Prompt 1: Symbolism in Novels

Symbolism in writing yields powerful effects, albeit sometimes hidden in the text. It is left up to the viewer to decode the author's intentions. The novel I chose to do this prompt on is J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series, and the symbol I will explore in the essay is none other than the famous scar that Harry himself possesses.
Harry receives his scar when he was just a little child, despite knowing very little of it in the beginning of the series. He acknowledges the scar as a curse, that the scar is a reminder of her mother's death and Voldemort's triumph in taking his mother's life. However, the scar is more than just a reminder of death, but it stands for everything that Harry stands for. The scar is something like a badge of honor, proof that he has overcome a great struggle in his life. It also connects harry to both good and evil, as the scar, we learn later in the book, becomes the very tie between him and Voldemort. Through the scar, he is able to catch glimpses of Voldemort's intentions. It enables Harry to speak parseltongue, a power that is unique only to Voldemort. Thus, he begins to think that he his evil. As shown in the fifth book, The Order of the Phoenix, Harry has dreams of being a snake and attacking Ron's father. He questions himself and asks if he is the hero or the villain, but the true intention of the dream-like premonition was to reveal where Mr. Weasley's location was.
The scar could also be interpreted as a physical manifestation of all the hardships and damage that life deals. The scar is a constant reminder of how both his mother's love saved him and how Voldemort took her life away. It symbolizes Lily Potter's undying and limitless love for Harry.
Harry's scar is the main focus of the plots for the Harry Potter series. Through the scar, Harry is able to learn about both his past and his future, and in the end it serves as the key to defeating Voldemort. Because Lily had sacrificed her life to save Harry, he came to possess the scar while Voldemort lost his body. During the final act of the story comes the battle between good and evil, and Harry's scar is what ultimately defeats Voldemort. Because of Lily's selfless act of sacrifice, Harry experienced something that Voldemort had never possessed, which is love.
To Harry, the scar was at first nothing but a curse. It caused him pain and unwanted attention. But in reality, the scar is what makes Harry unique. It marks him as a "chosen" figure in the book. It defines who he is, just as Christ's scars made him an undying legend and Odysseus's scars help identify him as a tragic hero. But most importantly, the scar shows what Voldemort does not have. Love. Which is why he proved to be victorious in the end.