“Harry Potter” Books Have the Power to Make Us Better Individuals, According to a Study

2 years ago

Harry Potter, author J.K. Rowling’s wildly popular fantasy novels, may be known for their magical world and huge battles. However, they’re not just about wand-waving and spells — the epic franchise values bravery, intelligence, loyalty, and trust and has consequently made a difference in the real world too.
In fact, the novels seem to help create empathy in us and battle the negative attitudes we sometimes tend to have toward others.

1. The series of novels promotes love and acceptance.

The world of Harry Potter is characterized by social hierarchies — which clearly reflect the situation in real life — and where Potter is always sympathetic to anyone who is treated as “lesser-than.”

In fact, throughout the series, the antagonists are prejudiced against non-wizards and want to enslave them, while Potter and his friends empathize with them, try to understand their suffering, and strive toward equality. Thus making love and acceptance one of the main themes of the novels.

2. They create empathic feelings inside us.

On a different note, scientists have mapped the brain while people are reading fiction books and found that the same brain networks are engaged while imagining a fictional story as when we witness it in real life. The study found that while reading a chapter of Harry Potter, our brain is literally living through the characters in the story, thus making us more empathetic to another person’s suffering.

3. They improve our attitude toward marginalized people.

Moreover, the children who have read these fantasy novels hold more open-minded attitudes toward marginalized people in real life. And according to a study, attitudes were found to be even more improved in those kids who read passages that dealt with prejudice, and especially in those who had identified with the morally-upright hero, Harry.

4. They promote tolerance.

On a different note, this study is consistent with another bit of research, which also shows that reading fictional novels clearly promotes tolerance by helping readers identify with characters from various diverse backgrounds. And these messages are smoothly embedded within the lines of an imaginative storyline.

Throughout the Harry Potter series, readers can put themselves in the shoes of outsiders and underdogs like the “mudbloods” which allows them to easily experience what being different from others really feels like in the real world.

5. They improve theory of mind.

Moreover, reading literary fiction improves theory of mind (ToM), which is the human capacity to comprehend that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that are different from one’s own. And according to research, reading passages of literary fiction considerably enhances the reader’s performance on theory of mind tasks.

6. They contribute to creating a world of diversity.

All throughout the novels, the main characters are consistently qualified with a strong moral code and a solid ethical commitment. Literary critic, Christopher Hitchens, once praised J. K. Rowling for “unmooring” children’s books from snobbery, and eventually giving us a world of fairness, openness, and diversity.

7. Emma Watson’s Hermione Granger is an inspiration for young girls

The Wizarding world’s young heroine, Hermione Granger, remains an inspiring icon that little girls aspire to be. “Hermione made it OK for girls to be the smartest in the room... to be a leader, the one with the plan. She’s not just a role for me, she’s a symbol.” Emma Watson said.

Watson, through her Hermione character, was able to empower women while also promoting gender equality. In fact, taking pride in the character that shaped the young women of today, Emma Watson added, “Young girls are told you have to be the delicate princess. Hermione taught them that you can be the warrior.”