INTRODUCTION “Novel and shorter works of literary fiction are narratives: in other words, they all in some sense present readers with a ‘telling’ rather than an ‘enacting’, and this distinguishes them in an important sense from the drama[,]” and “generally restricted to works with characters, action and a plot” (Hawthorn, 2010, pp. 6 & 237). In this paper, The Cave by Jose Saramago, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the third book of the global phenomenon from the Potter series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling would be discussed. The respective styles - specifically symbols - structures, and settings of both novels would be explored through a comparative lens in this paper in unraveling the complexities
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Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (HPPA), one out of the seven novels in the Potter series, together with Jose Saramago’s The Cave provide an excellent comparative opportunity; as both novels, at the core, revolve around the theme of human endeavour and struggle for survival and self-preservation. The latter is a portrayal of Cipriano Algor’s enterprising spirit against the encroachment of capitalism accompanied and spurred by technological advancements which is represented by the imposing monolithic man-made structure – the Centre - that renders his skills in pottery obsolete. Thus, his products also diminish in value in comparison to plastic products. Cipriano and his family end up physically escaping the clutches of the Centre albeit their future remains uncertain. On the other hand, the former, of the fantasy adventure genre, is a portrayal of Harry Potter’s struggles, once again, against the evil schemings of Lord Voldermort - who poses a tremendous threat to Harry and the wizarding world as a whole - by saving his godfather, Sirius Black, against untimely persecution. The multiple battles within the characters and their immediate threats contributed to the development of the following aspects of the novels in divergent …show more content…
148). This is where The Cave exemplifies the usage of a conventional setting through the representation of the Center. Readers would be familiar with such buildings developed on a grand scale spurred by capitalism and mass commercialization and consumption, which pose a threat to Cipriano’s livelihood of traditional pottery – small businesses in general. In HPPA, Hogwarts castle provides the main backdrop where Potter and his friends raced against time to save his godfather, Sirius. Again, though on a grander scale, Hogwarts as a school for wizards and witches would still provide readers with familiarity, particularly, with the characters’ difficulty in maneuvering and bending school rules without getting caught and
Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (HPPA), one out of the seven novels in the Potter series, together with Jose Saramago’s The Cave provide an excellent comparative opportunity; as both novels, at the core, revolve around the theme of human endeavour and struggle for survival and self-preservation. The latter is a portrayal of Cipriano Algor’s enterprising spirit against the encroachment of capitalism accompanied and spurred by technological advancements which is represented by the imposing monolithic man-made structure – the Centre - that renders his skills in pottery obsolete. Thus, his products also diminish in value in comparison to plastic products. Cipriano and his family end up physically escaping the clutches of the Centre albeit their future remains uncertain. On the other hand, the former, of the fantasy adventure genre, is a portrayal of Harry Potter’s struggles, once again, against the evil schemings of Lord Voldermort - who poses a tremendous threat to Harry and the wizarding world as a whole - by saving his godfather, Sirius Black, against untimely persecution. The multiple battles within the characters and their immediate threats contributed to the development of the following aspects of the novels in divergent …show more content…
148). This is where The Cave exemplifies the usage of a conventional setting through the representation of the Center. Readers would be familiar with such buildings developed on a grand scale spurred by capitalism and mass commercialization and consumption, which pose a threat to Cipriano’s livelihood of traditional pottery – small businesses in general. In HPPA, Hogwarts castle provides the main backdrop where Potter and his friends raced against time to save his godfather, Sirius. Again, though on a grander scale, Hogwarts as a school for wizards and witches would still provide readers with familiarity, particularly, with the characters’ difficulty in maneuvering and bending school rules without getting caught and