『해리 포터』의 미디어 전환에 따른 주제 의식의 변화: 헤르미온느를 중심으로

Abstract

This study analyzes how the content, character traits, and thematic consciousness of the novel Harry Potter are transformed through media adaptation into films, based on a qualitative content analysis centered on the character Hermione. In the original novel, Hermione is portrayed as an advocate against discrimination, actively working to improve the treatment and liberate house-elves, who are marginalized in the wizarding world. The house-elves themselves gradually reject their internalized inferiority and resist their oppressors, Voldemort and Death Eaters. Hermione’s progressive actions and the house-elves’ rebellion serve to emphasize the novel’s theme of abolishing discrimination. However, in the film, content with low relevance to the main conflict structure was removed due to a media cause such as a time constraint. Additionally, a non-media cause, such as the involvement of multiple directors in the production, led to the complete omission of Hermione's awareness and activism regarding house-elf issues. Consequently, the media adaptation and reinterpretation of the Harry Potter series weaken its theme of combating discrimination and diminish Hermione's role as a vehicle for conveying this message. This study has theoretical implications in verifying that media transformation and adaptation lead to changes not only in the content of a work but also in the personalities of its characters and its thematic consciousness. Additionally, it broadens the academic horizon by analyzing the changes in thematic consciousness before and after the media transformation and adaptation of the Harry Potter series. This study also holds significance in expanding the findings of previous research that focused on a single adaptation case and newly suggesting the applicability of these findings to other adaptation cases.