Magic in Harry Potter

It is no secret that books have a way of impacting an entire world. Over the course of history, books such as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Secret Life of Bees, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter have changed the lives of millions of people. These books have important lessons and morals that are crucial in the lives people build, even though others have challenged them. The Harry Potter series is significant because despite people challenging its content, it has many themes in the book that has made a positive impact on its readers and the world they live in, influencing them to make a change and live better lives.

Over the years, many people, have argued against the series, claiming it teaches demonic lessons and witchcraft. While the Harry Potter series does incorporate witchcraft into the storyline, it is not used in a way that influences children to practice it. Instead, it is used to emphasize the good moral lessons present in the series. J.K. Rowling uses magic to build a theme of good vs. evil, showing how the protagonist chooses good over evil. Good magic exists in Harry Potter, Rowling did not create a demonic lesson behind this fantasy world. The world of witchcraft and wizardry in Harry Potter is like other dimensions in other multiple famous novels. For example, Narnia is another universe in the Chronicles of Narnia book series. Harry Potter is just another example of a world created from fantasy and imagination. Rowling in no way tries to persuade readers to practice demonic witchcraft. The witchcraft in the series is used to teach readers life lessons and to positively inspire them to be better. Despite what others say, the Harry Potter series is still important in shaping the character a young person strives to be.

While the Harry Potter series is classified for the children's section, the entire storyline is spewing with life morals that adults still need to learn. Some of these morals are simple while others are deeper, but both sides still greatly impact people's lives. People will argue that the Harry Potter series influences anti-family themes, although a common theme portrayed in the series is, in fact, family. Harry finds the people he loves at Hogwarts, the wizarding school. Love is present within Hogwarts, whether it is through the teachers, friends, or siblings, and is the opposing side of evil that is present throughout the series. Love and family are used to fight against evil and can be seen in every character.

Even though Harry never met his parents, his love for them helped him survive when evil tried to destroy good. Rowling uses love to show readers it is the most powerful tool in the universe and can stop any type of evil. It is the oldest form of good vs. evil. In another case, Lord Voldemort kills his father because he did not have love; he grew up in an orphanage and was incapable of love, feeling abandoned and unwanted. Since he was incapable of loving someone and was never even loved himself, he turned to power. This is not an anti-family theme, but just an example of how the absence of love, trust, and family can contribute to negative lifestyles. This is another way of how Rowling compares positive themes to negative themes in order to inspire readers.

In a 2007 documentary, J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life, Rowling discusses how she chose to incorporate themes in the series that readers would find a personal connection. The series is used to educate readers on real life problems and inspire them to be better. Conflicts that occur in the series are parallel to problems that occur to real people in everyday life. For example, Lupin's struggle with being a werewolf is supposed to reflect a person with AIDS and the struggles they deal with (A Year in the Life). Rowling's purpose is to connect to her readers, not negatively influence them. Death and depression, more darker themes present in the series, are used to emphasize the positive themes. Readers use the experiences from the characters to connect with their lives. By seeing how these characters deal with these real-life problems, readers are encouraged to deal with their own problems in an effective way. For example, violence is a reoccurring event people see and deal with, whether it is at home, in the news, or in the simplest form. Rowling uses violence as a reason to fight for the good side. An effective novel such as Harry Potter needs that conflict of protagonist vs. antagonist/good vs. evil, or else there is no structure and people lose interest. Rowling uses the evil parts of life to emphasize the good in order to encourage readers to do the same, to fight for what is right.

Not only did Rowling create a legacy that changed the world of literature, she used it to solve real world problems; Rowling used her books as a gateway into making a difference. In other words, she created books that changed the world now she created a charity, Lumos, that will do the same. Lumos is an organization that helps orphanages and institutions for children around the world. Rowling's intentions were never to harm her readers, but to use the Harry Potter series to make a positive difference in their lives. Therefore, it is an important piece of art because it does not purposefully influence children to participate in negative actions, but instead can change their lives for the better and teach them lessons they can carry out through their whole lives.

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