Cecilia Konchar Farr, ed. Wizard of Their Age: Critical Essays from the Harry Potter Generation. New York: SUNY, 2015. 320 pp. $29.95 (paper), ISBN 978-1-4384-5446-7.

Reviewed by Chrissie Szilagyi (Delta College)
Published on H-USA (September, 2015)
Commissioned by Donna Sinclair (Central Michigan University)

This volume was inspired by the editor’s experience teaching a course entitled “Six Degrees of Harry Potter,” which analyzed the works from six approaches: Harry’s journey as a (Campbellian)[1] hero, the books as children’s literature, the books as fantasy, the books as literature, the religious/theological implications of the texts, and the speculative science included in the books. The syllabus is included as an appendix, which, together with the description of the class, will have any literature or English instructors who read it petitioning their department heads for an opportunity to teach a similar course. The book itself is a series of essays divided into three parts, each dealing with a different aspect of the series. These, in turn, are interspersed with each author’s “My Harry Potter Story,” which gives the reader a peek into why they were so inspired by Rowling’s work. 

Part 1, “Muggle Studies,” deals with how the series has been received by readers and the other ways the Wizarding World can be experienced by fans. The first chapter discusses the publication and sales of the books in the United States. The second gets into a potentially divisive subject: fan fiction. The question of whether such work is legitimate, or should be even be considered as an element in the Harry Potter world, is addressed. The author finds fan fiction to be a positive element, going so far as to say that Rowling should be praised not only for encouraging children to read but also for “getting kids to write” (p. 35). The third essay discusses Universal Studio’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the ideas behind the literal construction of the elements of a fictional world. The author puts it in terms of a hyperreal simulacrum: a “simulat[ion] of something that was never real to begin with” which allows “the heart of creativity—storytelling, imagining, believing, wondering, proposing—to survive, to live in previously unimaginable ways” (pp. 52, 54). The fourth essay looks at the Harry Potter series as a political allegory of the loss of the British colonial world: “all of the wizards of Harry Potter … participate in a collective nostalgia for a past British colonial identity” (p. 58). The most amusing example of this is Muggle aficionado Arthur Weasley, who “in fetishizing Muggle objects, harks back to an Orientalist colonial attitude, wherein the British imperial officer traveled the world collecting objects for the British archives to hold and categorize for objective study” (p. 64). The fifth essay, completing the Muggle studies portion, looks at the sociopolitical lessons taught to the first generation of Rowling’s readers who grew up as the books were being published. Rowling’s portrayal of people as having nuanced, not binary, black-and-white motivations seen in similar works (e.g., those by J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis) shows that she does not “talk down” to her readers: “Perhaps the most appealing aspect of the Potter books is Rowling’s obvious respect for her reading audience, regardless of (or in spite of) their age” (p. 73). The readers were able to use the series as a way to cope with the idea that terrorism exists in modern society, a new concept for the American contingent of this generation, but for Rowling’s readers in many other parts of the world, an ongoing fact of life. 

Part 2, “Defense against the Dark Arts,” handles the darker aspects of the series, as well as some of the controversies that have been associated with Rowling’s work. The first essay in this section discusses the influence of Nazi ideology on the series, specifically the ideas of blood purity and educational control and censorship, as well as Nazi-inspired characters. The issue of blood purity and the racism inherent in such ideology is an important part of the story, and one that the reader encounters early in the books. That censorship and educational control are present from the get-go (remember, no electronic devices operate on the Hogwarts campus) does not become obvious until the introduction of Delores Umbridge and the rules set down by the Ministry of Magic. The author’s research and comparisons are sound, and show that, while readers may think of Hogwarts and the Wizarding World as a type of utopia, it has many elements that would be troubling (at best) to the modern sensibility. The seventh essay discusses how the books deals with murder and capital punishment. This author argues that Rowling is showing her readers that while evil must be fought, not all acts in such a fight are justified, specifically murder. The few times a “good,” or in-between, character commits a murder, there is always a secondary reasoning: for example, Snape’s killing of Dumbledore is classified by the author not as a murder, but an assisted suicide; and Molly Weasley’s killing of Bellatrix Lestrange is done in defense of her daughter. Capital punishment, or murder by the state, is also shown to be unjustified, as when the Ministry-ordered Dementor’s Kiss (a death of the soul, if not the body) is shown to be wrong by being directed at the wrong people, most notably Sirius Black. The next essay follows very well on the topic of death, as it discusses the idea of the Horcrux and its basis in the medieval idea of the separable soul. The ninth essay is one of the most important in the book because it discusses the religious dispute that arose in relation to the Harry Potter series. The author argues that Harry is a literary Christ-figure and that his actions show nothing less than a Christian value system. It is very well explained, hitting on every major plot point that exemplifies the author’s thesis and rebutting every argument imaginable on the subject. The final essay in this section argues that Dumbledore does not deserve the loyalty that readers give him so unreservedly. The author discusses her experience as a student in the editor's class attempting to convince her classmates that Dumbledore was actually a utilitarian, willing to use people in order to further his goal of destroying Voldemort regardless of the potential consequences to the person. 

The final part, “Transfiguration,” is composed of essays that look at the Harry Potter series from scientific and literary perspectives. Essay 11 gives a genetic breakdown of how it is that this wizarding population has been maintained throughout history, despite interbreeding with Muggles. For those without a background in biology and genetics, this may be the most difficult chapter, but it is still an interesting one.  Essay 12 gives a comparative psychological analysis of Harry Potter and Tom Riddle, making the case that even though they have (arguably) similar family histories and upbringings, their early experiences separate them. The next essay follows the psychological trajectory, offering a plan for nursing care for both the young and aged Tom Riddle. The penultimate essay discusses the symbolism inherent in Rowling’s use of the numbers three, four, and seven in a sort of “literary arithmancy.” The very last essay looks at Hermione’s position in the books, as a corner of a literary erotic triangle between herself and Ron and Harry. This author shows that Hermione does not play the usual role required of a woman in this position—to strengthen the bonds between the men involved—but has her own agency and her own plot points. The author argues the Rowling is thereby showing the reader that girls and women have autonomy and should not simply react to men’s actions, either in literature or in life. 

Overall, this work is a welcome addition to the library of books that analyze and discuss the Harry Potter series, and has the added benefit of coming from the “Harry Potter generation,” giving the reader a unique perspective. 

Note

[1]. A reference to Joseph Cambell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell, 3rd ed. ([1949] Novato, CA: New World Library, 2008).

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Citation: Chrissie Szilagyi. Review of Farr, Cecilia Konchar, ed., Wizard of Their Age: Critical Essays from the Harry Potter Generation. H-USA, H-Net Reviews. September, 2015.
URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=43641

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