Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas
explored in a literary work.
The Value of Humility
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone emphasizes
the virtue of humility by showcasing the extraordinary modesty of
its hero and by making this modesty an important part of Harry’s
success in obtaining the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry’s humility is no
doubt ingrained in him during his ten miserable years of neglect
and cruelty with the Dursleys. But Harry does not stop being humble
when he gains fame, wealth, and popularity at Hogwarts. His reaction
to the discovery that everyone seems to know his name on the train
to Hogwarts does not make him primp and pose, but rather only makes
him hope that he can manage to live up to his reputation. In this
respect, he contrasts sharply with Draco Malfoy, who prides himself
on his family reputation and downplays achievement.
Similarly, when it becomes apparent that Harry has an
astounding gift for Quidditch, his reaction is not to glory in his
superstar abilities, but rather to practice more industriously than
before. When Harry breaks Quidditch records by catching the Golden Snitch
in the first five minutes of the game, he does not even pause to appreciate
the applause of the crowd, but rushes off. Harry’s refusal to glorify
himself is instrumental in getting the stone because he differs
from wicked wizards like Quirrell in that he desires only to find the
Stone for the common good, not to use it to acquire personal fame
or fortune. If Harry were less humble, he would be unable to seize
the stone. He is the extreme opposite of Voldemort, who strives
only to achieve his own selfish goals.
The Occasional Necessity of Rebellion
Hogwarts is a well-run institution, with clearly spelled
out rules that are strictly enforced. Midlevel teachers and school
administrators like Professor McGonagall constantly police students
for violations, and the rules are taken seriously. Even at the highest
level of the Hogwarts administration, there is a clear respect for
the rules. Dumbledore is a stern taskmaster. He makes a very gentle
and warm welcome speech to the first-year students, but he throws
in a few menacing reminders about the prohibition of visits to the
Forbidden Forest and the third-floor corridor. None of these Hogwarts
rules ever seems arbitrary or unfair. On the contrary, we generally approve
of them, feeling that in a world imperiled by misused magic, strict
control over student behavior is necessary.
Even so, it soon becomes clear that Harry is unable to
abide perfectly by the rules. He enters the third-floor corridor
in the full knowledge that it is forbidden territory, and he dons
the invisibility cloak to inspect the restricted-books section of
the library. After the flying instructor has clearly prohibited
broomstick flying until she returns, Harry does not hesitate to
take off after Malfoy to retrieve Neville’s stolen toy. And Harry
approves of infractions of the rules by others as well. When Hagrid
reveals that he is engaged in an illegal dragon-rearing endeavor,
Harry not only fails to report Hagrid to the authorities, but actually
helps Hagrid with the dragon.
Harry’s occasional rebellions against the rules are not
vices or failings. Rather, they enhance his heroism because they
show that he is able to think for himself and make his own judgments.
The contrast to Harry in this respect is the perfectionist Hermione,
who never breaks a rule at the beginning and who is thus annoying
to both Harry and us. When she eventually lies to a teacher, showing that
she too can transcend the rules, Hermione becomes Harry’s friend.
One of the main lessons of the story is that while rules are good
and necessary, sometimes it is necessary to question and even break
them for the right reasons.
The Dangers of Desire
As the pivotal importance of the desire-reflecting Mirror
of Erised reveals, learning what to want is an important part of
one’s development. Excessive desire is condemned from the story’s
beginning, as the spoiled Dudley’s outrageous demands for multiple
television sets appear foolish and obnoxious. The same type of greed
appears later in a much more evil form in the power-hungry desires
of Voldemort, who pursues the Sorcerer’s Stone’s promise of unlimited wealth
and life. While Voldemort and Dudley are obviously different in
other respects, they share an uncontrollable desire that repels Harry
and makes him the enemy of both of them. Desire is not necessarily
wrong or bad, as Dumbledore explains to Harry before the Mirror
of Erised—Harry’s desire to see his parents alive is touching and
noble. But overblown desire is dangerous in that it can make people
lose perspective on life, which is why Dumbledore advises Harry
not to seek out the mirror again. Dumbledore himself illustrates
the power and grandeur of one who has renounced desires almost completely
when he says that all he wants is a pair of warm socks. This restraint
is the model for Harry’s own development in the story.
