In Gothic literature for adults, the sublime typically does not function as a didactic entity; instead of providing instruction and moral lessons, it awes and thrills with its presentation of the unknown and the supernatural. Although the sublime is typically linked with mountains and oceans, it refers to any natural landscape that stirs conflicted feelings in its viewer, such as joy, wonder, terror and awe. The sublime suggests ideas and thoughts that lie beyond human comprehension. Associated with grandeur and magnificence, it evokes excessive emotions, much like those often expressed by children who have not yet learned to think rationally.
In children’s literature, however, the sublime does often function as a didactic entity. Because children have difficulty rationalizing their thoughts, they frequently act on their emotions. In an effort to give meaning to their feelings, children ask questions and explore unfamiliar landscapes. Usually, such attempts are directed towards adults, but in children’s literature the sublime functions as an adult presence that tempts children to explore the world around them in their quest for maturity. Because children and the sublime both evoke excessive emotions, there exists an umbilical connection between the two. Thus, authors of children’s literature use the sublime to entertain young readers while also presenting them with moral lessons.
My essay examines J.K Rowling’s use of the sublime in the Harry Potter novels. Throughout the series, the gothic elements symbolize Harry’s anger and frustration. Gothic landscapes are desolate, alienating, and full of menace, and these characteristics create feelings of uneasiness and instill in readers a mounting dread and apprehension. One can see these emotions in Harry Potter as he matures through each of the novels and attempts to learn about his mysterious past. The darkness, a staple in Gothicism, represents Harry’s past; it also harbors the unknown and fuels that insatiable curiosity that children, as well as adults, often cannot suppress. The gothic elements appeal to both Harry and the child readers, thus making them more receptive to the novels’ lessons and morals.
As Harry Potter enters adolescence, embarking on his heroic quest, he satisfies his curiosity by interacting with the sublime at Hogwart’s Castle, the Forbidden Forest, the Chamber of Secrets, and the graveyard in which he encounters Lord Voldemort, to name a few. One might even argue that the Dursley’s household is a form of the domestic sublime in that it reminds Harry he is an abandoned orphan while also tantalizing him with the suburban family lifestyle he desperately craves. Through his interactions with the sublime, Harry Potter, along with contemporary readers, questions such themes as love, honor, tolerance, and friendship. Only by encountering the sublime, and the darkness associated with it, can Harry discover his true self and learn the values and morals of the wizard world.