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7 views2 pages

Untitled Document

Uploaded by

Rushil Arora
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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J.K.

Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement

Failure as a Foundation

J.K. Rowling discusses her own experience of failure after her graduation.
She mentions her short-lived marriage, unemployment, and being a lone parent as examples of
her own failures.

Rowling shares that her failure gave her the determination to succeed in her writing career.
"Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was
anything other than what I was and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work
that mattered to me."

Bedtime Stories and Imagination

J.K. Rowling defends the value of bedtime stories and emphasizes the importance of
imagination.
She believes imagination is not limited to creative literature, but extends to envisioning what
does not exist.

"Imagination is the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not and therefore the fount
of all invention and innovation."

Early Employment at Amnesty International

Rowling recounts her formative experience at Amnesty International, which preceded the Harry
Potter series.
She worked in the African research department, reading letters and documents from individuals
living under totalitarian regimes.

"I was reminded how incredibly fortunate I was to live in a country with a democratically elected
government."

The Power of Human Empathy

Rowling explains that Amnesty International taught her about human goodness and the power
of empathy.

"The power of human empathy leading to collective action...thousands and millions of people
whose reality you have helped change."

Choosing Empathy and Imagining Better

Rowling argues that the willfully unimaginative often fear more and enable real monsters.
She encourages the audience to use their intelligence, hard work, and education to raise their
voices on behalf of the powerless.

"Choosing to live in narrow spaces leads to a form of mental agoraphobia."

Power of Inner Transformation

Rowling quotes Greek author Plutarch to emphasize the connection between inward change
and its impact on outer reality.

"What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality."

Using Privilege and Influence for Good

Rowling urges Harvard graduates to use their status and influence to advocate for the voiceless
and less privileged.
She encourages them to imagine themselves in the lives of those without the advantages they
possess.

"If you choose to identify not only with the powerful but with the powerless...thousands and
millions of people whose reality you have helped change."

Transforming the World through Personal Power


She emphasizes the power of imagination and the ability to envision a better future.
Rowling concludes by expressing her wish for the graduates to find similar lifelong friendships.
"We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine
better.”

Name :- Manmahiv Kour


Roll no :- 2023ZOO1013

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