Vol. 2 No. 2
T
he struggle between light and dark is eternal. Whether the struggle occurs in real life, a movie, or a book, the decision a person makes to associate with the “light” or “dark” side of society is a pillar in any successful narrative. In famed series’ such as Harry Potter, and Star Wars, this assumption holds true. Each story’s claim to fame is the narrative forged between multiple books or episodes that centers around the decision to join either side of society, for better or for worse. It’s a common quality that engages readers and defines the good from the evil in each story. However, it is the differences in the way that each of the main characters go about deciding which side of the spectrum they desire that makes each plotline unique. The struggle, as seen in each of these narratives, is eternal. Throughout the seven Harry Potter books, Harry has a unique relation to the dark side, evidenced by his fateful encounters with Lord Voldemort and the house of Slytherin. Even though Harry is, at heart, a noble hero, he is internally conflicted throughout the story about which side he truly belongs to. His parents of the house of Gryffindor, good hearted people, and the house is generally associated with light at Hogwarts. Harry is also positively influenced by his best friends and fellow-Gryffindors Ron Granger for nearly a decade, but do those light aspects mean Harry is light-filled throughspeaks fluent parseltongue, the snake-born language of Slytherin and through as “The Chosen One” because of his encounter with he-who-shall-not-belightning bolt shaped scar on Harry’s forehead. Talk about conflicted. world placed on his shoulders: Society expects him to choose and his inclination to choose good to solve every challenge. dark side? Harry will always have Slytherin DNA in darkness will never truly leave him. In the Star Wars series, protagonist pushes the dark-means-evil Luke belongs to the as a member of the box
THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN
LIGHT & DARK Written by Andrew Johnson Designed by Noah Raaum 10 - Aureus