Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

• Genre: Fiction; young adult fantasy
• Originally Published: 2007
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 880L; grades 6-12
• Structure/Length: 36 chapters and epilogue; approximately 784 pages; approximately 21 hours, 36 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series. The central conflict culminates in the ultimate showdown between Harry Potter and the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione embark on a dangerous quest to destroy the remaining Horcruxes, they uncover the secrets of Voldemort’s immortality and the Deathly Hallows. The novel explores sacrifice, love, courage, and the battle between good and evil in the magical world of Hogwarts.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of wizardry, magic, fantasy violence, and torture; mythical creatures and reanimated dead; evocative conflicts (registration and persecution of those who are not “pure blood”); death of popular characters; instances of profanity; alcohol use

J. K. Rowling, Author

• Bio: Born 1965; British author known for creating the magical world of Harry Potter, one of the most successful book series in history; celebrated for her imaginative storytelling and her impact on young readers and literature
• Other Works: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1997); Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998); Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999); The Casual Vacancy (2012); Cormoran Strike series (under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith; 2013-present)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Fear of Mortality and Accepting Death
• Sacrificing for the Greater Good
• Friendship and Teamwork

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the importance of worldbuilding in fantasy and the legacy of the Harry Potter series.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Fear of Mortality and Accepting Death, Sacrificing for the Greater Good, and Friendship and Teamwork.
• Create and role play a strategic plan for a specific faction that conveys an understanding of the novel’s key challenges and character motivations, based on specific details from the text.
• Analyze and evaluate plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding attitudes toward death, the role of memories, and other topics.