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common to all children at times, however privileged their lives.

Critics maintain that the portrayal of an unhappy home life in the stories may lead readers to involve themselves in witchcraft in order to find a solution to their misery. This suggests that children cannot distinguish reality from fantasy, an idea which persists among some groups despite evidence to the contrary. Alternatively, it may be argued that the portrayal of Harry's unhappiness may strike a chord in unhappy children, who may become comforted by the idea that a writer comprehends their plight. It is not unreasonable to suggest that readers apprehend Harry as a character, and not as a real person. Nor is it unreasonable to assume that children understand the role and nature of a writer. Letters from children to J. K. Rowling confirm that they appreciate her sensitivity to their interests and problems, not Harry's.

For example, this writer demonstrates a clear understanding that writers make up stories and characters, and that it is only the writer who can control the movements of the character at all, hence the pleas:

Dear J. K. Rowling,

I really enjoyed your book . . . I am reading it for the fourth time now. . .

Please could you tell me when your next Harry Potter book is coming out, as I so want to read it.

Dear Joanne Rowling,

I loved Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . . . Please please please are you writing more about Harry and Hogwart's soon?

In various interviews, Rowling has noted that the power of her character, Harry Potter, lies in the fact that he is an ordinary boy placed in extraordinary circumstances. The child reader is presented with the possibilities offered by magic without any of the responsibilities attached to normal life. This is an empowering sensation to the usually powerless child. The message that evil and evil people should not be permitted to rule by fear is a powerful theme delivered through the reader's affiliation with Harry Potter. The sense of impotence to affect the world which is felt by children has been noted and counteracted by Rowling, in providing Harry with magical powers. It is in this way that Rowling has created a reliable touchstone with her readers. If school students are to be encouraged to view reading as an enjoyable leisure activity, they must encounter literature in positive and meaningful ways in the classroom. The Harry Potter phenomenon has manifested itself mainly outside of the classroom. Maybe it is time to bring Harry inside.

Learn more about this author, Ally Chumley.
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