The Wisdom of Harry Potter: What Our Favorite Hero Tells Us About Moral Choices, by Edmund M. Kern. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, 2003. 296 pages, Softcover, $18.00.
In the interests of full disclosure, I should point out that Edmund Kern was one of my favorite professors when I was an undergraduate at Lawrence University. Not only did he teach my class on historiography, but he also taught one of most entertaining and informative classes that I have ever taken, “Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe.” Given the fact that the occult (strictly as a historical phenomenon) is Prof. Kern’s specialty subject, it is not surprising that he would become a great fan of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.
Indeed, Prof. Kern managed to work Harry Potter into every aspect of our “Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft” class. On the first day, he picked up three dry-erase markers and asked which color he should use to write on the marker board: “Gryffindor red, Ravenclaw blue, or Slytherin green.” He decided to go with “Ravenclaw blue,” because “that’s where the smart women are.” When we came across a legendary artifact in the readings, such as the Hand of Glory, Prof. Kern would be quick to point out which Harry Potter book that artifact appeared in (in this example, Chamber of Secrets). When a colleague sent him an article that argued that the movies were wrong to show broomstick riding with the bristles pointed backwards, when the bristles should be pointed in front, ahead of the rider, he gave a great five-minute lecture explaining why this article was wrong. While a couple of old sketches of flying witches show them riding on brooms with the bristles pointed forward, the earliest depiction of this phenomenon shows the bristles pointed backwards. Brooms were not the only means of flying transportation in artistic presentations, Prof. Kern added. Some pictures show witches riding gigantic vegetable, huge thistles, and in one case, an enormous phallus. I don’t know how he managed to get the class to settle down after revealing that tidbit of information, but he did.
Kern’s thesis is that the books do indeed promote a wholesome sense of morality, specifically Stoic virtue. His explanation of why the books support this value system is too complex to go into here, but his defense of his position is well reasoned and supported, albeit at times challenging to follow. While Kern’s personal opinions and critiques form the backbone of his book, a substantial portion of the analysis is devoted to presenting the arguments of Rowling’s critics. At times, these sections drag a bit, partially because Kern seems slightly annoyed at the people he is arguing against. One gets the impression that Kern was clenching his teeth as he refuted the contentions of these detractors.
The Wisdom of Harry Potter was written when only four of the books were published. Order of the Phoenix was published right before the manuscript was submitted to the publisher, and the afterword contains a brief response to the fifth novel. Throughout his study, Kern notes that it is hazardous to make any set conclusions about Rowling’s aims and philosophy until all seven entries in the series were completed. Coming from the perspective of reading Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows, it is interesting to see which theories are verified and which are discredited. For example, Kern is ambivalent about the presence of latent religious themes in the books, and it would be nice to see how Kern restructures this view (if at all) in response to the closing chapter of book seven. Despite the fact that the book is in need of updating, it is still an essential contribution to the critical literature on Rowling’s work.
When The Wisdom of Harry Potter was first published, Prof. Kern told me that he might update the book once the series was completed. While such a revision might be intriguing, I personally would be more interested in an autobiographical book about Kern’s fandom. The best parts of Wisdom are Kern’s descriptions of how he first came across the novels, how he quickly came to love the novels, and his experiences incorporating Harry Potter into his academic life. A fantastic memoir could be created from Kern’s experiences at Potter-themed conferences, tracking down the history of the real-life Nicholas Flamel in Europe, and teaching students in his classes and seminars. Given Kern’s skill for humorous and compelling presentation, a book about his life as a Potter scholar would be a fantastic read.
This review originally appeared in Gilbert!
