I will jump at any excuse to read Harry Potter again, so this week I re-read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The series is comforting and it's always a nice read. The writing assignment this week asked us to talk about the moral issues and spiritual complexities found within the source material we read this week. I could talk about the complex moral issues and spiritual challenges that Harry faces throughout the entirety of the series, but I'll stick to the first book for the time being.
Harry Potter is a book rife with moral issues and spiritual complexities. Right off the bat, Harry is being thrown into this new and unknown world and he's dealing with some unpleasant things. First of all, he has to deal with classism. He is introduced to how certain people are treated socially based on their heritage. He stumbles upon the great moral dilemma in the wizarding world around wizards and witches who are "pure and not pure". It's somehow seen as right that these people should be viewed as wrong in some way. But, Harry finds a home with these outsiders. The person he first meets from this new world and the person who ultimately brings him over the threshold and into his new life is a half-giant, a misfit. His empathy allows him to look over what the wizarding world tells others is right.
Also, Harry fights with his own morality and his decision making. His moral center puts saving people and stopping Voldemort at a higher priority than not risking being expelled. This is a huge things for someone who lives under the stairs. He risks everything, his new home and friends, over what he thinks is right even though others are telling him he is wrong.
His morals also allow him to deal with his new found popularity. Everyone in the wizarding world loves Harry. They all know who he is and place him on a pedestal as the Chosen One. His own convictions stop all of this from going to his head. When you've been kicked your whole life and suddenly wake up one day as the king, you are still going to empathize with others who have been kicked.
As for spiritual challenges, the biggest one is Harry's self-doubt. He did not grow up in the wizarding world so most of the people that he meets know so much more about the aspects of the world than he does. They even know more about himself than even he knows. He doubts himself and his abilities. He almost seems to lose himself, but finds his way again by the end of the book.
Harry Potter is an incredibly important series in modern literature. It has so many powerful metaphors and messages that has probably helped many a person who has read them. As Harry grew up, my generation grew up with him. His moral and spiritual challenges were ours as well. It was nice to relive these things again.
