Harry Potter Legacy Essay

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The Harry Potter Legacy

Literature can easily be described as “writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest.” It is thus defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica. Yet, there is not a specific theory that explains what makes a body of written work permanent or of universal interest. JK Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter series, is responsible for a huge legacy in literature. Due to the author’s tremendous success in depicting a magical story of a young wizard’s life, she has made herself an international literary sensation since 1991. Currently, as a result of the series’ success, Rowling is one of the wealthiest women in Britain and her work is part of almost every childhood of …show more content…

However, in order to understand Harry Potter’s popularity, one should be wondering not how, but why Rowling has succeeded as a writer. Harry Potter is one of, if not the most, popular book series in the world due to the author 's ability to incorporate themes, symbolism, and relationships. This has broadened its appeal far beyond that of ordinary children’s books. She uses fantasy and real life issues to engage a public ranging from parents to teens and children. Every group has a particular reason to like her work.

JK Rowling is a distinguished author who introduces real life issues into the Harry Potter fantasy. She uses a classic theme in British literature of aristocratic class division and societal popular issues. Just like Oliver Twist, a classic literary work by the famous British author Charles Dickens, for instance, the Harry Potter is challenged from the start, as an orphan. His character is first …show more content…

For instance, from a more practical standpoint, the fact that JK Rowling focuses on children and uses fantasy and magic in her story, makes the book able to transition perfectly into the movie world. The author’s creativity and excellence in putting popular social themes together in the first book led to its success. This, of course, caught Hollywood’s eye, enabling Rowling’s creation to strengthen its legacy and become the brand and cultural icon Harry Potter is today. The movie industry used the books’ ideas, which fit perfectly with use of special effects, to broaden the audience of the book. This allowed a public of non-traditional readers to discover Harry Potter and look forward to the subsequent books. In short, JK Rowling not only was able to attract children and adults to read her stories, but also attracted Hollywood, which added an audience beyond the literary

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