Introduction

Wow. This is so amazing. To have my own column is a dream come true. But before I go off too far on that tangent, I would like to thank Daniel immensely for giving me a column on this wonderful site. I've always wanted a chance to get my Harry Potter opinions on the web, and here's my chance. Now, to introduce myself and my objectives for The Seven-Lock Trunk.

I'm Berni Spencer, hailing from the wonderful state of Minnesota. I'm 16 years old, and I'm proud to say that I am a Harry Potter fanatic, although it wasn't always that way. My first experience with Harry Potter constituted of my grade school principal, Mr. Dodd, reading the first chapter of the Sorcerer's Stone in a drone which repulsed me. I absolutely refused to touch Harry Potter until a friend forced a copy into my reluctant hands. The rest, as they say, is history. In addition to Harry Potter, I love Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and theatre in its numerous forms.

In my column, I plan on delving deep into Harry Potter to discover the myriad themes hidden within its pages and compare and contrast the representation of these themes to other major works of film, myth, and literature including, but not limited to, Star Wars, Greek and Roman myths, Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, and Lord of the Rings. Examples of possible topics could include

- Perfection and the Golden Age
- The Loss of Innocence
- Families
- Satire
- Metamorphosis
- Journeys
- Mentors and Heroes
- Evil and the "Dark Side"
- Devine Power
- Rebirth and Reincarnation

Of course, the main focus of the column would be on revealing these themes in Harry Potter, but often it is interesting and often useful to reference other works in exposing said themes. Like the Seven-Lock Trunk, within the same physical space (or theme) resides many different items (or books, movies etc…). Once in a while, I might take a break from my theme-writing and predict the comings in the seventh book or recommend a few good fanfictions or fanarts for entertainment whilst eagerly awaiting news regarding Book Seven.

So, there you have it. If all goes well over here, I should be posting my first real column within the next week entitled "Why Even Bother?". Stay tuned to find out more.

Ta.