Harry Potter And Fandom - Essay Example

Harry Potter and Fandom A. Research Proposal Harry Potter’s films have attracted various interpretation and promising reception. It is upon these reception and interpretation that the researcher seeks to illustrate how such interpretation and reception have shaped Harry Potter’s work. The paper put forward that there has been effective interpretation and hence effective understanding (reception of Harry’s work). Such hypothesis will be validated through the analysis of the Harry Potter and Fandom. My essay is thus embedded on the outcomes of the research proposed based on the analysis of readers and audience perception of the interpretations and reception of Harry Potter work. Research Question Does the interpretation of Harry Potter and Fandom meet the readers and audience? Does the interpretation of Harry Potter’s films affects its reception? What influences do the critics of Harry Potter’s work affects its interpretation and reception? Does the complexity of the themes conveyed in Harry Potter’s work affect its interpretation and reception amongst his fans? Research Problem Harry Potter’s movies have attracted various criticisms that have shaped their interpretation and reception. Readers and audience have different views on the effectiveness of such criticism as the driving forces behind reception and interpretation. Despite these fierce criticisms, Harry Potter’s movies have continued to attract more fans on a global perceptive. However, many readers and audience still find it very hard to understanding the conveyed messages in these films due to the complexity of themes. Methodologies The paper researcher uses the questionnaire and interview in order to collect the views from the readers and audience based on the interpretation and reception of the Harry Potter’s movies. A sample size of 200 audience will be interviewed both orally and through written questionnaire to help gauge their perception of these movies. The data collected will then be encoded and analyzed in order to reject or accept the hypothesis mentioned. B. Research Plan The essay plan will be focused on the analysis of Harry Potter and Fandom based on interpretation and reception. In the first section, my essay explains the meaning of the three terms as fandom, reception and interpretation in order to give an overview of the paper. The definitions of these words are in line with the paper requirement of understanding how the interpretations and reception of Harry Potter and Fandom movies are being shaped through such terms. Within this first section, I will join together the meaning of these words to the purpose of the paper by justifying that reception of the movies are closely associated to its interpretation. In addition, this section will also showcase how the complexity of Harry Potter’s themes plays a key role in the reception and interpretation of the films. In the second section, the essay introduces the critics of the Harry Potter works and showcase how such criticism shapes the reception and interoperation of such movies. In addition, the second section will be key in demonstrating how film critics may distort the messages that the initial author intended to convey and therefore the need for the authors to remain steadfast in explaining to their fans the themes in order to counteract the critics. The section will also show how film critics are beneficial to the particular authors of the stories as the critics when positively taken help adjust and tailor such works to meet the readers and audience needs. The section uses the films critics to uncover how the reception and interpretation are embedded on them. The essay gives a small history of Harry Potter seven works in order to give the insights into how they have been interpreted and subsequently understood by the audience and readers. In the third section, the paper focuses on the interpretation of Harry Potter and Fandom. Here, the interpretations of themes, styles are analyzed based on the outcomes from the proposed research. Recommendation are made based on these results to ether invalidate or validate the hypothesis earlier outlined in the proposal section. The justification of the hypothesis is relevant in this paper as the paper main objective is to showcase how the Harry Potter works have been received and interpreted. In the fourth section, my essay analyzes the reception of the Harry Potter works. In this section, the outcomes from the research based on the questionnaires and the interviews are analyzed. The perception of the audience and the readers is then gauged based on the examination of full completed questionnaires. The outcomes from the analysis of the reception of the Harry Potter works enables the researcher explains the continuous attraction of the Potter’s movies despite the noted criticism. Such analysis is relevant to this paper as it help connect the research outcomes to the real perception of the Harry Potter’s works. The analysis of the reception section thus leads to the drawing an inclusive conclusion and a firm position based on the Harry Potter’s works. C. Annotated Bibliography Primary source Pyne, E. A. (2007). A Fandom Of Magical Proportions: An Unauthorized History Of The Harry Potter Fandom Phenomenon. Ann Arbor, Mi, Nimble Books Llc. My essay is fixed on this article since it gives essential knowledge and insights into the history of the Harry Potter Fandom. Through this article, my essay noted that the major theme is death besides oppression and normality. Therefore, this article is key in understanding how the receptions of the Harry Potter sequals are closely linked to particular thematic interpretation. The article is also significance in my essay as it presents the novel as a vessel to explain the history of Harry Potter. The author is portrayed as an orphan (wizard) residing amongst the Muggle. The article further demonstrates Harry’s strength as he joined such institutions (Hogwarts) that endowed him with essential knowledge that necessitates his success within the wizarding society. Despite the teenage challenges faced by Harry Potter, he learned to overcome such problems like emotional and magical. Gray, J., Sandvoss, C., & Harrington, C. L. (2007). Fandom Identities and Communitiesin A Mediated World. New York, New York University Press. The article gives the meaning of fandom as that which include the reception theory, and audience research ask fundamental questions about how we make sense of the movies and what they mean in our lives. According to this article, readers are active and not passive and are fully engaged in a process making rather than just absorbing meanings. The article is this significance in my essay as it gives the framework upon which I understand the term fandom and to relate it to the reception and interpretation of the Harry Potter. The article is relevant as it is focused on the fandom identities that make the development of this paper easy. Pyne, E. A. (2010). The Ultimate Guide to the Harry Potter Fandom, Winter Park, Fl, What the Flux Comics Publ. Inc. The ultimate guide to the Harry Potter fandom is offered. My essay finds this article significance in guiding me to understand the reception and the interpretation. The meanings of the reception and interpretation are offered based on the guidelines issued. The article help me know that such Harry’s work are categorized as genre of fantasy literature with mystery, thriller and adventure aspects being noted. In addition, aspects of romance also features in Harry Potter works. Through such revelations, I am able to understand the meanings and themes of death as portrayed in the film. The article helps me understand why many have considered Harry Potter’s works as the British children’s boarding school genre that include Rudyard Kipling’s Stalky and Co. Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers. The Harry Potter books are predominantly set in Hogwarts, a fictional British boarding schools for wizards in which the curriculum include the use of magic. Harry Potter films and novels are a direct line of descent from Thomas Hughes’ Tom Brown’s School Days and other Victorian and Edwardian novels of the British public school life’. Such interpretation is in line with Stephen King, ‘Shrewd Mystery Tales’ with each book being constructed in the manner of a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery adventure. Harry struggles with a challenge he encountered within the middle of each book and deals with them based on the need to break some of the school rules. Secondary Sources Barton, K. M., & Lampley, J. M. (2013). Fan Culture Essays on Participatory Fandom In The 21st Century. Jefferson, Mcfarland & Company, Inc, Publishers. The article presents an effective way to understand fandom where audiences are fully engaged as active participants. Subsequently, this informed my need to engage the audience through the interviews and questionnaires to determine their perception on interpretation and subsequent reception of Harry Potter works. Through this article, I am able to understand that fans’ attraction is based on the simplicity of the themes of a particular work. It is noted that Harry Potter’s themes are complex but he has made them simpler through his style of writing and story-telling thus greatly contributing to the huge demand. Morey, A. (2012). Genre, reception, and adaptation in the Twilight series, Farnham, Surrey, England, Ashgate. The article significant to my essay based on how effectively it has uncovered the genre, reception and the adaptation of these sequels. Reception of Harry Potter’s works have increasingly attracted many fans based on such themes as abuse of power, love, prejudice as well as free choice and deeply well-established in the whole plot. Translation of Harry Potter’s sequels has been done in over 67 languages that have portrayed Rowling’s history. Through this book, I am able to develop insights into how the receptions of the Harry Potter works are determined. Understanding the factors that influence the reception of a particular work has also been made possible through the concepts of this book and hence the data gained from here has been of much helpful in my essay. Gunelius, S. M. (2008). Harry Potter the story of a global business phenomenon. New York, Palgrave Macmillan. The book is key in the development of this essay. The concepts and the information brought out in this article has greatly contributed to my understanding of the interpretation and reception of Harry Potter’s work. The article is relevant in understanding the reception and interpretation of his movies on a global perspective. Major portion focuses on the reception of these films making the article to be of great significance as it outlines such factors as simplicity of themes and styles as the determinants of the reception. Page, R. E., & Thomas, B. (2011). New narratives stories and storytelling in the digital age. Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press. Harry Potter works enjoyed positive reviews early in its history. His works attracted attention by most newspapers that rated his work highly. Many newspapers compared and contrasted Harry’s works with other previously released masterpieces but continued to praise him. His debuts were ranked the most imaginative by most of these newspapers within Scotland and England. The cultural impacts of Harry Potter series have made the fans so eager for the latest installment that worldwide book stores started to undertake events besides greater reception of Harry’s 2000 publications. Bibliography Primary sources Gray, J., Sandvoss, C., & Harrington, C. L. (2007). Fandom Identities and Communities In A Mediated World. New York, New York University Press Hellekson, K., & Busse, K. (2006). Fan fiction and fan communities in the age of the Internet: new essays. Jefferson, N.C., McFarland & Co. Page, R. E., & Thomas, B. (2011). New narratives stories and storytelling in the digital age Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=477164. Pyne, E. A. (2007). A Fandom Of Magical Proportions: An Unauthorized History Of The Harry Potter Fandom Phenomenon. Ann Arbor, Mi, Nimble Books Llc. Pyne, E. A. (2010). The Ultimate Guide To The Harry Potter Fandom. Winter Park, Fl, What The Flux Comics Publ. Inc. Secondary Sources Abate, M. A., & Kidd, K. B. (2011). Over The Rainbow: Queer Childrens Literature. Ann Arbor, Mich, University Of Michigan Press Agosto, D. E. (2011). Teens, Libraries, And Social Networking: What Librarians Need To Know, Santa Barbara, Calif, Libraries Unlimited Barton, K. M., & Lampley, J. M. (2013). Fan Culture Essays on Participatory Fandom In The 21st Century. Jefferson, Mcfarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Duits, L., Zwaan, K., & Reijnders, S. (2014). The Ashgate Research Companion To Fan Cultures. Gunelius, S. M. (2008). Harry Potter the story of a global business phenomenon, New York, Palgrave Macmillan Morey, A. (2012). Genre, reception, and adaptation in the Twilight series, Farnham, Surrey, England, Ashgate Read More