Transmedia characters and narrative adaptation

¶ … Irresistible Rise of Harry Potter and the irresistible rise of capitalism

Harry Potter is not merely the title of a children's book series: he is a phenomenon. Although the Harry Potter books are quintessentially 'British' in their setting (a boarding school) and language, they have become internationally popular and turned many non-readers into readers. Harry embodies the ideal childhood hero -- on one hand, he is an orphan, despised and somewhat socially awkward. Yet he is also marked with a special status from birth as a wizard with magical powers. There is a universal appeal to Harry, which explains why he has spawned so many profitable spin-offs, including his own theme park and film series.

However, the reasons for this attraction may not only lie in Harry. The book's showcasing of various cultural attractions such as shopping, succeeding in athletic competition, and the picaresque attention to the details of the fantasy world also simultaneously encourage wonder and conspicuous consumptions amongst the readership. "Retail therapy and sport, substituting for emotional contact -- no wonder so many childlike adults identify with him. And no wonder the Harry Potter industry provides the material goods for the identifiers: the generations are joined through an act of consumption" (Blake 87).

Ironically, although Harry is an everyman, a kind of blank slate with which all persons can identify, people feel more like Harry if they buy objects associated with his image and with the series. And even in the series itself Harry himself is fascinated by the comforts of 'retail therapy' as he must buy the trappings of wizardry, no matter how fantastic his natural abilities. This further underlines the wonderful ordinariness of magic for the reader or viewer -- it is something that can be bought, even as it simultaneously underlines Harry's special and gifted status.

However, it could be argued that the capitalistic aspects of the Harry Potter empire are not entirely negative in their effects, even if they encourage children to consume more goods. They have drawn many people into bookstores who would not otherwise go there, not only to buy the books, but also to buy the chocolate frogs, trading cards, games, and other bits of culture that make up 'Harry-mania.' Harry Potter is not the first children's series to capitalize upon children's delight in consumerism, and it does offer the by-product of reading as a side effect, as well as the ability to experience a new culture for many non-British readers.

Harry has also proven to be a boon to bookselling as a whole, which has struggled recently, given the availability of other attractions online. In an age when people surf the web to find free sources of information, people were still lining up at midnight to get the first Harry books, in hardcover no less. They were drawn to the collective, communal experience of book buying and book reading in a manner that was thought to be antiquated.