As a novel
geared towards young adults, the Harry Potter series acts to provide an escape
for its readers. Young adulthood is often full of many emotions and
insecurities tied to friends, love, and appearance. One of the primary issues
that young Harry deals with before moving to Hogwarts, is his lack of family.
Although he does technically live with a family, he grew up with no love or
compassion. A childhood like the one Harry had deeply affects a child, leaving
them yearning for a sense of belonging. Because of Harry’s identity as a
wizard, he finds a new family in the wizarding world who help him find
happiness.
In the town where Harry lived with the Dursley’s, he is alone. In
this household, he is forced to live under the stairs and cook and clean for his
aunt and uncle. Even when he went to school, “everybody knew that Dudley’s gang
hated that odd Harry Potter” and so he lived his life in solitude (Rowling,
30). As Harry’s life with the Dursley’s was so horrific, the choice to
run away with Hagrid was a simple one.
When Harry arrives at Hogwarts he finally sees and connects with
people like him. He gets to sit on the train with Ron and share his snacks and
not be bullied. Harry is sorted into Gryffindor where he meets Hermione and
Neville, people who will be in his life for much longer than he realizes at
this point. When it becomes time for Harry to face evil for the first time at
Hogwarts, he is surprised to hear his new best friends say “come off it, you
don't think we’d let you go alone?” (Rowling, 271). With the help of his new
friends, Harry is able to conquer evil once again, because he was aided by the
love of his found family.
The search for a sense of belonging is common of all humans,
wizards or not. Love and friendship do not come easily for Harry in this novel,
as he has grown up in an unloving home. While Harry is lucky to have found a
family, this novel shows that blood relatives are not always loving and kind.
Over the course of the series, Harry forms bonds with many new people, who all
help him to fulfill his destiny.
Erilyn Briggs highlights the lack of family Harry Potter has in the muggle world, but the love, support, and belonging he finds in the wizarding world. As Briggs writes, “when Harry arrives at Hogwarts he finally sees and connects with people like him.” It is true that when Harry steps into the wizarding world, he plunges into a crowd of fans and vast support network. The second that Harry steps into his first magical place, The Leaky Cauldron, the bartender greets him with tears in his eyes saying, “welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back” (69). This continues on in a series of events that show Harry that he belongs in the wizarding world – from being the first first-year seeker in a century, finding out that his father was a seeker as well, and receiving gifts from Ron’s mom, Hermione, and Dumbledore at Christmas time. I believe that this theme of creating your own family is one of the reasons that Harry Potter is so widely known and well-loved. Especially during the young adult years, many people struggle to find friends, fit in, or receive the love and support they desire at home. Young adults feel as if they are independent, but still living in a world out of their control – like Harry Potter. Harry goes from one of the worst situations imaginable at Private Drive with no love or compassion to one of the best circumstances full of fame, friendship, and intrigue through the arrival of a letter. Any readers would love to be swept away from their own lives just the same.
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