The Political Aspects of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter Series

I’ve been planning to write this article for AGES! See, as students in International Relations—and moreover, a fan of Harry Potter—I realize some of the political aspects within the series itself. Of course, I also do some research for the article and then I found out that there are at least two major political issues within Harry Potter Universe that can be related to the International Relations studies: The practice of ethnic supremacy and fascism. There are even some similar storyline between Harry Potter and Adolf Hitler regime in the past. In this case, Lord Voldemort (who acts as a villain throughout the series) has matched some points with Hitler.

 

According to JK Rowling, that some phrases that the readers viewed such as: ‘pure-blood’, ‘half-blood’ and ‘Muggle-born’. In fact could be compared to the real charts the Nazis precisely the same warped logic as the Death Eaters. “A single Jewish grandparent ‘polluted’ the blood, according to their propaganda,” added her. In the Harry Potter Universe, Lord Voldemort and his Death Eather alongside with some other believed that the blood-purity supremacy as their main agenda. This resembles the Nazi supremacy that the Hitler regime used to oppress the Jewish Community—as Voldemort regime oppress Muggles and Muggle-Borns.

Furthermore, there is one of minor-yet-interesting part of Harry Potter story. Narcissa Malfoy (nee Black), mother of Harry Potter’s school-enemy, Draco Malfoy was the youngest Black Sisters who married another pure-blood Lucius Malfoy (servant to Lord Voldemort). The oldest, Bellatrix Lestrange (nee Black) married to another pure-blood: Rodolphus Lestrange and yet become a Death Eater—Lord Voldemort army. Bellatrix Lestrange also become one of the most loyal servant to Voldemort and favourite of his. The middle-sister, Andromeda Tonks (nee Black) was disowned from The Black Family after marrying a Muggle-Born Wizard, Ted Tonks.

The part of the story is slightly similar to the Mitford sisters: Diana, Unity and Jessica. Narcissa Malfoy resembles Diana Mitford, who married Oswald Mosely—the loyalist of Adolf Hitler. While Unity Mitford resembled by Bellatrix Lestrange, as she become a fascist and close to Hitler. Jessica Mitford who had been admired by JK Rowling herself—resembled by Andromeda—as Jessica become one of the prominent prodigious writer who constantly criticize the Nazi movement.

 

The NAZI charts

 

 

JK Rowling also mentioned that her character Voldemort could be compared to paranoid megalomaniacs like Adolf Hitler. Hitler, as some of you may already know, is half-Jew—while Lord Voldemort, also a half-blood. The so-called feelings of betrayal that hits Hitler as a childhood and led his hatred towards Jewish community are quite similar with Voldemort’s hatred toward his Muggle father who abandoned his mother.

Lastly, I just like to give my kudos for Rowling’s effort to address her concern about related topics throughout the stories. In my humble opinion, her ability to draw a parallel between Harry Potter and past stories is excellent! Even for a children, she could tells us many moral stories toward her quite “simple” way of writing.