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AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume 5, Number3.  August  2021                                     Pp.27-39

Alienation in Harry Potter

Faculty of Languages and Communication,
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Nerus
Terengganu, Malaysia

Mohd Nazri bin Latiff Azmi

Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Nerus
Terengganu, Malaysia

Mohammad Nusr Mohammad Al-Subaihi

Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Nerus
Terengganu, Malaysia

Abstract:

This is a thematic study of Harry Potter (1997-2007) concerning the theme of alienation. Joanne Rowling is a British novelist famous for writing her best-known fantasy book series, Harry Potter (1997-2007). This study argues that Rowling employs fantastical elements in Harry Potter to present symbolic and real-life themes that summon the postcolonial discourse of alienation. In addition, the study aims to raise the role of fantasy in serving Humanity and the dignity of people and understanding the conflicts among the members of society. Moreover, this study investigates how racial discrimination and postcolonialism work against the Humanity of heroes and their companions in their community. Therefore, that relationship causes a realistic commentary on real-life situations. The theoretical platform deployed in this study is a postcolonial perspective that purports to grasp the striking overlaps between the theme of alienation and the insights of the racial and social postcolonial discourse. The findings achieved in this paper prove the juxtaposition between alienation on the one hand and racial and social discrimination on the other hand. The researcher seeks to demonstrate that Harry Potter reflects the suffering and alienation of characters.

Cite as:

Hussein, A. K., Azmi, M.N.L., &  Al-Subaihi, M.N.M.  (2021). Alienation in Harry Potter. Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies 5 (3) 27-39.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol5no3.3

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Ayman Khaled Hussein has been teaching the English language since 1996. He is currently working as an English teacher at the Department of English, Najd National Schools, Saudi Arabia.  He obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Yarmouk University in 1996 and his Master’s degree in English Literary Studies from the University of Jordan in 2005. His academic and research interests include Postcolonial studies and English literature. ORCid ID:0000-0002-1961-8535

Dr. Mohd Nazri Latiff Azmi is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Languages and Communication, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Malaysia. He specializes in literacy and comparative literature studies. Nazri attended several long-term professional courses in education and comparative literature in the USA and Portugal and published 5 books and 60 articles.  He has been a keynote speaker at several international conferences in Asia and presented papers at various conferences inside and outside Malaysia. His passion for education and literature is overwhelming due to his realization that language is a beautiful art and education is the root of any civilization ORCid ID: 0000-000-4172-5332

Dr. AL Subaihi Mohammad Nusr received his Ph.D. in English Literature from UniSZA -2020. The Master’s degree in English Language and Literature from Jadara University, Jordan, in 2011. He has worked as an English teacher in the Ministry of Education of Jordan for five years. He also has worked as a lecturer in Saudi Arabia at Taibah and Northern Border Universities for six years. He is currently working as an English teacher in the Ministry of Education of Kuwait. His research focuses on social-psychological alienation as depicted in 1984, The Stranger, and The Awakening novels. ORCid ID: 0000-0002-8682-9607