“Harry Potter”: meaning and analysis of the book by J.K. Rowling

The incredible and well-deserved success of the first Harry Potter novel made its adaptation almost inevitable. The continuation of the epic about the adventures of the young wizard was also immediately reflected on the screen – readers and admirers simply did not think that they would not see with their own eyes every line written by Joan Rolling . Although the scripts were cut to fit the screen time limits, the filmmakers managed to keep the world of “Potteriana” and not fall under fan criticism. The last, final part, nevertheless, had to be divided into two films; everyone wanted to “savor” the finale of the story, on which a whole generation grew up.

“Harry Potter”: a painfully real magical world

Fairy tale and reality

A fairy tale is necessary for adults to return to childhood; A fairy tale is necessary for children to engage their imagination. The whole question is what life lesson will be learned, according to the saying, “good fellows” from the hints scattered along the fabulous paths. Heroes of the films “Potterians” – magicians and wizards; but supernatural abilities do not make life easier for them.

At the most crucial moments, magic wands are powerless, and ordinary human qualities help. Heroes need wisdom to choose between good and evil, they need trust and loyalty to get out of any situation with honor, they need honesty and firmness to stand up for their principles. And here the skills for brewing witchcraft potions and knowledge of spells do not change anything.

Stories about the unfortunate orphans who huddle in a closet under the stairs, and then become rich and famous, have given the world many favorite characters, starting with Cinderella. Looking at a thin boy in glasses, bullied by obnoxious fat relatives, it is immediately clear to the audience that an exciting story awaits them with a brilliant ending; the anticipation of this ending makes you believe in a better future – both for yourself and for Harry.

Education and school

As befits films about teenagers, most of the action of “Potteriana” takes place at school. Before us is a model of an ideal education system, which every viewer immediately began to dream about. Meanwhile, there is nothing supernatural in the fabulous Hoggwarts school: this is an example of an institution based on the principles of classical education, in which teachers try to teach their wards the values ​​​​of life and the desire to comprehend knowledge, and not forcefully structured and chewed information into them in the form of dates and quotes , which flies out of my head the morning after the exam.

The school that a teenage orphan enters lives a special life, not because it teaches sorcery, but because it has historical, cultural and spiritual roots. It instills spiritual values, educates students, and creates a unique educational environment.

Chosen by fate

Harry Potter grew up among people who were alien to him in spirit, albeit blood relatives. This feeling is very close to many teenagers; they are trying to fence themselves off from reality, to escape into the world of fantasy. And now Harry receives a letter brought by an owl, finds out that he is not an ordinary child, but a wizard, and goes to a fantasy world of his own kind.

Teenagers, feeling their isolation from society, seek to find themselves, their own “I”, leaving reality. But she lies in wait for them at every step, scorching the wings of their dreams. Therefore, the meaning of the first Harry Potter films is the solution of typical teenage problems: relationships with relatives, adaptation in a team, relationships with friends, falling in love, envy, gossip, attempts to gain authority among peers.

The childish spontaneity and adventurism of the first three films are replaced by a teenage thirst for adventure, efforts to find answers to sacred questions about the meaning of life, and now in the final film “The Deathly Hallows” we have young men and women who are no longer children, but have not yet lost their children’s faith in Good . They left the mischief and learned to think like an adult, make important decisions and be responsible for them.

The magic of family love

Harry’s love for his late parents, the themes of self-sacrifice, a loving family, fidelity and raising children have reconciled even religious orthodox who hate magic with the Potter films.

The film is based on motherly love: every second we are reminded that Harry’s mother covered him from death with herself. Her love continues to protect the young wizard, and this is touching, of course, does not need to be deciphered, because at a subconscious level, every person feels the protection of maternal love. The same example of the relationship between adults and children in a loving family is the Weasley family. The finale of the “magical saga” – two friendly couples with children – looks absolutely natural: the characters strove not just for abstract love, but for family love, with all its traditional and absolutely non-magical values.

Conquer your fear

Everyone is afraid of something: heights, darkness, loneliness. Sometimes these fears are embarrassing to admit. Sometimes it seems that we are powerless over our fears, that other people are free from them, and therefore they are stronger and smarter than us. But the Harry Potter films free us from feelings of inferiority: even wizards and wizards are afraid of something.

Harry Potter is afraid to chicken out at an important moment, Ron is afraid of spiders. Almost everyone is afraid of dementors – creatures that bring despondency and death, and the Dark Lord. The overcoming of these fears lies not in a magical, not in a magical plane; this is a consequence of the moral efforts of the heroes. Victory over them means victory over enemies. It is no coincidence that Harry is the last “horcrux” of the Dark Lord. To defeat his main enemy, he must defeat himself.

Conquer death

Harry Potter met death without fear, as a worthy opponent, and the Dark Lord, trying to defeat death, changed his nature. Love and the will to live made Harry a winner; his opponent became a hostage of death and lost.

The Dark Lord played “hide and seek” with death, mutilated his soul and the souls of those he involved in his dangerous games. Harry wasn’t trying to overcome death by magic or other means; he loved and was friends, wept and rejoiced, and therefore he was able to win in a duel with a strong and experienced enemy.

The magical power of friendship and love

A trio of friends and a classic love triangle – Harry, Ron and Hermione – made fans worried: how will their relationship turn out? Harry lost in this friendly duel; he and Hermione are too strong personalities, their union would be impossible. Ron’s jealousy is in vain: Harry could not hurt his heart. Psychologically dependent on a stronger partner, Ron found his support and support in Hermione, and Harry fell in love with his sister, reliable and faithful Ginny.

Married couples have developed harmoniously. Love in the world of “Potteriana” is not an all-consuming passion that pushes a person to madness, but a strong and deep feeling that gives joy and self-confidence. This is the only force in the world that defeats both the terrible spells of enemies and death itself. The unwritten “code of camaraderie” of the heroes included respect for a friend, loyalty, decency, equality, and willingness to help.

Moral and psychological aspects of films

To be true to principles, to be able to trust friends, to resist evil with all your might – this is the main meaning of the franchise and morality, which unites all seven films that raise all relevant issues: racial and national tolerance, chauvinism, gender equality, the impact on the human consciousness of the media, ethical issues in science, problems from the field of political science – the state system, corruption, abuse of power.

All Harry Potter films are among the top 30 highest-grossing films in cinematic history. The heroes of the film grew up along with the audience; they fought together, loved, made friends, suffered from grievances and injustices. And if we tear off the “magical” husk from the epic film, we will see a teenage novel about growing up and becoming a person, exciting with the truth of life.

The Meaning of  “Harry Potter”

For many, “Harry Potter” has become a window into the world of magic, to which you want to return even in adulthood. But the universe of JK Rowling is not so cloudless. As in real life, it has inequality, oppression and taboos. We study what secret meaning JK Rowling herself laid in the plot of Harry Potter and what else researchers of social problems find there.

Racism

In books

“I don’t understand why the school accepts not only people like us, but also children not from our families. They’re different,” Draco Malfoy says when he first meets Harry. By “like us” he means pure-blood children of wizards, by “others” he means those who had Muggle parents among their parents. Then he still does not know that Harry himself is a half-breed, and considers him to be “his own”.

One of the first ideologues of racism in the wizarding world was the founder of Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin. The school was conceived as a haven for all wizards, regardless of their bloodline. But Salazar wanted only members of pureblood families to study in it – he did not trust the rest. In the future, Slytherin actually became a faculty for purebloods, who considered themselves an elite. But among the graduates there were exceptions: Severus Snape and Voldemort were half-breeds.

Many purebloods despise not only Muggle-borns, but also those who associate with them. For example, the Malfoys look down on pure-blooded Weasleys for befriending Muggle-borns. Such wizards are called “blood traitors” by other purebloods. They included both Sirius Black and his cousin – the mother of Nymphadora Tonks, Andromeda, who married a Muggle-born. Muggles themselves are simply not considered human by supporters of the theory of pure blood.

Purity of blood is a source not only of privileges, but also of high expectations. For example, Neville Longbottom’s failure in school was largely due to the intense pressure he felt to not live up to his family’s expectations. And Professor Slughorn at the first meeting said to Harry: “Your mother was of Muggle origin. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard about it. She was such a brilliant student, I was sure she was a pureblood wizard.”

In life

Muggle-borns are called Mudbloods. In the wizarding world, this is a terrible curse that resembles racist slang for black people – mud people .

Researcher Bethany Barratt, in her article “Purebloods and Mudbloods: Race, Species, and Power,” compares the hierarchy among the children of wizards to the division into white and black schools that existed in America before 1945. When children are divided into groups because of pedigree, they develop prejudices that some are better and some are worse. 

“Similar to the one-drop theory in American history, where any evidence of black ancestry could determine a person’s race and therefore ability, the status of blood in the wizarding world has also become an important factor in determining the social position of a character and those who can associate with him. »

Tiffany L. Walters in an article on race and class issues in Harry Potter

Racism in the wizarding world is on the rise when Voldemort rises to power. He creates the Muggle-Born Registration Commission under the leadership of Doroles Umbridge. If a person failed to prove to the commission that he was a real magician (and almost no one succeeded), his wand was taken away from him. Tiffany L. Walters compares this practice to the Third Reich’s requirement that all Jews wear a yellow star, which is also a differentiation of people through labels or symbols. In Voldemort’s mode, there were no clear identification marks. But the withdrawal of the wand is a symbol of the fact that the wizard is “different”, less worthy. “… such differences are not natural or noticeable. They are created by people and social stereotypes,” writes Walters.

English professor Lana Whited also draws a parallel between Voldemort and Adolf Hitler. They both showed sadistic tendencies, and also believed that one race was worse than the other, although they were not “purebred” themselves. And both hid it from their subjects. According to her, the presence of a secret room in Hogwarts, which is dangerous for “mudbloods”, also reminds of Nazi methods.

“It’s easy to see the connection between Hitler’s methods and the Chamber of Secrets created by Salazar Slytherin to rid Hogwarts of ‘unwanted’ students.”

Lana Whited in Through the Looking Glass: New Perspectives on Children’s Literature

Joanne Rowling confirmed in an interview with a German publication that Voldemort is “a kind of Hitler.”

Morality

JK Rowling makes it clear that a wizard cannot be worse or better because of the origin. For example, the most talented young witch at Hogwarts is the Muggle-born Hermione. All characters who support oppression based on blood are negative. We recognize many worthy wizards who do not respect the hierarchy. Thus, the writer shows that the origin should not be a reason for discrimination.

Inequality between rich and poor

In books

In the magical world, not only the purity of the blood, but also the financial position plays an important role in social stratification. For example, the Malfoys despise the Weasleys not only for “blood betrayal” but also for their poverty. From adults, this attitude is also passed on to children: poor students are embarrassed by their position, while the rich boast of them.

“You’ll soon find out, Potter, that there are several dynasties of wizards in our world that are way cooler than the rest. You don’t need to be friends with people who don’t deserve it. I’ll help you sort things out,” with these words, Draco Malfoy offers Harry his friendship immediately after he scornfully spoke about the financial situation of the Weasley family. Ron is very worried about his situation: he is ashamed to admit that his parents cannot buy him new things and give him money for sweets on the Hogwarts Express.

Harry has no problems with choosing friends, as well as with money: his parents left him an inheritance. However, he never boasts about it and generously shares it with friends. And does not seek to get even more riches: the cash prize from the Triwizard Tournament is a whole thousand Galleons! he gives to the Weasley twins.

But the Dark Lord gravitated towards expensive and valuable items. In the sixth book, Dumbledore tells Harry that the young Tom Riddle loved to collect trophies. Therefore, for his Horcruxes, he chooses the most valuable artifacts in the world of wizards, such as house symbols: Slytherin’s medallion, Penelope Hufflepuff’s chalice, and Candida Ravenclaw’s diadem.

In life

Researcher Erin Vollmer suggests that Voldemort is the embodiment of not only evil, but also a greedy capitalist nature. He created Horcruxes from valuable artifacts, that is, he literally put parts of his soul into the material. Perhaps material wealth is associated with the evil against which the main character rises.

In an interview with Opra Magazine, JK Rowling said : “A child will not notice how another child is holding a knife and fork. But he will notice that he has no pocket money. Or less of them. I remember myself at 11 years old. Children can be angry, very angry. Having enough money to fit in is an important aspect of life, and what could be more conformist than school?”

Morality

Even though wizards can do a lot, they don’t create money. This makes the problem of poverty and inequality in the wizarding world very real. But, like origin, condition does not define a person. Rowling shows how money can affect people in different ways. She contrasts the poor, but happy and loving Weasley family with the Malfoy family, where there is money, but there is no warmth and trust.

Slavery

In books

Wizards are served by house elves. There are such servants in old aristocratic families, they also cook and clean at Hogwarts. Elves are very devoted to their masters. They suffer beatings and even punish themselves if they cannot complete the task. Their service is for life, but the owner can free the elf if he gives him clothes – usually the elves are dressed in something like a toga. In the films, we meet Dobby and Kreacher, and the elf Winky also appears in the book.

For the wizarding community, the servitude of elves is par for the course. For example, Mrs. Weasley mentions that she would like an elf to help around the house. And even Hagrid – the most ardent defender of mythical creatures – claims that without service, the elves are unhappy. 

Hermione is almost the only character who cared about the plight of the elves. She was sure that they weren’t fighting for freedom just because they weren’t educated. In her fourth year, the heroine created the organization G.A.V.N.E. – the Civic Association for the Restoration of Independence of the Elves. First, she leads an information campaign – creating badges, actively attracting everyone to the organization and defiantly refuses food created by slave labor. And in the fourth year, the heroine sews socks and hats and scatters them around the Gryffindor common room so that the elves accidentally take clothes during cleaning and thus gain freedom.

Harry also sympathizes with the elves. He is not enthusiastic about the support of G. A. V. N. E., but he is outraged by the cruelty of the owners and the inhuman treatment. At the end of the second book, he cunningly helps Dobby, the Malfoys’ housekeeper, to gain freedom. He treats Dobby more like a friend than a servant. And even with Kreacher, the house of the Blacks, he treats him respectfully, although this is an extremely unpleasant character.

British academic Brihan Carey, who studies the history of the culture of slavery, writes that Hermione’s work is not the best example of the liberation movement. She is surprised that the elves do not support the fight, but she does not ask about their desires. The heroine automatically puts herself higher and imposes freedom on them. Dobby complains that he has extra work to put away Hermione’s socks, because the rest of the elves do not take them. His girlfriend, Winky, became free against her will and was ashamed of her new status. She did not know what to do with freedom, and began to drink heavily.

In life

Researcher Bethany Barratt compares Hermione’s activism to some human rights organizations that don’t always know what the priorities of those they protect are. In her opinion, G.A.V.N.E. perfectly demonstrates what happens to the liberation movement if it is organized “from above”, without the participation of the oppressed group.

Researchers Farah Mendleson and Brihan Carey note that the image of elves in the J. Rowling universe reflects old stereotypes about American black slaves. For example, in the 1930s and 40s in Hollywood they were portrayed as conscientious, devoted, childishly naive. Like the elves in Harry Potter, they spoke of themselves in the third person, addressed their masters by title, and were comical rather than tragic characters.

Morality

It is not easy to understand what lesson JK Rowling teaches when she raises the issue of slavery. In English, G.A.V.N.E. sounds like SPEW – Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. Spew is translated as vomiting. In both Russian and English, the title makes readers giggle a little. This detail makes the idea of ​​a liberation movement seem frivolous. 

Researcher Jackie Horn points out that even a freed Dobby serves as more of an object of laughter than a positive example of a free elf. He looks ridiculous, asks for a smaller salary, and still cannot completely free himself from the habit of obeying.

“Dobby is a free house elf, he obeys whoever he wants, and Dobby will do whatever Harry Potter tells him!”

“Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince”

The protagonist does not support the idea of ​​the liberation movement. But on an interpersonal level, Harry respects elves. The rest of the wizards note that this is unusual behavior.

The most instructive story seems to be the relationship between Sirius and Kreacher. Sirius did not put Kreacher in anything and despised him, and in the end it was he who betrayed the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore points out that one must treat everyone as a human being – even creatures that seem weak and insignificant.

“I warned Sirius to treat Kreacher with gentleness and respect. Besides, I told him that Kreacher might be dangerous to us. I don’t think Sirius took my words seriously: he never considered Kreacher to be a creature whose experiences could be as deep as human … Kreacher is what the wizards made him, Harry.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Stigmatization of certain diseases

In books

In the third book, we meet Remus Lupine, who suffers from lycanthropy. In other words, he’s a werewolf. Every full moon, werewolves turn into beasts. In this state, they do not recognize acquaintances, behave like wild animals and can even attack the one they love. 

Wizards have found a potion that helps werewolves. Thanks to him, on the full moon, they turn into sleepy wolves, which pose no danger. But such a potion is expensive, and to get it, you need to reveal your disease and register as a werewolf. Remus Lupin got the cure when he became a teacher at Hogwarts. Severus Snape prepared a complex potion for Remus and – for the time being – kept his secret.

Werewolves avoided registration: wizards were afraid of them, despite the fact that they turned into wolves only once a month. For example, Remus’ parents hid his lycanthropy. Only Albus Dumbledore knew about her, who agreed to take Remus to school and keep his secret. Remus studied well and made great friends. They knew about his lycanthropy and helped him as much as they could. But after school, Remus’ illness made life difficult for him. For example, he left the position of teacher at Hogwarts when it became known to the whole school that he was a werewolf.

“Owls will arrive tomorrow with letters from their parents. They don’t want a werewolf to teach their children, Harry.”

Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban

For the same reason, Lupine was afraid to enter into a relationship. And when he found out that Tonks was pregnant, he was worried that the child would inherit lycanthropy. 

In life

JK Rowling has stated that being a werewolf, lycanthropy, is a metaphor for stigmatized diseases:

“Lupin’s lycanthropy was a metaphor for stigmatized diseases such as HIV and AIDS. It seems that blood-borne diseases are surrounded by all sorts of superstitions. Probably because of the taboos that surround blood itself. The wizarding community is as subject to hysteria and prejudice as the Muggle community, and Lupin’s character gave me the opportunity to explore these views.”

JK Rowling in “Short Tales from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies”

People who are HIV positive also face stigma out of fear. Other people avoid them, and they themselves are afraid to tell others about the disease, which is why they often do not receive the necessary treatment and experience difficulties in personal relationships.

Morality

JK Rowling shows that the disease does not define a person and he can live a full life and be a full member of society. Remus proved to be a good teacher. He was loved and respected in the Order of the Phoenix. He found reliable friends, found love and started a family in which a healthy child was born. He managed to contain the negative manifestations of his condition with the help of therapy – in the same way that people with HIV-positive status can undergo therapy, give birth to healthy children and lead a normal life.

bullying

In books

Bullying in the Rowling universe happens so often that Harry practically lives in it. At the Dursleys’ house, he is poisoned by Dudley, at school by Draco and his henchmen, and also by Snape in his lessons. During the Triwizard Tournament, Harry is turned on by the whole school: no one believes that he did not cheat to enter the competition.

The main aggressors of the school are the Slytherins. They behave rudely in the school corridors and on the Quidditch field. They feel unpunished under the auspices of their dean Severus Snape and influential parents. The weaker children, according to their hierarchy, become the objects of their bullying: juniors, children from poor families, muggle-borns. Or those who can’t stand up for themselves, like Neville in his freshman year.

In the fifth part, Professor Dolores Umbridge becomes the main aggressor – she poisons everyone who does not obey her orders.

In life

Hogwarts is a magical school, but in terms of bullying, it is no different from the usual. Where both children and teachers who abuse their power can also become aggressors. Where there are shy guys like Neville Longbottom. Poor kids like Ron. Excellent students, like Hermione, who are teased as “crammers” and then asked to be allowed to write off. Or those who are very different from everyone – like Harry.

Morality

Aggression is a trait that Rowling endows with negative characters. At the same time, bullying is not presented as a phenomenon that can cause real injuries. It is rather a stage that the main characters need to go through in order to become stronger.

Adults do not resist bullying at school. Among the teachers, only one wizard once interceded for Harry in front of Draco – it was Barty Crouch Jr. in the guise of Mr. Moody.

Children, in turn, do not tell adults about the problem. For example, Harry didn’t go to Dumbledore when Dolores made him scratch “I mustn’t lie” on his arm. Moreover, his stubbornness is presented as strength – he is not so weak as to complain to the director.

We see the realistic consequences of bullying only in the sixth part, when Harry accidentally penetrates Snape’s memories. At that moment, the viewer and reader does not like the professor, but does not know where his anger comes from. It turns out that Harry’s father and his friends brutally bullied Snape. Childhood trauma greatly affected Snape. Subsequently, he himself periodically poisoned the students and did not interfere when they bullied each other.

What does Harry Potter teach?

Tolerance

A study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology suggests that reading literature on stigmatized groups can increase tolerance. This theme is revealed in the novel by JK Rowling. Muggles are not respected in the wizarding world, they are called half-breeds, as they are associated with the human world. The main villain of the novel, Lord Voldemort, believes that power should belong only to “purebred” wizards and seeks to exterminate all “mudbloods”. The same idea is supported by Draco Malfoy and his comrades. The themes of discrimination, violence, anti-tolerance are hidden in this storyline .

The control group read non-judgmental passages, including the scene where Harry buys his first wand. A week after the last session, the researchers again assessed the children’s attitudes towards outgroups. Among those who identified with the Harry Potter character, attitudes towards immigrants were found to have improved significantly. The attitude of those who read the neutral passages did not change .

There are many factors that shape attitudes towards others and influence the level of tolerance. Nevertheless, Vezzali’s work indicates a positive literary impact on the individual’s worldview.

The Harry Potter books explore the themes of family, friendship, and camaraderie. Harry’s friend Ron’s family accepts him as their own son and loves him just as much. Contrasted with them is another family in which Harry is considered adopted and is subjected to numerous insults and psychological abuse. It is worth paying attention to the fact that the main character is still protected from dark forces by the love of the deceased mother, who comes to him in the most difficult periods. In this case, the theme of memory of departed loved ones is also revealed.

J.K. Rowling created the Dementors based on the period in her life when she herself struggled with depression after the death of her mother. The image of the Dementors is the image of fears, oppression, depression – everything that takes away vitality. Heroes constantly fight with them, but they do not always win. Nevertheless, the appearance of these fantastic creatures is not accidental and is always associated with the inner experiences of the characters.

Young Harry stands face to face with death and sees how people important to him die. The theme of loss and its acceptance allows you to change your attitude towards death and look at it as one of the laws of the world. One of the interesting scenes is the Cup of the Three Wizards. Harry breaks through all the rules and seeks to save his rival Cedric , but this fails. The loss becomes a shock for Harry, and he again has to come to terms with the fact that the Dark Lord is killing another innocent wizard.

Hogwarts is not just an educational institution for wizards. This is a kind of model of a political structure with its own internal rules, charters, leaders, as well as faculties competing with each other. Each of them has its own norms and values, which often contrast with the norms of others .

In addition, it is worth paying attention to the episodes of the trial, where the Ministry of Magic considers Harry Potter’s violation of the unshakable rule – the ban on the use of magic in the world of non-wizards. The process of justice itself can be analyzed from the point of view of the norms that actually exist.

Philologist Maria Shteinman also notes that a separate topic is the power of journalists who are able to change the attitude of the whole society towards a character or event. “Rita Skeeter is a journalist who doesn’t care what she writes about. She clearly manipulates public opinion, and first we see her in the fourth part, when, depending on her desire, Hermione is either a positive or a negative character, and Harry Potter himself is presented in different ways, ”says Steinman .