I've been meaning to write this post ever since the last Harry Potter movie came out, and the series had come to a close on every source of media. I guess this can be my formal "THANK YOU!" to J.K. Rowling for writing these charming, thought-provoking, wonderful, compelling works of art. I know it sounds silly, but I feel as though I owe a lot to Rowling and her creativity.
I first started reading Harry Potter when I was 14 or so. I borrowed the first book from my cousin when I was on a family trip to Utah, and I was so engrossed on the way home that I kept reading the ending over and over again. The Harry Potter series holds a special place in my heart.
Why do I love it so much? First, the story is so fun, and I love learning about the magical world. It isn't all spells and wand waving, but magical business, government, food, etc. There is never a dull moment. My favorite aspect of the books, and what I'm writing about is how Rowling teaches so many life lessons. It's amazing how much wisdom is passed through the characters. It is sad that many people are against the books because the world Rowling creates is based on magic and sorcery. Harry Potter isn't satanic - it is a series about love, hard work, attitude, and reaching for dreams. In many ways it is similar to Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, or Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brookyln. Yes, the literary styles differ significantly, but the messages are analogous. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book that have had an impact on my life. Underneath each quote is what I've learned, and what each of us can take from the messages. You'll see why Harry Potter is such an asset to the world's library.
"As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."
-Albus Dumbledore
**Money isn't important, and won't bring us happiness. It isn't how much we have, or how long we have it, but what we do with the time we are given.
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
-Albus Dumbledore
**Careers, talents, etc. are fleeting, and will inevitably mean nothing. Our choice to do what is right, help those around us, and to love others is what makes us who we are.
"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."
-Sirius Black
**All people should be treated equally, no matter who they are, where they live, how much money they make, the color of their skin, or the religion they practice.
"Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it."
-Albus Dumbledore
**Pain and problems will not go away just because we choose not to face them. Only when we have worked through our problems will healing come.
"It is my belief... that the truth is generally preferable to lies."
-Albus Dumbledore
**Always tell the truth. Never lie. It will not get you anywhere.
"Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."
-Albus Dumbledore
**When people see each other through lenses of love, and understanding, there is nothing we could not accomplish when banded together in purpose.
"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more".
-Albus Dumbledore
**There is more than just life and death in this world.
"It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well."
-Albus Dumbledore
**Power and leadership, when worn with purpose and humility, can accomplish amazing things.
"He [Dumbledore] will only be gone from the school when none are loyal to him."
- Harry Potter
**The dead are never gone from us.
“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”
-Albus Dumbledore
**Standing up to friends can be even more difficult. Just because they are friends doesn't mean we won't need to stand for ourselves. Always do what you think is right, no matter what your friends think. Believe in yourself.
"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world."
-Professor McGonagall
**This needs no explanation.
I would like to restate something: It is sad that many people have come out against the books because the world Rowling creates is based on magic and sorcery. Harry Potter isn't satanic - it is a series about love, hard work, attitude, and reaching for dreams. If I were to sum up the main messages from the above quotes, it is surprising how many important concepts are covered.
- Understanding
- Purpose to Life
- Meaning in Life
- Honesty
- Equality
- Service
- Live a full life
- Humility
- Self-Esteem
- LOVE
Imagine if everyone who read the series walked away with this understanding, and then applied it to their lives? I'm willing to believe that the world would be a brighter, more loving place.
Love is so prominent in the books, and in the end, Love is what solves all of the problems Harry Potter is faced with.
- Harry survived the killing curse because his mother loved him, and sacrificed her life for his.
- Harry, Ron, and Hermoine loved each other, served each other, and fought for each other.
- All of the members of The Order of The Phoenix loved their freedom, and fought for it.
- Snape loved Harry's mother, and spent his life protecting Harry because of it.
- And, in the end, Harry loved his friends, his schoolmates, and everyone who had struggled against Voldemort. When he gave his life for them, he imparted on them the same protection his mother had given him when he was a baby.
I feel like a total hippy with all this love talk (except that I wash my hair everyday), but there is a power in love that nothing else can duplicate.
I don't normally quote scripture, but I feel like this is appropriate. I'm putting references from both the Book of Mormon, and from the New Testament. Same meaning, just worded slightly differently.
And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
-Moroni 10:45
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
-1 Corinthians 13:4-7
And that is why I love Harry Potter.
