How Has the Harry Potter Phenomenon Changed American Culture?

The Outlaw
The Outlaw, Yahoo! Contributor Network
May 17, 2006 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

The Harry Potter phenomenon has swept the American and British nations ever since author J.K. Rowling came out with the famed and popular serious several years ago. The Harry Potter serious is much more than a book on the best selling list. The Harry Potter series while it has sold millions of copies and shattered numerous publish records. However the greater extent that one can examine the Harry Potter phenomenon is by looking at its impact on the American culture.

When the latest Harry Potter book comes out, what comes to mind when you are looking at schools that have just finished class for the day? You actually see children outside the school, sitting on the steps and reading the Harry Potter books. Those Harry Potter books are not easy to read at all. The thickness of the book alone and its 500 pages is intimidating enough not to read. But the question is why children would go through such agony to read so many pages. The answer lies in the riveting material and imagination that lies in the Harry Potter books.

American and British children and adults want to escape the hardships of their daily lives. For many adults who read the Harry Potter books, the stories in the book transports them away from their boring and tedious lives of going to work each day. For children the books represent a haven away from problems with their parents or friends. The mind is transported to the magical world of Hogwarts and the magic community.

In the U.S. and in England, the Harry Potter series has created the movies which are block bust hits. So far there have been 5 Harry Potter films and each one has gotten great reviews by the public. Literacy rates in the U.S. and in England have grown tremendously and now more children than ever before have learned how to read.

The Harry Potter series has also taught children the values of hard work, caring for one another, kindness and friendship. For example, in the fifth book, Harry rescues one of theTri-Wizard contestants' siblings who are trapped underwater even though he himself is trying to win the competition. Harry Potter also teaches the good vs. evil battle.

In the United States teachers have also begun assigned readings of the Harry Potter books because they know how much children love these books and want to take advantage of the opportunity to promote literacy in schools. In colleges courses are also being taught on Harry Potter. Courses have opening such as children's literature or the Harry Potter books are being read under the category of British literature.

Published by The Outlaw

I am a student at Binghamton University interested in law. If you are looking at my Bio for spelling errors there aren't any.  View profile

9 Comments

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  • what a bullshit1/8/2011

    bullshit..ridddiculous article

  • Katie1/8/2011

    Umm. This article show have check its facts. The Tri-Wizard Tournament takes place in the fouth book; not the fifth.

  • guest8/20/2010

    animalover95:

    your english is too good either.
    explanation, not explination
    convey, not convay
    common, not commen

    if you can't spell, i suggest you google to double check it before you start pointing out the mistakes of others? that should put you at a better position don't you think?

  • Animalover954/29/2010

    them properly. Racheline Maltese made a good point as well. I commenly find myself using the word prat to describe people and even though "Ridikulus" isn't British slang I find myself using the word instead of ridiculus even though there is only a slight variation in the pronounciation of the word.

  • Animalover954/29/2010

    You might want to check your article over and edit it. You put serious instead of series several times. Also it would be magical or wizarding community instead of "magic community." You also need to look at revising the wording of "the stories in the book transports." Also, the way you said "...the good vs. evil battle." was very vague. I think you need more of an explination for that. Also it's not "block bust hits" it's block buster and by the way you worded what you were trying to convay I think you were trying to say box office but instead made a typo and accidentally put "block bust hits." ."..the movies which are" reads funny. You might want to check your grammer there and delete the word the. Instead of "...begun assigned readings" you might want to put began assigning. Also, doesn't there need to be a comma after "In the United States"? I'm not trying to be critical or rude but I do want to assist you with your article. You have good ideas I'm just not sure you are convaying

  • COL4/27/2010

    I understand the great message of this article, but I have to say you need to get your harry potter facts right. I was going to use this peice as a source for my research paper on J.K. Rowling's impact on culture but there are too many discrepancies to take it seriously. I love the thought but the Tri-wizard tournament was in the 4th book, not the 5th!

  • Cool Guy5/15/2007

    your a n00b

  • Billy Bob5/21/2006

    Harry Potter rescues the girl in the Tri Wizard Tournament in the fourth book, not fifth. Just thought you should know.

  • Racheline Maltese5/17/2006

    You also forgot how much the books have introduced British slang into American vocabulary. Everyone here says "bloody" now it seems.

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