Posted on 11/09/2001 8:04:52 AM PST by jrherreid
A Time for Harry Potter By Thomas S. Hibbs, associate professor of philosophy at Boston College and the author, most recently, of Shows About Nothing. |
|
n the wake of the atrocities of September 11, Hollywood has engaged in the sort of self-scrutiny typical of Hollywood: trivial self-absorption. Various studios have pulled or delayed projects now deemed too sensitive for the viewing public; there has even been talk of removing the Twin Towers from scenes shot in Manhattan, as if their absence would make it easier on viewers. Hollywood narcissism peaked with the director Robert Altman's insistence that the terrorist plots had to have been inspired by Hollywood films. Yet, almost in spite of itself, Hollywood may in the coming months make significant contributions to our post-September 11 culture. Hollywood will soon release two films, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and The Lord of the Rings, that, if they attain anything close to the dramatic excellence of the novels, will have much to say about good and evil and the necessity and nobility of fighting evil for the sake of justice. Although there is a settled consensus about Tolkien's artistic and ethical success in depicting a cosmic battle between good and evil, some, notably Christians, have voiced severe reservations about J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, especially about the role of magic in the books. To my mind, these objections are absurdly wide of the mark and none of the critics that I have encountered gives evidence of having read the books with care. (A thoughtful response to these criticisms can be found in Alan Jacob's essay, "Harry Potter's Magic" in the January 2000 issue of First Things.) In fact, I would argue that Rowling's series is not only not part of the problem, its is part of the solution to what ails our popular culture, especially our youth culture. In the aftermath of September 11, the books are remarkably timely, offering precisely the sort of lessons and examples young persons need to prepare them for life in a nation at war with the evil of terrorism. Over the past 20 years or so, our popular culture has been preoccupied with a) destructive evil as a form of entertainment, b) freedom as a form of adolescent self-expression, and c) narcissistic individualism as characteristic of ordinary American life. By contrast, Harry Potter insists a) on the clear distinction between good and evil and between both of these and mere entertainment, b) on the importance of the responsible or virtuous use of freedom, and c) on the nobility of sacrifice for the common good. In a culture where demonic evil is reduced either to a pointy-headed comic-book figure (think Jon Lovitz as Satan on Saturday Night Live) or to a sinister but ultimately playful aesthete (think Hannibal Lecter), Harry Potter offers a credible figure of diabolical evil: Lord Voldemort, traitor, murderer of Harry's parents, and Harry's enduring nemesis. As is true in our world, so too in Harry's world, evil often seems more attractive and complex than goodness. As Quirrell, one of Voldemort's faithful followers, makes clear, the logical term of the pursuit of evil is a raw will to power. Quirrell recalls the first time he met Voldemort : "A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it." But for all their ability to wreak havoc, to spread a culture of death (Voldemort's very name means "death wish"), evildoers in the Potter universe are either pathetic, weak sycophants or malevolent beings who rule through fear, hatred, and preying upon the innocent. Indeed, the very act of attempting to kill the infant Harry (an attack that left Harry with his trademark, lightning bolt scar) backfires on Voldemort, rendering him impotent, barely alive, forced to lead a vicarious, parasitic life, feeding off of and inhabiting the very bodies of others, hoping desperately to regain his power. Although the books are always clear about the difference between good and evil, the contrast is never simplistic. There are a rich spectrum of character types, embodying a host of virtues and vices. Even those who are on the side of good can find themselves tempted by vice, momentarily uncertain whether their path is the right one. So struck is Harry by certain unsettling similarities between himself and Voldemort that he begins to doubt his destiny. As he often does in times of trouble, Harry turns to Dumbledore, the wise headmaster at Hogwarts, whose courage and force (he's repeatedly said to be the only wizard Voldemort fears) remains concealed behind his gentle, avuncular visage. Harry continues to be troubled by the fact that the Sorting Hat, a magical hat that in a public ritual assigns each student to a particular school within Hogwarts, at first wanted to put Harry into Slytherin, which produced Voldemort and many of his followers. Recalling this, Harry says to Dumbledore:
The books affirm in multiple ways the complex interconnections among choice, habit, character, and destiny. Indeed, those who criticize the presence of magic in the books fail to see the way the stories underscore the inherent limitations to magic. The strongest limitation concerns truth, which Dumbledore calls a "beautiful and terrible thing" that must be treated with "great caution." At one point, Dumbledore informs an astonished Harry, who had expected Dumbledore to come up with a magical solution to a particularly vexing situation, that he has "no power to make others see the truth." Thus, those who stand with the truth will at times find themselves at a disadvantage in their battle against those who believe that the use of any means is justified so long as serves the end of their own aggrandizement and power. But this means that those who fight against dark forces must be ever vigilant in their exercise of the virtues of courage, loyalty, prudence, and justice. It also means that the virtuous must be willing to die in the service of the common good, especially to defend the innocent. In a marvelous passage at the end of the most recent entry in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore urges his students, "we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust." Is not this among the things that young readers find so attractive in the Harry Potter books, an invitation to participate in a series of quests, to find their proper place, their dramatic role, not alone but in friendship with others, in the battle between good and evil? |
It isn't real dude.
There are no spooks, goblins, spell-casting witches, magic potions, enchanted rings, ghosts, boogermen, flying brooms, shape-shifting monsters, or any other nonsense.
They're all make-believe dude.
Honest.
OHHHHNOOO I just used the word "magic".
On the one hand, since the mirror is being seen as a "neutral" thing, it could be considered as a "reality" of Tolkien's sub-creation; or even as a gift of prophecy. On the other hand, it smacks of divination. Sounds like a poorly chosen device to me. (Don't give any more away! ;-).
Also, I wish that Tolkien had given Gandalf a different title, other than "wizard," even though "guardian angel-like" is how I would have described Gandalf from reading the first 50 pages. It would certainly be misleading for children.
Anyhow, what is your (personal) response to my questions(without cutting and pasting big chunks of O'Brien)?
Dude, check out this cool Britney Spears site.
Anyway, shouldn't you be in bed?
Do you really think people can do magic spells?
Do you think they can make magic potions?
Do you think they can summon demons and ride on brooms?
"Put you in Gryffindor," said Dumbledore calmly, "Listen to me Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin Prized in his handpicked students. Resourcefulness determination a certain disregard for rules," he added, his moustache quivering again. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think."
When I rasied my kids I had a simple rule.."garbage in garbage out"..or "you can not make a silk purse out of a sows ear"
If you fill their little minds with witchcraft and spells and disregard for the rules..do not be surprised if you reap what you sow!
The stories are well written, the plot twist in the first book caught this old mystery read by surprize, and the pacing is wonderfull.
Suppose a novel was written for children which said there is 'good' fascism as well as 'bad' fascism, and that we must use 'good' fascism in order to battle bad fascism.
Or suppose there was children's book which talked of 'good' fornication or 'good' hallucinogenic drugs or 'good' torture.
Christians feel just as uncomfortable with a message that says that there is 'good' witchcraft. The Bible teaches that all witchcraft is inherently evil. There's no 'but' about it. That's what the Bible teaches.
If you don't believe in the Bible, that's fine. But articles like this are clearly not written to get secular humanists to let their children read Harry Potter. They're intended to get Bible-believing Christians to let down their guard and permit -- if not encourage -- their children to read Harry Potter.
One of the ways the devil disarms people is by having himself made into a charactor with horns and a tail..a joke.Who could take that seriously..it is the same with the broom..but can people do spells? Sure and there are shops that sell the stuff...a visit to Cuba or any of the Islands or Africa and you will see it in full swing..and guess what it works often enough to give it credibility.
But most important is that God believes it
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
And OWK..God does not lie!
Seriously?
You think these people can cobble together a bunch of ingredients, and mumble an incantation.... and "poof" magic happens?
Do you really believe that?
Honestly?
Do you think they can make magic potions?
Do you think they can summon demons and ride on brooms?
I believe everything Fr. James LeBar, the excorcist for the archdiocese of New York, says they can do.
Since I know you won't listen to the shows, I'll give you some highlights. He states that The Exorcist is accurate in its portrayal of possession, except that it shows all cases "rolled into one."
He also repeated a story told to him by a bishop who witnessed a person moving around his hospital room ceiling like a fly.
Regarding your tongue-in-cheek questions:
Do you really think people can do magic spells?
Yes. I think Fr. LeBar addresses that topic. (It's also Biblical)
Do you think they can make magic potions?
Yes. I think Fr. LeBar addresses that topic.
Since you're a materialist reductionist, you may ask, "how can this be possible?" It is possible not because of the ingredients in the potion, but because of the super or extra-natural power of the devil who cooperates with the person casting the spell for his own purposes, giving the appearance of the potion's efficaciousness.
Some Satanic curses, for example, require the sacrifice of infants. It should be obvious why the devil would cooperate with the person casting the spell in this case.
Do you think they can summon demons and ride on brooms?
Summon demons? Certainly. Listen to Fr. LeBar. It's also Biblical. See the account of the witch of Endor.
Flying on brooms? Never heard of it. But occultists can do "astral projection," as Fr. LeBar attests.
Novels? Plural? I didn't find the first Harry Potter book (and admittedly the only one I've ever read) to be dramatically excellent. I thought it was a third or fourth grade book with typically melodramatic characters. Maybe Rowling improved, but I only read the book to find out what all the fuss was about. I have no personal interest in reading more.
Shalom.
Perfect analogy. Another one. What if one day Harry found out that his father was a good Grand Dragon who defeated another bad Grand Dragon, and that he himself was a member of the KKK; who then went on many exciting misadventures with his KKK buddies.
I really don't see what the big deal is. I don't understand the huge Harry Potter attraction is, and I don't think it's going to warp kids.
I do think that Aquinasfan has made some excellent posts in response to clearly outlining his arguement. The excerpt from O'Brien being one, and his "Larry Potter" arguement being the other. Both do make two excellent points
One about the differences between LOTR and Harry Potter and and the second, if we can't have Christian reading materials in our public schools, why do we allow Harry Potter which is agnostic at best?
I have yet to see a decent rebuttal. Rather the Harry Potter fans would rather skewer A'fan's beliefs that rebut the arguements made.
That doesn't mean that I agree with the fevor of the anti-Potter crew either. I am a Christian, I've been a Christian since I was 10 years old. I grew up reading fantasy. Everything from Lewis and Tolkien to Hubert and Assimov, Borroughs, Zelazny, Bradbury, and Stephen King. I am not a warp individual. I've read some pretty wild stuff, some sick and violent stuff, and it has not changed me. I would go as far as to say it's made me better. I think that's what a love of reading does for you.
We Christians often over hype something and cause it be pursued out of curiosity. Many people will read Potter, or go to the movie, just to see what the big deal is and then they'll walk away going, "I don't get it. What's all the fuss about?"
Let the people who enjoy Harry Potter have their threads where they just gush and gush about how great it is. Let the anti-Potter's have their threads where it's evil incarnate. Same thing for LOTR.
My 2 cents...
I honestly didn't think there were adults who believed in that stuff literally.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.