Harry Potter and World War II

Comparing Harry Potter to World War II

Introduction

It can be challenging to detect the difference between fiction and nonfiction for writers and readers. In general, fiction refers to plots, settings, and characters based on the author’s imagination, whereas nonfiction refers to true accounts of real people and events. However, because these two genres frequently overlap, their distinction can be obscured (Hendersen and Clark, 353). Whether intentionally or by coincidence, authors borrow their plot lines and characters from real-life scenarios. This paper compares a real-life scenario, World War II (WWII), and a work of fiction, Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling.

Comparison

Adolf Hitler began his climb to political power in Germany in June 1919 when he joined the German Worker’s Party and gained admirers as he rose through the ranks. In 1933, Hitler was elected as the German Chancellor, and he used his position to deceive the populace, launching a genocide against “undesirables” that resulted in the deaths of 11 million people. Lord Voldemort, the fictional character, resurfaced in June 1995, quickly regaining his adherents and gaining power via bloodshed and agony. Voldemort utilized fear to keep people in line once he gained control of the wizarding world, sending those he deemed undesirables to prison or even death. While these events took place in two separate periods, one of them is fictional. The parallels are striking: Hitler and Voldemort had an unreasonable hatred of a race/blood group. They made it their life’s mission to ‘clear’ the world of these groups.

Whatever erroneous notions both of these leaders held, we must accept that they were outstanding leaders. Simply instilling terror in the minds of a large number of people (the Nazis in WWII and Death Eaters in Harry Potter) will not succeed in the long run (Sperger). At the very least, there ought to be some level of admiration, if not love. It establishes a bond, even if it is false love. The followers share their leader’s viewpoints. In both the Third Reich and the Wizarding World, religious, political, and general ideals compel them to bond, believing in the pureblood agenda.

Voldemort was ruthless to those who followed his orders because he understood the power and necessity of devotion. The Death Eaters had a shared understanding that treason or disobedience would result in death. Adolf Hitler, like many others, recognized the power of being both liked and feared at the same time. As a result, circumstances arose when Nazis acted without Hitler’s consent. After the fall of the Nazi government and Voldemort, many people stated that they acted simply out of fear instead of a sense of kinship, affection, or devotion (Sperger). They placed responsibility on others rather than themselves to avoid being executed or imprisoned for their crimes.

It’s also possible to tell if one of the leaders is of a higher race. The Aryan Race, Hitler’s notion of a “pure German race” or “Herrenvolk,” had a pale complexion, blond hair, and blue eyes. On the other hand, Hitler was neither pale nor had blond hair (Sperger). Originally, the word Aryan had a very different meaning. It comes from the Indian language and means ‘noble,’ referring to a higher social status in Indian culture. The Malfoy family, a true pure-blood family, is described in the Harry Potter novel as having very pale skin and sleek platinum blonde hair. On the other hand, Hemione is a Muggle-born witch who represents the polar antithesis of the Malfoys, with bushy brown hair and a high tolerance for all ethical beings, even house-elves and giants.

Voldemort and Hitler despised their idea of ‘undesirables’ for different reasons. Muggles and muggle-borns were considered undesirables by Voldemort, the heir of Salazar Slytherin, who felt that only pure-bloods should perform magic. Voldemort is also likely to despise muggles due to his background. After learning she was a witch, Tom Riddle Senior, Voldemort’s muggle father, abandoned Merope Gaunt, Voldemort’s mother; Tom Riddle Senior had only loved Merope when under the influence of a love potion and would not have paid attention to her without it (Bunny-lou). Voldemort was taken to an orphanage with muggle children and staff when his father abandoned him, and his mother died, where he was miserable and avoided by the other children.

On the other hand, Hitler’s definition of undesirables includes homosexuals, criminals, and individuals of Romani heritage (often referred to as “gypsies”); nonetheless, Hitler’s rage and hatred were primarily directed at Jews. There is no agreed-upon explanation for Hitler’s hatred of Jews, just as there is no agreed-upon reason for Voldemort’s hatred of muggles and muggle-borns. Some historians believe Hitler had Jewish ancestry and was ashamed of it; others believe the art school that rejected Hitler as a child was operated by a Jew, and Hitler took it personally (“Why Did Hitler Hate the Jews?”). Whatever their motivations, Voldemort and Hitler shared a fierce, unjust, and brutal hatred for those they regarded as beneath them. This isn’t the only thing these two have in common (Rutter, 15-26). Both Hitler and Voldemort had their ideas about the ideal race: Hitler believed that the Aryan race, which consisted of people with blond hair and blue eyes, was ‘racially purer’ than all other races, whereas Voldemort believed that pure-bloods (and half-bloods to some extent) were pure and uncontaminated by non-magical blood. To preserve these ‘pure’ races, Hitler and Voldemort sought to eradicate anybody who did not fit their conceptions of purity.

Both Hitler and Voldemort made their way to power in their respective realms before committing genocide. Hitler served in World War I and got numerous medals and awards for his efforts, portraying him as a courageous patriot. Similarly, Voldemort’s birth name, Tom Riddle, was a well-known and intelligent student who received a medal from his school (for ‘capturing’ a criminal that Tom framed for his crime) and was expected to achieve great things. Hitler and Riddle utilized their excellent names to gain followers and charm to persuade them to follow them (Bunny-lou). Hitler, on the other hand, began his career in the German Workers’ Party and rose to the ranks by enticing people to support him through motivating speeches and legal maneuvering. Hitler crowned himself dictator of Germany after the death of Paul von Hindernburg, giving him unlimited control. Instead of starting his career in the Ministry of Magic as a nobleman, Tom Riddle delved deeper into the Dark Arts as a young man, eventually giving up his human name and becoming Lord Voldemort. Like Lord Voldemort, he sought out adherents outside of the government, luring them in with promises of power, wealth, and the demolition of muggle-borns. Voldemort and his supporters took control of the Ministry of Magic during the Second Wizarding War and killed the minister. Voldemort created a new team of puppets, including Pius Thicknesse, the new Minister of Magic, who were all subject to the Imperius Curse (Rowling, 208). By being involved in his government when still a child, Hitler chose a more direct and personal approach. Voldemort grew in prominence outside the government until he and his minions could topple the Ministry of Magic and ‘rebuild’ the government using puppets.