UNCOMMON READ HARRY POTTER & IMAGINATION: THE WAY BETWEEN TWO WORLDS. BY TRAVIS PRINZI IDH 3931 SECTION 12G2 TIME: T 7 (1:55-2:45) LITTLE 0117
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UnCommon Read Harry Potter & Imagination: The Way Between Two
Worlds. By Travis Prinzi
IDH 3931 Section 12G2 Time: T 7 (1:55-2:45)
Little 0117
"For the past several generations we've forgotten what the psychologists call our archaic understanding, a willingness
to know things in their deepest, most mythic sense. We're all born with archaic understanding, and I'd guess that the
loss of it goes directly along with the loss of ourselves as creators."
~ Madeleine L'Engle, Walking on Water, pg. 98
Course instructor/s: Nina Stoyan-Rosenzweig nstoyan@ufl.edu
Office Phone: 352-273-8406
Office: C3-55, HSC Library, J.H. M. Health Science Center
Description:
In writing the seven part series on Harry Potter and his experiences at boarding school, author
J.K. Rowling created a world that enthralls millions of people- old and young- around the globe.
It is a world that resonates deeply with its fans and that captures the imagination. Harry
Potter’s world is almost real- or maybe really real- for many young people. Certainly, a
generation grew up eagerly awaiting each new book and each film was released to lines of
people camped out outside the movie theaters. Even those people who do not like to read
eagerly consume 700 page books.
Why do they love the world of Harry Potter so much? Perhaps because these 700 page books
precipitate them into the imaginary but infinitely believable and detailed landscapes to address
great, heroic struggles. In short, Rowling beautifully combines descriptions of these epic
struggles with great characters and humor as well as drawing on familiar archetypes and myths.
This course will explore the series, the great themes explicated therein, and Harry Potter’s hold
on the human imagination through reading and discussion of the book, Harry Potter and
Imagination: The Way Between Two Worlds by Travis Prinzi, and reference to the actual Harry
Potter series- books and movies (a prerequisite for joining the class is familiarity with the series).
In addition and through Harry Potter and Imagination, the course will explore struggles between
good and evil and the role of the individual in changing the world, “The great themes of
Harry Potter are not communicated through textbook, theoretical, propositional
statements, but are embodied in the beliefs and actions of its characters. We have
already looked at the virtues extolled by J.K. Rowling, as well as the vices
condemned; now we turn to an examination of her incarnations of good and evil.
Along the way, readers are being called to be creative heroes in their own worlds. It
is through our being shaped as creative heroes that we learn creative solutions to
the problems of evil that exist in our own spheres of influence.”
Course requirements:
Students participating in the course will be required to
Have already read the series and/or seen the films
*Read, attend and participate in class discussion
Write two reviews of the assigned readingUnCommon Read Harry Potter & Imagination: The Way Between Two
Worlds. By Travis Prinzi
*Complete one of the modules at
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/harrypottersworld/higherEducation.html -
show evidence of completion of module.
*complete a project that can either a) involve personal or creative
reflections such as exploring the impact of Harry Potter’s world on their own
worlds- the way in which this literature challenged them to:
“Great imaginative literature places the readers between two worlds - the story world
and the world of daily life - and challenges readers to imagine and to act for a better
world.” http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Imagination-Between-
Worlds/dp/0982238517
Or b) complete an academic project that explores historical, mythological,
or ethical issues in the Harry Potter series.
Grading:
Students will be graded on the following criteria:
1. Attendance and participation in class (40 points)
2. Project (25 points)
3. Reflection/summary (half page) of readings (20 points)
4. Completion of on line module (15 points)
*Completion of all requirements is needed for grading
Attendance: Attendance in this course is mandatory. Two absences will be allowed without a
deduction of points; every absence beyond two will result in a reduction of three points from
the final grade. Two additional absences documented by a doctor’s note can be made up
through attendance at an additional special event.
Class schedule:
Date Lecture/dis Reading In-class Purpos Other resources
/ room
cussion activity/ques e
for
Topic exhibit tions
events
Jan.6 What is the
draw of
Harry
Potter?
Why is it so
popular?
Do you love
it? Why do
you love it?
What is
your
favorite
part of the
series?UnCommon Read Harry Potter & Imagination: The Way Between Two
Worlds. By Travis Prinzi
Jan. Beyond HPI Ch. How does Analys “So on the Discworld people take things
13 1&2
Beedle the Harry Potter is of seriously.
Bard- how compare to fairy Like stories.
does Harry the fairy tale tales Because stories are important.
Potter genre: in- and People think that stories are shaped by people.
compare to class their In fact it is the other way around.
fairy tales? comparison social Stories exist independently of their players. If
Are some of fairy tales and you know that the knowledge is power.
stories part with Harry psycho Stories are great flapping ribbons of shaped
of a larger Potter? And logical space-time have been blowing and uncoiling
collective is Harry uses. around the universe since the beginning of time
subconscio Potter a and they have evolved. The weakest have died
us? fairy tale or and the strongest have survived and they have
part of the grown fat on the retelling stories twisting and
world of blowing through the darkness.
faerie?
And their very existence overlaps a faint but
insistent pattern on the chaos that is history.
Stories etch grooves deep enough for people to
follow in the same way that water follows
certain paths down a mountainside. And every
time fresh actors tread the path of the story the
groove runs deeper.
This is called the theory of narrative causality
and it means that a story once started takes a
shape. It picks up all the vibrations of all the
other workings of that story that have ever been.
This is why history keeps repeating all of the
time.”
Terry Pratchett. Witches Abroad.
Jan. Harry HPI Ch. What are
20 8, 9, 10
Potter the values of
values. Harry
Potter?
What traits
are extolled
or
demeaned
in the
series?
Jan. Represent
27 ations of
Race and
Ethnicity in
Rowling’s
Harry
Potter
NovelsUnCommon Read Harry Potter & Imagination: The Way Between Two
Worlds. By Travis Prinzi
Feb. 3 Drawing HPI Ch. What Analyz
13 & 14
from the mythical e how
past for creatures much
Harry and ideas of
Potter: does JK Harry
mythical Rowling Potter
and real in bring to the is new
the stories. series? How and
does imagin
drawing on ative
these known and
figures make how
the world of much,
Potter more includi
familiar and ng
perhaps names
believable? ,
draws
on
older
associ
ations-
how
does
newne
ss
combi
ne
with
the
familia
r to
make
Harry
Potter
memo
rable?
Feb. Harry HPI Ch.
10 5, 6
Potter and
Family Law
Feb. Science in
17
Harry
Potter
Feb. HPI Herbology Analyz
24 Ch.15
and potions: e how
Medicine in what plants real-
Harry are real and and
Potter: which imagin
Potions and imaginary. ary-
Herbs Look plantsUnCommon Read Harry Potter & Imagination: The Way Between Two
Worlds. By Travis Prinzi
through have
materials on been
herbal used
medicines in
and their medic
real life al
uses. treatm
ents
and
how
that is
reflect
ed in
Harry
Potter.
Mar. The HPI Ch. How do Explor The monomyth
10 7
adolescent Harry e http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB_Q1gFsvI
Hero’s Potter’s Joseph w
Journey- experiences Campb The commercial hero’s journey
where is reflect the ell’s 17 http://www.herosjourneyfoundation.org/
Harry monomyth Stages
Potter of Joseph of the “In a monomyth, the hero begins in the ordinary
going? Campbell? Hero’s world, and receives a call to enter an unknown
Is the series Journe world of strange powers and events. The hero
a true Hero’s y or who accepts the call to enter this strange world
Journey. mono must face tasks and trials, either alone or with
myth. assistance. In the most intense versions of the
narrative, the hero must survive a severe
challenge, often with help. If the hero survives,
he may achieve a great gift or "boon." The hero
must then decide whether to return to the
ordinary world with this boon. If the hero does
decide to return, he or she often faces
challenges on the return journey. If the hero
returns successfully, the boon or gift may be
used to improve the world. The stories of Osiris,
Prometheus, Moses, Gautama Buddha, for
example, follow this structure closely.
Campbell describes 17 stages or steps along this
journey. Very few myths contain all 17 stages—
some myths contain many of the stages, while
others contain only a few; some myths may
focus on only one of the stages, while other
myths may deal with the stages in a somewhat
different order. These 17 stages may be
organized in a number of ways, including division
into three sections: Departure (sometimes called
Separation), Initiation, and Return. "Departure"UnCommon Read Harry Potter & Imagination: The Way Between Two
Worlds. By Travis Prinzi
deals with the hero's adventure prior to the
quest; "Initiation" deals with the hero's many
adventures along the way; and "Return" deals
with the hero's return home with knowledge and
powers acquired on the journey.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth
Mar. What are HPI Ch. Who likes or
17 11 & 12
the Harry doesn’t like
Potter Harry
stories? Potter? Why
Genre or why not?
bending or
fantasy?
Mar. The value HPI Ch. How does Analyz James Pennebaker
24 3
of stories- telling e the http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/Fac
healing stories help eviden ulty/Pennebaker/Home2000/JWPhome.htm
heal? ce View film “Healing Words”
showi
ng a
healin
g
compo
nent in
telling
the
stories
of
traum
a.
Mar. The value HPI Ch. How do Rita Charon and Narrative medicine
31 4
of stories- healers use http://www.litsite.org/index.cfm?section=Narrat
healing stories in ive-and-Healing
healing? Rita Charon Ted talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24kHX2HtU
3o
Rita Charon
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?
storyId=1480863
Lewis Mehl-Madrona Narrative medicine
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?
storyId=1480863
Lewis Mehl-Madrona
http://www.utne.com/mind-body/Narrative-
Medicine-Heals-Bodies-and-Souls.aspx
Apr. 7 The value What do The value of writing and story-telling
of stories- stories allow Q: What is it about writing that fascinates you?
psychosoci us to do? A: That goes way back to high school, when I
al Why tell discovered I had a knack for writing--not to write
stories? well, but to write. The pleasure of writing was
the contrast between writing as a way of
ordering a life and the disorder of life itself. AsUnCommon Read Harry Potter & Imagination: The Way Between Two
Worlds. By Travis Prinzi
Johnny Carson says, what he likes about being
shy at parties and not shy on the stage is that on
the stage he is in control.
Q: So writing is a way for you to control the
chaos of existence?
A: Actually, living is often absurd, preposterous,
painful, and out of control. Writing allows you to
establish some sort of control, even if you're
writing about chaos. The very fact of writing
about it establishes a certain kind of authority
over it. And it's impossible to write about chaos
without establishing some sort of order over it.
Q: Is that similar to your illustration of
alienation? That the man on the train who is
alienated, and who then reads a book about a
man who is alienated, is no longer alienated?
A: That's the aesthetic reversal, which I noticed
way back. It's a curious thing. I don't think
enough attention is paid by psychologists or by
semioticists to the curious fact that situations
which are experienced directly can be painful (or
of not much account, or even of not much
meaning), but when they are read about or
written about, a kind of reversal takes place--and
the reader or the writer takes pleasure in it. The
pleasure is a fundamental thing, going back to
the origins of speech or consciousness, either in
the phylogenesis or in the way a child does it at
the age of one or two in the pleasure that a child
takes when some segment of his environment is
named. And it has a very strong social
dimension, also. Someone gives a thing a name
for the child, and the delight occurs in the
transaction between the person who gives it and
the person who hears it. This inconsequential
object, or even this object which is unpleasant,
once it is seen in common and the name-teller
tells the name and the child or the reader hears
the name and recognizes it, then something
extraordinary happens. I think that is not only
the beginning of consciousness of language and
speech, but it also goes to the heart of good
fiction, of good poetry. The Study of
Consciousness: An Interview with Walker Percy
(1981)
Linda Whitney Hobson
Apr. Discussion
14
of class
projects
Apr. Final class
21
discussionUnCommon Read Harry Potter & Imagination: The Way Between Two
Worlds. By Travis Prinzi
of projects
Academic Honesty: All students sign the following statement upon registration at the University
of Florida: “I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all
their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and
understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action up
to and including expulsion from the University.” As instructors for this course, we fully support
the intent of the above statement and will not tolerate academic dishonesty.
Student Responsibility: Students are responsible for understanding all course policies and for
accessing all course materials on the UF E-Learning Website through the URL listed above. All
assignments should be submitted through the website and in hard copy when requested.
Students are also responsible for checking their UF e-mail account for course notifications and
for communicating with the instructors related to any situation that may hinder his or her
progress or participation in the course.
Disabilities: Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of
Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the instructor when
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