Has Harry Potter shaped a generation?
E185: Can we use HP to discuss ethics?
“Can we please stay in the car? Just till the end of this chapter! PLEEZE MOM????”
It is one of my most precious memories - essentially being held hostage in my minivan by my 5- and 3-year-olds while the lettuce wilted and the ice cream was on the point of melting. The only time they willingly stayed put in their car seats.
They were then just that little bit too young to read the books for themselves, but Stephen Fry made each character in the book come amazingly alive across the crackly audio books we borrowed from the library. We lived through the thwack as the quidditch pitch swooped and swerved for the Golden Snitch. We listened for the deep boom but gentle voice of Hagrid. We discovered “wingardium levios-A” and heard the Weasley twins twitter in the background.
“What might happen next?” they would wonder, anxious … almost plotting … our next car ride. Over the years, these books would generate many dinner discussions on ethics, leadership, friendships and more.
Harry Potter is the soundtrack of my children’s youth, with the first book released as I gave birth to my first child. He quickly caught up, past the audio books and first movies. He was gifted HP5 The Order of the Phoenix as we left for our epic round-the-world tour. And like every 8-year-old, he begged his uncle, aunt, and me to wait patiently in line to buy HP6 Half Blood Prince when it came out in July 2005. And then - like every other child in England that weekend - he shut himself in a stuffy room at the height of the summer and devoured that 652-page book from beginning to its devastating end. Then he patiently held his tears and didn’t give anything away till I read it so I could console him.
As they entered their teens, I remember standing in line at 10 pm at the local book store, eagerly awaiting the midnight release of HP7; carting a full car-load of kids dressed up in capes with wands at the ready, or dressed as Dobby, for the various movie releases.
No one ever questioned an adult reading a Harry Potter book on a plane
I use the Harry Potter series as one of my arguing positions when told that GenZ has “no attention span”. I disagree. I believe that this generation is hungry for good content. They have mastered the art of sifting through the tsunami of data vying for their attention. Once they find something worthy, however, they double down. This series held their attention - over the pages of each book, across years of their life, and has subsequently fed many university and bar trivia games and powered an entire section of the economy with the studio tours, Wizarding World and Broadway off-shoots.
Class and caste. Equity. DEI. Good vs evil. Fighting for what you believe in. The power of friendships and community. Time twisting. Creativity. It is all sandwiched between the pages and lines in these books.
The World of Wizards Meets the Ethics of Muggles
It all started with this LI post from Chad Smith:
“What about us (older) adults?” I immediately responded. So did a whole host of other parents. So Chad has created a parallel class for us.1
If you have been spinning, trying to make sense of this crazy world, and want to take a small, tiny action … If any of these topics pique your interest, click on the link, explore some more and maybe we will see each other in class!
The 7-week class runs April 6 - May 18, 2025.
The curriculum:
Week 1 - Introduction: The World of Wizards Meets the Ethics of Muggles
Week 2 - The Quest for Justice: Hermione Granger & SPEW
Week 3 - The Ministry of Mediocrity: Dolores Umbridge & Cornelius Fudge
Week 4 - The Ethics of Friendship: Dumbledore's Army & the Houses of Hogwarts
Week 5 - The Ethics of Kinship: The Families of Black, Malfoy, & Weasley
Week 6 - The Ethics of Difference: Hagrid, Lupin, & Magical Creatures
Week 7 - The Ethics of Leadership: The Trials of Albus Dumbledore
Click here 👇🏼 to register for Harry Potter Ethics 1 before April 3, 2025. If you have any questions, you can reach Chad at <chad@humanwealthpartners.com>. He has arranged special CAD pricing for any Canadian attendees.
https://www.humanwealthpartners.com/courses/hpethics1
"}…{`
Over to you:
Do you think Harry Potter shaped the voice of Generation Z?
Is there an equivalent series making a similar impact on Gen Alpha? (Do they read books?)
Is there a particular book or series that deeply influenced you in your youth-teen years?
Leave me a photo of your Harry Potter series if you still own it. These are ours:
Many of our original reads have lost their covers. In our home, these books and the DVDs remain among our most prized family possessions.
Hello, Tribe Tilt!
Like the Order of the Phoenix, we in Tribe Tilt believe we can make a difference to the people and places precious to us - with fun, hope and agency. You have self-selected into this powerful, wonderful group. Please add your voice and join our conversations. We believe the best ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, at anytime.
Stay healthy. From there, all else becomes possible.
Until next week …
Karena
This sounds so fun! I loved your retelling of HP in your and your kids' lives. Sounded magical.
I took a picture of my HP collection but of course I can't figure out how to share it in the comment section. :)
I remember the series so fondly. I was 12 when the last book came out but it was expensive as an English hardback in Indonesia. My uncle bought it first, and I patiently waited for him to finish reading it. Then I wouldn't leave my bedroom until I ripped through the book.