Sunday, February 27, 2011
Another Harry Potter Reference (sorry guys....)
While we were discussing Perceval in connection with the origins of the Holy Grail, Harry Potter immediately came to my mind. In the seventh book of the series, Harry and his friends search for the Deathly Hollows, which are three sacred objects, including the Resurrection Stone, the Invisibility Cloak, and the Elder Wand. This expedition relates to Perceval’s journey to acquire the Holy Grail. Just as Perceval matures throughout his quest, Harry discovers himself while looking for the hollows, and both characters’ selflessness enables them to succeed. Can you all think of any other connections between the story of the Grail and literature or culture?
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6 comments:
I am not a huge Harry Potter fan like you Julia, but I definitely see the connection between the two stories. I feel like this is exactly what we were talking about in class in regard to the grail stories. The frame work of the grail story is adapted throughout different cultures to tell a story that has been told for centuries. I think that this connection Julia has brought up is a great way to point out how history always finds a way of being involved in the present.
Another work of literature that involves a version of the quest for a grail is Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. As we discussed sophomore year with Mrs. Beckman, Daisy represents the Holy Grail. Gatsby embarks on a quest in which he attempts to reach and conquer the unattainable embodiment of the Grail. Like Perceval, who seeks the Holy Grail to save the Fisher King and restore his kingdom, Gatsby serves as a knightly figure during his quest.
I discovered that the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade contains a quest to find a kidnapped Holy Grail scholar, Indiana's father. Once Indiana rescues his father, they must also find the location of the Holy Grail using the father's previous research, in order to prevent the Nazis from stealing it. Like Perceval and even Gatsby, Indiana Jones serves as the heroic figure who saves the day.
Julia I'm always fascinated by your Harry Potter connections. The story of the Quest for the Holy Grail reminds me of the movie, "Quest for Camelot". It's a story about a quest for the sword of Excaliber. This traditional story, though it's most classically linked to the story of King Arthur, reminds me of a quest for a holy grail.
Very interesting stuff Julia. Another movie that directly relates the holy grail is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Written in 1975, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a comedy writen and performed by the notorious Monty Python Group. This movie essentially spoofs the legends of King Auther's quest to find the holy grail The film was a success on its initial run and still remains very popular.
Mrs. Klebba did tell us to ask about watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail in class...
To my mind, the Holy Grail has become a symbol of quest narratives in general; even quests for knowledge frequently face comparison. Keeping associations loose like this, one might think of James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Perhaps the image of the birdlike woman could be the Grail.
The Grail has been taken up quite literally in modern science fiction television shows like Babylon 5 and Stargate. And what about the infamous Da Vinci Code?
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