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【摘要】The British female writer，J·K·Rowling，gained her fame at the end of the 20th century．From her first book of the Harry Potter series，her works quickly swept Europe and even the world，not only to attract a large number of children，but also set off a boom in the number of adults．
Why did this series story which looks like children?蒺s adventures shake the whole world?There must be some profound significance behind it．From the angle of“British Gothic novel tradition”，this article aims to establish a new view and interpretation of the“children?蒺s novel”Harry Potter from the aspects of scene plot，theme and character，which are the essential elements of Gothic novels in．It also analyses the novel?蒺s role in inheriting and innovating Gothic novels?蒺 traditions，values，and the cultural significance．
【关键词】Harry Potter；Gothic novel；terror；magic
【中图分类号】I106 【文献标识码】A
【文章编号】1007-4309（2011）04-0067-3.5
Ⅰ．Gothic Novel Tradition
1．The origin of Gothic tradition and its development
The word“Gothic”came form the name of a Germanic tribe．Goth was famous for their barbaric and brave character．They invaded into Roma during the 3rd and 5th century and founded many kingdoms．But in about 7th century，the barbaric and brave Goth was disappear as a nation．
About one thousand years after the ruination of Roman Empire，an Italian named Vasari used the word“Goth”to name a kind of architecture style in Medieval Age，which was featured by pointed arches，heavy walls，dark rooms，terrible paths，etc．Under the influence of some philosophers in Renaissance，the word“Gothic”was used to mean wild，barbarous，crude，mystery，dark times，medieval，etc．
In the middle of 18th century，the word began to used to describe a new kind of novel，which are always under the background of castle，ruins or wilds．In this kind of novel，there are always some ghosts and monsters or something supernatural appear，and the content usually contains murder，violence，revenge and try to acquire a horrible，stimulating plot which are rich of suspense and are covered with an atmosphere of mysterious and gruesome．The name of“Goth is novel”can a first firm Horace Walpole?蒺s novel The Castle of Otranto，whose subtitle was“A Gothic Story”--a story about the decline of a family in a medieval old castle．This novel influenced the early Goth is novels in many aspect，such as background theme，plots，characters，artistic methods，etc．After Horace Walpole，there appeared many in imitators．By the 1790s，the Gothic novels had been established formally as a literature genre and developed into a literary trend in England as well as other countries in Europe and American．Thus the 1790s was called the“Gothic Decade”in history．
2．The artistic characteristics of Gothic novels
The early Gothic novels were usually set in the past times，most often the medieval times and in foreign countries，particularly the countries of the southern Europe．The stories took place in temples，castles，prisons and so on．The themes mainly disclosed the evil and dark side of human beings by describing the fight for heirdom and the hostility of families．The plots contained unreal，supernatural，violent and terrible elements．As to description of characters，they lacked in depth of mentality，so it seems that they were flat and bloodless．In spit of these defects，Gothic novels could help the authors to express their emotion，intuition，mystery and supernatural phenomena fully and thus let authors?蒺 imagination develop freely．
Ⅱ．The Gothic Tradition in Harry Potter
1．The world of Harry Potter
（1）The author and the background
The publication of Harry Potter not only made the unknown woman J•K•Rowling become the most popular writer，but also made her famous and wealthy at one night．Joanne Kathleen Rowling was born on 31st July 1965 in southern England．Her father was an engineer and mother was a lab technician．She has a younger sister．After graduation from university，she worked in office until 1990，and taught English for a while．Rowling wrote short stories in spare time for fun．Rowling had an epiphany about an orphaned boy wizard named Harry Potter when she was traveling on train in 1990，and began inventing characters and settings．
After the publishing of Harry Potter book one，the income enabled her to write full time．Rowling was the first author to win the Smarties Prize in two consecutive years．She was named author of the year at the 2000 British Book Awards．Sources indicate that she is Great Britain’s third richest woman as of the year 2000．
Rowling married anesthetist Dr．Neil Murray in December 2001．Her second child and first son，David Gordon Rowling Murray，was born in March 2003．She has another daughter，Mackenzie Murray in January 2005．
（2）The brief content and frame of Harry Potter
Harry Potter series is scheduled to finish seven，the growth and the experiences of the characters are arranged according to the time order of students of Hogwarts from grade one to grade seven when they finish the education．Harry was brought up by his aunt and when he was 11 years old，he received a letter from a owl，which informed him to go study at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry．And his magic life began．
The main theme throughout the works is the never ending struggle between justice and evil．Every single story appeared new plot，new adventure and new battle，Harry and his friends are in the process of continuous growth and become the new justice forces of wizarding world．
An American scholar David Colbert，who studies in mythology and anthropology，said in Magical Worlds of Harry Potter：“Harry’s several adventures are followed one kind of familiar pattern．”“A hero in the ordinary world rushed into a supernatural magic field．He encountered some incredible power and won a decisive victory．Then the hero come back from theese mystical adventures，gained the ability to bestow grace on his compatriot．”（2002，P151）
What is worth mentioning，Rowling used her extraordinary imagination in the novel，she creates a wonderful world of magic．The world is huge but complete，there are all things in common world，from the officers of all levels to bars and stores，from transport to sports，and from school uniform and books to examinations，there are even the stars sign for sells，all of them are derived from but totally different from real world，so that readers can based on fantasy and get into it easily．
The life in Hogwarts is full of mysterious charm，but the wizarding world is not perfect，it likes a mirror reflects the reality：there are endless homework，many of rules and punishment for violation，you have to stay up to review for the examination，and also you have to find a job after graduate．You will meet someone you hate，friends will also fight，there are enemies，jealousy，failure，and death，which even a magic can not solve．Anyhow，the real and magic in Rowling’s works are mixed naturally．
（3）The inheritance of literary tradition
In the development of modern science and technology of the new century，film and television，network game，newspapers and magazines are the main entertainments in people’s spare time，why such a magic boarding school story became so popular in global? Not only because the story is intresting itself，but also because it contains many western cultural background，and literary tradition．For example，the plots of Harry’s hard life at his aunt’s home，we can see these from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist and David Copperfield，and Charlotte Bront?觕’s Jane Eyre．
2．The Gothic features in Harry Potter
J•K Rowling’s Harry Potter series have distinctive and unique features of gothic．In the novels there are both traditional gothic elements such as the castle，forest，ghost，monsters，revenge，conspiracy and murder，etc．，and not leave the main theme of the conflict of justice and evil，especially the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix，they are typically Gothic novels．
（1）The unique scene
1）Old mysterious castle
Harry potter story happened most in the best school of magic，Hogwarts，after a long journey from platform 9 3/4，Hogwarts is this first appeared in the freshmen and readers：
“The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake．Perched atop a high mountain on the other side，its windows sparkling in the starry sky，was a vast castle with many turrets and towers．”The old castle is the background of the entire story，besides the mysterious place，its internal also full of mystery，deep and dark twists and turns and basement where ghosts always appear，etc．
Many of the plot in the novel happened in the ruins or the old castle．In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire，it began with the description of a damp，desolate and uninhabited old house which was“once a fine-looking manor，and easily the largest and grandest building for miles around”，and“something strange and horrible”happened there 50 years ago．The full of mysterious atmosphere spooky old castle was later to become Voldemort’s temporary home，not only is the story happened in，but also pushed the development of the plots．
Traditional gothic novel castles are often macabre dilapidated，waste and very frightening．But in Rowling’s is different，Hogwarts is also mysterious and full of all kinds things of unknown，but it is also luxuriant and full of warmth and friendship．
2）The description of nature
Like traditional gothic novels，Harry Potter takes natural scenery as foreshadowing for its mystery．Around Hogwarts is a large deep mysteries forest，school students can not get in the forest without permit．In the forbidden forest there are all sorts of strange animals and unknowable secrets．
Outside the castle is often stormy，weather is very bad．Generally speaking，traditional gothic novels often describe the bad weather to show the mysterious atmosphere，increasing horrible effect，and often play a promoting role．But in Harry Potter，in addition to the rendering atmosphere，increasing the mystery of Hogwarts，the author also seems to show the warm and bright，happy and peaceful life in the castle．
（2）Extraordinary circumstances
If the mysterious Hogwarts castle，the sleet and inclement weather and magical world just describe a unique gothic scene for Harry Potter，then from the content and the plot，Rowling’s works has distinct characteristics of gothic novels undoubtedly．
1）Murder，revenge and the combination of suspense and coincidence
If we see the Harry Potter series as a history story of Harry’s growth，then accompany him and friends grows，the struggle with the black wizard Voldemort is indispensable．Carnage，revenge and fight are throughout this series of works．We can say Harry Potter has the typical gothic novel content and plots setting．
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stones appeared a spy in Hogwarts who helps Voldemort，in the end we foung that it was Professor Quirrell，who pretended to be a compliant，timid person is the spy，and Professor Snape，who hated Harry，had been secretly to help him．Various coincidence and suspense，makes this story like all the gothic novels，has ups and downs，fascinating plot．
2）Dreams and prediction
Gothic novels often use the dreams and often the prophecy to increase the eerie mystery atmosphere，push the development of the plots．In Harry Potter and the features is embodied．First，in the magical world the astrology，the hand features，and arithmetic are studied for future predictions，students also have special lessons to learn divination．Harry often encountered a big black dog which prefigures“ominous and death”in a magical legend．Then indeed suffered a series of dangerous，the teacher of prediction dreams that the Black King will resuscitate at a mid-night under the help of his servant．
Especially in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire，Harry saw Voldemort in the dream again with his lackeys，in a dark room，planning to kill himself．The dream is all so lifelike，and he woke up with his forehead scar irritablely painful．On the second day after the dream first appeared，on the Quidditch World Cup appeared the dark mark，this is Voldemort’s rise symbols．Why Harry can see real activities of Voldemort in the dream? The suspense became an important clue of fiction plot，and until the next book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix，the question get solutions．
3）The combination of real and unreal
Harry Potter series adopt a double structure by establishing the basis of the muggle world and the unreal world of magic combine together，appear alternately．In the gothic novels before，no matter whether the bizarre thing finally got the reasonable explanation，ghosts，magic，and such surreal wizard are still appeared as unusual phenomenon，and the attitude of readers is always fear and suspicion．However，in Harry Potter，the existence of the surreal world is not suspicious but the main body parts of the novel．Ghost，magic and wizard is from the edges and corners to center of stage，various bizarre phenomenon in the world are natural，but the common world becomes a magical thing．For example，Mrs．Weasley send a letter to Harry’s aunt in the muggle way，“every bit of it was covered in stamps except for a square inch on the front，into which Mrs．Weasley had squeezed the Dursleys’ address in minute writing”，and she request them to write back in“a normal way”（refers to the owl post）．When Ron called Harry on the phone，he shouted loudly like call for someone in a football field and so on．
4）Themes and characters
Harry Potter has the traditional gothic novel themes：the conflict between good and evil and moral exploration．The novel depicts the growth of Harry at Hogwarts，at the same time，it reflects the eternal struggle between good and evil in the wizarding world，and advocates the justice of not compromise to evil．
At the same time，the soul trading between Faustus and devil is also indirectly reflected．For example，in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire，Wormtail Peter cut his right hand to help his Lord to regain new body，to express his loyalty and trust．In return，the master gave him a while silver powerful magic one as reward．Voldemort’s believers followed him，killing innocent，and they wanted to get the magic or power．All these are trades with devils which are traditional themes in gothic novels．
However，Harry Potter is not created as a perfect hero traditionally．He has many similar with Voldemort．Although they are two rivals，but also have many similarities，we can put this pair of roles as everyone at both sides of good and evil．
Ⅲ．Culture Meaning of Harry Potter
The prosperity and decline of any literature is linked to the social background of the cultural and economy．The successful of Harry Potter not only because its interesting plots itself，but the stronger cultural thought behind it．In effect，Rowling’s works is not only the inheritance of the Gothic literature，it also gives us asome new enlightenments and directions．
Harry Potter let us use the new way of thinking to create new value to re-examine the reality of life．Today，our human society are highly developed，but people are induled in the desires of materils．The nature is destoryed much．
In Harry Potter，the magic，witchcraft，and the witch，actually is a kind of thinking with western science and technology，with the relative thinking to overcome the values of materialism，against excessive obsessed with the development of science and technology．This series of works，is not only a literary or commercial operation of success，also with the new features of the concept of“New Era”，is an improtant marks of cultural trend．
【参考文献】
［1］A．S Byatt．Harry Potter and the Childish Adult［M］．New York：The New York Times，2003．07．
［2］David Colbert．Magical Worlds of Harry Potter：A Treasury of Myths，Legends，and Fascinating Facts［M］．UK：Sagebrush Education Resources Library，2002．
［3］J．K．Rowling．Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stones［M］．the USA：Scholastic Press，1997．
［4］J．K．Rowling．Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire［M］．the USA：Scholastic Press，2000．
［5］J．K．Rowling．Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix［M］．the USA：Scholastic Press，2003．
［6］肖明翰．英美文学中的哥特传统［J］．外国文学评论，2001．02．
【作者简介】刘悦（1986－ ）：女，吉林长春人，长春工业大学外国语学院外国语言学及应用语言学专业2009级硕士研究生，研究方向：文体学。
Why did this series story which looks like children?蒺s adventures shake the whole world?There must be some profound significance behind it．From the angle of“British Gothic novel tradition”，this article aims to establish a new view and interpretation of the“children?蒺s novel”Harry Potter from the aspects of scene plot，theme and character，which are the essential elements of Gothic novels in．It also analyses the novel?蒺s role in inheriting and innovating Gothic novels?蒺 traditions，values，and the cultural significance．
【关键词】Harry Potter；Gothic novel；terror；magic
【中图分类号】I106 【文献标识码】A
【文章编号】1007-4309（2011）04-0067-3.5
Ⅰ．Gothic Novel Tradition
1．The origin of Gothic tradition and its development
The word“Gothic”came form the name of a Germanic tribe．Goth was famous for their barbaric and brave character．They invaded into Roma during the 3rd and 5th century and founded many kingdoms．But in about 7th century，the barbaric and brave Goth was disappear as a nation．
About one thousand years after the ruination of Roman Empire，an Italian named Vasari used the word“Goth”to name a kind of architecture style in Medieval Age，which was featured by pointed arches，heavy walls，dark rooms，terrible paths，etc．Under the influence of some philosophers in Renaissance，the word“Gothic”was used to mean wild，barbarous，crude，mystery，dark times，medieval，etc．
In the middle of 18th century，the word began to used to describe a new kind of novel，which are always under the background of castle，ruins or wilds．In this kind of novel，there are always some ghosts and monsters or something supernatural appear，and the content usually contains murder，violence，revenge and try to acquire a horrible，stimulating plot which are rich of suspense and are covered with an atmosphere of mysterious and gruesome．The name of“Goth is novel”can a first firm Horace Walpole?蒺s novel The Castle of Otranto，whose subtitle was“A Gothic Story”--a story about the decline of a family in a medieval old castle．This novel influenced the early Goth is novels in many aspect，such as background theme，plots，characters，artistic methods，etc．After Horace Walpole，there appeared many in imitators．By the 1790s，the Gothic novels had been established formally as a literature genre and developed into a literary trend in England as well as other countries in Europe and American．Thus the 1790s was called the“Gothic Decade”in history．
2．The artistic characteristics of Gothic novels
The early Gothic novels were usually set in the past times，most often the medieval times and in foreign countries，particularly the countries of the southern Europe．The stories took place in temples，castles，prisons and so on．The themes mainly disclosed the evil and dark side of human beings by describing the fight for heirdom and the hostility of families．The plots contained unreal，supernatural，violent and terrible elements．As to description of characters，they lacked in depth of mentality，so it seems that they were flat and bloodless．In spit of these defects，Gothic novels could help the authors to express their emotion，intuition，mystery and supernatural phenomena fully and thus let authors?蒺 imagination develop freely．
Ⅱ．The Gothic Tradition in Harry Potter
1．The world of Harry Potter
（1）The author and the background
The publication of Harry Potter not only made the unknown woman J•K•Rowling become the most popular writer，but also made her famous and wealthy at one night．Joanne Kathleen Rowling was born on 31st July 1965 in southern England．Her father was an engineer and mother was a lab technician．She has a younger sister．After graduation from university，she worked in office until 1990，and taught English for a while．Rowling wrote short stories in spare time for fun．Rowling had an epiphany about an orphaned boy wizard named Harry Potter when she was traveling on train in 1990，and began inventing characters and settings．
After the publishing of Harry Potter book one，the income enabled her to write full time．Rowling was the first author to win the Smarties Prize in two consecutive years．She was named author of the year at the 2000 British Book Awards．Sources indicate that she is Great Britain’s third richest woman as of the year 2000．
Rowling married anesthetist Dr．Neil Murray in December 2001．Her second child and first son，David Gordon Rowling Murray，was born in March 2003．She has another daughter，Mackenzie Murray in January 2005．
（2）The brief content and frame of Harry Potter
Harry Potter series is scheduled to finish seven，the growth and the experiences of the characters are arranged according to the time order of students of Hogwarts from grade one to grade seven when they finish the education．Harry was brought up by his aunt and when he was 11 years old，he received a letter from a owl，which informed him to go study at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry．And his magic life began．
The main theme throughout the works is the never ending struggle between justice and evil．Every single story appeared new plot，new adventure and new battle，Harry and his friends are in the process of continuous growth and become the new justice forces of wizarding world．
An American scholar David Colbert，who studies in mythology and anthropology，said in Magical Worlds of Harry Potter：“Harry’s several adventures are followed one kind of familiar pattern．”“A hero in the ordinary world rushed into a supernatural magic field．He encountered some incredible power and won a decisive victory．Then the hero come back from theese mystical adventures，gained the ability to bestow grace on his compatriot．”（2002，P151）
What is worth mentioning，Rowling used her extraordinary imagination in the novel，she creates a wonderful world of magic．The world is huge but complete，there are all things in common world，from the officers of all levels to bars and stores，from transport to sports，and from school uniform and books to examinations，there are even the stars sign for sells，all of them are derived from but totally different from real world，so that readers can based on fantasy and get into it easily．
The life in Hogwarts is full of mysterious charm，but the wizarding world is not perfect，it likes a mirror reflects the reality：there are endless homework，many of rules and punishment for violation，you have to stay up to review for the examination，and also you have to find a job after graduate．You will meet someone you hate，friends will also fight，there are enemies，jealousy，failure，and death，which even a magic can not solve．Anyhow，the real and magic in Rowling’s works are mixed naturally．
（3）The inheritance of literary tradition
In the development of modern science and technology of the new century，film and television，network game，newspapers and magazines are the main entertainments in people’s spare time，why such a magic boarding school story became so popular in global? Not only because the story is intresting itself，but also because it contains many western cultural background，and literary tradition．For example，the plots of Harry’s hard life at his aunt’s home，we can see these from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist and David Copperfield，and Charlotte Bront?觕’s Jane Eyre．
2．The Gothic features in Harry Potter
J•K Rowling’s Harry Potter series have distinctive and unique features of gothic．In the novels there are both traditional gothic elements such as the castle，forest，ghost，monsters，revenge，conspiracy and murder，etc．，and not leave the main theme of the conflict of justice and evil，especially the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix，they are typically Gothic novels．
（1）The unique scene
1）Old mysterious castle
Harry potter story happened most in the best school of magic，Hogwarts，after a long journey from platform 9 3/4，Hogwarts is this first appeared in the freshmen and readers：
“The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake．Perched atop a high mountain on the other side，its windows sparkling in the starry sky，was a vast castle with many turrets and towers．”The old castle is the background of the entire story，besides the mysterious place，its internal also full of mystery，deep and dark twists and turns and basement where ghosts always appear，etc．
Many of the plot in the novel happened in the ruins or the old castle．In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire，it began with the description of a damp，desolate and uninhabited old house which was“once a fine-looking manor，and easily the largest and grandest building for miles around”，and“something strange and horrible”happened there 50 years ago．The full of mysterious atmosphere spooky old castle was later to become Voldemort’s temporary home，not only is the story happened in，but also pushed the development of the plots．
Traditional gothic novel castles are often macabre dilapidated，waste and very frightening．But in Rowling’s is different，Hogwarts is also mysterious and full of all kinds things of unknown，but it is also luxuriant and full of warmth and friendship．
2）The description of nature
Like traditional gothic novels，Harry Potter takes natural scenery as foreshadowing for its mystery．Around Hogwarts is a large deep mysteries forest，school students can not get in the forest without permit．In the forbidden forest there are all sorts of strange animals and unknowable secrets．
Outside the castle is often stormy，weather is very bad．Generally speaking，traditional gothic novels often describe the bad weather to show the mysterious atmosphere，increasing horrible effect，and often play a promoting role．But in Harry Potter，in addition to the rendering atmosphere，increasing the mystery of Hogwarts，the author also seems to show the warm and bright，happy and peaceful life in the castle．
（2）Extraordinary circumstances
If the mysterious Hogwarts castle，the sleet and inclement weather and magical world just describe a unique gothic scene for Harry Potter，then from the content and the plot，Rowling’s works has distinct characteristics of gothic novels undoubtedly．
1）Murder，revenge and the combination of suspense and coincidence
If we see the Harry Potter series as a history story of Harry’s growth，then accompany him and friends grows，the struggle with the black wizard Voldemort is indispensable．Carnage，revenge and fight are throughout this series of works．We can say Harry Potter has the typical gothic novel content and plots setting．
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stones appeared a spy in Hogwarts who helps Voldemort，in the end we foung that it was Professor Quirrell，who pretended to be a compliant，timid person is the spy，and Professor Snape，who hated Harry，had been secretly to help him．Various coincidence and suspense，makes this story like all the gothic novels，has ups and downs，fascinating plot．
2）Dreams and prediction
Gothic novels often use the dreams and often the prophecy to increase the eerie mystery atmosphere，push the development of the plots．In Harry Potter and the features is embodied．First，in the magical world the astrology，the hand features，and arithmetic are studied for future predictions，students also have special lessons to learn divination．Harry often encountered a big black dog which prefigures“ominous and death”in a magical legend．Then indeed suffered a series of dangerous，the teacher of prediction dreams that the Black King will resuscitate at a mid-night under the help of his servant．
Especially in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire，Harry saw Voldemort in the dream again with his lackeys，in a dark room，planning to kill himself．The dream is all so lifelike，and he woke up with his forehead scar irritablely painful．On the second day after the dream first appeared，on the Quidditch World Cup appeared the dark mark，this is Voldemort’s rise symbols．Why Harry can see real activities of Voldemort in the dream? The suspense became an important clue of fiction plot，and until the next book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix，the question get solutions．
3）The combination of real and unreal
Harry Potter series adopt a double structure by establishing the basis of the muggle world and the unreal world of magic combine together，appear alternately．In the gothic novels before，no matter whether the bizarre thing finally got the reasonable explanation，ghosts，magic，and such surreal wizard are still appeared as unusual phenomenon，and the attitude of readers is always fear and suspicion．However，in Harry Potter，the existence of the surreal world is not suspicious but the main body parts of the novel．Ghost，magic and wizard is from the edges and corners to center of stage，various bizarre phenomenon in the world are natural，but the common world becomes a magical thing．For example，Mrs．Weasley send a letter to Harry’s aunt in the muggle way，“every bit of it was covered in stamps except for a square inch on the front，into which Mrs．Weasley had squeezed the Dursleys’ address in minute writing”，and she request them to write back in“a normal way”（refers to the owl post）．When Ron called Harry on the phone，he shouted loudly like call for someone in a football field and so on．
4）Themes and characters
Harry Potter has the traditional gothic novel themes：the conflict between good and evil and moral exploration．The novel depicts the growth of Harry at Hogwarts，at the same time，it reflects the eternal struggle between good and evil in the wizarding world，and advocates the justice of not compromise to evil．
At the same time，the soul trading between Faustus and devil is also indirectly reflected．For example，in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire，Wormtail Peter cut his right hand to help his Lord to regain new body，to express his loyalty and trust．In return，the master gave him a while silver powerful magic one as reward．Voldemort’s believers followed him，killing innocent，and they wanted to get the magic or power．All these are trades with devils which are traditional themes in gothic novels．
However，Harry Potter is not created as a perfect hero traditionally．He has many similar with Voldemort．Although they are two rivals，but also have many similarities，we can put this pair of roles as everyone at both sides of good and evil．
Ⅲ．Culture Meaning of Harry Potter
The prosperity and decline of any literature is linked to the social background of the cultural and economy．The successful of Harry Potter not only because its interesting plots itself，but the stronger cultural thought behind it．In effect，Rowling’s works is not only the inheritance of the Gothic literature，it also gives us asome new enlightenments and directions．
Harry Potter let us use the new way of thinking to create new value to re-examine the reality of life．Today，our human society are highly developed，but people are induled in the desires of materils．The nature is destoryed much．
In Harry Potter，the magic，witchcraft，and the witch，actually is a kind of thinking with western science and technology，with the relative thinking to overcome the values of materialism，against excessive obsessed with the development of science and technology．This series of works，is not only a literary or commercial operation of success，also with the new features of the concept of“New Era”，is an improtant marks of cultural trend．
【参考文献】
［1］A．S Byatt．Harry Potter and the Childish Adult［M］．New York：The New York Times，2003．07．
［2］David Colbert．Magical Worlds of Harry Potter：A Treasury of Myths，Legends，and Fascinating Facts［M］．UK：Sagebrush Education Resources Library，2002．
［3］J．K．Rowling．Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stones［M］．the USA：Scholastic Press，1997．
［4］J．K．Rowling．Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire［M］．the USA：Scholastic Press，2000．
［5］J．K．Rowling．Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix［M］．the USA：Scholastic Press，2003．
［6］肖明翰．英美文学中的哥特传统［J］．外国文学评论，2001．02．
【作者简介】刘悦（1986－ ）：女，吉林长春人，长春工业大学外国语学院外国语言学及应用语言学专业2009级硕士研究生，研究方向：文体学。