Young Adult Fiction, Spring 2019: Magic for All

Monday, April 15, 2019

Magic for All

The Harry Potter series has to be one of the most well-known young adult fiction series of our generation. It has endured for twenty-one years and if nothing else has only increased in popularity as times goes on. People take quizzes for which house they would be in, buy their own wands, and travel to recreations of the wizarding world at theme parks all because of a single book series. What is it that makes these books so popular? In my opinion, it is the mixture of open-ended whimsy and real-life lessons that appeals to so many.

When children read Harry Potter, they cannot help but want to travel to the wizarding world and explore it along with Harry. The book tells a tale of an average boy who is thrust into this magical society where he is supposedly famous. He then must learn how to use magic, and he ultimately ends up saving the world. Most kids and young adults find this appealing since most of us have some desire to make a difference and be appreciated for it.

Rowling also leaves her wizarding world fairly open-ended. This lends itself perfectly to the active imagination of young adults. Kids spend hours playing make-believe games and the world Harry Potter is a perfect platform for that. It also gives kids the hope that somewhere out there, the wizarding world is functioning in parallel with our own society. When Hagrid is explaining the Ministry of Magic to Harry, he says, “Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there’s still witches an’ wizards up an’ down the country” (65). This makes it seem entirely plausible that there is magic out there, but its hidden just beyond what can be seen.

Beyond the simple fun of the magic and story, Harry Potter has several good lessons to introduce to young adults. One example of this is the discussion on racism through the prejudice Purebloods have against Mudbloods. Most kids in the target audience do not quite understand racism or other forms of prejudice. Harry Potter introduces this hard concept and shows kids how unreasonable it is. The very first interaction with it is when Draco is talking to Harry in the tailor’s shop. He says, “I really don’t think they should let the other sort in, do you? They’re just not the same…” (78). Harry has no knowledge of the wizarding world and already feels that this is unfair. Draco does not seem to have any real basis for his prejudice other than Mudbloods are just a bit different. Once younger readers understand the situation in the book, they can use it as a framework to understand real-life racism.

Overall, the Harry Potter series has something for everyone. It has likable characters, magic, and wonder for younger audiences, and it has deeper concepts and lessons for older audiences. I think it will more than likely continue to be popular for many years to come.

2 comments:

Abby PfeifferApril 15, 2019 at 10:49 PM
I also believe that the Harry Potter series has something for everyone, and will continue to be popular for many years to come. Going off of your point about the racism and prejudice that is introduced to young adult readers, I think that J.K. Rowling does a good job of introducing the idea of ethics, or doing the right thing. In our previous readings, Ragged Dick teaches us that if you do the right thing, good will come to you. This is shown multiple times in the novel, yet Harry Potter teaches us that even by doing the right thing you still might lose. I see this presented in The Sorcerer's Stone, for example when Harry and Hermione help Hagrid give his dragon to Charlie Weasley. After handing off the dragon, Harry and Hermione head back down the tower, thinking, "No more dragon - Malfoy in detention - what could spoil their happiness? The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs... Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness" (241). Although they are doing a good thing and keeping Hagrid out of trouble, they still lose one hundred and fifty points from Gryffindor as well as get detention. Through lessons like these J.K. Rowling teaches young readers that you should act with good intentions, but should also be prepared for consequences.
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Trevor WalkerApril 16, 2019 at 6:51 PM
I couldn't agree more with the allure of a parallel world where magic is real keeping the series alive and acting as a useful backdrop to examine issues like racism and classism that might be difficult for young readers to see in the real world. By introducing forms of bigotry that are fantastical and especially presenting them through Harry's eyes, ignorant of Wizarding culture, the discrimination experienced by muggle born wizards and pure-blood wizards of a lower class stands out starkly as something absurdly arbitrary. Rowling using Drako as a foil to Harry to spout bigotry against muggle born wizards with the quote you used and putting down poor wizards letting Harry know he'll "soon find out some wizarding families
are much better than others." (86) By not only calling out bigotry in a way kids can understand but casting Harry as someone who actively defends those who are downtrodden Rowling encourages her readers to do the same.
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