A STUDY OF GOOD AND EVIL IN JK ROWLING’S HARRY POTTER SERIES

Abstract

The Harry Potter series has been an extraordinary distributing accomplishment for the phenomenal British author JK Rowling. The paper examines why Rowling's Harry Potter books keep on being so well known. The theme of “good vs evil” is probably one of the first characteristics of Children’s Literature that impresses the readers the most. In terms of good and evil, fantasy stories and readings present an explicated version of realism in which the readers can comprehend the difference between them. As the primary audience of fantasy stories are children it requires to have good and evil characters for their classification. It is debateable that fantasy stories are inappropriate for children because they may be tempted to imitate the behaviour of these wicked characters. However, the evil present in fantasy serves as driving force for highlighting the good; without the demonstration of evil one cannot underscore good. Evil is the mirror in which good is reflected; for that reason, in the Harry Potter Series, Rowling uses Harry and Voldemort representing the nature of good and evil. This paper also argues Harry’s and Lord Voldemort’s moral choices in life, particularly the choice between good and evil. Moreover, the paper sheds light on the importance of sacrificial parental love which the writer considers as a moral philosophy to live by, and Rowling’s own image of woman.