It has been about three months now
since I first heard about the "Harry Potter" issue and
started wondering what the fuss was all about. Although I did
not make a great effort to follow the debate I did make note of
the comments that were being presented.
- the books are all about witches and wizardry
- the books teach children about the occult yet we can't
teach about Christianity in schools
- the books contain horrible violent scenes which young
children should not read
Each time I heard something knew I would share the
information with my son (who is now 23), wondering what his
opinion was, as he had read the books. His only comment
was "that's rubbish" (or words to that effect.)
Finally, after yet another question about whether it was evil and
warping kids' minds, he walked away from me without a word and
then returned with the first of the four books. "HERE
-- READ IT YOURSELF". What a concept --read it
myself! I wonder
how many of the "bandwagon" hoppers have indeed read
the books themselves?
And so that night I delved into the world of Harry Potter and
I was "bewitched". (haha, I couldn't resist).
How could one not get caught up in the world of the underdog.
This poor lad, orphaned, being raised by an abusive family,
filled with doubts, fears, loneliness, and yet-- above all
--strength of character, leads the reader into a world of
learning, of friendship, of real life issues, and yes of wizardry.
Cloaked in the realm of magic lies many character-building
lessons. Every reader, in my opinion, has to be able to
identify with the characters of the story, whether they ARE one
of the students of the Wizard's School, or if they have known
one of the 'characters' in their own life. Within the pages of the
Harry Potter books can be found the clutz, the poor boy, the
bully, the bookworm, the self-conscious, the followers,
etc. And along with these characters comes the development
of valuable social/emotional skills.
- What does it take to stay true to your friends when
they are being humiliated by others?
- At what costs do you defend what is right, when it is
so easy to give in and take the wrong path?
- Would you have the courage to follow what you believe
in?
- Could you endure the personal torture suffered by the
characters in the book?
- Have you judged someone by their looks, without really
getting to know them?
- Why should we give people a second chance, and not judge them
by one situation?
- And what about stereotypes? How do they twist our
perceptions of people?
To "Harry Potter" or not to "Harry
Potter" -- that is the question! And the only way to find
the answer is to read the books with open eyes, and heart.
Do not judge the books by what others have said. Do not
read only the wizardry, but look at what is really being
said. The books are about open-mindedness and the courage
to go against the flow. They are about honour and loyalty. They
are about strength of character, and right and wrong. They are
about humanity and the real world we find ourselves in, within
society.
I have now finished reading the four books and cannot wait for what
comes next. What will happen to the bully? Will the
loner finally be recognized as a valuable member of the
group? What difficulties will the friendships endure? How
will "good" overcome evil? We can only wait and
see! |
