Yes. I am one amongst the million fans of Rowling's genius series. A decade of books and 7 movies later, it could be safely said that Harry Potter is one of the world's most famous fictional characters and will remain so in time.
I believe that there is a certain ethereal quality to the Harry Potter books. No matter how far we progress in terms of technology, magic is just something else. And it possibly fascinates us because we're in awe of it; because it can hover over our heads and change everything in split seconds - forget nano seconds et al. The fact that it is a mythical phenomenon, and, as rationalists would argue, is realistically dependent only on how well one creates illusions, makes it all the more interesting. Because that's when you start thinking - what if?
I have, like many many others, imagined myself studying in Hogwarts and belting out spells and charms like an expert witch. I wasn't a child then, and when my heart feels despondent and lonely, I do imagine Dumbledore knocking on my window and asking me to come to the grand school. And snapping out of the daydream is painful, literally, for such a world continues to elude me.
But that's not what this is about. This is about the beauty of Rowling's work. I just finished reading The Deathly Hallows (the umptieth time) and as I stayed awake turning over the events of the book in my head, it occurred to me for the first time that Rowling had managed to squeeze in the history of humankind into her series.
By history, I mean emotional history. There has been a certain trajectory that humankind has followed as far as emotionality is concerned (that may not be a word, but it seems to sound right here). From violence to civilization, to the civilized violence that we experience today - though that's just one strain - humankind has evolved layers and levels of emotions, against the backdrop of varied historical encounters. And when I look at the deeply insensitive world that we live in, I realize that to teach people about the various emotional states that do exist in living beings would take forever, if not more.
Rowling has managed just the opposite. With a blasting set of characters, ranging from the lunatic to the prosaic, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, from the hero to the villain - she has, in her magical world, lent more color to human nature than we credit ourselves to possess. Call it denial, or plain lack of imagination, it's amazing how little people on the WWW or whole wide world understand human beings.
A lot of people protested with the books and films became darker and more intense - all hogwash, of course, since that is what growing up in this world entails. The idea is to recognize just how terrible the world can be, instead of filling the air with uncertainty and an uncomfortable feeling of knowing-something's-there-but-don't-know-what and shutting our eyes right when the murder of innocence occurs. And the idea is to learn how to fight all that misery and despicable crap, instead of giving in.
There's not a chapter in the book that doesn't have a message. I akin-ed Voldemort to Hitler - their collective obsession with pure blood, painful childhoods (particularly the lack of parental love), greed for power and of course, violence beyond measure or remorse.
That's when I realized that a lot of Rowling's books reflect the meta historical narratives of the world. The events aren't really simple, neither are the relationships. And that makes me think about the beauty of books - the refuge that they create, the amount they teach and most importantly, the sense of familiarity they successfully evoke in readers.
I, for one, have learnt a lot about the love, friendship and relationships from the Harry Potters. I've also learnt a lot about fear, courage, evil, kindness, comfort, loyalty and equality from the books. And, of course, about the unbreachable quality of the human spirit and its ability to shine forth when we so choose (read: the Patronus. I wonder what mine will be).
My kids will grow up on Harry Potter. For sure. And I hope the books will teach them all that it taught me, maybe more.
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