Abstract of Paper to be Presented at Accio 2005

Choosing between "what is right and what is easy" - the anatomy of Power and the Conquering of the Self in J K Rowling's Work

Ursula Mueller

What is at the heart of the Harry Potter series? What is driving J K Rowling to tell this epic story, besides the plain fun and intellectual excitement in outlining such a complex plot? Underneath this extremely entertaining storyline lies a coming-of-age novel with a truly existential and moral groundwork: What constitutes us as humans? How can we conquer our Self? What constitutes evil? What is power and how should we deal with it? Rowling's series is a socio-political allegory, where the magical world mirrors the human world, albeit in an accentuated way. It is the magical power which makes a difference in the Wizarding World and which is the only distinction between wizards and muggles. Magical power means ultimate power and that is why power and its ethical and moral implications are crucial to the whole series and Rowling's underlying philosophical discourse.

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