Harry Potter and the Battle for the Soul: The Revival of the Psychomachia in Secular Fiction

Rita Singer

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Locating Christian motifs has been a popular approach of literary criticism to the Harry Potter series in the past years. The vast majority of critics have come to the conclusion that the novels either feature only a few, unsystematic references to Christian ethics or none at all. However, the Harry Potter heptalogy does indeed carry a Christian message, even if this message remains to some extent concealed as a result of the novels’ secularized language, setting and characters. The series both follows the fashion of the psychomachia, a literary genre based on Christian morals, and uses central motifs of the psychomachia.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHeroism in the Harry Potter Series
EditorsKatrin Berndt, Lena Steveker
Place of PublicationFarnham
PublisherTaylor & Francis
Pages25-38
Number of pages14
ISBN (Print)9781409412441
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Mar 2011
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameAshgate studies in childhood, 1700 to the present
PublisherAshgate Publishing, Ltd.

Keywords

  • children's literature
  • psychomachia
  • heroism
  • allegory
  • postmodernism
  • literature

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