JK Rowling wrote a book series spanning from 1997-2007 which was published in the UK. When most hear the name JK Rowling, they think of the well-known book and movie series: Harry Potter; which she wrote to “have a child who escapes from the confines of the adult world and goes somewhere where he has power, both literally and metaphorically, really appealed to me”. However, there are other names tied to Harry Potter. The four directors of the movie series: Chris Columbus (directed Harry Potter: The Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter: and the Chamber of Secrets), Alfonso Cuarón (directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), Mike Newell (directed Harry Potter and the goblet of fire), David Yates (Directed Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ). The movie series started in 2001 and ended in 2011. The Harry Potter series follows the life of a young boy named Harry Potter who, on his eleventh birthday, finds out that magic exists and -to add to the shock- he is a wizard and that he must start school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry like his famous wizard parents. If you ask any millennial, they can tell you how much of an impact books and movies have on them. Regardless, the series still receives criticism to this day.
Many people take to social media to complain about the fanbase and/or the overall story of Harry Potter. On one particular site called Reddit, several people have written essays about their dissatisfaction with the series in both movie and book formats. One Redditor named u/Tharkun140 titles their essay “I hate Harry Potter with all my heart” and refers to themself as “…the most brilliant mind god ever blessed this pathetic planet with” and states that “Harry has no agency no personality and no flaws” “He is nothing, just a blank slate for the reader to project themselves onto”. After finding this post, I sincerely hoped it was a rage bait post. Harry is flawed as he’s short-tempered, lacks trust in authority, and is impulsive. And not a blank slate. Another Redditor: u/Not_Arkangel explains that “The characters themselves have no real depth, and any attempt at depth (snakes whole shtick) comes across as unplanned and hasty”. This opinion can be proven by only using the movies for reference, which as Ms. Katelyn Fowler explains “I feel like if you’ve just seen the movies, you know nothing about Harry Potter.”; “Just because the way the books are written, there’s no background on so many characters in the movies.”; ” And I feel like we’re missing big plot holes.”
After interviewing Ms. Katelyn Fowler, an avid reader since childhood and Department Chair/English 3 Lead at Agua Fria High School, I have found that the love of Harry Potter is not just within my family and me but is within many others as well. Not all Harry Potter lovers are millennials which, as Mrs.Fowler explains is what’s cool about Harry Potter; how it has transpired through new generations. Like many other kids; growing up, Mrs.Fowler grew to love reading based on the Harry Potter books she got through the scholastic book fair and still carries that same love today. Some lovers – like me – still enjoy the series as a whole and have a personal connection to the stories and setting…
