Facts
full title · Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
author · J.K. Rowling
type of work · Children's novel
genre · Fantasy, coming-of-age, detective fiction
language · English
time and place written · 1999, Edinburgh
date of first publication · 1999
publisher · Scholastic Inc.
narrator · Third person, following Harry
point of view · Although the narrative is written in third person, we see from Harry's point of view. We have witness his private thoughts, although most of the narration focuses on external occurrences rather than Harry's psychology.
tone · The tone is matter-of-fact, and the author's fondness for the heroes is clear.
tense · Past
setting (time) · Present-day
setting (place) · England, primarily in the fictional hidden wizard communities and at Hogwarts School
protagonist · Harry Potter
major conflict · Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover and destroy the creature that is coming out of the Chamber of Secrets and petrifying students.
rising action · A series of tragedies occur. One student after another is attacked and turned to stone; Ginny Weasley disappears into the Chamber.
climax · Harry, after a series of discoveries and mishaps, finally ends up inside the Chamber only to discover that Tom Riddle, whose diary and voice he had trusted up to this point, is another form of Voldemort, and the cause of all the attacks.
falling action · Harry defeats Voldemort inside the Chamber and explains his adventure to the teachers and Ginny's parents. The school calmly returns to its usual safe and contented state.
themes · Tolerance Community Connectedness The Importance of Choices
motifs · Culprit Framing Foreshadowing
symbols · Names Images of Warmth
foreshadowing · Expelliarmus, originating as a simple dueling club spell, in the end becomes a life-saver for Harry and Ron. The Dursleys' bigotry against Harry for being magical is echoed later by the Malfoy's bigotry against everyone except pure blood wizards. Everything happens for a reason in this book-the ability to keep the plot so tight is part of the author's magic-and so the story moves in a circular fashion. Harry begins and ends at Privet Drive with the Dursleys, advice is given and then proven useful, Dumbledore's phoenix rises from the ashes, and Harry defeats Voldemort once more.
