Harry Potter and Moral Development in Pre-adolescent Children

Journal of Moral Education, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2002

Review Article

Harry Potter and Moral Development in Pre-adolescent Children LAUREN BINNENDYK & KIMBERLY A. SCHONERT-REICHL University of British Columbia, Canada

Harry Potter Boxed Set (Books 1–4) J.K. ROWLING, 2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. 4 Volumes, $85.80, hardcover, ISBN 0641066317 In an age of video games and cable television, the success of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter stories is without precedent in children’s literature. The Harry Potter stories have been in uential both in promoting children’s literature and in fostering children’s love of reading. Many children are able to identify with Potter, perhaps because he does not look like a typical hero—he is average-looking and wears glasses. In a similar vein, Harry’s history of being bullied in school most probably strikes a chord with the experiences of many of the pre-adolescent school-aged children who read voraciously about him. Yet, not only children have been captivated by these stories, adults around the world have also been entranced by Harry’s adventures, as the reader is able to transcend reality into the world of imagination. Rowling’s lavish descriptions of characters and inventions certainly cater to a child’s state of imaginative immaturity (Tucker, 1999). Nevertheless, we argue herein that the Harry Potter stories are more than simple sources of escapism and fantasy. More speci cally, because the Harry Potter stories are classic fairly tales—that is, stories that revolve around the struggle of good versus evil and moral obligation—the exploits of Harry Potter and his colleagues not only serve as a source of entertainISSN 0305-7240 print; ISSN 1465-3877 online/02/020195-07 Ó 2002 Journal of Moral Education Ltd DOI: 10.1080/03057240220143304

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ment but can provide an impetus for children’s social and moral development as well (Bettelheim, 1977). To explore this issue, we will rst summarise J. K. Rowling’s four Harry Potter stories. Then, we will answer a series of questions regarding the relation of Harry Potter and his clan to moral development and moral education. Finally we will offer some suggestions for for use of these stories in teaching. In the rst book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter on his 11th birthday receives a letter delivered by an owl, claiming that Harry is a wizard and is therefore eligible to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is astounding news for Harry, who has been living a horrible existence with his dreadful relatives, the Dursleys, ever since his parents’ death 10 years earlier. Harry’s rst year at Hogwarts is a very exciting one: he learns about his past, develops two close friendships (Hermione and Ron), begins his training to become a wizard, becomes a star “Quidditch” player and battles in a deadly duel with the dark lord, Voldemort. In the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry, who is excited about his forthcoming year at Hogwarts, receives a warning from a little green elf, Dobby, telling him that evil things will happen if he returns to Hogwarts. Ignoring the warning, Harry returns to discover that the evil chamber of secrets has been opened, and something or someone is turning students to stone. Harry, with the help of his two close friends, Hermione and Ron, solves the mystery and kills the serpent that inhabits the chamber. Rowling’s third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, takes place during Harry’s third year at Hogwarts. Sirius Black, the infamous prisoner and apparent heir to Lord Voldemort, has escaped Azkaban and is rumoured to be headed to Hogwarts to kill Harry in hopes that Harry’s death will bring back Voldemort. Harry, however, fears not Sirius but the prison guards that are lurking among school boundaries searching for their escapee. In the end Harry, Ron and Hermione discover Sirius and learn the truth as to what really happened so many years ago on the night Voldemort murdered Harry’s parents. Finally, in the fourth book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry, now 13, attends his rst Quidditch World cup, develops a crush on a fellow student and participates in the Triwizard tournament—an international tournament where participants from three schools compete in potentially deadly events. After winning the last event, Harry again nds himself in a deadly duel with the dark lord. This time, however, Voldemort has regained his strength and recruited many of his old followers. Harry’s bravery withstands Voldemort’s evil powers, as he escapes unscathed. Apart from ful lling a need for fantasy, how does Harry Potter contribute to children’s development and understanding of life? This is an important question to ask, because many children (girls and boys) view this ordinary, marginal, nerdy boy as their hero. In this essay review we will address several questions. First, are the Harry Potter stories moral tales? Secondly, do the characters from the stories represent particular stages in Kohlberg’s model of moral reasoning? Thirdly, given Harry Potter’s fame, could the stories be used as a vehicle to promote moral development in pre-adolescent children? That is, what implications might these ndings have for moral education?

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Are Rowling’s Stories Moral Narratives? Overall, Rowling’s stories ful ll the reader’s need for a story with moral certainty. Bear et al. (1997) assert, “to act in a moral way, a person must rst understand how his or her actions affect the welfare of others, judge whether such actions are right or wrong, intend to act in accord with this judgement and follow through with this intention” (p. 14). In these stories, the expression of morality is so simplistic that Harry Potter, a boy of 11 years of age, displays little dif culty judging right from wrong. He lives in a black and white moral universe where good and evil co-exist and are always in competition to reign over the school he attends. Evil and greed are challenged with the moral values of courage, friendship and the power of love (Tucker, 1999). Harry Potter has an integral part in each story—his role is to restore peace in the school by battling against evil dark magic. Harry has no dif culty understanding what is right for the school; however, such a feat is conceivable only with the help of his two close friends and the loving memory of his dead parents. In addition, Rowling makes it dif cult for the reader to identify with evil characters, because not only is evil portrayed as intrinsically immoral, those who are presented as evil in Rowling’s stories are described as physically repulsive (Tucker, 1999). A particularly apt example that supports this assertion is found in Rowling’s description of the nasty professor Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, “a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin” (p. 94). The importance of teamwork is another example of how Rowling conveys a moral theme in her stories. All students are divided into four houses—Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Huf epuff and Grif ndor. Throughout the school year, students from these four houses compete in various ways for “points”, both on the “Quidditch” pitch and in the classroom. The house that accumulates the most points at the end of the year wins the house cup. Winning the house championship is considered a great achievement by the whole school, including professors and school administrators. If a student behaves prosocially, they are awarded house points; transgressions or any other antisocial behaviour, however, result in the deduction of points. This collection of points systematically promotes moral responsibility by proactively reinforcing prosocial behaviour and a sense of collective responsibility (Bear et al., 1997). Students learn to work together and develop a conscious awareness of their actions and their effect on the peers in their community. That is, the students perceive themselves as equal parts of a whole and are therefore motivated to work together so they will not disappoint the members in their community, which includes both their peers and their teachers. Furthermore, both sexes are viewed equally. For example, boys and girls play on the same “Quidditch” teams and thus are equal participants in the pursuit of a set of common goals. Taken together, such educational practices that promote a sense of collective responsibility both to and for the community are in line with the concepts of a positive “moral atmosphere”, espoused by Kohlberg and others relative to social environments (e.g. Power et al., 1989; Binfet et al., 1997). Indeed, Kohlberg posited that it is within the context of a positive moral atmosphere where developmental changes in moral reasoning are most likely to occur. As well, the moral atmosphere of an institution provides a

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critical link between individuals’ competence in moral reasoning and their moral behaviour (e.g. Kohlberg & Higgins, 1987). Hence, the social milieu in which Harry Potter and his peers nd themselves is most probably one that can foment the development of their moral reasoning as well as their prosocial behaviours. It should be noted, however, that this is true for only those children residing in “houses” which work toward a positive goal—the Slytherins, given their antisocial stance, are never rewarded. Do Rowling’s Characters Match Kolhberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning? Lawrence Kohlberg’s cognitive-developmental theory of moral reasoning is an attempt to explain how individuals reason about moral issues and how their reasoning changes as they move from childhood to adulthood. Moral development refers to the process through which a person progresses from an egocentric, externally directed individual to a self-directed and other-focused, socially responsive and responsible person. If Harry Potter can or should be used as a vehicle to foster moral growth in accordance with Kohlberg’s theory, one rst step is to attempt to describe the main characters in the Harry Potter series in terms of their predominant stage of moral development using Kohlberg’s stage typology. Such a description can provide a backdrop for examining the portrayal of moral discussions and moral reasoning among the characters. Kohlberg’s rst stage (Stage One) of moral reasoning—heteronomous morality or punishment and obedience orientation—is exempli ed by Dobby, the little green elf from Rowling’s second and fourth books. Whenever he breaks a rule, Dobby reprimands himself by engaging in self-injurious behaviour. For Dobby, the rationale for his behaviour is clear—any misdeed should result in physical punishment. There is no reference to internal, psychological motivations or intentions. This connection between rule-breaking and punishment transcends the direct relation in that Dobby even punishes physically himself when his rule-breaking is unbeknown to his master. As Kohlberg (1984) de nes Stage One, justice involves punishing the bad guys in terms of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. Draco Malfoy, Harry’s archenemy, best characterises a Stage Two reasoner displaying an individualistic , instrumental purpose orientation. For Malfoy, what is right is that which will satisfy his own personal, concrete needs. This is illustrated in his continued focus on the accumulation of house points for their own sake with little regard for moral cooperation and human relationships. Moving beyond this focus on individualistic, egocentric concerns at State Two is the movement to Stage Three reasoning, the interpersonal cooperation orientation. Illustrative of this stage is Ron, Harry’s trusted and loyal friend. Ron will do anything for Harry in order to preserve their close friendship. For example, Ron will risk expulsion from school to appease Harry by joining him on his unauthorised adventures. These actions exemplify lucidly the characteristics of the trusted, loyal sidekick that are typical Stage Three qualities. What is right is that which keeps mutual relationships in which trust, loyalty, respect and gratitude are at the fore. Kohlberg’s Stage Four of moral reasoning—the law and order orientation—is


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aptly portrayed by Hermione, Harry Potter’s other best friend. Moving beyond an emphasis on maintaining an interpersonal relationship (as described above with regard to Ron), Hermione is characterised by a Stage Four focus because of her emphasis on maintaining the functioning and existence of the system as a whole— she abhors any violation of school rules because such acts fail to maintain the system. Her belief that rules cannot be disobeyed because they will result in chaos clearly typi es Stage Four reasoning. Hermione continuously attempts to maintain the social order by abiding by school rules and becomes very upset when Harry and Ron continue to break them. For example, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Hermione is outraged when Harry and Ron y a car from Ron’s home and crash it into the Whomping Willow. Moving to the highest and most mature stage of moral reasoning, Stage Five, social contract/intrinsic rights orientation, we place Harry Potter because of his focus on fair procedures and social and individual rights (Bear et al., 1997). For example, Harry will defy all school laws and risk his own life in order to create an environment that is bene cial and suitable for all students. Speci cally, in the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, dark evil was threatening to take the school over from the head schoolmaster Professor Dumbledore. Harry, however, solved the mystery as to who was victimising the students and subsequently restored order in the school. Harry’s belief that rules should be broken in order to meet the needs of his fellow classmates typi es Stage Five functioning.

What are the Implications of the Harry Potter Stories for Education? The mechanism which underlies an individual’s progression to the next, more advanced, stage of moral reasoning is cognitive disequilibrium. Both Kohlberg and Piaget have suggested that cognitive disequilibrium is primarily stimulated by the children’s interaction with the social environment via peers (Kohlberg, 1984). Indeed, peer interactions and peer relationships have been afforded a particularly central role in the moral development of children. Youniss asserted that the opportunities to experience and resolve con icts—two components that are crucial for the development of moral reasoning—are a more typical feature of peer interactions opposed to adult–child interactions because peer relationships are considered egalitarian and include such things as discussion, negotiation and consensus-seeking (Youniss, 1987). Indeed, peer interactions can provide opportunities for role-taking, in which children take the perspective of other children whose points of view on moral questions differ from their own. Kohlberg advocated implementing Socratic classroom discussions concerning moral dilemmas to stimulate moral growth among students. Adopting Kohlberg’s view, many educators also assert that literature is a good vehicle for injecting moral education into the curriculum (Clare et al., 1996). Central to this approach is that teachers must “be able to recognize appropriate moral dilemmas and present them to students in a way that is compatible with their stage of moral reasoning” (Clare et al., p. 388). As indicated previously,

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Harry Potter stories could be used as a vehicle to promote moral development in pre-adolescent children because many of the characters in these stories exhibit stages of moral reasoning to which this age group can relate. It has been posited that children in their pre-adolescent years typically reason at Stages Two and Three (Bear et al., 1997). Many examples of moral dilemmas that may be developmentally appropriate for pre-adolescents are found throughout the Harry Potter series. For example, Ron faces many dilemmas during his adventures with Harry, one of which occurs in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The teachers, as a precautionary measure against dark evil, order all students to remain in their dorms unless they are in class. Harry Potter, however, desperately needs to go and talk to his friend Hagrid, who lives in a small cottage away from the school. Ron, in an attempt to dissuade Harry, replies, “But McGonagall [the teacher] said we’ve got to stay in our tower unless we’re in class” (p. 192). But in the end he follows Harry anyway. This dilemma could be used as an entry point into a moral discussion about what would be a more morally sophisticated decision: abiding by the rules or appeasing a friend. Teachers could scaffold discussions that challenge students to think beyond their current level of moral reasoning. Along with the positive bene ts, there are some limitations to using Harry Potter stories as a vehicle for moral education; the most signi cant is the stage of moral reasoning exhibited by Harry himself. It is perhaps unrealistic to believe that a child of 11 years of age is able to reason at such a high level (Kohlberg, 1984). Yet, oddly enough, children whose level of reasoning is well below his still identify with him. Tucker (1999) claims this is because Harry’s adventures are not a result of inner exploration or reorganisation of values and priorities, but instead are a result of pressures largely external to himself. In contrast, Bear et al. (1997) would claim this is the result of situational factors; emergency circumstances that morally spur Harry to respond “automatically” with altruistic actions. Another limitation of using literature as a vehicle to promote moral development is that reasoning about real-life dilemmas is a better predictor of moral behaviour than reasoning about less relevant hypothetical dilemmas (Walker et al., 1996). With this in mind, the Harry Potter stories could be used as a “springboard” for the discussion of the real-life moral dilemmas that students confront in their everyday interactions. Indeed, because the Harry Potter stories are both developmentally and psychologically signi cant they can be used as a motivational tool to engage pre-adolescent children in discussions of moral dilemmas. These dilemma discussions can then be followed by discussions of more contemporary issues such as pressure to use drugs or alcohol, or the effects of parental divorce. For both of these instances, it would be the role of the teacher to urge each student to think beyond his or her current level of moral reasoning in the hope that this will lead subsequently to higher levels of moral behaviour. We conclude that the Harry Potter stories possess a multifarious richness and depth that far transcend the discussion of morality. This essay describes just one issue of a multitude of issues for which the Harry Potter stories can be utilised for both understanding children and identifying ways in which to foster their development.


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Correspondence: Ms Lauren Binnendyk, Department of Education Student, University of British Columbia, #108, 1815 Cornwall Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1C6, Canada; E-mail: [email protected]; and Dr Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl, Professor of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, University of British Columbia, 2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada. REFERENCES BEAR, G.G., RICHARDS, H.C. & GIBBS, J.C. (1997) Sociomoral reasoning and behavior, in: G.G. BEAR, K.M. MINKE & A. THOMAS (Eds) Children’s Needs II: development, problems, and alternatives, pp. 13–25 (Bethesda, Maryland, National Association of School Psychologists). BETTELHEIM , B. (1977) The Uses of Enchantment: the meaning and importance of fairy tales (New York, Random House). BINFET, T., SCHONERT-REICHL, K.A. & MCDOUGALL , P. (1997). Adolescents’ perceptions of the moral atmosphere of school: motivational, behavioral, and social correlates, paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. CLARE , L., GALLIMORE, R. & PATTHEY- CHAVEZ, G.G. (1996) Using moral dilemmas in children’s literature as a vehicle for moral education and teaching reading comprehension, Journal of Moral Education, 25, pp. 325–340. KOHLBERG , L. (1984) Essays in Moral Development, Vol. II: The Psychology of Moral Development (San Francisco, CA, Harper & Row). KOHLBERG , L. & HIGGINS , A. (1987) School democracy and social interaction, in: W. M. KURTINES & J.L. GEWIRTZ (Eds) Moral Development through Social Interaction, pp. 102–128 (New York, John Wiley & Sons). POWER, F.C., HIGGINS , A. & KOHLBERG , L. (1989) Lawrence Kohlberg’s Approach to Moral Education: a study of three democratic high schools (New York) Columbia University Press). TUCKER, N. (1999) The rise and rise of Harry Potter, Children’s Literature in Education, 30, pp. 221–234. WALKER , L.J., RUSSEL, C.P., HENNIG , K.H. & MASTUBA, M.K. (1996) Reasoning about morality in real life moral problems, in: M. KILLEN & D. HART (Eds) Morality in Everyday Life: developmental perspectives, pp. 371–408 (New York, Cambridge University Press). YOUNISS, J. (1987) Social construction and moral development, in: W. M. KURTINES & J.L. GERWIRTZ (Eds) Moral Development through Social Interaction, pp. 131–148 (New York, John Wiley).