Harry Potter & Morality

Reading harry potter for the first time was pretty nostalgic. I remember trying to open one of my brother's Harry Potter books, I believe it was The Goblet of Fire, when I was young and being overwhelmed with the size and content. Although I read a lot when I was young I still felt I couldn’t handle Harry Potter. I watched all the movies but reading it is a completely new, fresh experience that I like. And JK Rowling's writing doesn’t feel juvenile or rushed, unlike like Akata Witch. There’s a humor to Rowling's writing, it makes me wonder how her style developed and (most likely) matured with the audience as the series went on. I'm definitely interested in finishing the series as the magic I felt while watching the movies was reignited while reading The Sorcerer's Stone.

I expected the fact that I had seen the movies to ruin my imagination while reading the book, but it only enhanced it and made me enjoy it more. Sure, it would have been nice to visualize these characters and places without any outside imagery, but I really enjoying combining what I’d seen with what I read. I was around for the Harry Potter craze, while the books were coming out, and I was 4 when I watched the first film, so I'm aware I may be associating all of these warm feelings now, 17 years later, while reading The Sorcerer's Stone. But believe me, this is not all due to nostalgia, Rowling hid some good moral lessons in her writing.

When I was younger, I was a part of the PBS crowd that watched programs such as Reading Rainbow or Between the Lions (I liked Clifford a lot too), that placed emphasis on education, reading, and interpersonal values. It may have been something my mom just put on TV, or encouraged me to watch because of my learning disability at the time, but now I can reflect and thank her for that because I believe it's part of why I enjoyed reading as a teenager and still do.

Rowling raises some questions about morality and more so the concept of power. My view is limited as I've only read one book, but these themes are still prevalent in the movies. Simple, black and white conflicts are presented at first, such as how Harry, Ron, and Hermione navigate Malfoy's jealousy and rage are handled by them being more clever. The group also defends weaker characters, like Neville and Quirrell from stronger characters. Usually these opposing characters have some sort of power and are Slytherin. We also see how Harry reconciles with the loss of his family and having to deal with his terrible surrogate family. He finds familial friendships, that only grow as the series goes on, with Ron and Hermoine. Ron is uncomfortable because of his crowded and impoverished upbringing, but he is generous to Harry because of it. Other relationships are not so clear cut, like with Snape.

From the beginning of Sorcerer's Stone (book) to nearly the end, we as the audience mistrust Snape because Harry and his friends do. We all very much see Snape as the "bad guy" and Quirrell and others as the weaker, "good" guys. But when it is revealed that Snape is not the culprit behind the strange incidents at Hogwarts and that is is Quirrell, not only is it a twist but it presents a moral dilemma. Snape is still rude to Harry; due to his misplaced contempt for his father, but he worked to keep Harry safe as he learned of Quirrell and Voldemort's plan.

Quirrell, under the control of Voldemort, comments to Harry, "There is no good or evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it…" Later, almost as a response to this, Dumbledore says that humans have an awful habit of choosing to do things that will make things worse for them. Rowling's conclusion from all of this is that power changes a person, regardless of intent. That people are not good or bad, but they do things with good or bad intentions, many times unable to see the consequences to their actions. The grey morality that Rowling presents becomes more muddled as the story progress. And in this way, Rowling's writing grows with her audience.

One note: The movie showed Harry killing Quirrell whereas in the book, Quirrell overtook Harry and he fainted. Dumbledore saves Harry moments later. However the decision to let Harry kill Quirrell; ultimately a more morally decided choice than the book, may have been something Rowling did not intend.