“Applying Norman Fairclough’s Model on JK Rowling’s "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" : Feminism and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in Children’s World Literature"
Norman Fairclough (1941) is a distinguished British sociolinguist who has made significant contributions to the field of critical discourse analysis (CDA). His work has been highly regarded for its exploration of the intricate relationship between language, power, and social structure. Fairclough’s approach to CDA is interdisciplinary, encompassing theories from linguistics, sociology, and critical theory. His work has had a profound impact on the field of CDA, and his theories have been widely adopted in research examining the power dynamics of language use in various contexts, including politics, media, and education.
Summary:
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is a linguistic approach that challenges the prevailing ideological stance and confronts pressing social issues. The critical attribute of CDA involves demonstrating the ambiguous connection between discourse and the structure of society, highlighting the hidden relations infused into the text to expose how language use positions characters, subordinating, excluding, or even cooperating with the presumptive readers of such texts.
The standing of women in society is rooted in their inability to come together and fight against their fragmentation, as they have been taught to think and live in pieces. The patriarchal world's fragmentation programming is ingrained deeply enough to affect children.
This study aims to analyze the 2001 novel "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" by British author J.K. Rowling (1965) using the paradigm of British sociolinguist Norman Fairclough (1941), who focuses on CDA and feminism. By employing this critical social analysis, this study aims to examine how the novel portrays gender roles and how these representations reinforce or challenge existing gender norms in society. Through this analysis, the study intends to shed light on the ways in which language use can either perpetuate or resist social inequality and injustice.
Critical Evaluation:
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is not only concerned with language use, but also addresses any form of social problem with the aim of resisting it. This article investigates the relevance of ideas amongst CDA figures and focuses on employing CDA method on feminist perspective of JK Rowling’s famous series "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone". It begins by presenting various definitions of CDA and further explains the CDA framework by Fairclough. An overview of what the book is about is provided. Stereotypical characteristics are generally associated with males and females, and these characteristics are also present in male and female characters in literature.
The claim that girls are represented as anti-intellectual is not accurate, considering Hermione is labeled as the brightest witch of her age. Both of the boys are not portrayed as very smart individuals, and it is actually Hermione’s intelligence that enables them to overcome any sort of calamity throughout their adventures. JK Rowling has both intended to and overthrown the beauty myth which includes inner strength as masculine and outer beauty as feminine. In the wizarding world, people are discriminated against on the basis of blood purity and the Muggle-born wizards and witches are bullied and called 'Mudblood’, a highly derogatory term. It is important to note that Hermione’s experience is not unique to her gender or Muggle-born status. Male Muggle-born students are also subjected to the same bullying and discrimination as Hermione. Therefore, it is not accurate to suggest that Hermione faces more difficulty than others solely because of her gender and Muggle-born status.
At the beginning of the book, Hermione is disliked by Harry and especially Ron because she seems to know almost everything. However, when they rescue her from the troll, they become close friends not because they get to portray their masculine agency by rescuing her, but because Ron actually uses the same spell Hermione tried to teach him earlier. Ron finally realizes that Hermione's intelligence is not something to be jealous of but rather should be learned from.
Hermione is a strong and independent character, but at some points in the book, she conforms to the stereotypical representation of women. By examining the construction of gender roles in Harry Potter, we can understand the gender roles in society and how they should or should not be treated. Through applying Fairclough’s social analysis, the sexist patterns prevalent in this book have been highlighted, but they are not as extreme as they have been presented in this study.
Bibliographical Entry:
.(2018) حمد، م۔ خطاب محمد، ابراھیم، م۔ وسن ہ اشم
Midad Al- Adab Refereed Quarterly Journal, 14(1),659-680.
م۔ وسن ھاشم ، احمد، م۔ خطاب محمد، ابراھیم
