Harry Potter's World : Multidisciplinary Critical Perspectives

The Harry Potter books have become ubiquitous early texts for children, and are also a popular choice for many adults. Potter-mania has expanded to become a significant cultural phenomenon complete with a feature film and a wide range of paraphernalia. However, there has been little critical attention devoted to these books and the cultural phenomenon surrounding them. Containing powerful, thought-provoking literary themes as well as portrayals of social and cultural normalcy, the Potter books cumulatively serve as a powerful form of social text and deserve serious critical attention. Elizabeth Heilman brings together scholars from various disciplines to provide literary, cultural, sociological, and psychological examinations of the Harry Potter books as both cultural product and social text.
Covering many facets of the Harry Potter series and Potter-mania, this collection begins with a cultural analysis of marketing hype and product spin-offs. Literary and interpretive perspectives consider Harry as a romantic hero and review the books for their capacity to contain elements of every genre. Critical and sociological theorists explore how the Potter books present gender, race, class, school, family and citizenship. By providing numerous perspectives on the Harry Potter series, the contributors provide teachers, administrators, critical theorists and those interested in cultural studies with a variety of ways to read these popular texts.

Elizabeth E. Heilman is Asociate Professor of teacher education at Michigan State University.