They are referred to as Crabbe and Goyle and

they always come together; switching the first letters of their names it is possible to get

grab and coil, which happens to be what snakes do to their preys. Metaphorically and

accordingly, Draco the ‘whole’ snake can be seen to have the strongest personality of

the three of them, him being the ‘snake’ in this case, and acting through his friends

(like Dudley, he seems to be the head of his gang – see Table 4).

Malfoy

Etymology 1. From French ‘Mal foi’ meaning ‘bad faith’ (www.theninemuses.net/hp)

2. Derives from Latin ‘maleficus’, meaning evil-doer. In medieval times the word

was used to describe witches, whose evil acts where called maleficia. (Colbert,

2001:129)

Semantics 1. Mal- bad or baldy, not correct or correctly - malpractice, malodorous, malfunction

2. Malicious- having or showing hatred and a desire to harm or hurt their feelings

3. Malign – to say bad things about sb/sth in publicly

4. Malignant- cannot be controlled and is likely to cause death

5. Malevolent – to harm

(Oxford Advanced Leaner’s Dictionary 8th Edition; OUP, 2011)


Phonology /’mäfoI/

Table 14 - 'Malfoy'

Secondly, getting into the analysis of this character’s surname, an important point to

be discussed is what this character mentions in his first encounter with the protagonist,

which is strongly fixed in readers’ minds. All his family has been part of the Slythering


40

House at Hogwarts, which receives its name from the way in which snakes move,

suggestive of evil. In the P.S. one of the characters tells the protagonist that there is not

a single witch or wizard who was in Slythering who did not go badly. Harry’s nemesis

Voldemort used to be part of it; which is easily expected by readers. Then, as described

in Table 14, this family surname comes from the French word meaning bad faith,

which adds to the interpretation of this character’s mean personality. Episodes that

confirm this portrayal of Draco’s evil-doing personality can be found in the three books

under analysis. In the P.S., for instance, he steals one of the character’s presents from

his granny and throws it away just for fun. In the P.A., when Harry faints after his

encounter with a Dementor, Draco makes fun of him by doing an impression of a

fainting fit. In accordance with the malicious aspects mentioned in Table 14, Draco is

constantly seen along these books insulting Harry’s best friends: Hermione for being a

muggle, and Ron for belonging to a low class wizarding family.

Last but not least, Harry’s best friends and companions in all his adventures will be

considered. In the P.S., Harry meets a plump woman who is talking to four boys, all

with flaming red hair, when having to make the journey from Platform Nine and Three-

Quarters to Hogwarts School. The youngest of them, as it is also his first year and he

does not want his brothers to bother him, sits in a compartment with Harry. Harry does

not know anything about wizarding families and his best friend to be (although, Harry

does not know it yet) is meeting the legend of the boy who lived in the flesh. Therefore,

Harry finds this boy as interesting as he finds him. This boy’s twin brothers introduce

themselves to Harry, also introducing this boy; they are the Weasleys and this boy

comes to be Ron.

Weasley

Etymology From weasel; Old English wesle, wesule of West Germanic origin, related to Dutch

wezel and German wiesel. (Oxford Advanced Leaner’s Dictionary 8th Edition; OUP,

2011)

Semantics 1. Weasel – a small wild animal with reddish brown fur, a long thin body and short

legs; weasels eat smaller animals.

2. Idiom – weasel out of something; to avoid doing something that you ought to do or


41

have promised to do.

(Oxford Advanced Leaner’s Dictionary 8th Edition; OUP, 2011)

3. From J.K.R.’s site, weasels were known to have a bad reputation especially in

Ireland, as an unfortunate animal. And well, the Weasleys are unfortunate because they

are poor. J.K.R. said: ‘Ron was the only one of three major characters whose surname

never changed; he has been Weasley from start to finish. In Britain and Ireland the

weasel has a bad reputation as an unfortunate and even malevolent animal. However,

since childhood, I have had a great fondness for the family mustilidae; not so much

malignant as maligned, in my opinion’. (www.mugglenet.com)

4. This name may come from the world weasel, meaning (1) sneaky (2) being

cowardly and running away from a situation. Or it could be from

wheeze/wheezing/wheezy, meaning to breathe loudly and heavily. (www.angelfire.com)

Syntax Proper noun; noun

Phonology /’wizli/

Table 15 - 'Weasley'

Harry chooses his best friend not for being rich and belonging to a well-known

wizarding family, but for being in some respect unfortunate as he is. This is

metaphorically connoted through Ron’s family surname, which derives from weasels.

Jauss (1976:159) mentions that readers’ perception of the text is what will help them

find expectations and anticipate circumstances. This can be illustrated by what is

described in Table 15. Weasley can be significant for some readers because these

animals have a bad reputation in Britain, especially in Ireland. J.K.R. herself is said to

have mentioned this fact in spite of having a different opinion. Some readers can, then,

perceive this family as unfortunate, relating them to the fact that they are a big and poor

family. This perception can also be concreted (Iser, 1978 in Jofre-Blanco: 43), for

instance, when in the P.S. Ron himself tells Harry that he has got Bill’s old robes,

Charlie’s old wand and Percy’s old rat – all from his elder brothers. Then, Harry tells

Ron about having to wear Dudley’s old clothes and never getting proper birthday

presents; Ron cheers up because someone as famous as Harry understands him so well.

Names, then, give readers certain knowledge but what is hidden in them is what gives

them the opportunity of connecting the characters (Iser, 1978 in Jofre-Blanco: 43).


42

Another feature of weasels that readers are reminded of by this family name is their

reddish brown hair. In the P.S. when Draco Malfoy meets Ron, he tells him No need to

ask who you are. my father told me all the Weasleys had red hair, freckles and more

children than they can afford. In this episode, he not only refers to their hair colour but

also to the unfortunate aspect described before – they do not belong to the rich

wizarding families. In Table 15 it is also mentioned that the word weasel can mean

sneaky or being cowardly and running away from a situation.

Ron

Etymology 1. From Ronald; masculine proper name, from Old Norwegian Rögnvaldr "Having the

Gods' Power," from rögn "gods," literally "decreeing powers" (plural of regin"decree")

and valdr "ruler."


2. It is of Old Norse origin, and the meaning of Ronald is "ruler's counselor". Also

possibly from the same root as Reginald and Reynold. Ronald emerged among the Scots,

and was not widely used in the rest of the English-speaking world until the end of

the 19th century. Ranald is a Scottish form, Ronaldo is Spanish.

American President Ronald Reagan; clown Ronald McDonald. Ronald has twelve

variant

forms: Ranald, Renaldo, Ron, Ronal, Ronaldo, Rondale, Roneld, Ronell,Ronello, Ronn,

Ronnie and Ronny. (www.thinkbabynames.com)

Semantics 1. In Arthurian legend, "Ron" is the name of King Arthur's trusty ebony spear. The

name is derived from Rhongomynyad (cutting-spear). (www.theninemuses.net/hp)

2. Ronald (Ron, son) is from the Scandinavian form of Reynold, meaning "advice

ruler," a leader who gives advice. (www.angelfire.com)

3. In Hebrew and Jewish origin it means ‘song, joy’

4. In Gaelic, Scandinavian and English origin it means ‘rules with counsel’

5. In Scottish origin it means ‘mighty counsellor/ruler’

(www.babynology.com)



43

Phonology /’rǢn/ Names that sound like Ronald are Rinaldo, Reinald, Raynald, Renauld and Reynald; also Ren, Roan or Aaron.

Table 16 - 'Ron'

As mentioned in the description of Table 15, readers expect Ron to be as unfortunate

as the animal his surname represents is. Not only is he the last of five boys who inherits

everything from them but he is also not as brilliant as they are at school, which really

lowers his self-esteem. His physical appearance also resembles that of the weasel – he

has got a long thin body and, as mentioned before, red hair. Moreover, in every extreme

situation he appears to be as cowardly as his surname connotes at first. Readers can

perceive this in episodes such as in the P.S. when Harry wants Ron to join him to look

for Hermione, who is not in the Great Hall having dinner when a troll4 escapes. Ron

does not understand what Harry’s point is; he answers him impatiently and in an angry

way not knowing what to do. Then, in the O.P. when Harry and Ron are supposedly

going to save Sirius, they take some Threstals5 to escape from Hogwarts School. Ron

cannot see these creatures and therefore does not like them and faintly asks how he is

supposed to get on them, reminding the others that the situation is mad.

However, when getting to his first name, it allows readers to look at this character’s

personality from a different perspective. In Iser’s words (1978 in Jofre-Blanco: 46), the

previous expectations are not confirmed but modified. As described in Table 16, Ron

connotes a ruler’s counsellor and is connected to one of King Arthur’s trusty knights.

This is reflected on this character’s personality and perceived by readers through the

same episodes described before. In each of them, Ron first appears to be a coward, but

this first reaction is the one that makes the rest of the characters aware of the dangers

they are about to go through and forces them to be more careful. For instance, in the

P.S. episode with the troll, he reminds Harry that they should not be seen by the Prefect

for they would be put on detention. Furthermore, he is the one who makes the troll faint

by using one of the spells Hermione has taught him, the episode ending with the three

of them becoming great friends. In the same book, when they encounter a huge living

chessboard, Ron is the one who takes the lead even though he knows that, as in real

chess, his own pieces are going to be taken. As regards the episode mentioned about the

4 Troll: a creature that looks like an ugly person very large and evil 5 Threstals: horse-like but horrible creatures which are only seen by people who have seen death


44

Threstals in the O.P., although he is scared and almost faints, Ron does not hesitate

when he has to follow and help his friends. In spite of readers’ first impression of his

cowardice, readers’ perception of Ron’s personality is then modified in the process of

reading and they see how he always pushes himself to be brave and to defend the ones

he loves, which makes him a trustful and faithful friend.

To complete this idea, what is described in Table 15 should also de mentioned. J.K.R.

believes that weasels are not as malignant as they are maligned, and says that she has

always been very fond of them. She also adds that Ron’s surname is the one she never

changed in the process of writing – he was Weasley and he remains the same. If readers

happen to have this information, they will be able to relate it to the episodes mentioned

before; it might be possible for readers, then, to feel as fond of Ron Weasley as the

author appears to be.

Next to appear in the P.S. and as important for Harry as Ron is Hermione Granger.

During their first trip to Hogwarts School she appears with a boy who has lost his toad

and asks for help. In doing so, she sounds bossy and introduces herself by mentioning

the fact that she has learnt all their set books off by heart. This episode already allows

readers to start making predictions about her personality.

Hermione

Etymology 1. Feminine proper name, from Greek Hermione, derived from Hermes (gen. Hermeio).

Hermes - Olympian messenger and god of commerce, son of Zeus and Maia, identified

by the Romans with their Mercury, from Greek Hermes, of unknown origin


2. Feminine form of Hermes, a name of uncertain etymology borne by the messenger

god. The name Hermione is borne in Greek legend by the daughter of King Menelaus

of Sparta and his wife, Helene of Troy.

(www.babynamewizard.com)

3. Derived from the name of the Greek messenger god HERMES. In

Greek myth Hermione was the daughter of Menelaus and Helen. This is also the name

of the wife of Leontes in Shakespeare's play 'The Winter's Tale' (1610).


45

(www.behindthename.com)

4. It is said that J.K.R. named her after a character in the Shakespearean tragedy "The

Winter's Tale", probably written in 1611. The first three acts deal with the jealousy of

King Leontes and his persecution of his queen, Hermione. His passion brings about her

supposed death and the abandonment of her infant daughter. The fourth act, set 16 years

later, relates the courtship of this daughter, Perdita, by Prince Florizel of Bohemia, and

the flight of the young couple to the kingdom of Leontes. There, in the last act, Perdita

is recognized as Leontes's lost child. To make his happiness complete, a statue of his

queen comes to life, and Hermione herself forgives him and embraces

Perdita. (www.theninemuses.net/hp)

Semantics Travel – www.behindthename.com


Phonology /’hǫȐmai əŋi/

Table 17 - 'Hermione'

Granger

Etymology 1. "Farm steward, man in charge of a grange," late 12th Century, also as a surname,

from Old French grangier, from grange (see grange).

grange -"small farm," mid-15th Century; mid-13th Century in place names (and

cf. granger), from Anglo-French graunge, Old French grange "barn, granary;

farmstead, farm house" (12th Century), from M.L. or V.L. granica "barn or shed for

keeping grain," from L. granum "grain" (see corn (1)). Sense evolved to "outlying

farm" (late 14th Century), then "country house" (1550s). Meaning "local lodge of the

Patrons of Husbandry" (a U.S. agricultural interest promotion organization) is from

1867


2. The surname Granger is derived from grange, a term for a barn or farm with

buildings that store grain, thus 'granger' is a term for a farm bailiff. Also, "Granger" is a

term for a member of the Grange Movement of the United States, which involved

agricultural activism in the nineteenth century, possibly alluding to Hermione

Granger's activism on behalf of house-elves (www.theninemuses.net/hp)

3. (origin: Saxon.) One who superintended a large farm or Grange.

Source: An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names With an Essay on


46

their Derivation and Import (1857).

(www.britishsurnames.co.uk)

Semantics 1. In ‘Fahrenheit 451’ by Ray Bradbury (1953), there is a man named Granger, who

has a photographic memory that he uses only for memorizing books. ‘Granger’ is also

the first name of a character in a book called ‘Frindle’ by the American Andrew

Clements (1996). Mrs Granger is a prim and proper person, who always forces people

to obey the rules and play by them. (www.theninemuses.net/hp)

2. Grange – a country house with farm buildings (Oxford Advanced Leaner’s

Dictionary 8th Edition; OUP, 2011)


Phonology /’greǺndʒə/

Table 18 - 'Granger'

Table 18 refers to a man from Fahrenheit 451 who happens to be named Granger and

does the same as Hermione – he memorizes books. Though for different reasons, they

share the same passion for books and their contents, and this name helps in the shaping

of this character’s personality due to its potential referent. The memorising of books

might be significant to readers only if they have the necessary intertextual knowledge.

Jauss (1976:164) refers to this fact as recognition, in which readers are able to

recognise only to the extent to which they ‘know’. Another example of this is the other

potential referent for Granger - a much disliked English teacher in Frindle. Readers

familiar with the novel are able to have an image of Hermione and start shaping her

personality in some way. As described in Table 18, the English teacher in Frindle

forces people to obey the rules and interestingly this is also a characteristic of

Hermione’s personality. For instance, in the P.S. Draco is bothering one of his

classmates and Harry wants to help but, to do so, he has to disobey one of the teacher’s

orders. Instantly, Hermione shouts at him not to move or they will get into trouble.

However, her obsession with rules is not only used to keep her friends under control

but also to help them. In the O.P., for example, Harry is about to get expelled from

Hogwarts because he has used magic out of school, which is forbidden for underage

students. In this episode, Hermione tries to cheer Harry up by telling him that she has

looked up information and found out that he cannot get expelled because there is a


47

provision in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use

of magic in life-threatening situations. Once again, though this information on Granger

is brought from another intertextual source and it might not be significant for readers if

they do not recognise it, it does help those who ‘know’ in the shaping of this

character’s personality.

Last but not least, granger refers to farms, farmers or farm buildings. Readers can

relate these references to this character’s personality due to the fact that she comes

from a muggle family. Both her parents are dentists and she describes them in her first

conversation with Harry and Ron as not magical at all. This is significant for, as an

ordinary surname, it metaphorically portrays her ordinary background as a muggle

distinguishing her from the others who come from wizarding families and whose

surnames seem to be more complex. It can be interpreted here by readers that the

obsession she has with reading and memorizing books is related to her condition as a

muggle. To protect herself in the new world she enters, the wizarding world, she gets

knowledge that not every wizard possesses to support herself. Her feeling of not

belonging to the wizarding world, sometimes generated by her classmates, also pushes

her to help others who are also discriminated on in this world.

In Table 18, there is also a reference to the agricultural activism in the United States

in the19th Century, which readers can relate to Hermione’s activism on behalf of house-

elves. These creatures are slaves of wizarding families and are considered and treated

accordingly. In the O.P. Hermione spends hours knitting elf hats and socks which she

leaves around Griffindor’s Common Room so that house-elves can get them and be

freed (these creatures can only be freed if their masters give them clothes as a present).

The gaps of indeterminacy Iser (1978 in Jofre-Blanco: 30) refers to, in the case of this

character, can only be filled in by readers if they have the possibility of recognition of

the hidden meanings in Granger’s name.

Most of the times, though, this character is referred to as Hermione. It might have

been different if she had been called Juliet or Gretel; readers would have had the

possibility of building a mental image of this character easily and would have

inevitably connected her to them. The only referents in literature to which this

character’s name can be related are not popular either (see Table 17). Then, this makes

Hermione an easily remembered character and, at the same time, unique.


48

Taking its etymology into account (see Table 17), Hermione is derived from

‘Hermes’, the Olympian messenger and god of commerce. Readers might expect

Hermione to be intelligent, because she shows Harry and Ron the way through all their

problems thanks to her knowledge and due to this reference to the gods’ messenger.

These expectations are concreted in the P.S., for instance, where they are looking up

his name of Nicolas Flamel and she is the one who finds it in a book she has taken from

the library for a bit of light reading – her yearning for knowledge of the wizarding

world never ceases. And, in the O.P. when they create a secret group inside the school,

Hermione is the one who invents the way of communicating with all the members

stating the date and time of their meetings – they use enchanted coins.

In another episode in the O.P., the first reference to this character appears together

with Ron’s. After a long holiday, Harry expects that there will be letters from his best

friends Ron and Hermione, who have not written to him. Hermione only scribbles I

expect we’ll be seeing you quite soon. Her character being the one who can intelligently

communicate with him when they are not supposed to do it adds to the perception of

her personality. In the latter book, readers’ expectations for this character to behave

wisely are stronger for their construction of her as the one with knowledge and good

ideas has already been established in the previous books; her personality becomes

predictable for readers. In Iser’s words (1978 in Jofre-Blanco: 37), once the reader is

immersed in the flow of thinking behind the name, they are able to make their ongoing

mental construction more dynamically.

4. CONCLUSION

One of the pleasures of reading J.K. Rowling’s books is discovering the playful

references to history, legend and literature that she hides in them. In this work, it has

been possible to illustrate one of J.K.R.’s amazing gifts - her ability to balance these

references out without losing control over telling her story; then, though the fictional

world she creates is unique, it can be seen that it grows from myths and folklore that

have endured along time. The popularity of her books, therefore, testifies to the breadth

of culture from which she draws many of her images, characters, and themes.

Furthermore, this seems to allow each reader to satisfy his/her preferences, and makes

the series both literarily significant and a formative narrative.


49

In the present study, in order to explore readers’ perception of characters in Harry

Potter novels, an aspect of language has been isolated and analyzed from the

perspective of Reader Response – names. Characters’ names have been taken not as

arbitrary labels but as sociocultural tags that have a sociocultural function and

connotative meaning which readers actively formulate in the reading process. A

weakness that seems necessary to point out is that the scope of this study needed to be

narrowed down to concentrate on only ten names and the most striking features these

names revealed. This work has concluded that there is more to these books if the

artfully hidden meanings in different characters’ names are decoded and revealed. It is

the readers’ task to see through names to their fullest advantage.

In order to get to this conclusion, the connotative meanings of the first and last name

combinations of ten characters has been described in connection to how they build up

on readers’ understanding of characters’ personalities; each name has been analyzed in

different tables of my own design which included four levels of analysis – etymology,

semantics, syntax and phonology. As names made their connotative meaning

illustrative of their bearers, a metaphorical fifth level has been added to the description

of these tables.

The analysis has revealed that this story gives readers evidence of the information-

bearing value of names and their function in relation to personal and group identity;

most importantly, it reveals that at all stages readers must rely on their own ability of

interpretation. Names are with J.K.R. not mere arbitrary tags– they are part of the

nature of the people to whom they belong.

It has been explored, for example, that in most instances names connote a

correspondence between them and the character they belong to. Additionally, names

are suggestive of the status of the characters. Upper class families, as analyzed, tend to

be pure-blood and do not accept wizards’ mixture with muggles. Most of their names

connote bad faith and therefore readers are able to predict that they will have a

discriminatory attitude towards muggles. This study has shown explicitly something

that readers understood intuitively. Lower class families are the opposite of upper class

ones. Their names are less descriptive and imply their acceptance of the mixture

between different kinds of wizarding families. The fracture between the two sides to


50

the story is clearly marked through names, which help readers in the on-going creation

of the new world the series presents.

In the analysis it has also been pointed out that some of the names are descriptive of

characters’ personal appearance like Dumbledore, Albus and Weasley. Moreover, some

characters have interesting nicknames, which add to the shaping of their personalities

like Big D, you-know-who or he-who-must-not-be-named. Then, the different modes of

address used for the different characters’ analysed mainly denote the social relationship

between them and the relationship they have with the protagonist. That is, according to

how they are connected to Harry, characters’ are referred to in different ways such as

Aunt Petunia or Professor McGonagall.

All in all, it has been explored and described how names in Harry Potter novels help

in the shaping of characters’ personalities and in the potential realization of meaning

through them. It might be seen that readers are offered the opportunity to see through

names to their fullest advantage if they exploit and do research on names similar to the

one suggested by this paper. In that way, names will provide readers with patterns and

symbols from which they can form their own assumptions and expectations, thus

making the process of reading more active and therefore more appealing. No book is

really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally worth reading at the age of

fifty, and this series does not escape this saying because each act of reading will

provide them with equal opportunities of identifying with, discovering and enjoying

this fantasy world.

To conclude, it should be pointed out that this analysis is one of the many possible

readings of Harry Potter’s characters’ names; in order to appreciate the full value of

naming Harry Potter novels ought to be analysed from various other perspectives,

which might constitute the object of further research and the subject of future papers.


51

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INTERNET RESOURCES

www.prosopography.modhist.ox.ac.uk – accessed February 2011


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www.rudihein.de/hpewords.htm - accessed May 2011

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Documents

Naming in Harry Potter