On The Death Theme Of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter

Harry Potter was created by J. K. Rowling, one of the leading contemporary writers in England. In recent years, Harry Potter has become a new literary phenomenon, with increasing researches made by scholars and critics throughout the world. Nevertheless, scant attention has been paid to death theme in Harry Potter.Death is one of the main themes in the series. Though lying in the realm of children’s literature, it involves the deaths of more than thirty characters. Therefore, this thesis will demonstrate different kinds of death, exploring the deep reasons for death as well as the consequences of death, and will further discuss the significance of this theme.The Introduction of this thesis introduces death theme in children’s literature, explaining its importance in the field. Then Chapter One compares the current research on those novels, highlighting the value and meaning of the thesis. Chapter Two summarizes the death-related occasions in the series, classifying them into four categories—sacrificing one’s own life, fear of death, sudden and unexpected death, and willingness to accept death. Chapter Three suggests some deep reasons for the attitudes of various characters toward death. These reasons include:great love and friendship, lack of love and avoidance of death, death as an inevitable destiny, and following the laws of nature. The last chapter probes the significance of the theme. The death theme not only promotes the plot development, but has a great impact on other themes, and it is crucial for the "Secondary World," adopted and innovated by the author.The thesis analyzes the theme of death in Harry Potter, attempting to help the readers better understand the gist and connotation of the series, invoking scholars to pay more attention to it and filling the gap of research on this theme.