65 pages • 2 hours read
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
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Themes
The Racial Framing of Good versus Evil
The theme of good versus evil is an overarching one in the book and the series, and it plays out on an epic scale. Rowling makes these ideas relatable by framing them within the very real context of racial discrimination, even as she stays true to the fantastical world in which the books are set.
Voldemort, the overarching villain of the series, is portrayed as a supremacist with radical views about blood purity. His obsession with blood purity is traced back to his ancestry, inspired as he is by Slytherin’s idea that magic should remain within purely magical families. Voldemort aligns with this ideology, building a grand plan over the years of having the wizards overtake and obliterate the non-magical community. Early signs of this genocidal agenda are seen in the terrorist attacks he stages along with his Death Eaters in the first chapter. Besides the outright acts of violence that such xenophobic ideology leads to, Rowling also highlights the insidious ways these attitudes play out in society: Draco and his mother walk out of Madam Malkin’s, disgusted by the fact that it services Muggle-borns.
As with any ideology, Rowling displays how its proponents remain, by and large, products of their conditioning. Draco is a new recruit among the Death Eaters. Belonging to an old, pure-blood family who has carried these notions for generations, it is not unexpected that he will subscribe to the same ideology. However, his prejudice is inherited, his beliefs formed without real thought or conviction. Thus, as he is pulled deeper into Voldemort’s world, the intensity and violence of the ideology begin to scare him. Draco is not a killer; he does not have the stomach to carry out murder, as Dumbledore rightly gauges. Draco’s actions are motivated by fear rather than conviction, a fact that even Harry recognizes. Similarly, Snape displays yet another way one engages with ideology: A supposed ex-Death Eater, he is said to have switched sides after having felt great remorse at the violence Voldemort perpetrated. Thus, Snape comes to see the dangers and limitations of an ideology he was once convinced by, leading him to abandon it and adopt another perspective.
The book and the series see several antagonists, all characters with varying shades of gray; Draco and Snape are two such examples. However, Voldemort remains the unquestionable villain. He chooses to push himself beyond the limitations of what is human, mutilating his soul and violating nature by doing so. His views and beliefs may have been shaped by his circumstances and his ancestor’s ideology, but Rowling makes it clear that Voldemort always carried an inborn instinct for cruelty: While his supremacist ideas provide an outlet for his cruelty, Voldemort is also seen committing cold-blooded murders for nothing more than personal gain. Thus, Voldemort’s portrayal as a villain extends beyond ideology—by depicting him as twisted and beyond human, Rowling is able to portray him as pure evil. In this manner, Rowling maintains the fantastical elements of the genre while still grounding ideas of good and evil in reality.
The Interplay between Character and Circumstance
Harry’s lessons with Dumbledore, which are meant to prepare him to face and defeat Voldemort one day, revolve entirely around examining Voldemort’s background. The revisitation and analysis of Voldemort’s upbringing and character as contrasted with his nemesis, Harry, lead the reader to see how character and circumstance are connected.
Voldemort and Harry share some similarities in their backgrounds: Both of them are orphans; both of them are half-bloods; both of them discover that they are wizards when they receive their acceptance to Hogwarts at age 11. However, some key differences in their circumstances make a world of difference to the people they grow up to be. While Harry’s mother died to save him, Merope died of heartbreak despite having a son she ought to have stayed alive for. Related to the theme of the Power of Love and Friendship, this difference means that Harry has always had the magical protection of love, while Voldemort will never have the opportunity to experience the emotion.
Even with this key difference, it is difficult to attribute the chasm between Voldemort and Harry’s characters to solely their different upbringings. Voldemort is shown to have always craved power and glory, complemented by the unshakeable belief in his specialness. Discovering that he is a wizard only adds to this belief, and as he goes on to Hogwarts, he displays a thirst for knowledge that translates into superlative academic performance, collecting a group of followers around him along the way. In contrast, Harry rejects the fame he is immediately met with upon entering the wizarding world. He remains steadfast in his loyalties to his small but grounded group of friends, and the constant attention and scrutiny that his fame brings him do nothing more than make him uncomfortable.
These differences between Voldemort and Harry are inherent to who they are as people; accordingly, they respond and are called to different things in their environment. Slytherin’s ideas of blood purity shape a young Voldemort’s mind, drawn as he is to the idea of a natural social hierarchy that he will reign over someday. On the other hand, despite his insight into Voldemort’s world via their shared connection, Harry remains “pure of heart,” growing increasingly repulsed by the Dark Arts. He continues to be motivated by ideas of justice, bravery, and loyalty, a legacy left to him by his parents’ lives and deaths. In this manner, Rowling examines the place that character and circumstance each play in shaping a person and the myriad ways they interact.
The Protective Power of Love and Friendship
The power of love and friendship is a recurring idea throughout the book. Harry’s reliance on the friends in his life is apparent from the very beginning. Having grown up without the warmth and love of family, Harry’s best friend’s family serves as his surrogate family as he spends his breaks with the Weasleys. Ron and Hermione are the constants in Harry’s life, a strength that Dumbledore recognizes; They are the only people Dumbledore trusts Harry to confide in about the prophecy and his lessons. Although Ron and Hermione form Harry’s innermost circle, Harry greatly values his other friends. Neville, Luna, and Ginny fought with Harry at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, which causes Harry to defend them to people who call them “uncool.”
Love is explored in multiple forms in the book. For one, in keeping with the fact that the characters are firmly in the throes of adolescence, romantic love and its various trappings are prevalent throughout the story. Ron and Hermione’s attraction to each other is apparent and palpable throughout. Though they do not begin dating in this book, they display significant jealousy at each other’s romantic pasts and present entanglements; furthermore, upon breaking up with Lavender, Hermione and Ron are markedly softer with each other. Similarly, Ginny takes up a considerable amount of Harry’s mind space, from decoding his feelings of jealousy about her and Dean to the conflict he experiences regarding asking her out when she becomes single. In the otherwise grim setting of the book, Ginny becomes a bright spot in Harry’s life when they begin dating.
Another facet of love addressed is the fierce protectiveness a mother has for her child. Harry’s mother died protecting him, an act that imbues him with not just ancient magical protection but also the ability to love, a trait that Dumbledore sees as Harry’s special power over Voldemort. Even Draco’s mother Narcissa displays this maternal protectiveness when she desperately approaches Snape to help her son and keep him safe. On the other hand, Voldemort’s mother did not choose to stay alive for the sake of her son. Merope’s succumbing to what Voldemort considered the “shameful human weakness of death” (356) is a pivotal moment in Voldemort’s history: It leads him to grow up never having experienced love, thus disdaining human connection and relationships and motivating him to operate alone and friendless. According to Dumbledore, Voldemort’s inability to love and his refusal to rely on friends gives Harry a distinct advantage over Voldemort. It displays, in short, the protective power of love and friendship.
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By J. K. Rowling
