Comments on: Realism in Harry Potter

By: Conservative Book Talk » Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:32:56 +0000

[...] earlier thoughts by Tim Taylor: Magic and Harry Potter/ Harry Potter Continued/ Realism in Harry Potter/ Conclusion of Harry Potter [...]

By: Tim Taylor

Tim Taylor — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 12:17:04 +0000

I agree about my formatting problems (no paragraphs). I’ll go back and edit my posts to make them more reader friendly.

Secondly, I don’t necessarily object to violent acts, immoral activities, erroneous worldview, etc. All of these elements are in the Bible and if I were to be against all such material I couldn’t read the Bible. The issue isn’t whether objectionable elements are present, but how they are presented. The author’s tone toward them is what matters.

Thirdly, yes kids do imitate LOTR, Batman, and other things they see on television or read in books. The difference is that most kids make the distinction that Middle-Earth/Narnia aren’t real places because the authors present them as fantasy world. Rowling presents Harry Potter as occurring in contemporary London and England. She makes no effort to present her work as occurring in a fantasy world and blurs the distinction between ficition and reality.

There is a difference between having kids pretending to be elves and dueling with each other and kids pretending to being witches and wizards, especially when businesses are marketing real occult/magic books at them. The religious aspect of witchcraft and wizadry differs from pretending to be an elf. Having kids chanting spells (even if they are made up) opens them up to situations and mindsets where they begin to accept or sympathize with the occult and wizadry.

By: Blog Jones

Blog Jones — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 23:09:28 +0000

Hey I posted a comment earlier, but I think it got moderated because I had too many links in it. Could you approve it?

By: Tim Taylor

Tim Taylor — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 14:43:42 +0000

I have read the first five books all the way through five times and some of the individual books more times than that. I just finished reading the sixth and most recent volume this past Monday night.

By: pMD

pMD — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 14:40:30 +0000

Have you read all of the harry potter books?

By: Blog Jones

Blog Jones — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 04:35:37 +0000

A couple of comments. First and foremost, your posts will be much, much more readable if you split them up into paragraphs. Second, shall I assume that the Bible sets your standards for objectionable elements in literature? If so, you should have no problems with detailed descriptions of violent acts and immoral activities. Thirdly, your objections with Harry Potter seem primarily based on the fact they depict events in modern times, whereas LOTR/Chronicles depict their stories in fantasy locations. Yet my 11 year old brother and his friends play Lord of the Rings, swinging sticks instead of swords. So, setting seems to have little effect on whether children will imitate it. My other brother and I played Batman when we saw the old, ridiculously censored 50's TV show reruns. Needless to say, I have not grown up to become a tights-wearing, crime-fighting superhero. I very much doubt that my brother will become an elvish warrior. It's just play. The Harry Potter imitators are just playing. Just kids having fun. Relax.