As we conclude our discussion of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I have turned my attention to the houses and the sorting process. As we all know, each house has different traits to which it lays a special claim to. For the Gryffindors it's bravery, Ravenclaw it's intelligence, Hufflepuff is kindness, and Slytherin is ambition. However, how does the sorting hat choose which house to put a student in?
It was apparent in the book when we delve into Harry's mind that he has a little bit of everything, though Hufflepuff is not really mentioned. Yet still the final decision was Gryffindor. This has brought several other queries into my mind and we shall begin with this: does the hat choose because one trait dominates over another, or is it that there is greater potential for one trait should the chance be given?
In my opinion it seems the latter, which is why I have included the above quote. While Hermione is most definitely more suited for Ravenclaw, as we rarely find her without a book, and Neville is certainly more kind in the beginning than he is brave, both have ended up next to the Ron and Harry at the table.
This makes me believe that it is not just what is already there that the hat is truly looking at, but into the entirety of their abilities, seeking out which house should feed their personalities. What would have happened if Hermione and Neville were in other houses? Would they have turned out as fearless or defiant as they did in the series? Chances are the answer is no.
It is common knowledge through various studies into everything from psychology to philosophy that we become what we are surrounded by. If we think about that in the context of the houses we can come to the conclusion that when the characters are placed in their respective dormitories that the hat is wanting to feed a specific trait in them in order to help them grow into the best person that they are capable of being.
No comments:
Post a Comment