Harry potter

Avada Kedavra”, Harry Potter! Many readers and literary scholars believe that the British author J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, a series of seven fantasy novels, is the most entertaining work of American history. However, this work is also one of the most controversial pieces of literature in American history. The Harry Potter series is a quite popular series among the several pieces of literature that have been banned and challenged in different parts of the world. Many parents and school boards have challenged the presence of these books in libraries and school curricula. While Rowling attempts to represent the connection between good and evil in the Harry Potter series, many feel that series’ contents depict violence because the story deals with ghosts, cults and encourage cheating, corruption, lying and witchcraft; these ideas oppose several of the teachings of The Bible. Many disputes have risen over the series’ contents, especially in regards to its effect on young children. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has been questioned for its supposed inappropriate content and its frequent use of Wicca supporting philosophies and has been banned and challenged in many schools and libraries worldwide since its publication in 1998. J.K. Rowling shows the ultimate victory of good overcoming evil through messages that embody love and courage in her novels J.K. Rowling expresses that the evil she portrayed in her novels was intentional. She utilizes evil characters such as Lord Voldemort who has the ability to make others his slaves by dwelling in their bodies because “she couldn't pretend that when dealing with evil, no one gets hurt” (Rowling).

The novel was banned in Zeeland, Michigan shortly after its publication. Gary L. Feenstra, Superintendent of schools in Zeeland, made a restriction on reading, shoseries in school environment in any kind of way after he first read the books. Many concerned parents started to complain when their kids would go home and tell them scary stories about witches and goblins that involved spells. Rev. Lori Jo Schepers, a worried parent expresses that "as we expose our kids to the occult, we expose our kids to blood, to violence, and desensitize them to that," (Savidge). They felt that their kids were not mature enough to handle such abrupt violence and did not want them to come home with new ideas that would eventually lead to their own downfall. As most parents would, they believed in keeping their kids away from evil by limiting their access to it. Some parents suggested that this kind of exposure to “occult” (Savidge) will eventually lead to deadly violence such as the shooting that occurred in Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The books were supposedly harming their vulnerable children because “they believed that their kids are like sponges, and they will soak things up and sometimes store them for a while before they spit them back out” (Savidge). On November 22 1999, parents and the superintendent decided to take action against this potential harm by making some firm pronouncements. They decided that the Harry Potter series cannot be displayed in school libraries, and if the student desires to read them, they must receive their parent’s permission first. However, classrooms were to prohibit the books completely. As a result, the American Booksellers Foundation For Free Expression, an organization that completely disapproved of the decision, lashed out against the school decision to satisfy a minority of students and parents by banning the Harry Potter series because it would deprive a majority of students whose parents do not have an issue with this. As the organization became more adamant in its position, the advisory committee recommended reviewing the decision of Feenstra and the school staff. On May 11, 2000, Feenstra accepted its recommendation and retained the only the classroom readings for elementary school students. However, the Harry Potter series began to face an increasing number of opposition as the years passed. In the very next year, in March, Harry Potter was banned once again in the UK. Carol Rockwood, Principal of St Mary's Island Church of England School in Chatham, Kent expresses her opinion about the Harry Potter series as a part of the school curriculum. Rockwood, speaking on the issue, states that the nature of the stories does not fit in with the school's "church ethos" (“School Bans Harry Potter” 1). Rockwood and the other school staff felt that the books did not match up with their religious beliefs and clashed with the teachings of the bible. In her opinion, they “promote what the Bible clearly condemns, i.e., witchcraft and sorcery” (Abanes, 5). Expanding on the motive behind the decision, Rockwood states, “the Bible is very clear and consistent in its teachings that wizards, devils and demons exist and are very real, powerful and dangerous and God's people are told to have nothing to do with them. We are a Church of England aided primary school which means the church ethos is very important to what we do." (Robinson). Rockwood’s strong position about the Harry Potter series in the school library shelves sparked uproar among many. National Secular Society stated that it is wrong to remove the series from schools because it had always been an imagination booster and banning these books would be doing students a great “disservice”. NSS General Secretary Keith Porteous makes a comment that "Children's imaginations have been nourished for centuries with stories of wizards, witches and fairies” (“School Bans Harry Potter” 1). From the US, Author J.K. Rowling defended her books and said that the books are in fact moral. She states that the good and evil is what shapes the story, and that “the novels needed to include such ingredients to honestly tell their stories.”(“School Bans Harry Potter”1). This did not stop Carol Rockwood’s and the school staffs firm decision. In 2005, Gwinnet County, Georgia, Laura Mallory argued to ban the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban from J.C Magill Elementary school, where her four kids attended school. Originally from Loganville, she argued that since teachers do not assign books such as the Bible for student reading, Harry Potter should not be assigned either Mallory thought that the books are harmful to children. She said, “The good characters lie, cheat and steal and are not punished. The stories encourage children to perform spells and promote Wicca.” (Diamond). Mallory trusts the school system to protect her precious young children and she certainly doesn’t want them indoctrinated into “Wiccans” (“Ban Harry Potter or face more school shootings”). As a result of Mallory’s attempt to ban the books, Gwinnet officials argued that the books are a good learning tool and encourage children to “read and to spark creativity and imagination” (“Ban Harry Potter or face more school shootings”). The School Board argued that banning books with witchcraft means you would have to ban books such as Cinderella and Macbeth. Victoria Sweeney, an attorney representing the Gwinnett County Board of Education, expressed that it would be wrong to remove the book from schools based on one person’s opinion. On December 14, 2006, the Georgia Board ruled that there is no reason for the books to be banned, thus stating that the parent failed to prove her point that the series “promotes the Wicca religion and therefore that the book's availability in public schools does not constitute advocacy of a religion” (“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”). The books were also banned in Wakefield, Massachusetts when Rev Ron Barker, St. Joseph’s pastor, removed the books from the school libraries claiming that witchcraft and magic are not appropriate enough to be a part of a Catholic school. While many agreed with Barker, many other students and parents were upset about the decision because it was made without notice. Rick Hudson, a parent who has sent his three children to St. Joseph’s School, expressed that he was upset that this was done in the first place but he was more upset that it was done in secret. A mother, who asked that her name not be used, said, "I think the spirit of what he's doing is the right thing. I believe he is sincerely interested in the children's well-being." (Luzuriaga). She trusts Barkers judgment and believes he would never do harm for the students. Ever since its original publication in 1998, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter has sparked much controversy over the years. As one of the most banned books, it is no surprise that many parents and school boards challenge the presence of the books in libraries and school curricula. According to the American Library Association, “every year from 1999 to 2002, Harry Potter topped the list of titles challenged or targeted for censorship…In 2003, it ranked second” (Bald, 125). Rowling’s attempt to represent the association between good and evil failed in many places in the United States and other countries as well. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is a work that has been questioned for its supposedly violent content and particularly its repeated use of philosophies behind witchcraft that promote Wicca, and as a result, has been banned or challenged in many schools and libraries around the world.