I must confess that I was probably already pushing the definition of child when I first read Harry Potter, but it definitely deserves a place in our Books That Make a Childhood series. The scale of the Harry Potter universe now is so huge, that it is very easy to forget it all began with one book that was rejected by numerous publishers and only had 500 copies published. It has become a phenomenon, but nothing comes of nothing, and it all started with one book that made a huge connection with its young readers.
I think a lot of its success is due to the fact that J K Rowling is using traditional story archetypes and themes that appeal to both children and adults. The idea of someone who is an outsider in one world, treated with contempt by those around him, suddenly discovering that he is a legendary figure in another, taps into the classic superhero story line. The abilities that make Harry an outcast in the everyday world, suddenly become his means of escape. Harry Potter is primarily about finding your own place in the world and your own tribe. By introducing Harry to the reader as an underdog, with no friends or family, we immediately empathise with him and want him to succeed, as we watch him transform from ordinary to extraordinary, and share in his triumphs.
Another key factor in the magic of the novel is definitely the unbelievable scope of the wizarding world that J K Rowling creates, from the moment Harry first steps into Diagon Alley. The range of shops and the wizarding products on offer is incredible, and Rowling serves it up to us in evocative and highly descriptive language, which involves all the senses. Furthermore when we arrive at Hogwarts, the details of the subjects and the Castle, including paintings that move and staircases that lead to nowhere, capture the imagination. Yes, she is borrowing from other stories, (the similarities with Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch are particularly striking), but it is the scale of Hogwarts and the wizarding world that stands out. It is also the fact that despite the magic, there is also a comforting familiarity in this world. Hogwarts may have a unique syllabus, but the friendships and rivalries of the school are all familiar to us. There is also a darker side to this world that is also sadly recognisable; the prejudice against witches and wizards from non-magical families for example shows there is just as much ignorance and cruelty in this world as there is in its non-magical counterpart.
Harry is a character we can all identify with, but J K Rowling pairs him with two other principal characters who arguably eclipse him. Through Ron, she is able to add an element of comedy, but the reader can also understand what it is like to always be considered the sidekick and never the hero. And then of course there is Hermione, whose intelligence and wit always proves vital in saving the day. The trio is not without its issues from a sociological point of view, particularly the relegation of the female to sidekick when she is far more capable than either of the male characters, but the three characters together keep us invested in the story as we watch the friendship develop and be tested in later novels.
Across all seven novels, the character of Snape is arguably the best constructed, never making it clear until the last novel whose side he is truly on. He is a character driven by love but also filled with hatred and resentment, and J K Rowling makes it clear that this seeps out of him in her description of his appearance and speech. This makes his choices and actions seemingly unpredictable, although he finally proves to be one of the most loyal characters of all. At times the novels seem to drift into a blunt separation of good and evil, but Rowling is able to show that human nature is more complex than this, and forces the reader to confront their own preconceptions about some of the characters. Even Harry’s father is shown to not have been the heroic figure Harry has always assumed him to be.
From a literary point of view, the books have weaknesses. However, ultimately reading is about losing yourself in a fictional world, and making an emotional connection. Harry Potter succeeds in casting a spell over its readers, and the magic shows no sign of fading.
I think a lot of its success is due to the fact that J K Rowling is using traditional story archetypes and themes that appeal to both children and adults. The idea of someone who is an outsider in one world, treated with contempt by those around him, suddenly discovering that he is a legendary figure in another, taps into the classic superhero story line. The abilities that make Harry an outcast in the everyday world, suddenly become his means of escape. Harry Potter is primarily about finding your own place in the world and your own tribe. By introducing Harry to the reader as an underdog, with no friends or family, we immediately empathise with him and want him to succeed, as we watch him transform from ordinary to extraordinary, and share in his triumphs.
Another key factor in the magic of the novel is definitely the unbelievable scope of the wizarding world that J K Rowling creates, from the moment Harry first steps into Diagon Alley. The range of shops and the wizarding products on offer is incredible, and Rowling serves it up to us in evocative and highly descriptive language, which involves all the senses. Furthermore when we arrive at Hogwarts, the details of the subjects and the Castle, including paintings that move and staircases that lead to nowhere, capture the imagination. Yes, she is borrowing from other stories, (the similarities with Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch are particularly striking), but it is the scale of Hogwarts and the wizarding world that stands out. It is also the fact that despite the magic, there is also a comforting familiarity in this world. Hogwarts may have a unique syllabus, but the friendships and rivalries of the school are all familiar to us. There is also a darker side to this world that is also sadly recognisable; the prejudice against witches and wizards from non-magical families for example shows there is just as much ignorance and cruelty in this world as there is in its non-magical counterpart.
Harry is a character we can all identify with, but J K Rowling pairs him with two other principal characters who arguably eclipse him. Through Ron, she is able to add an element of comedy, but the reader can also understand what it is like to always be considered the sidekick and never the hero. And then of course there is Hermione, whose intelligence and wit always proves vital in saving the day. The trio is not without its issues from a sociological point of view, particularly the relegation of the female to sidekick when she is far more capable than either of the male characters, but the three characters together keep us invested in the story as we watch the friendship develop and be tested in later novels.
Across all seven novels, the character of Snape is arguably the best constructed, never making it clear until the last novel whose side he is truly on. He is a character driven by love but also filled with hatred and resentment, and J K Rowling makes it clear that this seeps out of him in her description of his appearance and speech. This makes his choices and actions seemingly unpredictable, although he finally proves to be one of the most loyal characters of all. At times the novels seem to drift into a blunt separation of good and evil, but Rowling is able to show that human nature is more complex than this, and forces the reader to confront their own preconceptions about some of the characters. Even Harry’s father is shown to not have been the heroic figure Harry has always assumed him to be.
From a literary point of view, the books have weaknesses. However, ultimately reading is about losing yourself in a fictional world, and making an emotional connection. Harry Potter succeeds in casting a spell over its readers, and the magic shows no sign of fading.
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