I was just beginning to hear a bit of the controversy about the Harry Potter books when the Scholastic Book Fair came to our school. My daughter had to have one of the books, and though I hesitated a moment, I wanted to read it too. I was curious about Harry Potter because of it's enormous popularity and the controversy over it's "theological appropriateness".
Great children's books speak to the unconscious. Children can have strong feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and helplessness, but they haven't developed the rational thinking skills to cope with these feelings. A fairy tale, or great children's book, guides the child's unconscious in a structured way to resolve painful feelings. This frees the child to cope on a conscious level without being overwhelmed by underlying feelings of anxiety and alienation. The Harry Potter books have all the elements of a classic fairy tale, but they speak to modern children in a way that classic fairy tales probably do not anymore.
Rowling uses very specific imagery to guide the reader from the mundane world of the wounded ego down into the mysterious world of the nonrational unconscious. In the first book, the reader travels with Harry as he leaves the city on a red train, past the fields, and into the deep woods. Night falls and he arrives at a mountain lake, which he glides across to a huge castle. Inside, he finds an incredible place where he can't see the ceiling and ghosts amble through the walls gossiping.
Harry (and the child) are transported to a place of wonder where he is special and even revered. Harry is fearful, but brave, as he faces the immense learning and the dangers of this world. Rowling does a good job of reassuring the child that he is safe in this place. As in any good fairy tale, it is very clear that the reader is moving from the real world into fantasy, then back again to the real world where he is stronger and more whole from his journey.
As a Christian mom, the Harry Potter books and movies don't scare me. I want my children to have wonder and imagination and magic in their lives. I want them to read books of fantasy that speak to and challenge their unconscious to be the best they can be. Then, when they encounter God in their lives, they will have both the ability to believe in His awesome Nature and the discernment to recognize and follow the truth of His Word.
