Reccomended Reading

The works listed here are my favorite essays. The compliment my own essays. Just because these are my favorite essays doesn't mean I agree with every single word/idea in them. It means I agree with the general idea and most of the essay. The opinions in my own works take precedence over any of my recommended essays.

J.R.R. Tolkien


Harry Potter

Severus Snape:

• But Snape is just nasty, right?
• Reserved!Snape - Canon or Fanon?
• Apothecary Snape
• The Fully Knowable Severus Snape
• Snape's (Deliberately Slanted) Memories of Lily
• Lily’s Reaction to Sirius’s Furry Little Joke
• The Harry Filter Phenomenon

Death Eaters ARE NOT Evil:

• British Cultural References in the Harry Potter Books (The last part, which is looking at the Death Eaters)
• Death Eaters in the 'Seventies, or, What were they thinking?

Dark Magic DOES NOT Mean Evil:

• Sectumsempra and the Nature of Curses
• Dark Magic Doth Never Prosper (Part I and Part II)
• Severus and the Dark Arts

Snape IS NOT a Bully:

• British Cultural References in the Harry Potter Books (The first part, which talks about Hogwarts)
• “Mr. Filch has Asked”: Discipline at Hogwarts
• Poisoning Toads in the Dungeon (Part I and Part II)
• Snape’s Reputation among his Colleagues: Shattering Trust
• Rumors of Snape’s Unfairness...
• Sections on Snape's Teaching and Snape's Bias from the "But Snape is Just Nasty, Right?" essay (see above for full essay link)

Harry Potter:

• How Abused is Harry in Canon?
• Petunia's POV of Abusing Harry
• Programming Harry for Violence

Regulus Black:

• A Much Better Son

Sirius Black:

• I Blame the Parents

James Potter:

• James Potter: Reformed Bad Boy?
• James the Stag

Remus Lupin:

• Disaffected: An Exploration of Remus J. Lupin
• The Curse of Lycanthropy

Minerva McGonagall:

• McGonagall’s Impartiality: A Test Case

Albus Dumbledore:

• When was Albus Dumbledore Appointed as Headmaster?

Ginny Weasley:

• Mary Sues in Harry Potter (Part I, Part II, Part III)

Harry/Hermione:

• The Beginning of Great Things: PS
• Book Moments: Philosopher's Stone
• H/H Hints in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Book Moments: Chamber of Secrets
• PoA - The H/H Canon Bible
• Book Moments: Prisoner of Azkaban
• H/H Hints in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Book Moments: Goblet of Fire
• Harry/Hermione in OotP
• Book Moments: Order of the Phoenix
• Partners and Friends: The Evolving Relationship Between Harry and Hermione
• HBP Evidence for Harmony
• Why Harry and Hermione Make Future R/Hr and H/G Pairings Impractical
• Harry + Hermione - Ron
• The Post-Kiss Scene
• Bemused and Breathless
• Friendship, Bravery, and Love
• Harry and Hermione. How Can You Not Ship Them?
• Astronomy O.W.L.: Mars & Venus
• Arrogance and Anger or Banter and Violence?
• Harry and Hermione: What Krum Saw in GoF
• Keeping the Partnership
• Whose gaze does Hermione avoid?
• Handling Hermione: 2 Approaches
• The OotP Christmas Gifts
• Lockhart, Krum, & Harry
• Believing in Love and Magic: Why H/Hr Appeals to People of All Ages
• A Pumpkin Pie State of Mind: A Response to thereader's Essay
• A Harry/Hermione Essay
• The Matter of A Kiss
• Why Hermione Sticks by Harry
• Systematic Harmony
• Potter, Granger, and Chang: An Analysis
• An Analysis of the "Death" Scenes
• Harry's Saving People Thing: Not All Rescues Are The Same
• A Heart Once Given...
• Tying the Knot (Part I, Part II, Part III)
• In Defending Hermione...
• Who Does Harry Love? (OotP Evidence of Harry's Love for Hermione)
• Harry's Subconscious Feelings for Hermione
• A Look at Literary Patterns: The Bluebell Flames Charm
• Harry Constantly Thinks About Hermione
• The Fundamentals of Love
• Physical Contact: A Changing Pattern
• Hermione Shows More Warmth for Harry
• H/Hr, Love, and Flying
• Hermione vs Ginny
• Personal Space

Alchemy (Pro Harry/Hermione):

• Alchemy in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• Alchemy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Alchemy in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Professor Granger, Ron is NOT Sulphur
• Solve et Coagula and the Hero's Journey
• Chemical Weddings in Harry Potter
• Ron the Harmonian
• Alchemy in Relation to Deathly Hallows Covers
• Alchemy in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Ron/Luna:

• The Other Side of The Moon
• Why Luna is Better for Ron than Hermione
• Why Ron/Luna?
• Ron and Luna: Luna Chooses Her King
• Moonstruck
• Spiders, Moons, and Necklaces, Oh My!

Anti Harry/Ginny:

• Negative Imagery Surrounding Ginny
• What We Write About When We Write About Love (And Why JKR Isn't Doing It)

Anti Ron/Hermione:

• R/Hr more like Molly/Sirius
• The Bickering Couple (and why R/Hr ain't it)
• Hermione/Fleur - Jealousy or Dislike?
• Is Hermione Frustrated About Ron?
• Fleur and Ron
• Some R/Hr Rebuttals
• Shallow Sailing?
• Why Hermione is NOT the Right Girl for Ron
• Hermione's Feelings for Ron

Bill Weasley/Fleur Delacour:

• Flower and Fang

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley: 

• Anatomy of A Rift

Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle:

• The Secret Riddle: Albus's Collusion in Tom's Dirty Secret
• Accessory after the Fact: Albus and the Invention of Lord Voldemort

Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter:

• The Strongest Shield

Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore:

• You Have Used Me: Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore, Betrayal and Trust

Hogwarts Houses:

• The Corruption of the House System
• All Death Eaters are Slytherin: Logic, Observer Effects, and Snape's Spying
• Elements of Pre-Christian vs. Christian worldviews in HP

The Marauder Era:

• The Prequel, and Judging James and Sirius
• Choosing a Secret Keeper
• When did Snape Defect, & When did the Potter's Go into Hiding?
• In Dispraise of Albus Dumbledore
• Defending the Indefensible

Harry Potter and the Philosospher's Stone:

• The Keeper of the Keys
• A Prejudiced Examination of Dumble’s First End-of-book Exposition

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

• Draco’s Deception: The Buckbeak Scam
• The Dog that Didn’t Get Exonerated in the Night
• Lupin’s Resignation: A Doubletake

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:

• Misjudging Tom: Apologies Regarding GoF

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 

• The Effectiveness of the Order of the Phoenix

Other:

• The Mother Who Lived
• Flying from Memory: Flight in Harry Potter 
• Practically Royal: Blood Prejudice’s Parallels to Classism
• The Treatment of House-Elves
• The International Statute of Secrecy: The Early Years
• On Muggles, Muggleborns, and Wizards