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Comparison of Tolkien's books and Harry Potter series |
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by Rob Shearer, Publisher Greenleaf Press |
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For those of you who’re not familiar with my literary preferences I’m a huge fan of Tolkien & Lewis, and especially of Tolkien’s epic, The Lord of the Rings. The Lord of the Rings is NOTHING like the Harry Potter series. I know that many Christian parents have quite legitimate concerns about anything which might engender an interest in the occult among their children. I share their concerns. I am VERY uneasy with many of the elements of the Harry Potter series. Harry is in many ways an admirable figure he’s a “nice” kid. He values friendship and loyalty. And he struggles to defeat/thwart enemies who are clearly evil. BUT, I am very uncomfortable with the presentation of Harry’s magic powers as “neutral” and the school he attends to master magic skills as just another school for “gifted and talented” kids. For me, the most troubling aspect of Harry Potter is the confused way in which the author plays with traditional western symbolism of good and evil. To me, its very troubling to present witches (with brooms & familiar spirits) as not necessarily evil just misunderstood. The unspoken (but powerful) message is a sort of literary moral relativism. The idea that nothing is inherently evil is morally pernicious. And very confusing and potentially dangerous for children. By contrast, Tolkien’s epic has an entirely different approach to magic especially the central symbol of magical power, the ring. The ring is very powerful and dangerous. Over and over again we are reminded (and shown) that it is perilous to attempt to use the ring and that anyone who did attempt to do so would inevitably be corrupted by it. Frodo wins, not by mastering the ring, but by resisting the temptation to use it. He must struggle using his natural abilities. Gandalf is a much less troubling figure for me than ANY of the figures in the Potter series. Gandalf is different from the “wizards” in Potter’s world. Perhaps the most important difference is that Gandalf NEVER attempts to recruit or train anyone in how to use magic or spells. Indeed, in Tolkien’s world, wizards are a small, chosen, race set apart. Gandalf is perhaps the chief advisor who cautions against the use of the ring or of ANY of the tools of the enemy. Gandalf actually reminds me of the Prophet Samuel or of Moses. These are important distinctions. And it is important that we talk about these things with our children. Our kids have not read the Potter books not because we’ve had to forbid them, but because there are so many other, better books available to them. I WOULD forbid any of my younger kids from reading Potter if they asked. One or more of our older kids (16 & up) may read some of the Potter books in order to be able to intelligently critique them (as have I). I wish there were a simple rule for selecting books for our children. Its not simple. One can’t simply say that all books with witches in them are bad there’s a witch who figures prominently in the book of Samuel. So there must be other, more subtle criteria. Anything which awakes a fascination with magical powers is dangerous. I think Harry Potter potentially does. I think Tolkien’s tales warn against the inherent, inevitable danger in dealing with magic. There are many other virtues taught and portrayed in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings as well. Courage, perseverance, self-sacrifice, loyalty, etc. Plus it’s a marvelous story with an incredibly rich and delightful level of detail. Many of these ideas I have gleaned from a marvelous book which critiques children’s Literature from a distinctively Christian worldview called: A Landscape with Dragons: The Battle for Your Children’s Mind by Michael O’Brien Mr. O'Brien is the homeschooling father of six as well as being an author and a professional artist. His book is an analysis and a critique of the pagan invasion of children's culture. He is both critical and constructive. Not only does he point out the problems but he also suggests creative solutions and recommends alternatives. This book is a revised, updated, and greatly expanded version of a smaller book first published several years ago. The book is available from Greenleaf Press at the following URL: http://www.greenleafpress.com/catalog/01-Homeschool%20Resources/page6%20-%202001.htm For those who’d like a more detailed discussion of these issues, I highly recommend it. He has chapters devoted to both Tolkien and Lewis. Rob Shearer Publisher, Greenleaf Press |