Fantasy in "Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter"

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Fantasy is a type of genre that allows the reader to experience a place or world unlike any they have before. Fantasy lifts all our ideas of reality, and allows us to be a part of experiences that we would otherwise have no chance of taking part in. In both Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, the reader is given a window into magical worlds unlike ours. These worlds are make believe, but both Tolkien and Rowling add so much detail that these worlds become as real as walking down the street.

In Harry Potter, the reader is introduced to the Harry, the hero of the novel. Having a hero as the main character of the story is an idea that is frequent in many fantasy novels. In this story, Harry is an unlikely hero from the beginning. Rowling portrays Harry in a way that forces the reader to feel sorry for him and his situation, but at the same time allows the reader to begin to admire many of the qualities that Harry possesses. Although Harry is in a difficult situation at the beginning of the novel, he still finds ways to look at the bright side of the situation. This makes Harry's transition even more special, as the reader now feels as though they're shared the bad times in his life as well as the good ones.

In Harry Potter, Rowling introduces the reader to all sorts of new creatures and ideas that stray from what we know as reality. Having owls deliver the mail, dragons as pets, and invisibility cloaks are all ideas that place this novel in the category of fantasy. Rowling is taking things that are unbelievable to readers, and making them seem quite believable in Harry's world. The link between the wizard world in which Harry lives, and the Muggle world also helps to create a sense of reality to an unbelievable situation.

Another idea that categorizes Harry Potter as a fantasy novel is the idea that Harry is on a quest. Although not so obvious as Frodo's quest in The Lord of the Rings, the quest idea is still prevalent in Harry Potter. Harry begins the story with next to nothing. Harry has no family that loves him, no friends, and a situation that many would consider hopeless.

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