Since the 1997 release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Pottermania has only gained momentum. Fans both young and old will be lining up in droves at cinemas and bookstores the world over in the coming weeks to get a peek at the latest installments of the Harry Potter franchise. The creation of thousands of websites, dozens of conferences, and even “Wizard Rock” bands like Harry and the Potters, are proof that this series has turned the world on its head. Those unaffected look bewilderingly at the Potter crazed masses and wonder “why?”
There are of course, the obvious reasons. Harry’s world has enough adventure, magic and mystery to engage even a reluctant young reader. But the success of the books lies mainly in the fact that Harry has grown along with his readers. Not only does Harry have to face the evil wizard Voldemort, he also goes through puberty and girl-trouble.
Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who plays Harry, recently raised a few eyebrows by performing nude in the London stage play, Equus. While many parents were shocked to see the young man who for millions is the boy wizard bare all, it’s a fitting sign that Potter is growing up. It is precisely his aging and his faults-a tendency to act before he thinks-that makes Harry a realistic and easily relatable character
The Harry Potter franchise has the uncanny tendency to appear real to its audience. Unlike other fantasy books like J.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings, Harry’s magical world isn’t distant from our own, but exists just beneath the surface of 21st century Britain. This world hidden within reality seems closely related to our own experience, so much so that people can believe, if only just for a while, that it truly does exist.
The Harry Potter series have become more than just literary diversions by dealing with real and important issues in new ways. In the conflict between “Pureblood” wizards and “Mudbloods” (wizards with nonwizard parents), Rowling alludes to society’s grappling with racism and tolerance. Making hard choices and coping with death are also central to the series. Rowling wants Harry to grow up and deal with these issues in a real way, even if it is under unreal circumstances.
As the new book and movie are released, Potter fans everywhere are hoping he will be able to handle the increasingly serious challenges that come with maturity. Even as the books become darker, there is still the belief that love will triumph. While Harry may have lost his innocence, he has grown to greater power, both in the magical world between the book covers and the real world where thousands of us are waiting, counting down the hours, the minutes, the seconds until July 21, 2007.
