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My salvo in the Harry Potter debates
I finally finished the “Harry Potter” series of books by J.K. Rowling. I’d got a late start only picking up the first book earlier this year. I’d been meaning to read them, but only got serious when I heard that the final book had a big ending that I didn’t want to have spoiled for me.
With that in mind, if you haven’t read the books, I suggest you stop reading now. Otherwise, the rest of you can click through the jump to read my impressions.
It has seemed that in all the debates over Harry Potter, there have been essentially two sides. On one side are those who believe that they are inappropriate for Christians to read, dabbling as they do in occultic topics. On the other side are those who say that the stories are no more occultic than nursery rhymes or “The Lord of the Rings” or other works in the fantasy genre.
I think the approach to the books can be much more nuanced. For my part I believe that at least some of the books are not appropriate for young children, but for mature adults they can be read without harm and enjoyed. If I have a concern, the first part of that sentence is it: While Rowling wrote the books over a long period of time, following Harry and his friends as they aged from 11 to 18, even as her readers aged at the same time, future readers of the books could conceivably be reading them in a much more compressed timeframe and I don’t think it’s good.
It’s a wonder Harry isn’t even more messed up. He could have ended up as a male, magic-using version of Paris Hilton.
I think I have this perspective because I read all seven books one after another. The first book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, is a very different book from the last one, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” The seventh volume is much darker in tone, full of more anger and other complex emotions on the part of the main characters, with scarier imagery (such as some of the scenes of torture and death), and even the language. For instance, several times Ron uses the euphemistic adjective “effing,” which I know is not the end of the world, but which I wouldn’t want my seven-year-old learning and using.
If Rowling intentionally adapted her writing style for each book to appeal to a different age of child, then I think she did a brilliant job. The differences in tone and style are subtle and real. Yet, it also presents the problem I present above.
Role model or object lesson?
Critics often point to Harry’s flouting of authority and rules, his frequent outbursts and anger, his lies and failure to suffer the consequences for them as reasons to be cautious of the books, but I think that approach fails to understand the character. Realize Harry’s situation: He’s an orphan living with an aunt and uncle who abuse him physically, mentally, and emotionally; at age 11 he discovers that he’s able to perform magic; he also discovers that his parents were murdered personally by one of the most evil men in history who may still be on the prowl; he is suddenly thrust into the celebrity spotlight; sent into a whole other world; suffers attempts on his life; and must confront the fact that while those around him love him, they also see him as a useful tool against the enemy. It’s a wonder Harry isn’t even more messed up. He could have ended up as a male, magic-using version of Paris Hilton.
Parents must still beware, though, that their children likely will not be able to understand this complexity, which is why it is so important for parents to read the books if their children are reading them and then to discuss the real moral and ethical dilemmas that confront him.
As for the story itself, I did enjoy it. Melanie can confirm that in the fifth or sixth book I determined (a) that Harry was carrying a piece of Voldemort in him, which is why he could fight him so effectively, and (b) that Dumbledore and perhaps some others were cultivating Harry as a weapon against Voldemort. It didn’t diminish my enjoyment, because as Melanie will tell you, figuring out the ending before it comes is a bit of a game for me, whether it be books or TV or movies.
It may be shocking to some, but I think it would have been better had Harry died.
I was somewhat annoyed by the deus ex machina and logical holes left lying about the stories by Rowling and the magical ecosystem she created. For example, the felix felicis potion is extremely powerful and useful. Yes, it apparently takes six months to make, but wouldn’t it be worth it to have a batch constantly in production since it provides such a huge advantage? There were a number of other occasions as well in which an obvious magical solution— that would have been perfectly in concert with what had already been seen in the books— was ignored. Or the strained and obvious moments where, if only someone would just say what was on their mind or blurt out the perfectly obvious piece of information on the tip of their tongue, so much pain and suffering could be avoided. It felt contrived to drag out the story.
Speaking of contrivances, the several “almost” deaths in the last two books, whether it be Ron or Harry or someone else, seemed a quite obvious response to public leaks that “someone” was going to die in those books. It felt a bit like a cheat, like the hero who gets shot before the last commercial break, but who leaps up after and shows us his bulletproof vest. This was especially the case with Harry’s near-death experience.
The ending of “The Deathly Hallows” was satisfactory, but was less than it could have been. It may be shocking to some, but I think it would have been better had Harry died. Rowling took us all— including Harry— to that emotional precipice and then pulled us back. Yes, Harry was quite prepared to die and even thought he was dead, but in the end Rowling gets her cake and eats it too: Harry makes the ultimate sacrifice yet lives too. Imagine if Harry really did die to stop Voldemort, imagine his friends completing the work he began. Imagine their acknowledgement of his noble sacrifice and his star-crossed life, one that was bookended by the expression of “no greater love than to lay one’s life down for one’s friends.”
Instead, Harry tricks Voldemort, beats him in a duel, and lives happily ever after. Like I said, that’s on okay ending, but it could have been much more.
Bottom line: I’m glad I read the books and I enjoyed them. There were plenty of times I didn’t want to put the volume down, but wanted to continue for just a few more pages. And perhaps someday Isabella and Sophia and the others, God willing, will read them, but only when I’m sure they’re old enough to grapple with the ambiguities and gray areas and only if we can talk about what they’ve read so they can understand how to balance it in their own minds.
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COMMENTS
Good observations. I started out late myself reading all the book this year, though I did read the last book on the day it came out. I found the books quite enjoyable myself, but think she could have used a more fervent editor in her later books. I agree about the age appropriateness shifting as you get deeper in the series.
Posted by Jeff Miller on 12/19/07 at 08:52 PM Most of the top fiction authors suffer from “timid editor” syndrome. Tom Clancy’s books could have hundreds of pages shaved from them and not suffer at all.
My seven year old started the Potter books this summer. I stopped him at book three, and told him he could read four and five at age ten, and six and seven at age twelve. He is not happy, but obedient (at least for now). My twelve year old read the last book when it came out, after reading the sixth book for the first time. Other parents may draw different lines. The important decision is to draw lines in the first place. Perhaps for some, it’s too difficult to distinguish between “pretend” and “real” with regard to the occult—but they are cutting themselves off from fairy tales, Oz, E. Nesbit, Lewis, and Tolkien, as well. Too much of a loss for me!
Posted by
on 12/21/07 at 12:16 PM I am 18 and the eldest of six kids. I totally agree about the age being about 12 and even then having an older reading companion. We have also seen all the movies, but they are not nearly as good as the books.
First, I would like to say that there is absolutely no hint of Dumbledore being gay in the book. In other words if anyone was reading these books the idea that Dumbledore is gay would never even cross anyone’s mind. The most amount of affection that Dumbledore shows Harry is that of a father or uncle (and I mean the normal and good type.) Dumbledore was a good friend of Harry’s parents and he knows that Harry must face Voldemort so he takes the task of personally tutoring Harry. He knows that he is the only one who can match Voldemort, but that Harry is the only one who can defeat Voldemort. So he teaches Harry what Harry needs to know.
Secondly, as far as families go the good kids all have good parents and the bad kids all have not so good parents. I mean Hermione, Ron, Harry, Neville, Luna…. They all have (or had) parents who loved them and would die to save them. The bad kids like Draco, Crabe and Goyle all had evil fathers. It also showed that sometimes despite bad parents a kid could turn out good like Serious. Almost his entire family was with Voldemort, but somehow he resisted.
Thirdly, in this book the evil is very evil. But also the good is believable. The good people are not Hallmark characters that never do anything wrong. They are normal people, like you and me and they make mistakes. Voldemort was very similar to Harry, but Harry chose to be good and Voldemort to be evil. Harry makes mistakes all through the books he is a normal kid so readers can relate, but all in all he never does anything that is BAD. He has great friends who also make mistakes, but they all help each other stay on the right road.
Fourth, some may dislike the way she removes the parents for allot of these books, but in most stories where the main characters are children the parents are removed to allow the characters more freedom. Parents are always watching, trying to protect their children and books are about characters being in danger so the parents in stories would remove their children from the danger. This would not be any fun so the parents are removed to a safe distance to allow the children freedom of movement.
Fifth, Rowling does a wonderful job keeping these books clean. There are no drugs, no sex and no fags. This is one of the few “teen” books that is not cluttered with this junk.
Sixth, in the books the evil wizard are out to kill all the muggles and the good wizards protect the muggles at all costs. The muggles are defenseless and voiceless when it comes to wizards, but the good wizards defend them with their lives. The muggles are much like the unborn, they are both defenseless and voiceless and it is up to the more powerful to defend them. In these books the good wizards do this.
Seventh, these books show that even the worst person can and should be given the chance to repent. At the very end Harry and Voldemort are dueling and Harry gives Voldemort the chance to repent he tells him that there is a chance. Harry tells Voldemort that he must repent or he will spend eternity in torment. Voldemort does not listen though and destroys himself with the death blow he intended for Harry. I thought it was wonderful the way Rowling saved Harry from killing and made it that Voldemort’s pride was his downfall. She did not have a child kill even if it would have been in self defense. Instead evil destroyed itself because it would not listen; because it was proud.
Eighth, these books show how the evil can stop doing evil. The Malfoys, some of the evilest people in the end decided that love of family was most important. They stopped being evil because they realized that evil only destroys and allows for nothing good especially love. The Malfoys loved each other and when they realized that Voldemort despised them for it and would probably kill their son they were prepared to risk their lives, to help Harry kill Voldemort. Love is the real reason for everything good, for the destruction of evil, and for the evil turning to good, in these books.
So all-in-all these books are about love and good conquering evil and hatred. The love of Harry’s parents saved him from Voldemort, the love of the Malfoys for their son cause them to betray Voldemort, the sisterly love between Harry’s mother and aunt caused Aunt Petunia to take care of Harry, the love Snape had for Harry’s mother made him protect Harry, the lack of love that Voldemort had for anything was the cause of him being so utterly evil. So really these books were about how powerful true love can be. True love was shown to be more powerful than any magic or any evil.
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year with you loved ones
Posted by
on 12/21/07 at 02:52 PM Great review, Mary!
You are one well-spoken young woman and have a good, sensible outlook.
Posted by
on 12/22/07 at 06:57 PM Dom,
Very astute review. Rowling has *always* said that she intends the books for readers who are approximately the same age as Harry is in each story. She said way back in the late 90s that she would not allow her own daughter to read the books below a certain age. C. S. Lewis said much the same thing of his own books, especially his science fiction.
There are certainly some who can’t separate fantasy from reality, but such people can’t really tolerate much fiction at *all.*
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