Sherri and I have both commented on Harry Potter and the impact on our teens of the final movie of this series. Both of us have noted the importance of using this movie and series to discuss topics which are meaningful to today's teenagers. But I don't think either of us realized the true impact of this series.
Yesterday as I talked to a 20 year old woman, I was struck by her thoughts about Harry Potter. She said to me "I grew up with Harry Potter. My whole childhood had milestones of the next book.... the next movie.... and now as a young adult, I am having to deal with the end of the series. It is almost like this marks the end of my childhood." I sat back and realized that this perspective is probably common to young adults. This series was a phenomenon in that children quickly became attached to the characters and story line and anticipated the next installation.
Why was this appealing? Our children could relate from an age standpoint to the characters in the books and movies. The struggles the characters experienced in growing up were dramatized in the good versus evil fight of Harry and Voldemort. This fight also represents the struggle in understanding and developing a separateness from parents and other authority figures while at the same time striking a healthy relationship with these figures. Grief and loss is shown a number of times. Loss of innocence and disillusionment is portrayed. Sacrifice for others - in the form of parental sacrifice and sacrifice of friends - is demonstrated among the characters.
In essence, many young adults may feel that their worldview of how to be with others could come from this book series.
Encourage your teens to talk about the impact of growing up with Harry.
Dr Debra
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