Harry Potter is no literary orphan
Perhaps if she had, she would realise that they are wonderful, engaging stories about an orphaned boy’s efforts to overcome hardship, and that they strongly convey the value of friendship and loyalty.
The message of the series is a very moral one, and is in no way an attempt to destroy “belief in a loving God.”
“Dark” subjects such as death or cruelty are dealt with sensitively, and Ms Scannell’s claim that “divine symbols are perverted” is ridiculous.
How can she claim that nobody in the books “wants to do good” when the whole purpose of the series is to show us how evil can be defeated through love? There is always a clear distinction between good and evil characters.
As for the magic, it is obviously complete fiction.
I fail to see how it can be a danger to children; rather it will persuade them to use their imaginations and perhaps be more creative.
A book that encourages children to read more instead of watching television, say, is hardly worthy of investigation by the Government or the church. They are inventive and highly enjoyable books, and could not possibly fill the reader with anxiety or rage.
Orlaith Ní Challanáin
Ballinlough
Cork
