Abstract
Throughout recent years, fans and readers alike have come to see the magical world of Harry Potter as just that: magical. The seven-part series has become a must-read for children and adults, even raising intellectual questions among scholars. These questions have begun to address problems in Harry Potter regarding the morality and choices of its various protagonists and antagonists alike, the religious impact of J.K. Rowling’s works on children (both good and bad), and the series as a Bildungsroman narrative. Furthermore, these themes comprise the majority of our analyses on children’s literature, forming a foundation for future research in specialized topics within these branches. My paper will examine the Unforgivable Curses (Killing, Cruciatus, and Imperius) in Harry Potter. What makes these Unforgivable Curses unforgivable? Why are these curses so severe in comparison with other curses? Who decided on their illegality and severity? In this paper, I will examine Foucault’s ideas in Discipline and Punish concerning docile bodies, and the relationship between these ideas and the full control over others’ bodies the Unforgivable Curses grant their casters.
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Recommended Citation
Archer, Daniel
(2015)
"Harry Potter and Control: An Inherent Power Narrative in the Wizarding World,"
Conversations: A Graduate Student Journal of the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology: Vol. 2:
No.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/conversations/vol2/iss1/3
