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.

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Neil Gaiman- The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The fantastical world coexists with our mundane reality in The Ocean at the End of the Lane: the fabric of time can be snipped and mended by an immortal grandmother; wormholes to other realities can manifest themselves in your heart; a duck pond can be an ocean of understanding. And while this tale is undoubtedly a fantasy short novel, the narration really boils down to a coming of age story about a boy who is trying to find ways to cope with hardship. The unnamed protagonist faces death multiple times over a very short amount of time and begins to experience strange phenomena, such as waking up with a coin stuck in his throat. His friendly, magical neighbors down the lane explain these oddities without ever really giving him answers. Or, at least, their answers make sense for the world as they see it. The Hempstocks don’t exist as contemporary manifestations of myth but rather exist to aid and control the magic already at work within the universe.

What I enjoy most about the genre is the tendency to narrate through the eyes of children. The Ocean at the End of the Lane begins with an adult protagonist facing a funeral and only when he is presented to the “ocean” does he begin to remember his childhood. It could be argued that the Hempstocks may have altered his memories, as they’ve done with others. Or it could be argued that the reality of his past may not have had these fantastical elements and instead been the imagination of a boy questioning and trying to understand the adult world. He loses a friend in his cat and then is exposed to the corpse of suicide. He questions the desire for wealth and struggles to understand the presence of a beautiful woman who has come to break apart his family by seducing his father. Death, greed, and sex all play important roles in adult life and as a growing young boy he decides to look for answers. Lettie and the Hempstocks have the existential knowledge of everything in their backyard and even they know some things are best kept a mystery. The entire novel is a taste of magic in a modern setting, and we are all left wondering how and why memories can change and if the way we view adult life is worth sacrificing childhood.

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The Hobbit: A Hero's Journey

The Hobbit is the perfect example of a formulaic hero’s tale. Bilbo Baggins begins his journey as a painfully ordinary man, most comfortable in routine and unwilling to disband from it. Only through the supernatural persuasion of a mentor (Gandalf), does he feel the compulsion to embark on a journey, knowing fully well that he will never be the same afterwards. This “refusal to call” and “crossing of first threshold” are critical elements in the primary stage of the heroic adventure.

The second phase- initiation- begins as they journey through the wilds to Rivendell, and Bilbo immediately feels the difference between his old mundane life and the unexpected perils of adventure. He constantly reflects on his desire for leisure and luxury, and for many people this must make Bilbo a fairly relatable character. He is pushing himself out of his comfort zone and at first it is scary and only makes you long for a time when everything was in your control. As Bilbo progresses through the journey’s trials, though, he slowly begins to see his worth as a member of the team and as an individual. When they reach the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo is able to play the role he was hired for: to act as a sort of spy/thief. He steals the golden cup as well as the Arkenstone, gathers intel about Smaug’s weak spot, and tries to make peace among races through negotiation. After war erupts and Thorin is at the end of his life, Bilbo receives atonement for his actions through the declaration of friendship. This allows the “apotheosis” phase to help Bilbo realize how much he has grown. He has accepted the changes within himself and embraces the return phase, where he does return to his daily routine but he has undoubtedly been changed for the better and earned the respect of many. This is a classic ending to a heroic tale, one used to satisfy the reader and make them feel as if they too can journey to find the hero within.

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Aunt Maria: Witches in Power

Diana Wynne Jones’ Aunt Maria uses the witch archetype for many reasons. One reason was to establish this dystopian world with a great rift between sexes; a rift that is unnatural and should not be accepted as a decent way to live. This is almost revealed explicitly when the revived Antony Green speaks of the way life is at Cranbury. “They divided into men’s ways and women’s ways then, and they’ve been thinking up more and more rules ever since to make the difference seem even bigger. Women allowed men the strong, out-of-doors things – provided the men put the virtue of their thoughts and ambitions into this box, so that it couldn’t get loose and run wild – while the men gave over all the secret, indoors things to the women – on condition the main power was kept safe by just a few strong women who would work by the rules.” This book pushes for gender equality and is aimed at a young audience, which I think is important. The female characters range from evil to pure, sane to insane, strong-willed to naive. The male characters range from mild-tempered to hot-headed or soft-spoken to loudmouthed. And progress is only made when they all work together, regardless of sex or age. Jones is implying that in order for a community to function properly, there needs to be mutual respect.

I thought it was interesting, then, how we are immediately made to dislike Aunt Maria and the secretive power she yields. Even though at first she seems relatively harmless, it could be argued that the reader should assume there is an unbalance due to the matriarchal structure of the Laker family. Of course it slowly is revealed that Maria is a true threat because she acts selfishly to hold onto her power. Mig, on the other hand, is a young girl who sees the truth because she considers her and her brothers to be equal. I found it interesting when she said “I’ve been letting Chris do all the real active thinking. Perhaps it’s because Chris is a year older than me. But I am not usually like this. I think it is the way everyone here takes for granted that having ideas is not women’s work and not nice somehow. In future, I swear to do better.” That is the moment when she is reintroduced to the fact that women need to be as active as men and men need to be allowed to express their emotions. After she finds that balance, she is a stronger lady who helps save the day.

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