Why the obsession with Harry Potter?

To be honest, seeing the title “Harry Potter” was a large determinant in my taking this young adult fiction course. This is not a result of any extreme fandom or attachment to the series, but rather an opportunity to fulfill a curiosity that I have had for years. What is with the obsession surrounding Harry Potter? Less than a week ago, I was one of the few people I know that could say they had never read a single one of J.K. Rowling’s seven book series. The more I reflect on the story, the more I wonder how the book is all but worshipped by so many.

What I hear discussed the most from Harry Potter are houses. Houses in Harry Potter play a large role in your experience at Hogwarts. The sorting hat dictates your personality, your popularity and your friends (Rowling, 117). As a result of your house, you interact with a select group of students and few others. I do not know about you, but I am not the same as many of my friends. I admit that there are similarities that draw us to one another, but often it is not the same for all in the group. In fact, I believe there is some merit behind the argument of the four Gryffindor friends representing all four houses. Therefore, it makes no sense to me that people would be so obsessed with the house they would be assigned to in real life if the characters in the book hardly follow the characteristics of theirs.  

Harry Potter does not have the most appealing life, yet countless of readers wish to be him. After the murder of his own parents, he is sent to live with his muggle family. Overshadowed by his obnoxious cousin, Harry lives a life with very few joys in the closet under their staircase. I imagine the desire to personify Harry Potter arises in his drastic change of circumstance. For myself growing up in a tough home, I enjoyed reading stories that provide an escape. However, this is not what happens for Harry. He is sent to a school where his name is greater than he. Harry is a brave kid who is willing to risk himself in order to save others, but the very thing that sets him apart is the night surrounding the death of his parents. When facing Voldemort, he is saved by the strength of his mother’s love (Rowling, 299). Although I cannot speak to Harry Potter’s evolution in subsequent books, this one paints him as a boy who succeeds as a result of his parents’ sacrifice. I know very few who would trade their family for recognition in the form Harry receives.

I enjoy reading Harry Potter. The story was one that allows you to experience new things alongside friends who have your back. However, many readers seem to forget the misfortune that the boy has experienced. Personally, I would not want to lose my parents in order to gain a life at Hogwarts. There are hundreds of other students at Hogwarts and all the focus is on the infamous Harry Potter. Personally, I would rather be one of them than suffer the losses and trials that this young boy faces. Harry Potter is a good book, but from reading and discussion, I have yet to understand its popularity.