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Children's Literature Association Series
Harry Potter and the Other: Race, Justice, and Difference in the Wizarding World
Race matters in the fictional Wizarding World of the Harry Potter series as much as it does in the real world. As J. K. Rowling continues to reveal details about the world she created, a growing number of fans, scholars, readers, and publics are conflicted and concerned about how the original Wizarding World—quintessentially white and British—depicts diverse and multicultural identities, social subjectivities, and communities. Harry Potter and the Other: Race, Justice, and Difference in the Wizarding World is a timely anthology that examines, interrogates, and critiques representations of race and difference across various Harry Potter media, including books, films, and official websites, as well as online forums and the classroom.
As the contributors to this volume demonstrate, a deeper reading of the series reveals multiple ruptures in popular understandings of the liberatory potential of the Potter series. Young people who are progressive, liberal, and empowered to question authority may have believed they were reading something radical as children and young teens, but increasingly they have raised alarms about the series’ depiction of peoples of color, cultural appropriation in worldbuilding, and the author’s antitrans statements in the media. Included essays examine the failed wizarding justice system, the counterproductive portrayal of Nagini as an Asian woman, the liberation of Dobby the elf, and more, adding meaningful contributions to existing scholarship on the Harry Potter series. As we approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Other provides a smorgasbord of insights into the way that race and difference have shaped this story, its world, its author, and the generations who have come of age during the era of the Wizarding World.
As the contributors to this volume demonstrate, a deeper reading of the series reveals multiple ruptures in popular understandings of the liberatory potential of the Potter series. Young people who are progressive, liberal, and empowered to question authority may have believed they were reading something radical as children and young teens, but increasingly they have raised alarms about the series’ depiction of peoples of color, cultural appropriation in worldbuilding, and the author’s antitrans statements in the media. Included essays examine the failed wizarding justice system, the counterproductive portrayal of Nagini as an Asian woman, the liberation of Dobby the elf, and more, adding meaningful contributions to existing scholarship on the Harry Potter series. As we approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Other provides a smorgasbord of insights into the way that race and difference have shaped this story, its world, its author, and the generations who have come of age during the era of the Wizarding World.
- GenresNonfictionAcademicEssays
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2022
12 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Park Dahlen
2 books2 followersSarah Park Dahlen is an associate professor in the Master of Library and Information Science Program at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She teaches courses on youth materials and library services, storytelling, and library science. Her research addresses transracially adopted Koreans in children’s literature, the information behaviors of adopted Koreans, and diversity in children’s literature and library education.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 3, 2023
As a former fan, it was nice to engage with the wizarding world again with more critical thought. Towards the end, the book started to feel a bit repetitive, as many authors used the same or similar examples, and referenced each others’ work a lot! I also would have appreciated more of a look at other forms of difference with the HP universe such as gender and sexuality, but I really enjoyed this book as a whole!! Would recommend to other former HP fanatics who are disgusted by JKR, but have fond memories of engaging with her work.
March 31, 2023
This was a very interesting collection of academic essays on race and Justice in the Harry Potter series. One of the most interesting topics to me was the failure of colorblind casting in the theatre because it implies that the experience of a black character would be identical to the experience of the white character they are portraying, and while colorblind casting is done from a positive place, it would be better to put that effort and money into telling black stories and black playwrights in theatres. I also liked the last essay on government and Justice in the wizarding world. My only reason for 4 start rathe than 5 was that there were a couple essays that got repetitive because they were saying such similar things to the essay before it.
December 5, 2023
Took me awhile to get through it all, but this was the perfect commuter book for me this fall. Really insightful and enjoyable critical essays in this collection. I’ll never look at HP the same now!
September 22, 2025
This was a really fascinating collection of essays on Harry Potter, and it's cultural/ literary ramifications! 4 stars
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews