Harry Potter and Traditional Spiritual Values

This becomes a somewhat silly argument because there is not evidence of the Harry Potter series undermining traditional values. That is to say, while the books have become incredibly popular and sold millions of copies (to say nothing of the millions of tickets sold to the cinematic adaptations of the novels), American society has not changed. In other words, the books and the films have not set in motion a radical change in American civilization nor have they led to any conversions to witchcraft.

Furthermore, the Harry Potter series are very traditional in their approach to ‘good and evil. ’ Harry Potter is not an anti-hero. He is an adolescent trying to find his place in the world while struggling with the fact that he is a warlock and this sets him apart from much of society. However, underlying Harry Potter’s actions are a desire to do good deeds in the world and, in the primary theme of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, develop solid relationships with peers and avoid capitalizing on his warlock skills in an unfair way.

Unfortunately, there will be those who will get ‘hung up’ on the magic and witchcraft angle of the series, but to do so is to take life just a little too serious. It is, after all, a harmless children’s book series that contains solid moral messages and not an attempt at undermining values and indoctrinating the youth. To a great extent, many of the negative feelings towards the series will be developed by individuals who have not actually read the series or have developed a pre-existing opinion that has already drawn a negative conclusion.