Harry Potter Research Paper

J.K. Rowling: Literary Style and Outlooks on her Works

“When writing children’s books you have to be a cold blooded murderer,” said J.K. Rowling. One of the reasons behind her success is the fact that she writes for herself and for no one else. J.K. Rowling is today revered as a talented writer, by both those who love her work and those who hate it.

J.K. Rowling’s literary style has been described as magical realism. She incorporates mystery, magic, and adventure in her stories of the famous wizard boy Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling uses the people closest to her for inspiration, giving her books a distinct British feel. “Much of the character of Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter books is based on [Sean Harris],” (Webb 1) who is a good friend of hers from childhood, and still is today. There is a dark side to her style due to the fact that she went through a rough period in her life she “got married, had a baby, and then separated.” (2).

Those who enjoy the Harry Potter series have come to its rescue so to speak by defending its values to the world. In the Harry Potter series we see many moral lessons being taught like forgiveness, exemplified when Ron and Harry forgive Hermione for letting Crookshanks eat Scabbers, and for telling professor McGonagall about Harry’s new Firebolt. (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 274, 232). We also learn the value of sharing from J.K.’s series, when Harry buys Ron and Hermione Ominoculars at the Quidditch World Cup, and when he gives all his Triwizard winnings to Fred and George Weasley. (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 93, 733). Also, he gives freedom to a mistreated house elf known as Dobby (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 338). Another reason that the Christian population who like Harry Potter use to defend the books moral character is that “Hogwarts School has a break/vacation/holiday for both Christmas and Easter.” (Why do some Christians Hate Harry? 1). Harry, Ron, and Hermione receive Easter eggs from Mrs. Weasley, (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 549) and although this doesn’t make them Christians, it infers that Mrs. Weasley is quite possibly a Christian since she observes the holiday.

Although there are many who love her books there are plenty who don’t and they are even more active in the pursuit to rid the world of Harry Potter than those of us who like him are to keep him in it. Harry Potter has cause an interesting rift in the Christian community to say the least because half like him and half don’t. A couple of years back a religious group, The Jesus Party, in the US held an Anti-Harry Potter Conference at a hotel in Maine, where concerned parents, school board members, teachers, librarians, bookshop owners, and clergy were invited to watch a video produced by Jeremiah Films called “Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged” and to be part of a cutting up of the “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” book. (The Hogwarts Wire 1). There are also overprotective parents who believe that by reading these books their son or daughter may suddenly decide to become a witch or wizard. “There are […] parents […] that feel to subject a child to witchcraft, the occult – trances, etc. – in anyway is failing [their] duty as parents who are to watch out for the children that the Lord has given [them] to train up in the way he/she should go.” (Sanders 1).

Those Christians and parents who fear Harry Potters affect on the children of today, I believe probably have not even read the books. They see he is a wizard and immediately reject it. I know that before this series came out I only read when forced to, I considered reading to be boring and a waste of time when you have a perfectly good television to watch, but after having read these books I find that reading is easier and more enjoyable to me. I have read each of the Harry Potter books in the series many times and I always find them entertaining not manuals on the occult or books on how to cast spells. J.K. Rowling in my opinion must be attributed with writing one of the most entertaining and captivating series the world has ever known. The true magic about her series is that they have gotten kids and adults alike to read again. Her literary style is just that, hers. She writes for herself and consequently has created a style all her own and I and many others feel like she has done an outstanding job and will continue to do so.

Works Cited

"Religious group plans anti – Harry Potter event." The Hogwarts Wire. 13 Nov.

2002. Television. 28 Oct. 1998

<http://www.hogwartswire.com/archives/000334.html >.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1999.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2000.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1999.

Sanders, Barbara. Harry Potter - The Controversy. 4 March 2003. 6 April 2004

<http://entourages.com/barbs/harrypotter.htm>.

Webb John. J.K. Rowling Biography. 6 April 2004

<http://home.freeuk.com/webbuk2/harrypotter.htm >.