Religious Controversies in Rowling’s Harry Potter
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.
The first main controversy of the Harry Potter series is the argument that Rowling’s stories promote paganism, which is against Christian beliefs. The Bible specifically states in Leviticus 20:26, “You shall not practice augury or witchcraft” (“Reading Matters”). Furthermore, the Bible supports the resentment towards paganism in Deuteronomy 18:10-12, stating that those found practicing witchcraft, casting spells, or contacting spirits are a disgrace to the Lord and will be driven out (qtd. in Mahoney). In Rowling’s book, witchcraft is an alluring practice. For instance, Hogwarts is described as a magical place one might wish to visit if the school existed. Consequently, many parents fear children who read these books will become intrigued by wizardry and attempt to learn these practices (Wilder Gish). Even J. K. Rowling has admitted that some readers are so convinced by the books that they believe the wizard world is real. These readers have sent...
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...ave evolved about the subject matter of these books. The greatest controversy, though, centers on the series’ religious references, which have caused many parents to despise the “immoral” concepts of the stories and forbid their children from reading these books. Such people feel that Rowling promotes paganism through the magic performed by the characters, and promotes evil through various connections to Satan. Still, Harry Potter does not reflect the practices of Wicca and good always overpowers evil in the end; therefore, we should not be concerned with the effects of the series on children, or even adults. After all, readers have been enjoying stories containing magical references for centuries and humanity has not suffered because of it. Harry Potter is just another magical story and should be enjoyed, rather than judged because of its controversial references.
JK Rowling could have never imagined in 1990 when the thought of Harry Potter first appeared to her, how much this fictional character would capture the hearts of readers all over the world. Similarly, Tolkien’s Series The Lord of The Rings has had a resounding effect on its readers, some even going so far as to learn the Elven language that Tolkien himself created. Both of these fantasy works, though incredibly different, are very similar in regards to their Christian themes and underlying message they read. Probably more debatable by fans is whether or not the Harry Potter series is a Christian work, let alone if it even carries Christian themes and undertones. Many within both the evangelical and non-religious world seem to be offended at such a thought as this. Half offended that the story of the gospel could be hidden within the confines of a book of witchcraft, the other half offended that a book of witchcraft and wizarding could carry a Christian message. Yet to Rowling herself the Christian themes seem to be quite obvious. Whatever party one may find stand in, it is clear the Harry Potter series is a Christian work, because of JK Rowling’s deliberate use of Gospel themes, biblical references, and biblically allegorical figures placed throughout the books.
The propaganda in which Judy Blume, is to manipulate is the young kids, and teens, into thinking the Harry Potter franchise is just a cover up for practicing Satanism, for topics dealing with “witchcraft” and “dark-arts”.
...y for the lunatic fringes of my own religion” (“'Harry Potter' Author J.K. Rowling Opens Up About Books' Christian Imagery”).
Although Harry Potter is a great series and is very interesting and captivating, it might catch the attention of young readers that do not fully able to grasp the idea of mythological creatures. This is dangerous because as the children grow up they will have a hard time distinguishing what is realistic and what is fictional. Children might grow up believing the forest contains demons that will take their soul, or that other society members can cast a spell on them. Although this might sound silly to an adult, children have a hard time facing reality and discovering the lies they have been told growing up. This is why I believe if children are told the truth from the beginning they will have more faith in their elders but also have a background knowledge based on facts and reality. This is important because children are the future generation so it is important to build a stable and secure foundation for them based on facts, then to build them on lies and fancy. The elders should also be banished from reading these books, because children will notice this and remember that the elders are getting special privileges than them, this will cause hatred and can lead to chaos overtime. This city would not be the ideal city if certain members are getting special favors. So overall I think this book should be banished in general to
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter encounters many new people and obstacles that help Harry development as a character. With these obstacles J.K Rowling provides our readers with imagery that engages our senses. Through the use of imagery Rowling plants symbols throughout the narrative that are crucial to the creation of the fantasy. The obstacles that Rowling uses to provide imagery are the Sorting Hat, the introduction of new characters, the Mirror of Erised, the trials needed to reach the Sorcerer’s Stone, and, finally, The Sorcerer’s Stone.
Elvis Mitchell’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” movie review is directed towards people who have never heard of or read the Harry Potter books. Those who have read the books already have clear and definitive opinions about the Harry Potter movies and their likeness to the movies. Some believe that they do not follow the books closely enough, and others believe they follow too closely. Mitchell thinks the movie follows too closely for it, as a movie, to ever have a life of its own. He uses common terms and pop culture references to connect with the audience. Elvis Mitchell’s evaluative article, “The Sorcerer's Apprentice” is easy to follow and keeps the audince in mind, but has a confusing tone.
Since the first segment of the series was released in 1997, Harry Potter has been challenged by churches and parents due to the practicing of magic by children found within the books. The books have been removed from school shelves, discouraged by churches, and censored by parents. It is claimed that Harry Potter is devilish, satanic, and encourages children to practice the occult, damaging their religious views (LaFond). Therefore, many parents keep their children from reading the book series. Yet, Harry Potter has been such a positive influence on my so many lives. Evident through the movies, theme parks, stores, and much more, J.K. Rowling’s series has been an overwhelming success for many reasons (“Because it’s his…”). In order to encourage
Harry Potter is similar to The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, both of which are considered in the children’s literary canon, because all three stories follow the lives of a hero who much go on a journey to save the world from the forces of evil. Since Harry Potter follows in the same framework as literature that is already in the canon and also expands that framework to more deeply consider the evils of the world as everyday threats, it should be considered the newest member of the children’s literary
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the middle of the novel contains many plot twists and significant events. Harry begins his first year at Hogwarts wizarding school. To help Harry, Hagrid takes him to Gringotts, a wizard bank, to retrieve some of the money his parents had left him. He uses this money to buy his school supplies, which includes an owl, a school uniform and his very own wand. This wand however, was a rarity. It consisted of Phoenix feather and unicorn hair, the Phoenix from which the feather was produced had only shed one other hair. This hair had been put into the wand of Lord Voldemort, the man responsible for the murder of his parents, and his attempted murder.
The portrayal of female characters in British literature has most often reflected the larger perception of women by society during the time of a work’s publication. In this regard, the immensely popular Harry Potter series written by author J.K. Rowling is certainly no exception. The circumstances for women in late 20th century Britain have improved and in many ways are nearing equality with men, yet a notable upper barrier to success still remains. Rowling captures this gender dynamic throughout the Harry Potter series by including a diverse cast of resilient female characters who are not allowed to take on the same leadership roles dominated by the men at Hogwarts, at the Ministry of Magic, in quidditch, and during the Triwizard tournament. The novels also center on an important theme of motherly love that Rowling uses to explore the sacrifices women must make in order to raise their children well. Such issues have been present in British literature for well over a century, with each generation seeing steps toward equality, both for the fictitious characters and the women of a given time period. The Harry Potter series, therefore, constitutes a reflection of female status in modern Britain that has advanced, but remains perpetually flawed.
Wolosky, Shira. "Harry Potter’s Ethical Paradigms: Augustine, Kant, and Feminist Moral Theory." Children's Literature 40.1 (2012): 191-217. Project MUSE. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .
In this study, I set out to find how freshmen UT Engineering students’ battles correlated to the struggles of first-year students at Hogwarts and how that proved J.K. Rowling’s characters were relatable and that the fantastical themes presented in the Harry Potter series were realistic. This is a qualitative study focused on paralleling a fantastical series to normal life. Many scholars are curious about the millennial generation’s behaviors and attitudes, and by having representative people of the age group compare a work of literature to their lives, these questions can be dissected. This study clearly complements current discussions of the fantasy genre. Many people believe that fans of fantasy read (or watch) the genre to escape into an exotic new world. This research question helps ask why people want to run away to the made-up worlds created by fantasy authors by comparing struggles and characters to actual, real life situations. This can aid scholars in “figuring out” the millennial generation.
One of the most read series in all literature is Harry Potter. The seven-book succession has sold over 400 million copies and has been translated into over sixty languages. What is it that makes this series so wildly famous? What is it about the boy who lived that makes frenzied readers flock to their local bookstore at midnight on the day of the release to buy the latest installment? How is a story set in a world that doesn’t exist about wizards, witches, magic, and mystical creatures so popular? The series has been able to earn its spot on the New York Times Bestseller list and has granted author J.K. Rowling multiple awards because it is relatable. It is not the setting or the events in the plot of the story that we relate to. We relate to what Harry, his friends, mentors, teachers, caretakers, and even enemies feel. Harry is in a lot of ways exactly like us. He represents some of the good characteristics that all of us have as well as the bad. The series as a whole, is about one thing that is stressed over and over again in the novels, love. The Harry Potter series is one of the most read sequences of novels because the central theme is love and self-sacrifice, and readers are looking for a novel that shows them just that.
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 ...
...istian themes in Harry Potter, it is suggested that “Harry Potter is not really about magic, but about character.’” I agree with the thought behind this statement: on the outer surface of the series, the book consists mainly of a heroic quest supported by magic and supernatural abilities…but things aren’t always how they appear to be, are they? When you truly unfold the series, digging deep into themes and inner context, we discover a story in which we learn about the importance of appearances. We learn about character and how falsely judging peoples’ character based on outward looks or first impressions is more than likely going to give you misdirection on who they are on the inside. This idea is also supported in the Bible in many different occurrences and we know that we are taught to not only apply this when we read literature, but also to our everyday lives.