The Novel of Spiritual Education

The Harry Potter series played a large role in my childhood, as it has for many others. Though I was too young to appreciate the books when they first came out, I saw every movie and picked up the books during middle school. Like many children facing adolescent struggles of puberty, I fell in love with the magical world that mirrored ours. There were characters I could relate to having problems that I could identify with. This subgenre of fantasy is aimed to guide the youthful audience through wisdom and entertaining action. The series tackled moral complexities which grew in intensity with each installment as both the characters and the audience aged. These moral complexities can range from facing fears to falling in love. A common pattern, however, is that the characters need to educate themselves and be brave while retaining their individuality in order to prove that they are worthy opponents for the challenges before them. This is seen on a more literal level in the first novel, in which the three main characters each have a unique quality that enables them to pass through the obstacles to reach the “Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s” stone.

One of my favorite elements of Rowling’s wizard world, however, is the concept of dementors and patronuses. Dementors could be considered a physical manifestation of depression. They suck out every happy feeling, every cherished memory, and leave you as an abyss of negativity. The concept is enough to scare anyone, regardless of age, because no one is happy all of the time and we all come to face negative phases of our lives. But Harry Potter shows children that there is always hope with the addition of protective spirits, patronuses, who dispel dementors and keep you safe. While dementors and patronuses don’t exist in the muggle world, children can use this example to see that even in the darkest of times, when problems can seem to be all around you, you are never truly alone and there will always be someone willing to help you see the light. That is just one of the many moral dilemmas Rowling explores in the Harry Potter universe, and it is aimed at children to guide them and maybe help them see whatever they are going through in a different light.