J.K. Rowling really understands that, at its heart, mythology focuses on the conflict between good and evil. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is all over that conflict: presenting not just a plucky underdog who must save the world, but also a truly evil villain that he must defeat.
As the series goes on, Rowling—and the movies—goes deep into the nuances of good and evil, and how one can often look like the other. But for now, we're just getting the two sides sorted, and Harry's got some big-time external evil to defeat before he goes looking within.
Questions about Good vs. Evil
- What's significant about the fact that Harry's first big confrontation with Voldemort happens before we even meet him?
- If Slytherin's evil, then why does it remain at Hogwarts? Why keep all those sneaky wizards around?
- In what ways are Harry and Voldemort bound together? How does the film present that?
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
Good and evil are exactly as they appear to be in this film.
Good and evil wear many guises, and the true nature of a character is sometimes the exact opposite as he or she appears.