Students, faculty and other Potter enthusiasts crowded Disque 109 on Wednesday, January 28th, patiently waiting for Dr. Rebecca Ingalls, assistant professor in the department of English and Philosophy, to lead them in a discussion on moral ambiguity in the wizarding world.
In her lecture "The Trilemma Revised: Harry Potter and a Landscape of Moral Uncertainty," Dr. Ingalls would examine the "Harry Potter controversy" as it related to Christianity and the Trilemma presented by C.S. Lewis in The Chronicles of Narnia. It is no secret that Lewis intended for his Chronicles to parallel the journey of Christ. Although J.K. Rowling claims she did not intentionally infuse her Potter novels with religious undertones, the fundamental similarities between the two fantastical tales raise some questions.
Ingalls began by summarizing the "Harry Potter controversy," and explaining some of the different stances people have taken regarding the series. The debate circles around the issue of whether the magical themes in Harry Potter are dark and unsuitable for children or inherently Christian with relatable characters that can be used to teach beneficial lessons. Some scholars who recognize the religious significance in the Potter tales have used the "Trilemma" as a mirror through which they compare Rowling and Lewis.
In his writings on Christianity, Lewis created a tri-fold perspective to take when contemplating faith in Jesus Christ. The Trilemma: Christ is a liar, a lunatic, or a lord. Essentially, Lewis is trying to say, if Christ did not possess a deceitful character and he was not crazy, which his teachings indicated, then he must truly be the son of God. This "either/or" dilemma muddled the paths of The King of Narnia and the Boy Who Lived as well.
Issues of doubt and faith plagued the Pevensie children in the Chronicles. They struggled through "believing without seeing," and wondered how Aslan could allow Narnia to fall to ruin if he was truly king. Similarly, many Narnians lost faith in Aslan when the White Witch took control. Some deemed Aslan a mere myth. Likewise, witches and wizards across the board were up in arms when young Harry Potter claimed to have witnessed the return of "you-know-who." The Ministry of Magic, the Daily Prophet, even his own friends at times, challenged Harry's assertion, calling him both a liar and a lunatic.
Ingalls continued to show parallels between novels, exploring Jesus, Aslan, and Harry's roles as "the chosen one." All three defied death in a way which no other living being has, through resurrection, re-birth, and apparent invincibility against the killing curse. Instances of miracles and healing in the tales mirror one another as well. Christ produced the endless loaves of fish and bread for his followers, Aslan's table clears and refills itself each night, and the dining tables in Great Hall provide the kids at Hogwarts with a magically endless supply of goodies. We saw Christ heal the leper, the cripple, and the blind man, Lucy revive the fatally injured with her cordial, and the tear of Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet Phoenix, save those who are only inches from death.
Elements like plot, setting, and character similarities also unite The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter. We see entrances and exits from the real world into the magical world through various portals, both the wardrobe and Platform 9 ¾. At these portals, the reader finds Mr. Tumnus and Hagrid; friendly guardians from the magical world who help comfortably initiate the characters. Just like Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter are on a quest to defeat the White Witch. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville set out to destroy "he-who-must-not-be-named."
So if all these similarities between The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter exist, what makes the Potter novels so debatable and controversial?
With the Potter novels, Ingalls explained, "Rowling makes readers ask: good, bad, or in-between?" Unlike in the Chronicles of Narnia, "It is not always possible to decipher between good and evil."
Rowling did not create a path as tidy as Lewis's black and white road to morality. Characters are faced with questions, moral complexities. Lewis's rationale in the Chronicles becomes blurred as Rowling steps away from these stock "good and evil" characters, and begins to examine morality as it can apply to anyone. The definitiveness of Lewis is gone.
Evil too can die and rise. Unlike in the Chronicles where Aslan is the only figure resurrecting, Voldemort retakes full human form in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. One of the greatest departures that the Potter novels make from the Chronicles can be seen in the untidiness of Harry himself as a moral figure. There is no question that Aslan's sole mission is to save the people of Narnia, but Rowling makes us wonder whether Harry's mission is necessarily a righteous one. Throughout the series we see Harry copying Hermione's homework, using the Marauder's Map to sneak around the castle after dark, entering the restricted section of the library, blowing up his awful Aunt Marge, stealing potions from Professor Snape, and engaging in multiple confrontations with Draco Malfoy. Ultimately, Harry accepts his mission to kill Lord Voldemort.
"This departure from the path of goodness complicated Harry's character," Ingalls claimed.
Harry's closeness to evil attaches to him a stigma we do not see with Aslan or Jesus Christ. The scar which Voldemort inflicted on Harry as an infant has forged between the two an undeniable physical and mental connection. Harry even speaks Parseltongue, or snake language, which Voldemort and Salazar Slytherin spoke. The sorting hat's moment of indecision also reflects Harry's potential propensity towards evil. His character often finds himself in the midst of trouble. The two are psychologically connected as well. The dreams, visions, and emotions of one often register within the other.
All characters, including our hero Harry, have their moral characters and ethical standards called into question. From Dumbledore and his past fascination with power and control during his friendship with the dark wizard Grindelwald, to Snape's misguided love for Lily, hate for James, and subsequent conflict regarding Harry, we see that no one escapes the measure of morality, and things are certainly not as easy as they might seem.
