Harry Potter: Literary or Commercial Fiction

Through this blog entry, I would like to address a topic that was briefly discussed in class today. An argument arose over whether or not the Harry Potter series can be considered a literary work deserving of merit. The seven-novel series has often been referred to as a money making machine and a huge cliché that dumbs down our culture. My opinion is that while Rowling’s work is not nearly deserving of as high of a distinction as novels such as Frankenstein, it should not be dismissed as worthless. A key issue that many critics have with the Potter series is the “workman-like” prose used by Rowling. One may find that the prose used in all seven novels has no particular style or “pizzazz.” Everything is simple and to the point. While this may be desired in a phone book or encyclopedia, my belief is that a true literary work should have a discernable writing style that makes it worth remembering. Many sentences in each chapter feel like filler sentences that were just added to lengthen the novel. Something that critics sometimes commend about the Potter series, however, is the structure used by Rowling (in the first three books at least). The plots seem to be well constructed and while trained readers may in part be able to foresee these events, constant twists and shifts keep the plot lively and suspenseful. This, in my opinion, ends with The Goblet of Fire, after which the plots appear oversimplified, bland, and only designed for suspense and commercial success. However, Rowling can be praised for being able to evolve the plot the way she did. As the series progress, readers may notice that the plots seem to be getting darker and darker. They stray away from the simple fantasy mystery structure of the first three books to a grittier plot centered on the central conflict of what may be considered the second trilogy (books 5-7). The “odd one out” is The Goblet of Fire, which seems to serve the purpose of transitioning from the simple fantasy plots to the darker, more serious, latter novels. Rowling’s biggest talent as a writer is her ability to build entertaining, three-dimensional characters. Each character has an immense family tree that sometimes almost becomes hard to remember as the reader progresses in the series. In addition, every character has his/her own personality that is carefully maintained through each novel.

Perhaps the biggest factor that may or may not disqualify Harry Potter as a work worthy of literary merit is the lack of a clear theme. While a theme is not formally required, it is what often discerns literary fiction from everyday commercial fiction. A possible theme present in the series is man’s struggle against death. Many, if not all, key events revolve around the concept of mortality from the moment Potter is born (his parents’ death/his survival) until Harry ‘s resurrection and Voldemort’s death in the seventh novel. It is likely that we will never know if J.K. Rowling purposely included these revelations about man’s constant struggle against death, or whether it simply created a more suspenseful and dramatic plot that would sell more copies. What is certain is that the series possesses a strong entertainment value. What remains to be (hotly) debated is whether it is worthy of going down in history as a work of literary merit.