Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
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Key Facts
full title · Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
author · J. K. Rowling
type of work · Children’s novel
genre · Fantasy, coming-of-age narrative
language · English
time and place written · Scotland, 2004
date of first publication · July 16, 2005
publisher · Scholastic Inc.
narrator · Third-person, very close to Harry Potter
point of view · Third-person subjective, with insights into Harry’s private thoughts
tone · Ominous, suspenseful, clever
tense · Past
setting (time) · Present day
setting (place) · Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, United Kingdom
protagonist · Harry Potter
major conflict · Harry and Dumbledore must collect six Horcruxes belonging to the evil Lord Voldemort to render him mortal again.
rising action · Katie Bell is cursed and Ron is poisoned, both by objects intended for someone else. Harry tries to establish the guilt of Draco and Snape.
climax · Snape, Professor of Potions, murders Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts.
falling action · Dumbledore is buried, and Hogwarts may or may not reopen the following year.
themes · The importance of friendship, the power of self-sacrifice, trust
motifs · Watching, names, duplicity
symbols · The Half-Blood Prince’s Potions Book, Merope’s locket, Dumbledore’s Pensieve
foreshadowing · Harry overhears a suspicious conversation between Snape and Draco Malfoy. Harry is paralyzed while invisible in Draco’s train car, just as he is when Dumbledore is killed.
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