Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Information, Rumors, and Fear
Prejudice vs. Respect
Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery
Fate, Choice, and Identity
Rules, Rebellion, and Doing the Right Thing
Summary
Analysis
After Harry’s first week of class, he, Ron, and Hermione plan to visit Hagrid on Saturday. But that morning, Quidditch captain Oliver Wood wakes Harry very early for practice. Harry leaves a note for Ron explaining where he’s gone. When he reaches the stairs, Colin is there with the photo of him and Lockhart, asking Harry to sign it. Harry says no, saying that he’s in a hurry to get to Quidditch practice. Colin tags along, saying he’d like to see Harry play.
Again, Colin’s behavior forces Harry to confront how other people see him. Colin views him as a celebrity, while one of Harry’s core traits is his humility. Rowling also demonstrates how Harry becomes quickly aggravated by not being able to control how others view him, which is part of why he later becomes so dismayed by the idea that his life might be left to fate.
Themes
The rest of the Gryffindor team is in the changing room, and Wood goes over some new strategies for the team so that they can win the Quidditch Cup. When Harry and the rest of the team head out to the field, he sees that Ron and Hermione are sitting in the stands to watch him—and so is Colin, excitedly taking pictures.
Hermione and Ron’s friendship and loyalty exists on many levels, as they show up to support Harry even for small things like his Quidditch practice.
Themes
After a few minutes on the field, the Slytherin team walks up. Wood yells at the Slytherin captain, Flint, saying that Gryffindor booked the field. Flint pulls out a note from Professor Snape, giving them permission to practice on the field to train their new Seeker: Draco Malfoy. The team also has a brand new set of brooms, courtesy of Lucius Malfoy.
The benefits that the Slytherin team experiences thanks to Draco’s wealth demonstrate how prejudice becomes easily accepted by those whom it benefits. It is easy for someone like Draco, who has wealth, to criticize someone without wealth and get no resistance from the other members of his team, because his wealth benefits them too.
Themes
At that moment, Ron and Hermione come down from the stands to see what’s going on. Draco explains that he’s the new Seeker, and that everyone’s been admiring the new brooms Lucius bought them. Hermione says that at least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. Draco then calls Hermione a “filthy little Mudblood.”
True to form, Hermione and Ron come down to the pitch to reaffirm their loyalty to Harry. Hermione criticizes Malfoy for using his wealth to get onto the team rather than having talent, as Harry does. Draco’s return insult also reintroduces the prejudice that he has against Muggle-borns.
Themes
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The entire Gryffindor team goes into an uproar at Draco’s words. Ron points his wand at Draco, but when he tries to cast a spell, it backfires and hits him in the stomach. Ron starts belching up slugs, and the Slytherin team bursts into laughter. Harry and Hermione pull Ron up by the arms and take him over to Hagrid’s hut.
The friendship and loyalty among the three protagonists are on full display here. Ron defends Hermione from Draco’s slur, but when his spell backfires, Hermione and Harry likewise support Ron.
Themes
Hagrid gives Ron a bucket while Harry explains what happened, though he admits that he doesn’t understand what Draco called Hermione. Ron explains that Draco called her “Mudblood,” which is “a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born.” He explains that people like the Malfoys think they’re better because they’re “pure-blood,” but that most wizards understand that one’s parentage doesn’t make a difference at all. Hagrid affirms this, saying that there isn’t a spell Hermione can’t do.
Draco’s insult to Hermione parallels the racism of the real world, in which people use stereotypes and the perceived inferiority of others in order to make themselves feel more superior. Through Ron and Hagrid’s defense of Hermione—explaining that she is far more talented at magic than Draco is—Rowling argues that these kinds of prejudices are often baseless or inaccurate.
Themes
Hagrid then tells Harry that he’s heard Harry is giving out signed photos, and wonders why he doesn’t have one. Harry refutes the idea, furious that Lockhart is saying so. Hagrid admits he’s only joking—he told Lockhart that Harry doesn’t need to give out signed photos to be famous.
Hagrid’s statement demonstrates how friends can be a key component of anchoring one’s identity. Though Lockhart is spreading the idea that Harry is giving out signed photos, Hagrid knows that Harry would never do this and helps buoy Harry and reaffirm his sense of character.
Themes
Harry, Hermione, and Ron return to the castle for lunch. In the entrance hall, Professor McGonagall stops Ron and Harry, informing them that they are to serve their detentions that evening. Ron will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Filch, and Harry will be helping Lockhart answer his fan mail.
Because Harry and Ron have to serve detentions, Rowling acknowledges that even if a person thinks that they are in the right, if they break the rules, sometimes they still have to face punishment.
Themes
That evening, Harry goes to Lockhart’s office. Lockhart has Harry address the envelopes while he talks about all of his fans and fame. The minutes crawl by. But then Harry hears a cold voice, whispering, “Let me rip you…Let me tear you… Let me kill you…” Harry jumps up with a start, terrified. But Lockhart says that he didn’t hear anything. Lockhart then realizes it’s nearly midnight and releases Harry.
This is the first instance of the cold, unknown voice that comes to be associated with the attacks on Muggle-born students. But more than the words themselves, the more terrifying thing is perhaps that Harry doesn’t know what the source of the voice is, that and Lockhart seems unable to hear it.
Themes
Harry leaves the office dazed, and strains to hear the voice again as he walks straight back to the Gryffindor dormitory. When Ron arrives, Harry tells him about the voice and that Lockhart couldn’t hear it. Ron is confused, thinking that even someone invisible would have had to open the door. Harry lies in bed, unsure of what to make of the incident.
The lack of information about the voice and where it is coming from is the thing that unsettles Harry the most, and is ultimately the thing that enables a series of rumors about the attacks to spread through the castle.
Themes
