Reading Race in Children’s Literature in English : A Study of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series

Abstract

Abstract

Children’s Literature, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is the body of written works and accompanying illustrations that largely encompasses a wide range of works, including acknowledged classics of world literature, picture books and easy-to-read stories, fairy tales, lullabies, fables, folk songs and other primarily orally transmitted materials in order to entertain or instruct young people. Fantasy Literature consists of imaginative worlds or make-believe. Here the readers must suspend disbelief. Joanne Kathleen Rowling’s Harry Potter Series is filled with racial imagery and motifs. Race permeates as a major theme in the hugely popular and best-selling series of the worldfamous author. As pointed out by Saptarshi Ray, the racial stereotypes and prejudices that are present throughout the series can be seen as those real-life racial insults. Therefore, it would be interesting to see as to how racism, its prejudices and its stereotypes are present in the best-selling books. The main objective of this paper is to detect how race and its bias are present and as a result the magical world of Harry Potter is not so magical after