Written by current LeakyLounge staff
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Please use this thread to suggest types of essays or calls you'd like to see here!

If you want to try your hand at an essay, but are not quite sure what your topic should be, this is meant to be a place where you can come and find inspiration.

Call topic suggestions
To achieve a wide variety of topics and themes, we will regularly call for essays on a certain topic. Our first call is on Animals and their role in Harry Potter.

Do you have suggestions for further topics? Please post about it!

Please keep in mind whether a topic has already been exhausted, or whether it will engender new discussion? Can the topic be approached from several of the angles listed on our categories page?

Scribbulus is still a work in progress. If you have any suggestions for the development and improvement of our essay journal or this forum, please let us know here!  We'll be very happy to hear your thoughts!

Hmmm--- How about Music in the Wizarding World?

PP

I would love to read an essay comparing Dumbledore and Harry with the Fisher King and Percival of the Holy Grail myths.  These interconnect with the Room of Requirement, the Mirror of Erised, and the locked Department of Mysteries room as well as Harry's upcoming search for the horcruxes.  Very facinating stuff!

Inspired by the thread in Obscurus and the Modcast in Pottercast No. 22, what about an essay on the role of anti-heroes in Harry Potter?

QUOTE(MaraudingDon @ Jan. 27 2006,11:12 pm)

Inspired by the thread in Obscurus and the Modcast in Pottercast No. 22, what about an essay on the role of anti-heroes in Harry Potter?

Ooo, definitely! That sounds very interesting.. and also the proper classification of a hero, or villain in the HP series, sort of thing. And, like in Obscurus, what makes Voldemort a villian, and Harry a hero.

So many great ideas!  Can't wait!

How about the use of HUMOR in the Harry Potter series??
 We've experienced ironic humor, slapstick humor, even clearly satiric humor.  

 Perhaps an exploration of the use of comic relief in the books?

I can't guess how many times I found myself literally laughing out loud whilst reading!

I would like to see some lighter, funnier ones. A good example would be: There was a thread about if JKR had it in for good looking guys. That would make a great one!

QUOTE(firephoenix @ Feb. 15 2006,16:35 )

I would like to see some lighter, funnier ones. A good example would be: There was a thread about if JKR had it in for good looking guys. That would make a great one!

I agree, not everyone has to be about heroes and anti heroes, good and evil etc.

Speaking of light, how about "fashion in the wizarding world"? lol (Or will that be difficult seing that they wear cloaks..a lot? :ponder:  hehe)

Thank you for pointing me to this thread by the way firephoenix, I should have known that there was a thread for discussing essay topics already :forehead:

There was a thread a LONG time ago called "How Did Harry Find Out About the Birds and the Bees?" or something like that. That could be a lot of fun.

I'd like to see someone tackle the question of how and why Harry and LV both ended up with feathers from Fawkes in their wands, and what significance that could be to book 7.

I think, and I don't know why it didn't hit me earlier, but if I were to write an essay now, it would be on the theory that Harry is a horcrux. Let's just say I have a strong opinion on the matter :wink:

Really? Is that why your signature says Harry is NOT a Horcrux?

I expect if there was an essay on why Harry is not a horcrux, there would also have to be an essay on why Harry is a horcrux.  It would be point and counterpoint.

Likewise whether Snape is Dumbledore's man or whether Snape is Voldy's man.

QUOTE(WaggaWaggaWerewolf @ Feb. 17 2006,14:30 )

I expect if there was an essay on why Harry is not a horcrux, there would also have to be an essay on why Harry is a horcrux.  It would be point and counterpoint.  

Likewise whether Snape is Dumbledore's man or whether Snape is Voldy's man.

It looks as though we may have an essay that touches on the Harrycrux theory, so a Narycrux essay for counterpoint would be greatly appreciated...and the same for my essay (which argues for Snape's loyalty to Dumbledore); I see there is a Suggestion Box for threads that contrast/compare two essays at once, and I would love to have a "nay" essay to counterpoint against my "yea"...not to mention a loneSnape essay to balance them both!

Hehe! H&P that was in the works but the other writer got bogged down by real life!  It will happen. Not this issue but possibly the next.

I would love to see an essay on the Sorting Hat and the binary nature of wizarding personalities in the Harry Potter series.  For example, we know there's a Ravenclaw side to Hermione, a Slytherin side to Harry (not that it's his own doing).  Is there a Hufflepuff side to Ron (because of his fierce loyalty), or Slytherin side to Percy (since he's so ambitious), a Ravenclaw side to Slughorn, or Gryffindor side to Luna?

QUOTE(Horseblind @ Feb. 18 2006,07:09 )

I would love to see an essay on the Sorting Hat and the binary nature of wizarding personalities in the Harry Potter series.  For example, we know there's a Ravenclaw side to Hermione, a Slytherin side to Harry (not that it's his own doing).  Is there a Hufflepuff side to Ron (because of his fierce loyalty), or Slytherin side to Percy (since he's so ambitious), a Ravenclaw side to Slughorn, or Gryffindor side to Luna?

I've also remarked on Leaky Lounge (and elsewhere) on the correlation between the way the Sorting Hat allots people into the four houses and the DISC (Dominant, Influential, Steady and Compliant) method of allotting people into personality types in team building and organisational psychology. In both cases people get sorted into a predominant area, but may also fit into other categories.

Can two or more people combine and co-operate on an essay?

Absolutely!  There is a Networking Thread if you need help finding a co-author.  The only thing we ask is that you do not discuss the progress of essays in that thread.  Please do so through email of PM or skype or whatever.

QUOTE(Arianhrod @ Feb. 17 2006,12:14 )

Really? Is that why your signature says Harry is NOT a Horcrux?

Ahem, yeah...Sort of gave that one away didn't I lol :forehead: Forgot it was even in my sig, it's been there so long
Yes I hope there'll be a Harry - is -not- a -horcrux essay too

Well, we need to have both sides of the issue, to be fair. I think everyone's already made up their minds one way or the other, but it's nice to see the other side of the coin.

Another subject: the possible locations of the remaining Horcruxes and any possible connection with the four elements and the Four Hallows. I might tackle this one at some point. I have pages and pages of notes on this (thanks to firephoenix for saving them--I'd be absolutely lost without you!) that hopefully I can turn into a coherent paper. I'll be looking for a co-author, though!

Another thought: A comarison of Harry with characters from world mythology. I think clunycat wrote one comparing Harry with Osiris. But Osiris is also comparable to Orpheus, Balder, Dionysus, Cuchulainn, Melqart, Tammuz, etc. What about comparisons to them as well?

And finally...the HP series as a retelling of the Arthurian legends. That one would be interesting if we can find any takers.

QUOTE(Arianhrod @ Feb. 19 2006,06:20 )

Another thought: A comparison of Harry with characters from world mythology. I think clunycat wrote one comparing Harry with Osiris. But Osiris is also comparable to Orpheus, Balder, Dionysus, Cuchulainn, Melqart, Tammuz, etc. What about comparisons to them as well?

I've already done a literature review on something like that, called Harry Potter and the Folklore of Britain. But I did it for the Ponderpotter forum for Thinkpotter.org, another, much smaller site, not Leaky Lounge.  But of course you would be welcome to read it.   :read:

So many of the fantastic creatures are not only from European or World folklore as a whole, but include creatures not known about outside of Britain as well. Before the release of HBP I was fascinated by the Marauders' animagus forms. Not only does Lupin's werewolf condition relate to folklore, so does Sirius's dog form as well as his nickname, Padfoot, and especially Sirius' being mistaken for the Grim. Maybe also James Potter's transformation into a stag refers to Herne the Hunter.

There is more information available elsewhere on that site about mythology, though only a fraction of what could be available.

QUOTE

Maybe also James Potter's transformation into a stag refers to Herne the Hunter.

Hmm. I always thought of it as Aceton from Greek myth. Are they the same thing?

Off to read that link! Thanks, WaggaWaggaWerewolf!

Personally I would like to read an unbiased (if possible) analysis of the role of the Pensieve in the process of discovering the truth by the HP characters...and why (in your opinion, of course) Snape siphoned his thoughts in it every single Occlumency lesson with Harry...
It would be also interested in a detailed  analysis of  the Latin roots of all these fancy spell names (and why exactly  wizards must use Latin, not English or any other living language).

I would love to read a good analysis about the relations that are between the wands, the core it has and the wizard, and the role it plays in succeding in one type of magic than in other.......

QUOTE(You_won't_know_who @ Feb. 21 2006,12:42 am)

Personally I would like to read an unbiased (if possible) analysis of the role of the Pensieve in the process of discovering the truth by the HP characters...and why (in your opinion, of course) Snape siphoned his thoughts in it every single Occlumency lesson with Harry...
It would be also interested in a detailed  analysis of  the Latin roots of all these fancy spell names (and why exactly  wizards must use Latin, not English or any other living language).

Oh I have long been thinking about writing an essay on the pensieve, and in fact I had already started one some time back when there were a couple of pensieve threads very active! But so far my essay is mostly on how it works exactly (there is more to it than I first thought!), but I would happily include Snape's worst memory (as that is one of my favourite threads), and I could add a section on what use it could be in discovering the truth. So consider that one as a work in progress and if anyone has more thoughts about what they would like to see discussed, please let me know!

How about an essay on the love/hate relationship the rest of the students have with Harry? Or the celebrity of Harry Potter in the wizarding world?

Also, an essay on Wormtail. How did he get sorted into Gryffindor? He's so cowardly.

QUOTE(Overcast @ Feb. 21 2006,22:49 )

How about an essay on the love/hate relationship the rest of the students have with Harry? Or the celebrity of Harry Potter in the wizarding world?

Also, an essay on Wormtail. How did he get sorted into Gryffindor? He's so cowardly.

There is one interview question about the Marauders' House(s) that Jo answered, and unfortunately, whoever asked the question put "Remus Lupin" twice and Pettigrew was left out.  So it's most likely that Pettigrew was in Gryffindor, but it's still not a 100% verified fact.  The full quote is at the bottom of the World Book Day chat.  

An essay about Hogwarts Houses and the Sorting Hat's methodology would be really interesting.

Do Fred and George have ADHD, or are they just classic underachievers?   Just joking, but on a more serious note, how about pedagogy in Hogwarts? The various teaching methods used, whether or not they're effective, and their impact on the social structure within the wizarding world? Along those lines, how about bullying, and why it is tolerated to such a degree that the students actually injure themselves and others with no more consequence than a detention?

I'll expose myself as a humongous geek and suggest that I would love to read a music theory essay about the Harry Potter movie soundtracks.  Perhaps examining John William's use of leitmotif with comparisons to the Wagnerian model?  Or contrasting his choice of instrumentation to his other successful scores?  Or examining Patrick Doyle's development of John William's themes?  I'd have to kiss the feet of whoever undertook something like that, though, 'cause it'd be a huge research project (not to mention potentially costly).

On a similar note (hardy har har), I think any kind of filmography essay would be interesting as well.

QUOTE(You_won't_know_who @ Feb. 20 2006,3:42 am)

It would be also interested in a detailed  analysis of  the Latin roots of all these fancy spell names (and why exactly  wizards must use Latin, not English or any other living language).

You've got a point there. Since we learn that the Ancient Egyptian wizards (who lived long before Latin came into existence), used spells that Gringotts spell breakers had to nullify, it is obvious that magic works with languages other than Latin. JKR's use of Latin as the basis for spell work is more for the benefit of modern readers, who seem to think of Latin as the most obscure, ancient language possible. Why not ancient Greek, ancient Sumerian, or proto-IndoEuropean, or some other ancient language? Well, the roots of words in those languages would not be readily recognizable to modern readers. The whole series would become something understandable only to a very narrow range of people trained in historical linguistics.

This makes me wonder about translations of the books into languages that might not have a direct relation to Latin or Indo-European (Japanese for instance). The mental and emotional associations that Europeans (and Americans) have to Latin vocabulary must get lost. Yet, these translations seem to keep selling.

Anybody care to comment? :ponder:

I would like to see a comparison of the different kinds of broomsticks and what their equivalents would be in terms of muggle cars. If the Firebolt is the Ferrari of broomsticks, what would we equate the Nimbus line to? The Cleansweeps seem to give you a lot of performance for your money, while the Comet's are all looks and no guts.

Does anybody read Which Broomstick?

I would love to see essays on:

Father-son relationships in HP

Prejudice and racial awareness in HP

An analysis of why some characters have gone 'bad' and others in similar situations haven't

Some good in-depth character analyses.

I'd love to write any of these myself, but I'm not sure if I'm well enough equipped for this. But if anyone wans a co-writer or proof-reader, I'd be happy to help!

I would like to see an essay comparing and contrasting cowardice and bravery in the Harry Potter series. From the Sorting Hat's song in PS/SS about Gryffindors being "brave at heart" to Snape's reaction in HBP to Harry calling him a "coward," the themes of courage and cowardice are an important part of the series.

I'm getting so excited from reading the current essays (and the ideas for future essays) that I want to write 12 more right now! If I tried to write 12 essays at once the result would be a big mess, so I'll have to take it one at a time.

I would love for someone else to write about the films, comparing and contrasting the actors with the literary characters, etc. Film-ish as I am, I'm probably not the best one to do this essay.


Severine Snape, I could use your help with my in-depth analysis of Snape. I wrote myself into a corner and then gave up!

there is a thread for coauthors and beta readers here if you are looking for readers or co authors for future essays..

Enjoy and good luck!

I don't know if this is necessarily the right place to post this, but I think it would be nice to have "Next" and "Previous" links when reading all the essays on the site. Especially with the Mac problems, it's been difficult to read all the articles in a row, and that would make it much easier.

Otherwise I love the new addition to the already great Leaky!

Hi, guys.

First of all, I'd like to say that I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new Scribbulus section and the corresponding forums!!!


(some cool new emoticons, too )

Ok, for suggestions, I would love to see an essay on ANAGRAMS as some seem to have a deeper meaning (e.g. Severus Snape = Perseus Evans; Tom Marvolo Riddle = immortal odd lover? *sniggers uncontrolably*), some have had a great deal of speculation (e.g. Irma Pince = I'm a Prince) as well as completely silly one's (I just say 'Rotfang conspiracy' for a start...)

Another essay I would love to see would be on the SPIDER THEME that is running through the books, from CoS, young Snape, Slughorn, Aragog and the numerous unaccounted for spiders (under the stairs, in the broom cupboard, in the maze, etc.), the various interpretations of spiders in say tarot, acient mythology, and god knows what else, some fairy tales etc.

Lastly, I would be interested in HOW exactly LOVE HAS SUCCEEDED OVER EVIL in other similar literature (also in regards to Mother-son, Father-son, Platonic Love, etc.) and if from that any speculation can be made for HP7.

BTW, The essay on Alchemy I was top-notch, and I'm really looking forward to Part II!

It would be nice to see the author of the essay in the journal as well as in the forum.
At the moment I find the best way to read the essays is to come to the forum to find out who the author is and read the extract before deciding which essay to read next.

Funny you should say that! (Did you read my mind?) Firephoenix and I spoke of this today and it will be addressed shortly! Right now we have the essay author's name in the index of Essays on the main Scribbulus page as well as in the forum..We are also going to be putting them in the body of the essay as well

Thanks!

Scribbulus looks great to me so far, but I have one suggestion. Would it be possible to have a "printer friendly" option for the essays? Lots of people (like me) would rather print them and read from the page than sit at the computer and read, but the essays don't print well.

Great job, everyone at Scribbulus! Thanks!

We are working on this now..

Thanks

I agree that would be fun. I also think something that would be a huge undertaking would be the differences in directing styles. I have written an article Analyzing Spinner's End using Communication theory if you'd think you can use it.

Something else I would find interesting would be an (probably more than one) essay on the PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE of the main characters (I'm thinking here in particular Snape and LV).

including
- explanation of certain behaviours

- extrapolation of possible future behaviours

I'd like to see an essay comparing the history and debate over capital punishment in the UK to the use of dementors by the MoM.

Well on the capital punishment side, you have the following: Argus Filch, Vernon Dursley, and Dolores Umbridge. Perhaps an analysis of what is normal, and how and why Vernon Dursley's views could be considered normal, or not? Vernon Dursley comes across as very materialistic, conservative and selfish.

I was thinking more along the lines of how capital punishment has evolved in the UK over the last couple of hundred years, culminating with it's abolishment in the 1960s. The approach I would like to see is on overview of that, then trying to understand how the MoM still practices capital punishment, while the main government does not. And, possibly investigate whether or not a dementor's kiss is really the same as being executed.

Well a dementor's kiss is a Clayton's execution, isn't it? It is the execution which absolves the governing body from actually taking a life.

But what are the Dursleys doing in the series, anyway, besides unwillingly providing a refuge to protect Harry? The films either kept them in as comic relief or in the latest movie cut them out altogether as not essential to the story line.

I see them as a kind of leitmotif of the storyline, both in its entirety and in each individual book. Would an essay about "Why the Dursleys?" be a good topic?

I love the link at the bottom of the essays that directs people to the Scribbulus threads. However, it isn't a direct link and the Scribbulus threads are hard to find! I had to do a search to get here. I think more people would comment if it was more convenient.

Thanks! Great project!

Good point. A direct link to the essays would be a help. Thanks for pointing this out!

I asked for this after the launch of our first issue..it is on the bugs list they are working on! Thanks!