In Defense of Harry Potter

It's been over a year since the release of J.K. Rowling's final installment in her Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and I assume all who were eager to get the answers to their questions have been rewarded for their patience. I know I have. I must admit, though, that at first I had only indifference for the series. It took me five years, serious sickness, and an enthusiastic husband to force my curiosity. I agreed to read the first book, and to my surprise it captured my interest. I have since noticed that whenever the topic comes up in conversation, the reactions are immediate and often extreme.

My most recent experience with this came the Sunday before Deathly Hallows' scheduled release. I was at church talking with a friend of mine. He is a person I respect; he is a man of faith, values and strength of character. The moment the topic of the upcoming Harry Potter release came up, though, his attitude changed. He quickly made clear his deep distaste for the series and expressed his difficulty in understanding why I, or anyone else, couldn't wait to read the seventh book because he could find no worth in the others.

He is not alone. There are many whose otherwise pleasant demeanor turns sour at the mention of Harry Potter. Why?

I've run into plenty of people who have chosen to not read these books and that's fine. My problem lies with those who stand stubbornly in their place and tell anyone who will listen how ridiculous the books are, never having given any of them the privilege of their time, just the right of their unacquainted opinion. They are convinced that Harry has nothing of value to offer the adult world, and often even go as far to say that the books demean the intelligence of anyone over the age of thirteen. Come on. Harry Potter is hardly Goodnight Moon. Many adult readers can and do appreciate the messages that Rowling ultimately delivers through Harry - lessons both children and adults alike could benefit from heeding, and they do not end and begin with the familiar victory of good over evil. It goes deeper than that.

The many lessons found in the Harry Potter books come from enemies, friends, family, and neighbors alike. These lessons include that the reward of a good deed should be in the deed itself, that the effects of small things become bigger than we'll ever know, and that we must be willing to sometimes surrender what we want and even need for the greater good - maybe to the extent of being kind to those who haven't always been kind to us. It goes on to remind us that we all have weaknesses and that we need to recognize and respect them enough to not tempt them or we will eventually come to our own very stubborn and unpleasant demise. Likewise, Harry Potter forbids rather than enables the notions that we are victims of ourselves and that we should know everything all the time. Instead, the story encourages us to have faith in others and in ourselves and with that faith stand up for what is right, even if our lives stand in the way of it. It assures us that all is well if we do and that mercy will come if and when we do our part.

These principles should not be new to anybody, but in a world of increasing confusion between what is right and what is wrong, I find such hope - and value - in the eager, wide-spread reception of the Harry Potter series.