Controversy Over the Harry Potter

Controversy Over the Harry Potter Book Series

Since the initial publication of J.K. Rowling's book series based on the character of Harry Potter some eight years ago, much social controversy has arisen, mostly due to Rowling's use of sorcery and the occult in the adventures of Harry, a so-called practicing wizard steeped in the "black arts." A good deal of the controversy seems to have originated within the religious community which considers Rowling's Harry Potter series with much suspicion because of the author's alleged literary design to introduce impressionable young minds to the art and practice of magic, witchcraft, sorcery and the occult through the predicaments and situations encountered by Harry Potter.

Fantastic Literature:

One of the most controversial aspects of Rowling's Harry Potter book series is her use of supernatural fantasy which, according to E.F. Bleiler, generally "demands from the reader a certain degree of imagination and a capacity for detachment from everyday life" (1973, p. 12). For many of the young adult readers of Harry Potter, this literary genre is obviously not a part of the real world and deals exclusively with things that are non-existent except in the imagination, such as "black magic" and the supernatural world of ghosts, demons and various mythological beings. And unlike science fiction, supernatural fantasy is not based on science but pure imagination which requires the reader to suspend their disbelief. Yet for some readers, this type of fiction can be very disturbing and can bring about changes in one's attitudes and beliefs toward reality which may, under the right circumstances, create undesirable actions and behaviors that can lead to a disruption in the life of the reader.

The plots in most supernatural fantasy, such as those in Rowling's Harry Potter book series, are usually set in times and places that are very different from reality and are often filled with situations which the main protagonist, in this case Harry Potter, has to overcome in order to move ahead in his/her life. As Jill P. May points out, supernatural fantasy often deals with "ghosts, demons, witches, sorcerers, various beasts, charms, spells, curses and other devices" (1995, p. 67), all of which prompts the reader to fantasize about the world that Harry Potter lives in as an up and coming warlock under the power of the "black arts." For the most part, the ability to fantasize is a major component of young adulthood and allows the child to experience things that do not exist in reality which expands the child's ability to think cognitively and to understand that the supernatural is nothing to be afraid of nor concerned with. But again, certain readers may develop the belief that fantasy is truly part of reality which may blur their abilities to distinguish between what is real and what is unreality.

Critical Theories on Young Adult Literature:

According to prevailing critical theories, books such as the Harry Potter series must "confirm one's own life experiences, illuminate and gain insight into those experiences and vicariously expand and extend them" (Vandergrift, 2004, Internet). In addition, human experience which is constantly affected by everyday tensions and stress, can usually be enhanced by supernatural fantasy, for this genre has "always served as a very powerful method to venture beyond the scenes...(beyond) people, places, ideas and events within our normal range" (Vandergrift, 2004, Internet).

As to whether or not supernatural fantasy affects the psyche and behavior of young readers to a detrimental effect is a complex issue, yet it is clear that young children with impressionable minds could be negatively influenced by many of the events in the Harry Potter book series. But when read by normal, intelligent young adults, the psychological affects would be very low, especially when read as an enjoyable experience, one which transports the reader to other worlds and forces them to utilize their imaginations, not to mention that it is often an enjoyable thing to be frightened. Some detractors of the Harry Potter book series, especially those linked to organized religion, feel that supernatural fiction is particularly detrimental to today's society, for it creates unhealthy emotions and shifts the focus from reality to unreality. However, many supernatural fiction from the past also contains images and settings highly familiar to Rowling's books which, at the time of their publication, was viewed with much suspicion by educators, theologians and the church.

The Realities of the Supernatural:

Any person who picks up a Harry Potter novel will surely come to realize that J.K. Rowling must have spent a great amount of time conducting research into the occult and the supernatural in order to produce such powerful and influential literary characters and situations. Obviously, Rowling has borrowed heavily from much older sources concerning the supernatural, sorcery and witchcraft, some dating back to Medieval times. As one of the world's oldest religions, witchcraft is a pagan faith, non-Christian rather than anti-Christian, and is based upon the belief that nature and the universe can be controlled and manipulated via magic and the invocation of divine spirits. As a practice, witchcraft has existed for many centuries, and before the 12th century a.D., sorcery and magic were generally overlooked by the church, but by 1300 a.D., witchcraft became equated with sorcery, at least in the view of most religious officials and was soon labeled as heresy by the Pope in Rome. As W.B. Crow maintains, "As long as humans continue their quest to control the universe, and to know God's wisdom, such practices as wizardry, sorcery and witchcraft will continue to flourish" (1972, p. 267), a statement that indicates J.K. Rowling knew far in advance that the Harry Potter book series would be a stunning global success.

Harry Potter and the Supernatural:

In many passages within Rowling's book series, Harry Potter and his fellow wizards confront the supernatural on a daily basis. For instance, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Professor Trelawney is described as being able to remove from under a chair "a miniature model of the solar system, contained within a glass dome... " (Rowling, 1998, p. 575) which brings to mind the image of an astrologer or a wizard using the supernatural to manipulate reality. Another instance occurs in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone when Harry witnesses an act of transfiguration by Professor McGonagall who changes "her desk into a pig and back again" (Rowling, 2000, p. 134). Both of these events clearly illustrate that Harry Potter, his classmates and his teachers are all part of the supernatural world and that they possess the ability to transform reality into another reality of their choosing.