Joshua Resoun bemoans Harry Potter's influence upon Britain's scarred and misguided youth.
JK Rowling’s work is known the world over: Harry Potter has been translated into dozens of languages; it’s celebrated from the smallest town in India to the largest city in the United States; it has film adaptations, spin-offs, merchandise and video games. In short, it has defined a generation.
Yet, when we look at what actually happens in Harry Potter series, you begin to see the innocent childhood fantasy in a whole different light. Think about it: Harry and his friends commit crime after crime. They steal a car, drink underage, take part in identity theft, physically assault other wizards, damage property, truant and break school rules.
A number of commentators have been jumping on David Cameron’s bandwagon of "broken Britain". There have been quite a few theories as to what has caused this but here I would like to propose a new one: Harry Potter broke Britain.
The magical world entranced a whole generation of children, and the lessons that they learn throughout their time with HP and the gang are hardly worthy of the future of humanity. Take a classic example from the films: Crabbe and Goyle, two kids, minding their own business, partaking in some harmless banter with Harry and the gang, and what does Mr Potter do? He drugs them with sleeping potions. It is the Hogwarts equivalent of Rohypnol. Harry is a party to countless crimes, and even if it may be for the "greater good" and to save the world from darkness, the law is the law, and he broke it.
These are the lessons that are being given to our youth. They are being taught that breaking the law and being a moody, self-centred teenager is perfectly ok, providing that you’re battling the forces of darkness as you go, which Harry rarely does by the way, he’s a bit of a wimp.
The books may have not caused "broken Britain" on their own, but they have certainly attributed to it. I can almost see the future: small gangs of kids running around with wands, within which is a 6 inch knife which they flick out while saying, "abracadabra".
So let us raise a mug of butterbeer, with all our underage drinking buddies, and say "Cheers Harry, you’ve scarred Britain for life".