I think that the witches and wizards of Harry Potter are feeding into and feeding off of the current culture that fosters the uniqueness of the individual. The witches and wizards have created their own secret world where their differences can be celebrated. In the trend toward the secularization of the world, the satanic connection to the transgressions of the witch has been somewhat lost. Don't get me wrong; I am well aware of the connections some religious zealots have made between Harry Potter and satanism. The witches and wizards of Harry Potter seem to go out of their way to completely detach themselves from the world of the non magical people. This is a departure from the view of witches as an active threat to those living wholesome Christian lives. The only transgression most of the witches in Harry Potter have committed is in wishing to live separate lives from normal society. There is one wizard that wishes to eradicate muggles, but I dare not say his name. Anyways, the witches and wizards of Harry Potter represent a growing sense of the acceptance of differences and the realization that the world is a more magical place because of them.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
A Muggle's Perspective on Witchcraft
After being immersed in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, who among us wasn't disheartened at the realization that we are all just living humdrum muggle lives. Some of the more diehard Harry Potter fans might even be in denial of this as they are still expecting an owl to deliver their Hogwarts acceptance letter. So how is it that the same figure that caused such fear and moral panic in the early modern period has become a source of great joy and fantasy in the 21st century.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I really like how you tied this into our readings. I like your thoughts about society accepting differences and I would agree that society is much more accepting of diversity today than it was at the time of witch hunts. It's neat how you tied in transgression and applied it to wizards and witches living separate from muggles. I enojyed reading your post!
ReplyDeleteI never really thought of Harry Potter as representing society's growing acceptance of various cultures and beliefs. With this, I think there is also the idea that unbelievable, or supernatural, stories can be thought of as entertaining and even inspiring. As a fellow Muggle, I would want to be friends with witches and wizards if they were like the ones in Harry Potter. Society is finally realizing that diversity should not be feared, and instead should be appreciated because it brings unique perspectives and stories that people can share with each other. During the Early Modern Period, it would have been the exact opposite, and everybody in your niche would be like you. Personally, I think it would be boring if everybody at the U of M had the exact same cultural background. I agree, good post.
ReplyDelete