Spiritual Education and Harry Potter

            I’ve got to say that I stayed lame this week and went with what I already knew. Harry Potter is a great illustration of this genre and having read each book a few times I thought I would be able to make an accurate post. I read the first book when I was eleven and from then on I have, like many kids, had an ongoing relationship with the series.

            These books offer a coming of age tale about a young boy, raised by his aunt and uncle, who is unexpectedly thrust into the world of magic. For seven books we follow Harry and his friends through the Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry and witness the adventures they have. While these books were written for a young audience, probably to teach them about growing up and the problems of adolescent life, Harry Potter has a very wide audience and is enjoyed by people of all ages.

            Now on the surface these stories seem innocent and simple, about a young boy growing up in a crazy world. However, like most great stories, there is a lot more going on than meets the eye. While it is of course about everything a teenager would encounter growing up, I also think we have more in depth themes working. The need for a good sense of community and how important friendship is stands out to me immediately. His friends throughout the entire series support Harry very completely; if it wasn’t for them Harry probably couldn’t have accomplished half of what he did. This is also a reason that I connected so deeply with this story, my friends have played a very meaningful role in my life growing up. Another theme I think Rowling is talking about and trying to teach with her books, is about the handling of power and the responsibility that comes with great power. In the wrong hands a great thing could be terrible and in the right hands it could save everything.

            Among these themes there are countless other lessons being taught by this series. For this reason I think Harry Potter is a great read for everyone, whether you are a young person struggling through public schooling, or you’re an adult who has already gone through a lot of that and these books help to give you a different perspective on important issues.