J.K. Rowling’s series brings
to light the issue of morality, that is, the choice between doing what is right
and what is easy. In her first five novels, Rowling puts Harry in situations
where he faces moral dilemmas. But what makes Harry such a lovable protagonist
is that he usually makes the right choice despite how tired or frustrated he
gets with having to fight against the rise and return of Lord Voldemort.
In Chamber of Secrets, Harry
decides to set Dobby free by tricking Mr. Malfoy into giving Dobby a sock.
Harry felt the moral obligation to free Dobby despite the fact that he nearly
had Harry expelled from school. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry decides not to
kill Peter Pettigrew, who contributed to the death of Harry’s parents, but hand
him over to the Dementors instead. Harry explains, “I don’t reckon my dad would’ve
wanted them [Sirius Black and Remus Lupin] to become killers” (Rowling 376).
Here, we see that Harry’s parents are his moral compass. In the Goblet of Fire,
it becomes even more difficult for Harry to make morally right decisions
because everyone is angry with him for being chosen to compete in the
Tri-wizard tournament. Despite his frustration, he opts to save Fleur’s little
sister during the second task after Fleur fails to finish. While this was a
moral decision, it almost cost Harry the tournament and his life. Ron even
questions why Harry took the time to save her, and Harry explains, “’Fleur didn’t
turn up, I couldn’t leave her” (Rowling 503). Finally, in the fifth novel,
Harry takes a leap and forms a secret club to teach his classmates defense
against the dark arts. However, Harry struggles with this decision because it’s
against school rules. But in the end, he decides that the return of Voldemort
outweighs his fear of being caught.
What’s intriguing about Rowling’s
series is that we learn that doing what is moral might require breaking the
rules. Time and time again Harry has to break the school and even Ministry
rules to do what is morally right, and thankfully he is brave enough to do so.
I agree that morality is a great theme in this series, and also that Harry usually ends up making the right choices. As a character, Harry is not perfect, but overall I would describe him as a good person. He feels compassion toward others and makes an effort to do the right thing. And he doesn't do it for a reward or recognition. When he tells Cedric to take the Goblet of Fire with him, he is sacrificing his wish to win the tournament.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think one particularly good trait Harry has is that he's fair. He tells Cedric about the dragons, even though he didn’t have to and the reasons he gives are that he wouldn’t let his worst enemy face that, and that now everyone will be on equal footing. I believe that Harry has a strong sense of what’s right and wrong, and everyone receiving fair treatment, partially because of how the Dursleys treated him.