Why the Harry Potter Series is the Greatest Epic Story of All Time

Harry Potter and the Redefinition of the Epic: Exploring the Otherness, Truthfulness, and Universal Popularity of the Series

            What is the modern epic?  This immense question has been central to our World Literature class this semester, and this paper will explain why the Harry Potter series exemplifies the qualities discussed during class, defining the series as not only the modern epic of our time, but also as a universal epic.  The series’ immediate, universal appeal is what differentiates the series from epics we consider classic, such as Homer’s The Odyssey, as well as compares to the quick-spreading popularity of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner in the adult community.  J.K. Rowling’s seven-part Harry Potter series combines the qualities of other epics, such as commenting on othering and other discriminatory acts, exploring the value of truthfulness, and exploding in popularity across all age groups, allowing it to be immortalized as an epic forever.

            Othering is defined in Marion Rana’s article titled, “‘The less you lot have ter do with these foreigners, the happier yeh’ll be’: Cultural and National Otherness in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series” as, “the division of the world into in (-group) and out (-group), into us and them...” (45).  Othering is a large factor in the epics that we read this semester, especially in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s novel Nervous Conditions.  Tambu, the main character, is both a product of othering, and also classifies groups of people as others, herself.  As a result of colonialism, Tambu, her family, and all other native Zimbabweans are seen as inferior to the white population in the country.  Even though they are now independent, the Zimbabweans struggle against racism and a shortage of opportunities that white people take for granted.  In Nervous Conditions, Tambu demonstrates this dichotomy, “The food looked interesting, which made me suspicious of it since I knew that food was not meant to be interesting but filling” (Dangarembga 82).  Tambu is suspicious of her dinner because until this point, she ate to survive.  Tambu and her family do not have the privilege of eating food for pleasure, not just simply for nourishment.  Not only are those whom the Zimbabweans classify as others living in comfortable conditions, with virtually unlimited food and resources, but they are also able to get an education.  The Zimbabweans, unless someone like Babamukuru is able to break out of society’s restraints, do not have these same comforts or opportunities.  In fact, most are unaware of the higher quality of life that other people enjoy.

            In the Harry Potter series, othering can be found in abundance.  Not only does Harry himself feel othered when he is picked on by his cousin and when he first enters Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, but also, as Rana points out, “...the Death Eaters are particularly racist concerning Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards...” (51).  The Death Eaters were created for the specific reason of ridding the world of Muggles (non-magic people) and Muggle-born witches and wizards.  Harry is what is known as a half-blood; his mom was Muggle-born, so he experiences this othering as well.  Like the prejudice against the Zimbabweans in Nervous Conditions, the “pure-blood” wizards in Harry Potter discriminate against the others, and take away many rights and prohibit comforts to make the magical world just as unfair as the real world.

            There are many parallels between the Harry Potter series and the works we studied this semester, in regards to truthfulness.  Two works that were especially discussed were Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Once Upon a Time in Anatolia and Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner.  The question of whether it was ethical to hide the truth of the murdered man’s death from his family for the greater good, directly parallels Albus Dumbledore’s decision to keep the truth of Harry’s future from him.  Dumbledore does not tell Harry that he must sacrifice himself to the evil wizard, Voldemort, so that Voldemort will become mortal once more.  Marla Harris explains in her article, “Is Seeing Believing? Truth and Lies in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “From the beginning of the series, Harry is lied to and lied about” (84).  A large topic of dissention in the series is whether the ends justify the means.  Harry is able to defeat the most dangerous dark wizard of all time, but is it worth the price of being forced to surrender his life?  This question is left open to the interpretation of the reader, just as the question of the doctor’s morality remains unanswered.

            The Kite Runner delves more into the concept of truthfulness and the greater good.  The novel centers around Amir’s struggle of living with the truth of Hassan’s rape and, later, the discovery that Hassan was his brother.  Because this is central to the novel, the reader is able to travel on the journey with Amir and experience his struggles and reasoning.  This differs from both Anatolia and Harry Potter, because the story is about truth, rather than merely incorporating the concept into the plot at one point.  This causes Amir, and truth, to be the focus of the work, unlike Dumbledore or the doctor, in their respective works.

            Alleen and Don Nilsen’s article titled, “Lessons in the teaching of vocabulary from September 11 and Harry Potter” explains how the series can be useful in understanding the Islamic world, as many Americans are struggling to do after the September 11 attacks, “...children’s success in learning new names in the Harry Potter books versus the relative failure of adults to learn new names connected to September 11 provides a real-world situation from which we can deduce some principles to help educators succeed in teaching vocabulary lessons” (1).  While this is not the usual view on the September 11 attacks, the Nilsens provide a unique connection between the Harry Potter series and world news.  The popularity of The Kite Runner spread rapidly, worldwide, because it simplified the Islamic world that most Americans considered the other.  The novel provided a stepping stone on the way to build the bridge that must be formed between cultures to close the gap between them.  Even though the novel does not represent Afghanistan and Middle Eastern people completely, it still makes the Islamic world understandable, and therefore, no longer an other.  J.K. Rowling’s explanations of made up words and concepts in the Harry Potter series can likewise be applied to terms used in the Islamic world, to continue building the bridge and closing the cultural gap.

            The universal themes found in the Harry Potter series led to the books becoming almost instantaneously popular worldwide, when they were first published.  Not only were the books popular among kids, but they also spread quickly through the older generations as well.  Ulrike Kohler states, “...Rowling’s teenage wizard has enchanted readers all over the globe, and Harry Potter can truly be called an international hero” (15).  This concept of an “international hero” is important to the argument that the series is the modern epic.  Not only does Harry relate to English-speakers, but he also transcends virtually all languages and cultures.  One reason for this is that the storyline of the series follows, unlike many modern works, the stages of the heroic quest.  Harry has qualities of many popular heroes combined, such as Robin Hood and those who fought against Nazi Germany.  Most literate people in the world know of these heroes and events, so they can easily follow Harry on his quest.

            Harry’s story begins in the ordinary, Muggle world, and he receives his call to adventure through a Hogwarts letter, inviting him to attend the school.  Hagrid helps him get the supplies he needs for the magical world, and Harry also receives help from a multitude of friends, mentors, and other witches and wizards during his journey.  The tests and obstacles begin once Harry enters Hogwarts.  He must come of age, a heroic journey on its own, while attempting to thwart and defeat the most powerful dark wizard in the world.  Harry has to deal with the deaths of loved ones multiple times in the series, until finally, he must face death himself.  The seizing of the sword is when Voldemort is finally defeated, and Harry must help rebuild the world that was on the brink of being destroyed.  He eventually returns to a normal life, marries and has children, and will forever be remembered as the boy who lived.

            The Harry Potter series is not only a modern British epic, but it is also the modern epic of the world.  To those who believe that the people of the world no longer need epics, I strongly disagree.  Harry Potter has not only enchanted the masses, but it has also become such a large part of culture, that virtually everyone has heard of it.  The series has encouraged masses of previously nonreaders to enjoy books, and it has also connected people around the world through fan fiction sites and social media groups dedicated solely to the appreciation of the magical world of Harry Potter.  Theme parks and Hollywood are also caught up in the craze, and the new release of the books called for midnight shenanigans, which was nearly unheard of for a printed work.  When a book series affects a culture, not just a group of loyal fans, then it is accurate to say that it is the greatest epic of our time.  Part of the reason for its success is how J.K. Rowling combined multiple elements found in other great epics, such as othering, the value of truthfulness, and appealing to all cultures.  Each distinct culture of humankind’s past had an epic that embodied the spirit of the time, but only Harry Potter has been able to combine all cultures into one spirit, truly making the series the greatest epic of all time.

Works Cited

Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. New York: Seal, 2004. Print.

Harris, Marla. "Is Seeing Believing? Truth and Lies in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Academic Search Complete. EBSCO, 1 Sept. 2004. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

Kohler, Ulrike Kristina. "Harry Potter-National Hero and National Heroic Epics." Academic Search Complete. EBSCO, 1 July 2011. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Don L.F. Nilsen. "Lessons in the Teaching of Vocabulary from September 11 and Harry Potter." Academic Search Complete. EBSCO, 1 Nov. 2002. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

Rana, Marion. "'The Less You Lot Have Ter Do with These Foreigners, the Happier Yeh'll Be'" Cultural and National Otherness in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series." Academic Search Complete. EBSCO, 1 July 2011. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.