Week Four

What parallels can you find between A Wizard of Earthsea and the Harry Potter franchise? What other influences does Burn (2005) suggest for Harry Potter?


I didnt really find any parallels between A Wizard of Earthsea and the Harry Potter franchise. Apart from both stories featuring wizards within a magical society, that was pretty much it. For a majority of the time, Burn discussed the likening of Harry Potter and his friends to that of Frodo and his companions in the Lord of The Rings. Both Rowling and Tolkien write about a group of friends who journey to defeat the evil and overcome the fear such evil creates. 


The popularity of both texts are the reason Burn explores the interconnectedness each has. Potter books have grown to become a cross-media craze in which 'children's engagment extends across novels, films, computer games, the internet, and a range of merchandise worth of star wars' Burn (2005). He says that we need to think about how different literacies come into play, how they connect, what they have in common and that it is important to consider how these are located in the context of childrens contemporary media cultures. 


By focussing on the social purpose Harry Potter has for children, Burn examines the different perspectives one could have on Potter. Essentially, Potter acts the child hero and also offers 'a fantasy of power in a world run by adults' Burn (2005). Burn also notes that Harrys appeal is not universal and that by a certain age, boys beome unhappy with what the character represents. The representation of Harry is explored along with the influences Harry has on children. In terms of representation, there are expectations that Harry will perform as the hero fighting his problems through external actions, however in a certain scene of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (the one where Harry and Ron are surrounded by Aragog and her family in the Forbidden Forest), Burn notices that Harry does not in fact 'perform' any heroic actions (destroying the spiders) one would assume. He is in fact saved by an enchanted Ford Anglia who speeds through the forest, leading Harry and Ron to safety.


'An explanation for Harry's relative inaction might be that he is generally, at least in the first two books, a mixture of action and vulnerability' Burn (2005). Harry is definitely depicted as the hero, but he heavily relies on his friends for aid on his journey, much like Frodo. It is this vulnerability that seems to appeal to kids (mainly girls) as 'goodness is an essential feature of the character, but they [boys and girls] value it differently. For girls, Harry is recognised as do-gooder for not harming the spiders. Boys on the other hand find Harry's inability to kill the spiders in the book to be weak.


The influence Harry has on kids differs from gender and age. Personally I agree with the perspective that Harrys inability to act was weak, but at the same time I value his lack of action. I find Harry's innocence plays a key role in the story and by not killing the spiders he maintains his naievity of the world. Eventually he becomes desensitized to thought of death but only because he's forced to in order to survive.



Why does the religious right in the US condemn fantasy according to Cockrell (2004)? On what grounds does Cockrell defend fantasy literature, using Harry Potter as an example?


'The border between what is real and what is fantasy is a shifting line that is culturally dependent' Cockrell (2004). In this case, the popular culture of fantasy literature; in particular the Harry Potter books, are fast becoming targeted by conservative parents. Their reason for attacking such a genre of literature is thanks to the belief that J.K. Rowling's books encourage witchcraft and satanism - that her books are not a form of literature but in fact manuals for the dark arts. Another prevailing belief for religious parents is that fantasy equals deceit and to allow such deceit to exist within storytelling will lead to lying and other deceitful behaviour.


Prior to the social attacks on Harry Potter, much of the previous conservative effort was used to censor sex, swear words and anything pertaining to the body. However due to the popularity of Harry Potter, censorship has now moved to the occult. Despite the use of magical characters within other texts (fairy godmother in Cinderella, the Good Witch of the West in The Wizard Of Oz), Potter takes much of the brunt mainly due to his placement within 'our world, making him more of a threat. Rowling has abandoned the realm of high fantasy and laid her story in contemporary England, rather than in the imaginary and medievally flavored otherworld ...' Cockrell (2004). Rowling also suggests that witches and wizards live among us, unseen but here nontheless adding to the fuel of many fundamentalist Christians who find this similar to that of angels or like the voice of Satan 'it is out there, unseen but ready to swallow up the hapless child who can be turned towards its seductive allure, and that it actually works'. Cockrell (2004).


Needless to say Cockrell rises to defend fantasy literature by analysing Rowling's work, searching for truth. But there are many possibilites to this truth, 'if art may make the unreal real, it may also disguise the real as fiction, and teach witchcraft in the guise of fantasy .. the idea that there may be more than one truth is disturbing to those whose religious faith rests on an unchanging world, where facts stay still' Cockrell (2004). 


The fact is, Rowling allows Harry Potter to exist in a world that we percieve as real, but how real is our world when the idea that some magical being could walk beside us? Fiction must conform to what one can view as real, and when it does not, fear of the strange arise. Taking into consideration that the fear of paganism runs strong in conservative homes, one can see how Harry Potter would raise alarms. To assume that the monsters and miracles of the bible are literally true would be to also allow the unseen world to exist, creating the sense of vulnerability to supernatural forces. 


Cockrell understands how religious groups would condemn fantasy, but she also understands that Harry Potter does not exist for Satanic purpose. '.. this magic lacks a god or a devil at the heart of it .. At the heart instead lies mystery .. Harry frightens only those who want the answers to be the same everytime the question is asked.' Cockrell (2004). In Rowling's world, answers are not required to be the same. After all she does say to her reader from the start: Do not count on anything staying still. This may look like your world, but do not count on it being what you thought it was.




References


Burn, A. (2005). Potter Literacy - from book to game and back again; literature, film, game and cross-media literacy. Papers: Exploration into Children's Literature, Vol 14, No 3

 
Cockrell, A. (2004). Harry Potter and the Witch Hunters: a social context for the attacks on Harry Potter. The Journal of American Culture, Vol 29, No 1.