Response #4

The Great Hall is the dining hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where the students eat, socialize, do homework, receive important announcements from the Headmaster, and participate in recreational activities such as chess. The Great Hall is one of the main settings used in both of the Harry Potter books and movies. There are many signs available to the viewer in this digital image, like the pumpkins and the vast amount of people, that ultimately signify the main sign acting in this image---celebration, it’s togetherness, and spirit.

Pumpkins

            The pumpkins are the most eye-catching sign of all. First, what makes a pumpkin a pumpkin? Its vibrant orange skin is the first sign. In terms of celebration and holiday, pumpkins are mostly commonly seen around the fall holiday of Halloween, leading to the conclusion that the pumpkins are being used for decoration and that the time of year is fall. Another sign that lead the mind to conclude that the orange bulbs floating in the air are indeed pumpkins are the carved faces. No other fruit tends to have scary faces carved into it for holiday sport. So, pumpkins it is. The fact that the pumpkins have faces carved into them also aids the sign of the holiday being celebrated is Halloween. The pumpkins also have lights coming from inside of them. The lights also act as a sign and give the pumpkins’ faces life and help illuminate the room and add depth to the decorations, displaying the overall sign of celebration and its many aspects.

Students

            There are many people in this image, too many to even count. And the people themselves can act as signs to an overall bigger meaning of celebration and togetherness. The first sign to take notice of is the fact that the majority of the people in this image are dressed in the same black cloaks. A uniformity such as this can only be found in some high-end school or a flash mob. The way the people are sitting on the benches before the huge tables, is a sign that points to the idea that the people in this image are more than likely students enjoying a meal. There is also a sign of authority that supports the previous sign. Notice that the people, or students, in all black are sitting on benches that are low down, flat to the concrete floor, but there are a group of people, more than likely teachers, are places on a higher platform, both confirming the sign of students and presenting the sign of authority.

Architecture

            Upon first glance, the most noticeable thing about the architecture is that it is very reminiscent of Classical Ancient Greek architecture, with the arches, columns, and walls and floor made out of stone. This is a sign that the building and/or school itself is incredibly old with a lot of history. But the architecture itself makes it the ideal place for a Halloween party/celebration due the emotions architecture like this can evoke from the viewer. Architecture such as this evokes emotions like curiosity, fear, and the feeling of being creeped out.  Especially with the dark shadows the vaulted arches make in the room.

Other Decorations/Things

            There are many other things in the Great Hall that make up the overall sign of celebration, and the togetherness and spirit that come along with it. First, the sign of the season can be deducted from the type of light or lack of coming from the huge windows. The sky outside is painted a purple color; a sign that tells that season is indeed fall because the sun tends to set earlier in the day in that season. A sign that supports this, is the fact that the students are eating a meal, more than likely dinner, showing that it’s early enough to start a celebration, but late enough to eat dinner. There are also more signs of decoration via the dragon structures in the wall. The dragon is a mythical creature, but mythical creatures are commonly associated with a holiday like Halloween because of the scary or thrilling aspect that comes from them. Notice that the dragons are also holding buckets of fire. Fire is another sign. Fire is being used to light the pumpkins; fire is being used to warm the room via the enormous fireplace on the far right, and also used as lighting for the room. This is a sign of super old methods of light and warmth, but also a sign of setting the atmosphere for a celebration of a holiday like Halloween, the dimmer the room, the more spooky the atmosphere.

Celebration and What It All Means

            A holiday like Halloween is indeed a time for celebration. But celebration as a sign also has mini sub-signs. Togetherness is a huge part of any celebration, and is illustrated by the students and teachers coming together in the Great Hall to participate in enjoying a meal together, sharing scary stories together, and just enjoying each other’s company. Spirit is another massive aspect of the celebration. Spirit comes across in the decorations of pumpkins, dragons, the use of fire, and of course the architecture. All of which make up the overall sign of celebration.