Open Prompt #1

2002. Morally ambiguous characters -- characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good — are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

       Ambiguous characters are often the key to the entire story. Without them the main character cannot succeed in their quest. Ambiguous characters are neither entirely good or bad so without them there won’t be such an entertaining conflict between good and evil. All Harry Potter fans would tell you that Snape is an ambiguous character, J.K. Rowling uses diction to show that Snape often seems evil but does all the good things that helps Harry to succeed.

       Like in the first book, during the Quidditch game with Slytherin, everyone thought it was Snape that was making Harry’s nimbus 2000 go crazy. And everyone though that Snape was the one that wanted the Sorcerer’s Stone. But in the end we find out that Snape was the good character that was saving Harry Potter, and trying to protect the Sorcerer’s Stone.

      J.K. Rowling was careful with her diction, causing Snape to “seem like the type” that would do evil things. And therefore no one expected to see that Quirrell was actually the one that wanted to get Harry killed. The way Rowling characterize her characters made no one to “suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell.”

      Ambiguous characters are very important. They make the story more interesting by confusing the readers. Making readers to think one way at the beginning but conclude in another way. In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series Snape always seem like he is the evil character. But in the very last book we found out that Snape has been helping Harry Potter all along.