Humor in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone

ABSTRACT

Life needs humor like country needs democracy. Humor is useful for our healt h. When we listen or read funny stories, we will probably laugh. Then, the effect of laugh can make our muscles get loose and fresh. Our spirit changes slowly, fresh, enjoyable and cheerful. Moreover humor is the sudden awareness of an alternative construction of a distressful situation which dissipates that distress. It seems pretty safe to conclude that humor is used to make someone who has problems or distress will be happy.

Thesis research is aimed at finding humorous events are experienced b y Harry Potter in the two world, in the orphan and wizard world. In edition, the researcher uses a sociological approach in this research.

A sociological approach is the most appropriate approach to use this thesis. A sociological approach is an approach that applied to see the social interaction of the characters toward other characters within a group of society in the novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer¶s Stone. Some of the social interactions of the characters in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer¶s Stone are described by the author as a humorous story. Meanwhile, every social group has its own standard of what is proper, therefore the sociological approach is to see how the characters behave in accordance with social expectation. Thus, sociological approach has a close relationship to the discussion of this thesis because the sense of humor which is reflected by the characters’ utterance, behavior and humorous characteristics are the memb er of the society.

Based on this analysis, the researcher finds that humor was showed when Harry Potter lives in The Dursleys’ family. The Dursley treat Harry badly because he is a wizard. Harry has strange behaviors which make the Dursley angry to him. Actually, the Dursley are fear of Harry’s Power. The Dursley behaviors toward Harry make them become ridiculous figures. Their behaviors insult Harry as a wizard. When Harry was 11 years old, Harry starts his new life as a wizard. He spends year after year at Hogwarts, a place where he does not only learn about being a wizard, but also about friendship, fear courage, about his own past and future. The humorous characteristics of Harry Potter are comically revealed in the societ y.

Finally, further researcher is suggested to find some other information about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer¶s Stone and other aspects about humor, which are not mentioned in this study yet.