FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES

UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA, SERDANG

PREPARED FOR:

YM HJH TENKU MAZUWANA BINTI T. MANSOR

TITLE:

RESPONSE/REACTION PAPER

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE

COURSE CODE:

LHE3251

PREPARED BY:

NO. MATRIC ID FULL NAME

1. 197897 NUR NABILA NATASYA BT RAZIF

PROGRAMME:

TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (TESL)

FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES

FIRST SEMESTER 2020/2021

Response/reaction paper

Part 1: Summary The novel begins with a description of the Dursley family that lives at 4
Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. The family consist of Vernon, Petunia
and Dudley Dursley. Petunia Dursley are Lily’s sister. Lily and James Potter
was Harry’s deceased parents. After they died Harry is left on their doorstep.
Lily and James had been murdered by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort but
when he tried to kill Harry. The magic somehow reverts and broke his power.
Harry becomes the only living person ever to survive the killing curse, the
proof of his encounter with Voldemort is a unique lightning bolt-shaped scar
on his forehead.
Harry does not have any other living relatives, so Albus Dumbledore, the
headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry orders Hagrid
the gatekeeper of Hogwarts to leave Harry with the Dursleys until he is old
enough to attend Hogwarts. The novel continues with Harry after 10 years,
has grown to become a pale, skinny boy with messy black hair and bright
green eyes. Petunia, Harry’s aunt told Harry that his parents were killed in a
car accident but has no other information about them, not even a photograph.
Petunia’s only son, Dudley dominates the household with his immature,
demanding and selfish attitude as he is being spoiled rotten by his parents.
He loves bullying Harry with his friends.
In the novel, it is described that Dudley has two bedrooms, one for his bed
and another one to store all his broken toys. They placed Harry at a small
cupboard under the stairs. As Harry grows older, strange things often happen
around him. One day, Aunt Petunia cuts all his hair in frustration, and it grew
back as before the very next day. In the early chapter of the novel, Harry
joins Dudley and his family to the zoo to celebrate his 11th birthday. While
he is in the reptile house, somehow, he sees the snake responds to his
question. Then Dudley interrupts him as usual by knocking at the glass
asking the snake to move. All the sudden, the glass the snake cage suddenly
vanishes. The snake manages to escape, and Dudley falls into the cage. The
snake thanks Harry and the glass suddenly appears and locks Dudley inside
the cage. Harry is unable to explain the incident, but Uncle Vernon blames
him and punishes him by restricting him to the cupboard under the stairs until
the end of summer holidays.

The story continues with the arrival of a mysterious letters. For almost 11
years, never once has Harry receives any letter and that very day, he did. And
Uncle Vernon refuses to let Harry read the letter and tells him that it was
addressed to him by mistake. Since then more and more letters arrive in the
house, but Uncle Vernon keeps intercepting them from Harry. Then, Uncle
Vernon decides takes the family to a desolate shack on an island on the night
before Harry’s eleventh birthday to prevent him from reading and receiving
more letters.
During midnight, right after the clock strikes 12.00 a.m. while The Dursley
family is sound asleep, Harry wishes himself a silent “Harry Birthday,”
Then, there is a loud bang on the door and gigantic feature man enters. He is
Hagrid. He then introduces himself as the Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts
and then reveals that Harry is a wizard and gives him the letter. It is an
admission letter to Hogwarts to study magic. Petunia then tells Harry that
they have always been aware of his magical abilities but have attempted to
stifle them and make him normal and better than his late mother, Lily Potter.
Hagrid then tells Harry that his parents were killed by Lord Voldemort not
from car crash as his aunt told him.

Since then, becomes one of Hogwarts students. He meets Ronald Weasley

and Hermione Granger and they become best friend. Then, Harry finds out
that he is very famous in the world of magic and deceased parents were great
wizards. Then during the house sorting event, where the first-year students
are assigned to four different houses in Hogwarts. There are Hufflepuff,
Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. He worries that he will be sorted into
Slytherin, so he asks the Sorting Hat to assign him to another house. Then he
is assigned to Gryffindor together with Ron and Hermione. Together they
start their adventure in the world of magic.
Part 2: Reaction My reaction when I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was like
(Novel early Whoa! I watched the movie countless time, and it seems like there are so
chapters) many things and details that I missed. And this novel was written 22 years
ago. I wonder why I have not read such a terrific novel. But I think watching
the movie before reading the novel has some advantages as I am able to
somehow imagine the situation and how every character looks like. In the
early chapter. It is more like an introduction to Harry’s childhood and his
misfortune. Poor Harry Potter, he lost his parents at such a young age and
his aunt family treats him badly. I mean, sleeps under the stair. in small
cupboard? He is Petunia’s nephew, not an outsider or a servant. Even a
servant may get proper bedroom than him. The Dursleys character annoying
and disgusting. Not only they are abusing Harry, but they also try to prevent
Harry from entering Hogwarts. Plus, Petunia even lies about the death of
Harry’s parents. In the first few chapter, I am very sympathy with Harry’s
childhood. No wonder he looks pale and thin. I like how J.K. Rowling, the
author tries to make Harry Potter and Dudley Dursley character worlds apart.
Dudley is an obese, overnutrition 10 years old that spoiled too much by his
parents while Harry is a thin, undernutrition 10 years old that is longing for
love. The part where Petunia and Vernon celebrated Dudley 11th Birthday
by buying him 36 presents. He is mad and throw tantrum because it is two
less than last year. Who gets 36 birthday presents from parents in a single
year and get angry? Harry does not get even one gift. Moreover, he even
wears Dudley’s old oversize clothes as they never buy one for him. But in
some way, I think this is one of the reasons why Harry is very humble,
mature, brave and perseverance.

“The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow. For every
challenge encountered there is opportunity for growth.” A quote by Stephen
Richard. I think this is what happen to Harry Potter. He faces a lot and as the
challenges grow tough, he grows tougher. Although he manages to escape
The Dudley cruel and abusive treatment, there still many villains in the
wizard world. Voldemort, Professor Quirrell and the snobbish Draco
Malfoy.
 “You’ll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others,
Potter. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help
you there.”
He held out his hand to shake Harry’s, but Harry didn’t take it.
“I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,” he said coolly.”
(Chapter 5)

This is the dialog between Harry and Draco during their first encounter.
Harry chose Ron over Draco. If Harry is not humble, he will choose Draco
Malfoy over Ronald Weasley, but he does the opposite. This is entirely
because Harry’s sense of justice and his humbleness. Harry is very famous
in the wizard world as he is ‘the boy who lived’ after being struck with deadly
spell by Voldemort. His parents also famous for being a great wizard and
those who died because they fight and oppose Voldemort. I really enjoy
Malfoy character in this novel because it shows that the ‘muggle’ world and
the wizard world is just the same. Money, power, and fame still drive the
world.
There is the part in chapter 9 when Harry gets a broom stick it called
‘Nimbus 2000’ from Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor house.
Harry is so and it encourage him to practice harder since so many people
look up at him. I think this is what differentiate Harry and others. Some just
want to be famous and to gain recognition but for Harry, he just does not
want to disappoint others. Unlike Draco Malfoy who is arrogant about their
family reputation and had over pride on himself.

Part 3: Reaction Which one would I choose? I think I will go with both. This is because there
are some parts, details and events that are not in the movie version, but it
(Novel vs movie) makes a great deal in the novel.

“Dudley’s birthday – how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of
bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after
pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders,
because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them and that was where
he slept .” (Chapter 2)
This is when Harry narrates with himself. As we can see, there are no spiders
or socks in the movie version of these scene. However, we can see the scene
where Petunia knocks the door and unlock Harry, while Dudley stomping
and jumping on the stairs and yelling at Harry about going to the zoo. When
Harry comes out of the cupboard, Dudley goes and push him back into the
cupboard. What a bully.

Harry’s last month with the Dursleys wasn’t fun. True, Dudley was now so
scared of Harry he wouldn’t stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and
Uncle Vernon didn’t shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything,
or shout at him — in fact, they didn’t speak to him at all. Half terrified, half
furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although
this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after
a while. (Chapter 6)

Apart from that scene, there were also in chapter 5 when Hagrid takes Harry
to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies, in the movie, Hagrid takes Harry to
King's Cross station to catch the Hogwarts Express. In the novel, after finish
buying school supplies at Diagon Alley, Harry goes back to the Dursleys for
the remainder of the summer. It is Vernon who send Harry to the King’s
Cross Station on September 1 to depart for Hogwarts. If based on the movie,
Harry gets to Hogwarts around a month early than the novel.

On the last day of August he thought he’d better speak to his aunt and uncle
about getting to King’s Cross station the next day, so he went down to the
living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared
his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from
the room.

“Er — Uncle Vernon?”

Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.

“Er — I need to be at King’s Cross tomorrow to — to go to Hogwarts.”

Uncle Vernon grunted again. “Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?”
Grunt.
Harry supposed that meant yes. “Thank you.”

He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.

“Funny way to get to a wizards’ school, the train. Magic carpets all got
punctures, have they?” Harry didn’t say anything.

“Where is this school, anyway?” “I don’t know,” said Harry, realizing this
for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.

“I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven
o’clock,” he read.

His aunt and uncle stared. “Platform what?” “Nine and three-quarters.”
“Don’t talk rubbish,” said Uncle Vernon. “There is no platform nine and
three-quarters.”

“It’s on my ticket.” “Barking,” said Uncle Vernon, “howling mad, the lot of
them. You’ll see. You just wait. All right, we’ll take you to King’s Cross.
We’re going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn’t bother.”

“Why are you going to London?” Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.

“Taking Dudley to the hospital,” growled Uncle Vernon. “Got to have that
ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings.”

(Chapter 6)

Above scene is from chapter 6 in the novel where actually it is Vernon who
sends Harry to the King’s Cross Station. The Dursley also goes to London to
remove Dudley’s tail given by Hagrid on Harry’s birthday.

If I do not read the novel, I thought the tail disappears or Hagrid removes it
later that night. Actually, they go to London to remove it. Also, the part
where Vernon arguing with Harry on the existing of the train from platform
nine and three-quarters. And there are a lot of Harry interaction with Dudley
that are not in the film version.

I think, by reading the novel, the whole parts start to link up. In the movie,
Harry Potter’s eyes are blue but, in the novel, his eyes are green just like
Lily, his mother.
Harry also meets Draco Malfoy when he goes to Diagon Alley for the first
time with Hagrid. In the novel, Draco is the getting his robes tailored and
they pass each other without exchanging names. And instantly, Harry dislike
him because he is rude to Hagrid. Then in chapter 5, they meet again at
Hogwarts where Malfoy tells Harry not to make friends with “the wrong
sort”, indicating Ron. Whose family, The Weasley as not as powerful and
rich as the Malfoys. This explains why Harry rejects Malfoy’s offer earlier.

There are also parts in the movie that are not in the novel. Now when I
watched the movie and read the novel, I can see the differences. Firstly, in
the movie, Professor McGonagall warns Harry and Ron to transfigure them
into pocket watch so they can be on time. This part is not in the novel but

Next is at the final chapters, when Ron, Harry and Hermione fight against
Professor Quirrell, there are another logics and quiz challenge set up by
Professor Snape to protect the Sorcerer Stone. It is a riddle of seven potions
and in the novel, it is Hermione who solves it. But it is not in the movie
where after the chess games, Hermione asks Harry to continue where she
remains to look after Ron. I think this make Hermione contribution to save
the Sorcerer Stone rather small than it should. I also think it is a crucial part
where it shows Hermione character development and if I have not read the
novel, I do not know her contribution.

In the early chapter when Vernon takes them to stay away to avoid the
mysterious letter, it is Harry’s 11th birthday and he countdown till Dudley
watch hits 12.00 a.m. He then wishes himself happy birthday. But in the
movie, Harry draws a cake on the floor then blows it.
The Sorting Hat actually plays vital role in this novel. He is the one who
decides Harry’s house and he choose Gryffindor for Harry, If Harry ends up
in Slytherin, I cannot imagine what Malfoy and the gang will do to him or
what Professor Snape will. In the novel, during the sorting of the houses, the
Sorting Hat actually sings a song, then the first-year students are sorted
alphabetically and Harry Potter, with ‘P’ is the later part toward the end, it
makes Harry more nervous as he sees his friends get into Gryffindor. Then
Professor Dumbledore the Principal of Hogwarts deliver his bizarre speech.
 In the movie, most of the parts from the novel changed. The Sorting Hat does
not sing any song in the movie. Apart from that, the Sorting Hat also calls
out the first-year student randomly and completely out of alphabetical order.
In addition, Professor Dumbledore speech also does not happen in the movie.
I do think this part should be added as it adds more customs and colors to
Hogwarts as a school that existed for centuries and also to show similarities
to the ‘Muggle’ school.

Conclusion Personally, I love this novel and the whole Harry Potter Series. I think J.K
Rowling is a brilliant writer. The storylines, character, and setting are superb.
I also like when she plays with the character’s name. It somehow gives us
sort of hint on the character’s traits in the movie. The name of Harry Potter
is actually the English version of Henry, the names of many kings of
England. This is indirectly indicating that Harry is the leader in the wizarding
world. The name of Ron, Ronald is actually derived "Rögnvaldr," which
mean the ruler's right man. This also actually foretelling us that Ron is
Harry’s sidekick in the story. How can JK. Rowling comes up with these
ideas.

Next, the name Draco from Draco Malfoy is actually derived from Draco,
the name of a harsh ancient Greek lawmaker. In Latin, Draco means dragon
and Malfoy means bad Faith. Moreover, the main villain, Voldemort name
in French means “theft of death,” and throughout the novel, we can see how
Voldemort never stops trying to destroy Harry Potter. He also manages to
escape death many times in the series.
Last but not least, my favorite character, Professor Albus Percival Wulfic
Brian Dumbledore, the principal of Hogwarts and one of the most powerful
wizards in the whole wizard and mythical world. The world "Albus" is Latin
translation for "white”. I think this symbolizes his character in the novel
where he is the opposite of Voldemort and he always wears white, grey and
black color of clothes. Next is Pecival where "Percival" is from one of King
Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. It is not easy to comes up with this idea
and even after being rejected few times. The writer never gives up. And the
result, now, she is one of the richest women in Malaysia. I also think that this
novel is suitable for students as it is very exciting to read the novel. From my
further reading, I find there are many elements of kindness, family, and
friendships in the novel. And many activities can be derived from the novel.
Roleplay, pantomime and choral speaking activities can also be conducted
during the novel lesson in class.