Conflict Between Good And Evil In Harry Potter

Ammar Moussa

Prof Adell

Engl 101, 8:00

7 December 2015

Conflict between good and evil in Harry Potter series

Harry Potter by J.K Rowling is internationally known series which portrays eternal conflict between good and evil. Although the series has many important themes but this conflict is the main one and the most important because it is considered a representation of that in real life. There are countless characters in the series which divide between good and evil. Rowling has provided the series with two principle characters: one represents goodness which is Harry Potter and the other represents evil which is Lord Voldemort. The main conflict in the series is between these two characters and each one is being supported by number of friends

We know that from the actions of each character in the novels. On other words, she does not judge her characters but she left judgement for the audience. For example, Harry's love to others tells that he is good because love produces goodness and is necessary to win over dark evil. Another example, Voldemort’s actions such as: cheating and disregard people’s life shows that he is evil. Colleta gives an opinion about that by saying “Rowling portrays good as good and evil as evil” (Colleta). He means that Rowling has succeeded to distinguish between good and evil not by stating but by portraying good characters in good aspects and bad characters in bad characteristics. Also, Rabbi Noson Weisz talks about this idea and says “The good is purely good and the evil is purely evil” (Weisz). He means that Rowling does not let any doubts about the nature of characters whether good or evil. On other words, Rowling’s character were whether totally good or totally evil. Frankly, among all characters in Harry Potter, there is only one character is considered wobbling between good and evil. This character is Snap who is seen sometimes trying to disturb Harry’s efforts to fight Voldemort and other times is seen working side by side with Dumbledore. The character’s attitude remains mysterious until the end of the story when Snap declares his position in and fights

Those critics argue that good forces can use logic to fight dark ones by persuading them to repent and give up causing damages for others or at least try to do so. Rowling responses that even if Harry and his friends use some violence or magic but that do not considered evil for many reasons. The first reason is that they are obliged to do that to save themselves from a murderer called Voldemort and to protect the school of magic from domination of dark magic followings. Another one, is that using magic is not a problem or even the fact that Harry and his friends are wizards while they use magic for good because ends justifies means but the problem begins when the wizard uses it to achieve personal interest on at the expense of others lives and safety. In addition to that this conflict gives more excitement to the life in school and without it would not have been a story and