A little over a month ago, I wrote a post explaining why I had decided to read the Harry Potter books. As that post stated, I had just finished reading Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, a novel about banning books, and listened to a presentation which encouraged individuals to not read the Harry Potter books because they contained "misleading ideas." It got me stewing about the various discussions about banning books, and the books that are frequently on the lists of most frequently requested books to be banned (of which have included the Harry Potter series).
So, I set out to read the series in its entirety, and just finished the seventh and final book this past weekend. And I remain confused about how they're misleading; unless, of course, one wishes to maintain the position that all fiction is misleading - which, while I guess is a consistent position, seems a bit extreme. But, I think that must be the idea behind telling people not to read it. I recall a time during a book discussion on Homer's The Iliad where a gentleman shared that he did not like the book because "it's not real," and he was only interested in truth.
While I can respect the search for truth, it seems narrow-minded to have as a founding premise of that search that no truth can come from a work of fiction. While fiction obviously does not describe in accuracy events in history that actually happened, or events that are even possible (be it fantasy or science-fiction), that does not mean that fiction cannot speak to truths about the human condition; about love and friendship; about forgiveness and redemption; about existence and searching. This is, in part, what makes certain holy texts (be it the Bible or Bhagavad Gita) remarkable - they address truths about the human condition, and the factual accuracy of its stories is not necessary for those truths to be real.
And as I reflect upon reading the Harry Potter series, I don't see the "misleading" ideas; again, unless all fiction is misleading. As I wrote in that prior post, I understand the belief that certain books and ideas may not be age appropriate. And with Harry Potter, there probably is an age that is too young to read it; but what an opportunity those books present a parent (or any adult) for discussion with their child (or any child). To discuss the characters, what makes them good and bad, what their flaws and strengths are. At its core, at least for my reflection, the book is not just about good battling evil, but what separates those that are good from those that are evil. The book's suggestion is that the ability to experience true friendship, to sacrifice for others, and to love others is what separates the good from the evil. That is both a great, lasting message, but a call to action.
Imagine the opportunities to discuss those themes, ideals, and truths with others. A book ban removes those opportunities. And, I think, the last thing we need is less ideas in our world, less discussion and dialogue in our communities.
"To prohibit the reading of certain books is to declare the inhabitants to be either fools or slaves." - Claude Adrien Helvetius
"Only the nonreader fears books." - Richard Peck
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