Something that I found
interesting during our class discussions on Harry Potter is what makes this
novel and series so timeless. It seems like almost everyone knows Harry Potter.
Whether they have read the books, seen the movies, or have just heard an
annoying amount about the series from Potterhead even if they are not a fan
themselves. You can find someone to talk Harry Potter with just about anywhere
you go. Why is that?
Personally, I started reading the Harry Potter books when
I was in third grade. It seemed like everyone in my school was reading it at
the time, so I wanted to read them too. I remember the series being so popular
that I could never check out the books at the library, so my parents bought me
the complete set. Although I started reading the books because that was what
everyone else was doing, I fell in love with the fantasy J.K. Rowling created. I
could not wait for my Hogwarts letter to come in the mail. Hogwarts just seemed
like such a fun place to be. Harry was such a relatable hero. He was a normal
boy and suddenly his life changed when he found out he was a wizard and he became
a hero to everyone in the wizarding world when he stopped Voldemort for a
second time at the end of the first book.
The
first book was a perfect introduction to the series because it makes the
readers feel involved in the story. As a kid, it was me waiting to get my Hogwarts
letter in the mail. However, it is not just kids that feel included in the
culture Rowling created. Fan culture is a huge reason why Harry Potter became
popular and has stayed relevant. We discussed this in class, and I thought it
was fascinating because I had never really thought about it. Harry Potter
creates opportunities for fans to insert themselves into wizarding world and
identify better with the story and the characters. There are so many different
quizzes and websites that Potter fans can go to find out what house they belong
to. This allows fans to both relate to the story and also get a form of
personal identity. Identifying which Hogwarts house, you belong to is just
scratching the surface of fan culture. There are amusement parks, festivals, quidditch
matches, and countless other events are memorabilia that fans can participate
in to immerse themselves in this fantastical world. Some of it is created by
Rowling and her team to promote the book, but most of fan culture has evolved on
its own because of the love and dedication fans have for the book, characters,
and the magical world Rowling created. Because of this, I do believe that Harry
Potter will be around for a long time. It will be one of those timeless series
and books that students will study centuries from now to learn about literature
from today.
I agree with you, Harry Potter has withstood the test of time and remains a favorite among new and old readers. As you stated, there are many factors that add to its continued popularity, but I would like to focus on relatability factor that you mentioned. I would argue that Harry is actually not that relatable. He comes from a horrible household where he is treated like a waste of space. His own Uncle Vernon warns him and says ”you’ll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas” if he does anything to ruin Dudley’s birthday (Rowling 24). While there are plenty of cases where someone is treated horribly by their own parents, I still think Harry is not meant to be relatable. Harry lives an extraordinary life filled with magic and adventure. The stakes become much more deadly as the series goes on, but I believe Rowling’s wizarding world is meant to a place for escapism. Every kid growing up dreams of finding out they’re extremely important and that it’s up to them to save the day. Every kid growing up wants to believe that magic is real. This entire series has stayed in the mainstream because as new generations of kids read the books, the desire to escape into a world of magic stays the same.
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