(B) Positive spiritual and moral lessons from the novels
There are many positive spiritual and moral lessons in the novels. Sadly I do not have time to document a selection that does justice to just how prevalent they are. Also, many of the most beautiful themes are reiterated repeatedly (obedience to good, choosing what’s right over what is easy, love/courage/self-sacrifice is stronger than the bad guy’s power, etc.), so I’ll refrain from citing more than one example of any.
At the end of
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first novel, Harry is shocked to discover that Dumbledore thinks it’s okay that the Philosopher’s Stone - which can provide immortality and wealth - has been destroyed. On p. 320 of the U.K. edition, Dumbledore tells Harry, “You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. 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 which are worst for them.”
On that same page in
Philosopher’s Stone, as well as on p.722 of
Goblet of Fire, and elsewhere, Dumbledore emphasizes that truth is always superior to falsehood.
Also in
Goblet of Fire, p.724: “Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember [Cedric Diggory, whom Voldemort murdered].”
This theme of doing what is right rather than what is easy is reiterated elsewhere as well.
The books glorify selfless mercy. For instance:
Deathly Hallows, p.741, Harry knows he can destroy Voldemort, but he tries to get him to repent before he attacks him: “But before you try to kill me, I’d advise you to think about what you’ve done… Think, and try for some remorse… It’s your one last chance,” said Harry, “it’s all you’ve got left… I’ve seen what you’ll be otherwise… Be a man… try… Try for some remorse…”
This echoes what Hermione said earlier in the book on p. 103 when asked if there’s a cure for the grave spiritual self-mutilation that Voldemort has deliberately inflicted on himself in order to gain evil power: “Isn’t there a way of putting yourself back together?” Ron asked. “Yes,” said Hermione with a hollow smile, “but it would be excruciatingly painful… remorse. You’ve got to really feel what you’ve done.”
Okay, I can’t resist one more example of the series’ glorification of heroic mercy. This is also an example of doing what’s right versus what’s easy:
Prisoner of Azkaban, p.375. Peter Pettigrew is exposed as having handed over Harry’s parents to Voldemort: “You don’t understand!” whined Pettigrew. “He would have killed me, Sirius!”
“Then you should have died!” roared Black. “Died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!”
Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.
“You should have realized,” said Lupin quietly, “if Voldemort didn’t kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter.”
Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall.
“NO!” Harry yelled. He ran forward, placing himself in front of Pettigrew, facing the wands. “You can’t kill him,” he said breathlessly. “You can’t.”
“Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents,” Black snarled. “This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family.”
“I know,” Harry panted.
On this page, it is Harry’s mercy that saves Peter Pettigrew.
The importance of moral integrity and spiritual well-being:
Deathly Hallows, p. 104: “Look, if I picked up a sword right now, Ron, and ran you through with it, I wouldn’t damage your soul at all.”
“Which would be a real comfort to me, I’m sure,” said Ron. Harry laughed.
“It should be actually! But my point is that whatever happens to your body, your soul will survive, untouched.”
The context here is the way Voldemort has used murder to make himself evil enough to tear apart his soul, since hiding pieces of his soul brings him closer to bodily invincibility.
Voldemort’s ends-justifies-the-means battle against death doesn’t save him. All this echoes Christ’s words, “He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matt. 10:39).
Speaking of which, here are some quotations from the climax of the last novel:
Deathly Hallows, p. 691, after Harry finds out that in order for Voldemort to be destroyed he has to sacrifice himself (if you want to know the reason, read the books; it would take too long for me to explain here): “Harry understood at last that he was not supposed to survive. His job was to walk calmly into Death’s welcoming arms.”
The chapter after Harry makes this sacrifice is titled “King’s Cross” (Chapter Thirty-Five).
There’s much I wish I could quote and explain from that chapter, but I don’t want to spoil anything in it in case you ever do decide to read the series, lil_flower_luv.
This sampling is pitifully incomplete. I wasn’t exactly sure where to look to find the exact page numbers for all of the wonderful lessons that always stuck with me. But there you have it.
Oh, one more thing: the Bible quotations from
Deathly Hallows. On Christmas Eve, Harry and Hermione visit the graveyard where Harry’s parents and Dumbledore’s mother and sister are all buried. Matt. 6:19-21 is on the latter pair’s tombstone, and 1 Corinthians 15:26 is on the former pair’s tombstone.
Here’s a link about that scene:
phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/christmas-in-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows/
I’m glad I found it, because at the bottom it advertises a book I hadn’t heard of:
The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter by Denise Roper. I’ll have to check it out!
But, could you respond to my summation of the main theme to the book? How is a book which depicts evil ruining one’s soul for eternity unchristian? How is a book which emphasizes self-sacrifice and depicts the futility of attaching oneself to things of this world un-christian? How is a book with the message that we are in fact living for the next life unchristian? How does a book which flat out states that the only hope for the evil people of this world is true remorse? (No magic rites, no ceremonies, no potions, no invocation of spirits- just true remorse)
