Let’s not take it too seriously!
Among Catholic and conservative communities, it is common to have a lot of controversy over the pros and cons of allowing children to read the Harry Potter books. Many people view it as a harmless story with lots of imagination, while others claim it has demonic influences and can lead its readers to witchcraft and other dark things.
People give a dangerous power to the Harry Potter books by insisting that they are inherently evil. If people took the books at face value– as a made up story about a little boy with magical powers who defeats a bad wizard with his friends in an epic battle between good and evil– then that is how children would grow up understanding it.
If there is danger in the Harry Potter series then there is danger in every fantasy book that has ever been written. The whole point of a fantasy book or series is that it is not real and has been written purely for entertainment and to amuse the imagination. Once fantasy is taken as reality, it all goes downhill from there.
If parents introduce Harry Potter to their children without talking to them about how magic isn’t real, then MAYBE those children will grow up believing that magic, witches, and flying broomsticks are real, which could MAYBE lead to those children turning towards witchcraft. However, at that point, the blame does not fall on the book, but on the parents for not properly teaching their children the difference between reality and fantasy.
Another pitfall I have heard of, that commonly leads children to bad places through Harry Potter, is the internet. If you didn’t know this already, the internet is a dark and dangerous place and bad things are available to everyone and anyone with a single click of a button, so if a parent gives their child free reign of the internet, they are going to find bad things.
Many times, children who have access to the internet at a young age and are reading the Harry Potter books will turn to the trap of fanfiction and an online fandom, which can be incredibly dark and definitely dangerous for kids.
However, the fact that certain places on the internet can be dangerous is true of the internet in general, not just when it comes to the Harry Potter fandom. Also, I hate to break this to everyone, but fanfiction and weird fandoms exist for just about every book, show or movie out there. It is not solely a Harry Potter problem.
Again, it is the parents’ responsibility to be guarding and protecting their children from the dangers of the internet. It is not the Harry Potter books’ job to monitor each child’s screen time or content.
Aside from the magic aspect, J.K. Rowling’s characters are filled with the kinds of virtue that Catholics admire in our saints. There is noble sacrifice, courage, loyalty, and very high value placed on the dignity of human life. There is even a Christ-like representation of death for the saving of the world and resurrection.
JK Rowling does a great job of showing how good characters who the reader is supposed to like also struggle with vices. For example, Ron, who we see struggle with the vices of jealousy and hubris, ultimately chooses to overcome them through love and humility. Harry as well struggles with Voldemort’s presence in his mind, which is a very clear analogy of sin, but also overcomes his influence through courage and the help of his friends and mentors.
This is all to say that Harry Potter as a fantasy story for children can actually inspire a love for great virtues and a desire to be a better person through seeing the goodness of the characters. Not only that, but it is a good way to get children into reading longer, more advanced books.
However, these things are only beneficial if children are introduced to Harry Potter as a fantasy story that is not reality.
Aine O’Brien is a senior English major. She is the president of the swing dance club, co-president of League of Her Own and a leader in Blessed is She.