Many have come to know and love the stories of Harry Potter, the boy who lived, but what most may not realize is that Harry Potter can have a bad influence on young children and adults. Though the Harry Potter series is a children’s book that is meant to enlighten the imagination of young viewers, it can be misguiding to those cannot comprehend the difference between imagination and real life. The beloved story of Harry Potter can have a negative influence on young children and adults for a variety of reasons. Harry’s curiosity would appear to be beneficial to a child, especially one who just realized he was a wizard, but the type of curiosity he displays throughout the series can be easily misinterpreted by viewers. Throughout the Harry …show more content…
When Harry attends Hogwarts for his first year Professor McGonagall tells the students as they arrive that, “any rule breaking” and they will lose house points (Columbus). Already the children have been warned of what will happen when they disregard the rules, but yet they continue to break them anyways. This could be because, when the students break the rules they are often rewarded points soon after for their acts of bravery. This message to the viewers shows that as long as you commit a heroic act it is okay if you break the rules or even the law and there will be no consequences. Professor McGonagall even ask Ron, Harry and Hermione “why is it when something happens it is always you three?”, this question proves that Harry and his friends continuously get into trouble (Yates). But what many might not realize is that rules are rooted in place for a reason and they are there so children do not get hurt. Harry puts himself in constant danger and he risks others’ lives. Though many might think that Harry’s friends will gladly stick by his side through thick and thin, they are still children who are not yet capable of making those extreme decisions. Harry’s rule breaking can also show children that the rules put into effect are not taken seriously by authoritative figures, so when a child breaks a law and finds themselves in …show more content…
Through the Harry Potter series starts off relatively pleasant and more as a children’s story, the series soon turns grim and might even be considered a horror story by some. Magic in the wizarding world of Harry Potter and it is not viewed at negatively because of the positive ways it is used throughout the series, but what about the negative ways? “The fight between good and evil, embodied most strongly in the characters of Harry and Lord Voldemort, emerges as a centerpoint for the story line” (Patrick and Patrick 222). Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters are wizards and witches who use dark magic to kill and torture those that disagree with their views. These wizards and witches relentlessly use the unforgivable curses in the series such as the: cruciatus, killing, and imperious curse. These curses are unforgivable and also illegal in the wizarding world and the display of torture and murder are harsh acts for young viewers. Christopher and Sarah Patrick go on to say in “Exploring the Dark Side”, that this is “the kind of evil in which serial killers engage directly parallels that of Lord Voldemort (Patrick and Patrick 230). The use of dark magic, murder, and torture are all reasons why the Harry Potter films and books can be hard for young viewers to comprehend and therefore may be of ill
Mr. Potter influenced everyone very negatively. Because of him George and his company had to go through many hardships by losing money, and almost George’s life. Also, the town suffered because of his greed and manipulative
Harry’s frequently experienced injustice is witnessed since the very beginning of the novel. His alienation from both the wizarding world and muggle (non magical) world cause Harry to long for the acceptance of his truthful story. Since Voldemort’s return occurred at the end of Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts, his summer at Number 4 Privet Drive has been far from enjoyable (Chappell). If anything, it caused Harry anxiety, frustration, and anticipation of the horrible events to come (Chappell). Harry’s alienation first stems from the Ministry of Magic. When two dementors (magical hooded figures who guard the wizard prison, Azkaban) wandered into Harry’s neighborhood, he used magic to defend himself and his cousin, Dudley (Rowling 17). Because of this, the Ministry of Magic accused Harry of breaking the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery (Rowling 27). They made sure to enforce the “illegality” of Harry’s actions when they threatened to confiscate and destroy his wand (Rowling 62, 27). Harry, who had done nothing except defend himself in a life-threatening situation, felt alienated when the Minister of Magic himself would not believe his
Dr. Seuss once wrote that “today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you”, but what makes a person unique? A person’s character is what makes them who they are. It is the foundation of personality, words, and actions, and it grows with every trial in an individual’s life. Personal struggle develops character because it brings to light what a person will and will not do, allows them to find or develop talents, it creates an opportunity to alter their mindset, and the experience gained will stay with the individual forever.
The Sorcerer’s Stone itself has earned numerous awards, a few of which being the British Book of the Year, Nestle Smarties Book Prize, Children’s Book of the Year, and the Carnegie Medal. If a book has been so celebrated and awarded in the children’s category, it would make zero sense to prohibit children, the targeted audience, from reading it. We should instead encourage people to read it so they can see why it has gained such mass popularity. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone takes place mainly in Hogwarts, the school of magic from 1991- 1992. One main theme in the book is that family is more important than you think it is, which is also a point being addressed. Harry’s only remaining family were the Dursleys, who treated him like an animal. It wouldn’t make any sense to ban a book that makes the point clear that your family should be one of the most important things in your life and you should love your family sincerely. You should be thankful that you have a supportive family who cares for you and loves you. Another significant theme in The Sorcerer’s Stone is that strongly yearning for something isn’t exactly what you should
The article details the problems parents have with the Potter series in saying that magic is appalling, Potter's anti-family behavior was impeding on family values, and children may become...
Through Harry’s adventures, there are allusions to the real world that may help children in their learning process, but there are those who do not want to expose their children to the large amount of witchcraft portrayed in the books.
Just to quickly run through the two previous books; Harry Potter is a wizard, who’s parents were killed by the worst dark wizard ever known. The reason why Harry Potter is still around, is because Lord Voldemort failed to kill Harry. His spell hit Harry, but then backfired on Voldemort taking all of his powers with him. Harry is so famous for two things. Withstanding the powers of Lord Voldemort, and, taking him back in to the underworld in hiding. In the first book, Harry receives a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He’s eventually allowed to go, and spends the next six months there learning magic, getting into trouble, and trying to solve mysteries of his past, and the school. In the second book, Harry goes back to his second year at Hogwarts, and gets into more trouble, figures out many astonishing mysteries and learns loads more magic. His best friends in the two books consist of Ron and Hermione (two of his fellow wizard students) and Hagrid the gamekeeper who was expelled from Hogwarts but allowed a job as the gamekeeper.
It is a common misunderstanding that the Harry Potter series is for juveniles, but I believe that there is something within the books that applies to all ages. Old and young alike can take a lesson from Harry Potter, in life everyone is faced with the fears that this story illustrates, and the strength and dedication it takes in order to do so, but it also demonstrates the rewards for the strength and dedication. Which is why the world, including myself, has read the four books in current circulation several times while it anxiously awaits the release of book five Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. For instance, the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, has many elements of a "who-done-it." This book offers plenty of mystery, excitement, and intrigue for the older readers and is mixed with just enough humor and fantasy for the younger readers to appreciate, a...
Ever since J.K. Rowling first introduced Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 1997, children and adults have read and loved the series. It has gained such popularity that all of the books have been made into major motion pictures, and a Harry Potter attraction has been opened in Universal Studios, Florida. Though the readers love Rowling’s intricate and exciting story lines, many controversies have arisen from these stories, not only in the United States, but also in various countries around the world. Perhaps the biggest controversy is the religious implications perceived by some critics. Although these critics believe that the series promotes paganism and encourages evil actions, these theories should not be taken so seriously.
There are many levels of looking at rules. For example, on a more broad view, when parents tell their children that they cannot scream at and hit each other, they are telling their children a very common, yet important rule. It maintains the behavior of the children. Not only at the time being, but as well as throughout their life. Since they learn at a young age not to scream and fight with each other, they learn to...
Harry Potter starts off slow, but gets very interesting near the end. In the beginning, you meet the Dursleys, Harry’s aunt, uncle, and their son Dudley. Then you learn that Harry’s parents were witches, and that they were destroyed by a evil wizard. A good witch, Albus Dumbeldoor, sends Harry to the Dursleys, because they’re his only remaining family. The Dursleys however, hated Harry and his family, so Harry was mistreated for years. He was forced to live in a cuborrod under the stairs. He had to watch as the fat, stuck up Dudley got whatever he wanted, and then usually broke whatever it was he got. Then one day Harry got a letter.
One of the most distinguishing characteristics of children's films is the centrality of the moral. Although Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone teaches children many lessons, but the main one is that good will always conquer evil. Right from the beginning of the film, audiences are shown how poorly Harry gets treated ...
the bad. The main characters on the good side are Harry Potter and his two friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and on the bad the main character is Lord Voldomort. Harry Potter is a courageous, brave, and kind person. The whole series revolves around Harry Potter and Lord Voldomort. Ron Weasley is Harry’s closest friend and is not always the brightest but he is a good person who always stands with Harry no matter the situation. Hermione Granger is a book worm, straight A student who turns every assignment in on time and always does whatever her teachers tell her to do, and because of her skill and knowledge she has helped the trio out of several tight situations. Lord Voldomort is the most evil of the evil. His goal is to rule the world, kill every muggle (non magical people) so that only wizards are left and, most importantly, to conquer death. Through out the entire series Voldomort has tried to kill Harry a total of eight times but has failed all because of his short-sightedness and un-willingness to admit to his weaknesses.
The first Harry Potter book came out in 1997, and no one at the time could imagine that in the 10 years that followed, it would become the most read children’s book and a $6.4 billion worth film franchise. The aim of this essay is to try to explain the reason for the popularity of the Harry Potter books. The aim is also to show the changes that the series caused, how they influenced the people who read them, how they had an impact on literacy and overall, on British popular culture. In the first part of the essay I will briefly explain the beginning of the Harry Potter phenomenon and its growing popularity in the countries all over the world. In the second part I will deal with the character of Harry, explaining why he has such an appeal to the readers and how come people identify with him. In the third part, I will explain the impact Harry Potter books have on society, how they influence young adults and children. The fourth part will deal with the controversies about Harry Potter, the views and thoughts of religious people who see Harry Potter as a book that should be banned. In the fifth part, I will mention the difference the phenomenon caused when it comes to the book business and the film industry of Britain.
One of the major reasons why such a strong connection was made with the fans is the fact that they literally were able to grow with Harry Potter. The books were released gradually, some having up to two years in between releases, so the readers grew up quite a lot across the series of the book; because of this, the book had to maintain its appeal right through teenage years. Rowling’s writing style managed to do this by starting off simple enough for a child embarking on their first novels, and developed into something much more adult and complex, which was compelling enough for both teenagers and adults. Anthony Gierzynski states that “Those 10-year-olds going to the first movie, holding the hands of their parents, ended up driving to the last midnight shows.” By having the series grow along with the fans, both literally and metaphorically, this generation has been able to claim Harry Potter as its own. Furthermore, the values and beliefs of this generation have been greatly impacted by the connection to the Harry Potter series. In his essay “How 'Harry Potter ' shaped the political culture of a generation”, Gierzynski goes on to assert that “Reading the books correlated with greater levels of acceptance for