So, for you to better understand how
Propp’s Fairy Tale Functions serve a story, here is a summary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
(the bulk of it stolen from Wikipedia because, why not?):
Harry Potter is a seemingly ordinary boy, living with his hostile
relatives, the Dursleys in Surrey (0. Initial
Situation). For his cousin Dudley’s birthday, the Dursleys and Harry go to
the zoo, but before they leave, Mr. Dursley tells Harry not to do any funny
stuff while they’re there (2. Interdiction).
In the Reptile House, Harry talks to one of the snakes, and Dudley pushes him
out of the way. Angry, he does magic without meaning to, releasing the snake
and trapping Dudley (3. Violation of Interdiction).
On his eleventh birthday, Harry learns from a mysterious stranger, Rubeus Hagrid, that he is actually a wizard (9. Mediation, the Connective Incident and 10. Beginning Counter-Action). In Diagon Alley, he meets several witches and wizards who all know his name, including Professor Quirrell (6. Trickery). Harry buys a wand from Mr. Olivander (14. Receipt of a Magical Agent), the twin wand to the person who gave him his lightning bolt scar, and Hagrid purchases an owl as a birthday present for Harry (12. First Function of the Donor). Harry wonders why he is famous in the Wizarding World (4. Reconnaissance), and Hagrid tells him why. He’s famous for surviving an attack by the evil Lord Voldemort when he was only a baby. Voldemort killed Harry's parents (1. Absentation and 8. Villainy or Lack), but his attack on Harry rebounded, leaving only a lightning-bolt scar on Harry's forehead and rendering Voldemort powerless (5. Delivery). Hagrid reveals to Harry that he has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After buying his school supplies from the hidden wizarding street, Diagon Alley, Harry boards the train to Hogwarts via the concealed Platform 9¾ in King's Cross Station (11. Departure and 15. Guidance).
On the train, Harry meets Ron Weasley, a boy from a large, but
poor, pure-blood wizarding family, and Hermione Granger, a witch born to
non-magical parents. Once they arrive at the school, Harry and all of the other
first-year students are sorted into four different houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff,
Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. As Slytherin is noted for being the house of darker
wizards and witches, Harry successfully begs the magical Sorting Hat not to put
him in Slytherin (13. Hero’s Reaction).
He winds up in Gryffindor, along with Ron and Hermione.
At Hogwarts, Harry begins learning wizardry and also discovers
more about his past and his parents. Harry inadvertently makes Gryffindor's Quidditch
team (a sport in the wizarding world where people fly on broomsticks) as a Seeker,
learning that his father was also a member of the team.
One night, he, Ron, and Hermione find a giant three-headed dog on
the Forbidden Corridor on the Third Floor at the school. Ron and Harry
successfully take down an escaped mountain troll (16. Struggle), rescuing Hermione (22. Rescue), and after Harry is nearly knocked off his broom (also Struggle) by a powerful curse during
one of the Quidditch matches (which he wins by catching the snitch (17. Branding)), the trio assume that
someone is trying to get past the dog. Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised
which shows a person's heart's desire. The headmaster Albus Dumbledore moves
the mirror and advises Harry against looking for it. Using information
accidentally let slip by Hagrid, Hermione discovers that the dog is guarding
the Philosopher's Stone, an item that can be used to grant its owner
immortality. Harry concludes that his potions teacher, Severus Snape, is trying
to obtain the stone (7. Complicity).
Harry is caught out of bed at night and is given detention. While helping
Hagrid in the dark forest Harry sees a hooded figure drinking a unicorn's blood
for its healing properties. Harry concludes that the hooded figure was Voldemort
and that Snape is trying to get the stone to restore Voldemort to full
strength.
After hearing from Hagrid that the dog will fall asleep if played
music and that he let slip this to a man in the local pub one night, Harry,
Ron, and Hermione decide that Snape was the man in the pub and attempt to warn
Dumbledore. Upon learning he is away on business the trio conclude that Snape
will attempt to steal the stone that night and resolve to find the stone before
Snape does (21. Pursuit).
They face a series of obstacles: surviving a deadly plant, flying
past hundreds of flying keys and winning a violent, life-sized chess match (25.
Difficult Task). The trio use their
skills to overcome the obstacles. Hermione uses her knowledge of spells to get
past the plant, Harry uses his skills as a seeker to get past the keys and Ron
uses his skill at chess to win the chess match. However, Ron is nearly killed
in the match and Hermione stays with Ron as Harry goes on ahead, alone.
In the final room, Harry finds out that it was not Snape who
wanted the stone, but Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Quirrell
(23. Unrecognized Arrival). Quirrell
reveals that he let the troll in and tried to kill Harry in the Quidditch
match. He also reveals that Snape has been protecting Harry and trying to stop
Quirrell all year. Quirrell forces Harry to look in the mirror. Due to an
enchantment placed by Dumbledore, Harry finds the stone in his pocket after
looking in the nearby Mirror of Erised. While trying to get Harry to answer
what he has seen in the mirror, Quirrell removes his turban and reveals
Voldemort to be living on the back of his head (28. Exposure). Harry tries to escape but Quirrell starts a fire by
clicking his fingers to trap him. Voldemort tries to convince Harry to give him
the stone by promising to bring his parents back from the dead, but Harry
refuses. Quirrell tries to kill him but Harry's touch prevents Quirrell from
hurting Harry and causes his hand to turn to dust. Quirrell then tries to take
the stone but Harry grabs his face, causing Quirrell to turn into dust and die
(18. Victory, 26. Solution, and 30. Punishment). When Harry gets up, Voldemort's spirit forms and
passes through Harry, knocking him unconscious, before fleeing.
Harry wakes up in the school's hospital wing, with Professor
Dumbledore at his side. Dumbledore explains that the stone has been destroyed,
and that both Hermione and Ron are fine (19. Liquidation). Quirrell burned at Harry's touch because, when
Harry's mother died to save him, her death gave Harry a magical, love-based
protection against Voldemort. At the end of year feast, Dumbledore gives last
minute house points to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville for their bravery and smarts
(27. Recognition) so Gryffindor win
the house cup (31. Wedding). Before
Harry and the rest of the students leave for the summer, Harry realises that
while every other student is going home, Hogwarts is truly his home (20. Return).
Note: the Unfounded Claims and Transfiguration functions are not
present in the film. No one ever doubts Harry’s victory over Voldemort, nor
does Harry really transform after his encounter with Voldemort. These could be
applied to subplots, but it requires some creative explaining, so for sake of
brevity and simplicity, we’ll leave it as it is.
This is perfect for so many reasons that I can't explain them. I'll just have to bookmark this so I can come back and reference this great example as I work on this new project I have in mind.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!!
no problem! :D
DeleteBrooke, your analyses always impress me!!
ReplyDeletethanks Rowenna :)
DeleteGreat story, I love the Harry Potter series. Nicely detailed. :D
ReplyDeleteY cant see all.. In number 3 jump to 9
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