| Potter-mania has become a cultural phenomenon in the world. Ever since the publication of the first book of Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997, the Harry Potter books, the Harry Potter movies and the related media publicity have permeated our popular culture, exerting a world-wide profound impact on children and even adults. The Harry Potter series, written by the British female author J. K. Rowling, present a story containing powerful, thought-provoking literary themes as well as portrayals of social and cultural normalcy. It cumulatively serves as a powerful form of social text and deserves serious critical attention.Cognitive stylistics, involving the application of cognitive linguistics and cognitive psychology to literary texts, offers a new perspective to literary reading. The theory of parabolic mind (PMT for short) or parabolic projection is one of the valuable cognitive stylistic theories that have inspired literary analysts. The modern cognitive theory of parabolic mind was introduced in Mark Turner's The Literary Mind: The Origins of Thought and Language in 1996. As one of the most influential cognitive stylistic frameworks, the theory has proved particularly appealing to literary critics who are interested in how human mind deals with literary texts. Turner defines parable as the projection of stories and argues that languages and thought are both based on parables, literary works included. This theory demonstrates that the notions of story and narrative are in fact essential to our everyday mental activities, and even to our physical existence and social survival.In the thesis, the present author applies PMT to the analysis of the well-known...
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