Not Just Wizards...But Trolls Too?

This post is for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Chapter 10 through Chapter 11

     Many of the people that have suggested banning the Harry Potter books can be seen as extremely religious, since their main reason for the banning was based around religious influence. The bishop and St. John's school is a very strong believer that this series is bad for children to read, and even though he mostly wanted to ban it because of how it exploited magical spells and potions, he also wanted to ban them because of how their content required too much imagination. The bishop thought that children should focus on their studies during their youth because they have the rest of their lives to dream (I don't agree, imagination works best when one is young and doesn't have many responsibilities on his or her shoulders). The Harry Potter series not only shows wizards being a reality, but also other wondrous creatures, such as the troll seen in Chapter 10, within it. People like the bishop view introducing imaginary concepts and organisms as filling the brains of young ones with rubbish where knowledge can be instead, because they give students reasons to day dream during class as well as when handling situations in the outside world.
     Although I cannot see the true meaning of this reason for banning, I do see that people who grow up in fantasy worlds of fairies and wizards usually turn out to ignore true responsibilities later in life. Reading is an activity for fun and learning, though, so it is not very likely for children to get so carried away from only one series. If Harry Potter should be banned for influencing too much imagination, why not books such as The Phantom Tollbooth or movies like Peter Pan? Also, it is not unlikely to grow out of intense imagination, and imagination is what inspires people to try new things and risk a chance for something that they want more than anything else. The troll in Chapter 10 of this section inspires Harry and Ron to save Hermione, and without the presence of this imaginary creature, Ron would have never been able to see the mistake he made by insulting as talented a girl as Hermione. Imagination has a big role in realizing the potential one has as well as others around them; if people like Gandhi had not imagined a free world, then maybe countries like India would have never gained their freedom. "But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them." (pg. 179). A student can learn even from a monster as ugly and menacing as the troll about friendship and accepting others for who they are. It seems, though, that people like the bishop at St. John's never look at this series from that angle because they are blind about everything other than what they want to happen.
     I would have to say I agree with you, Abby, when you say that people are just overreacting about banning the series. I mean, seriously, no one is being forced to read it, and censorship can only go so far... I think that banning this series is mostly just a way for people to let children know that they need not to pay attention to such things, but is it right taking out the elements of fun in children's books? Books are just a way to express ideas, and everyone, at least in America, has the right to learn about what others think of life if the person sharing doesn't mind. Creative writers such as J. K. Rowling should be acknowledged for their talent rather than taunted for their childishness.

Rebelion in Harry Potter

I agree with you Surbhi that Harry and Ron are kind of like rebels, but not as extreme. They rebel against the school rules. Hermione is definitely not all right with this, and she sure tells them that too. And I think this could be a huge controversal issue. Children all around the world read this book, and children are easy to influence when they are young. Harry Potter kind of makes it OK to not obey school rules-which is what schools have a problem with already. I can see this as being a problem, though this problem comes up in many other books that have never been challenged. What do you think Surbhi? Also, now that I think about it there a lot of books like Harry Potter. There are tons of books that talk about magic and fake worlds, but are not publically challenged much at all. Is it fair to challenge Harry Potter in the same way? I feel that if Harry Potter wasn't as famous and read so often it wouldn't be a problem what so ever. Tons of books are sliding under the radar of angry parents all the time. But if one of those books were famous, they would instantly get challenged. But this brings up another issue-all books have something in them that could possible be a reason to ban them. What really makes a book worth banning? Anyone could easily find issues in every single book every written.

Relating to more of the plot of the book, I see that wizards aren't trying very hard to cover up their existence. When they are at the train station they just run right up into the wall and go through, anyone could see them and report them. I'm surprised the Ministry of Magic has not come up with a better solution on getting to Hogwarts. Hagrid told Harry on their first trip to the Diagon Alley that the Ministry of Magic's job was to hide magic from the muggles. on page 65 a quote says about the Ministry of Magic, "Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country." But students that are going to Hogwarts just walk right through the wall, wouldn't people see him? I do not understand this-I think that the Ministry has some flaws in it because of that. Surbhi, do you feel that the wizarding worlds government has flaws in it? Or do you think it is perfectly fine the way it is?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Surbhi, I had to disagree with you on one thing you said in your last post. I do believe that Harry Potter has very big issues inside of it that could be a reason to ban it. For example, the most popular religion in the world is Christianity, and magic can go against that like I said in my first post. Really, I think that people are just overreacting. They need to calm down. What do you think Surbhi? Do you think that the people who want these books baned have enough reasons to do so? I think that books should have some controversy in it. It helps the world think, just like what the government bans in Fahrenheit 451. I think that Harry Potter should not be banned so kids can have a more open mind to different things.
Besides talking about the banning of Harry Potter, I want to talk about Hagrid. Hagrid is a great character, he is really wanting to help Harry out with everything. He said himself that he knew Harry since he was a baby, and I feel that Hagrid has a connection with him. Another huge thing that I want to talk about is Harry and his fame. I think that he is taking it very well, even though the people inside of the Leaky Cauldron kind of freaked him out by obsessing over him. I don't think Harry realizes what a big deal he is in the wizarding world. Right now, I think that he's just feeling overwhelmed and doesn't have enough time to think everything through. He has a lot of information to think through right now, on page 71 he said, "Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the the people doing their shopping." I think that it is great that Harry's life is getting a transformation. To be honest, his life kind of sucks. I feel that going to Hogwarts will most likely benefit him. What do you think Surbhi?

Why Harry Potter is Actually Worth Banning (and Not Even Then...)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Chapter 7 through Chapter 9
(Abby told me to go ahead and post again because she was late...)

     Many of the reasons I have given in my previous posts for why the Harry Potter series may have been banned are ones that I understand, but not ones that I think were influential enough to have to ban the series. Reading through these most recent chapters, though, I have seen a reason that I would agree might influence children, but I still wouldn't want to ban this series over that trivial matter. One can observe that Harry Potter is faced with many challenges that people see everyday in the real world, such as having to stand up for oneself when he or she is being bullied, but the responses that Harry gives to these challenges are of the sort that can get him into deep trouble. Since Harry is the main character of this book, and the hero in a way, young children would most likely think that what he does is right, and although the outcomes of the problems he has in the magical world might end with good results because of entertainment and satisfaction, it most likely isn't so in the real world. It is not bad if young children want to explore more about their world like Harry does upon reaching Hogwarts, but one has to remember the saying "curiosity killed the cat". Sneaking off from where one is supposed to be at night cannot only cause trouble if caught, but one needs to ponder that rules are made for the benefit of him or her, and bad things can happen if broken.  By Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione making it back to their rooms without getting caught when having been walking in the hallways after curfew, children might also think that although they would have some difficulties and scares along the way, they wouldn't get caught easily if they snuck out as well.
     Even though this is not too big of an influential issue, I actually agree that it is likely to happen that young ones can be convinced that breaking rules leads to saving the world (multiple times). Something I liked about this reading portion that makes it seem like the whole sneaking out thing is actually bad is that Hermione is constantly warning Harry and Ron that they shouldn't be doing what they are, and she only joins them because she has limited other options. "The Fat Lady had gone on a nighttime visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower." (pg. 156). Hermoine is shown in a bright light of respect to the reader when the four return to their house having gotten nearly nothing accomplished and scared to death. This reminds the reader that the warnings Hermione gave out were of common sense, and messing with the rules might not mean one is necessarily going to get caught, but that not too many things are going to be in one's favor either. Hermione can be seen as wise when she tries to convince Harry that having a duel with Malfoy would be a bad idea, but Harry, still the influential character and main hero, goes off for the duel anyway. "'Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells.'" (pg.155) - (that was Hermione speaking). Even though knowledge is brought in the story by Hermione's sense, she is often portrayed as a rather annoying character, so it is possible for children to think that actually listening to the sensible things she says in the story would be rather boring and uncool.
        

More Reasons for the Banning of Harry Potter

This post is for Chapter 4 through Chapter 6...

     I do agree with Abby when she says that the reason that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia are keeping Harry away from his real self is because they are scared of being different than the other sophisticated people around them. Now that I do think more about it with Abby's view into consideration, I am able to understand that Harry's aunt and uncle may actually be accepting that magic is real, but they are not willing to accept being labeled as weird in their society. Thank you Abby for giving me a chance to see that I was focusing on the wrong topic for the reason why Harry is so held back by the people he calls his "family".
     I really like how Abby related that this series might have been banned because of the difference it shows in society levels, separating people by how they look rather than who they actually are. As I was reading more in this book, I noticed that Harry is not a character who actually thinks of society levels as being a divider of who to interact with. The main people seen judging others by either appearance or how rich or poor are the Dursleys, and this can be seen much by how they react to those like Harry and his family when they see them. One can see that this type of judgement has not rubbed off on Harry when he buys goodies for his new friend, Ron Weasley, because the boy cannot afford them himself. "'Go on, have a pasty,' said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with." (pg. 102). Harry's aunt and uncle would have probably been disgusted if they saw how Harry was spending his fortune and associating with someone so poor. It is easy to see that inequality because of bad judgement could be a reason for the banning of the book, but Harry's aunt and uncle aren't exactly the good guys here, and as long as Harry is showing no segregation in his actions, it shouldn't really matter what they think.
     There is so much that Harry gets to learn about as the book goes on, and some of the things that he learns bring out more points of why the Harry Potter Series might have been banned. One thing that came up was competing for fame, and parents might think that this relates too much to popularity issues already present in most schools. Many times throughout conversations, it is seen that insults of the family and violence are used to prove who is better than whom, especially when Harry first meets Draco Malfoy. Parents might think that children would be influenced to use insults and violence to resolve popularity problems in their real lives by reading these books. There is also the issue, though, that no one really needs books to be too aggressive, but these books make a certain party of the debate seem snooty and evil, and this could fill a child's mind with venom against a person that might be bullying him or her. This is a very possible reason for the banning of this book, but it is most likely pretty minor compared to others, such as that it promotes the Wicca religion and counteracts many popular beliefs of other religions.
    

Acceptance and Religion in Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Chapters 1-4
Acceptance
Surbhi, I have to disagree with you here. I don’t think that the Durseleys believe that if people find out their secret it will hurt them. I think they are just worried that people would think that they are weird. That family is just obsessedwith fitting in and being normal. The book described Mrs. Dursley’s day as, “…a nice, normal day.” (6) And on page four a quote says, “Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning.” Another thing that I got from the text is that Mr. Dursley clearly does not accept people that are different from himself. When he went towork and saw all the strange people in cloaks, he had very bad thoughts about them.
This is why I disagree with you, I feel that the Dursleys are more worried about people thinking that they aren’t normal then that finding out their secret will put them in danger. They clearly don’t know much about the wizarding world, as shown when Hagrid so pleasantly enters
the house in the ocean, so they probably aren’t afraid of things that could potentially
be a threat to them from the wizarding world. And what could the muggles do?
Most likely no one would believe them; I would think that their society would just
set them aside as the not normal, crazy ones, just like Mr. Dursley did to the cloaked people.
I think that it is possible that one of the reasons why people want to ban this
book is because of the acceptance problem in it. Our society today is generally
accepting, and we are getting more and more accepting as time goes on. Having a
book like this takes us back to a time when America was completely unaccepting,
like the black and white controversy, and the gay marriage controversy right
now. Lately, children are being taught to accept everything. Books that
students read can completely change their views of thought. Like in Fahrenheit
451, they banned books because they made people think and question what is
right and wrong. The problem of acceptance in Harry Potter could be a huge
reason why these books would be banned.
About the religion you were talking about, I read that Christians believe that Harry
Potter is wrong. As a Christian, I believe that God is above everything, and
that he deserves all power and glory. Magic kind of disturbs that, giving off
the illusion that magic is more powerful then god. This is why a lot of
churches want the books banned.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Chapter 1 through Chapter 3

     The entire Harry Potter Series by J .K. Rowling has been a point of serious controversy ever since the books within it were published. Many people, not only in the United States, but also in England, think that these books are influential in the wrong way, especially to young children, because they express the acts of witchcraft and wizardry (also known as the Wicca religion). One of the first schools to take to consideration that these books interfere with the rightful beliefs of the children that it teaches was St. Joseph's in Wakefield; the school bishop banned the series from the school entirely and removed it from the school library.
     While reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I found that not only did the concept of wizardry cause problems outside of Harry's world, but also inside it as well. It is quite easy to see that Harry's horrible aunt and uncle seem to have such a great distaste for Harry and his parents because they know of the danger that comes with Harry finding out his family secret. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon always display the disgust they feel for Harry asking questions and thinking about things in unusual ways, and this shows the reader just how immoral they think practicing magic is. "If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or cartoon - they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas." (pg. 26). There have been various groups of people in the real world who simply don't believe that there is "nonsense" such as wizards and anyone who believes in them aren't followers of proper religion, and these people have not stepped back when asserting their opinions out into the debate of challenging Harry Potter. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are almost identical to these kind of people because of how they talk about occurrences and people that are different from the ideal and sophisticated kind like them. The reader is made to wonder whether J. K. Rowling was expecting a reaction from some of hatred and controversy from her books, and if that is one of the reasons the characters of Harry's aunt and uncle are the way they are.