Conclusion
"Is there a systematic correlation between character traits & accents portrayed in the Harry Potter movies?"
The most interesting findings
Cockney
Received Pronunciation
8 characters:
- all minor or peripheral roles
- similar character traits & occupation
- majority unsophisticated & unsympathetic but not all evil
- only 1 female
- e.g.: Argus Filch, Madam Rosmerta, Mundungus Fletcher
To summarize:
42 characters:
- 34 sophisticated vs. 8 unsophisticated --> "prestigious" accent
- 21 sympathetic vs. 21 unsympathetic
- majority of female characters
- e.g.: Lucius Malfoy, Cornelius Fudge, Flitwick, Hermione,..
- majority of female characters speak RP
- majority of sophisticated characters speak RP
- Irish --> eccentric, good & unsophisticated
- Estuary --> mostly children
- Cockney --> unsophisticated, unsympathetic
- Main trio: Hermione, Harry & Ron
Irish English
Estuary English
5 characters:
- Prof.Moody, Luna & Xenophilius Lovegood, Aberforth Dumbledore, Seamus Finnigan
- all eccentric, different from "norm", good-natured & kind
- all unsophisticated, sympathetic & good
8 characters:
- only 1 adult (Bill Weasley)
- only 1 girl (Ginny Weasley)
- majority good & sympathetic
- Harry Potter & Ron Weasley
- accent children identify with?
Overview
1. Background information on Lene Lundervold's study
2. The most interesting
findings
3. Conclusion
Source
Lundervold, Lene. 2013. Harry Potter and the Different Accents. A sociolinguistic study of language attitudes in Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. Bergen: University of Bergen.
A sociolinguistic study by Lene Lundervold
- "Is there a systematic correlation between character traits and accents portrayed in the Harry Potter movies?"
- social treatment study on 8 Harry Potter movies
- Categories: Accents; Character role; Gender; Level of Sophistication; Maturity; Other character traits
Analysis
- 76 characters
- 9 accents: Received Pronunciation (RP); London English- Cockney; Estuary English; Irish-; West Country -; Northern -; Scottish-; Welsh English & English with foreign accents