At this point it’s pretty safe to say that the Harry Potter book series is one of the most defining pieces of literature in a generation. Love it or hate it (and if you actually hate it, what’s wrong with you?) you absolutely know what it is… especially if you’re a millennial. But like all great literature, there’s cultural politics behind it. There’s definitely a lot of positive messages and themes, but there’s a lot of seriously problematic stuff in there too. It’s certainly worth breaking down and discussing… And that’s what we do here! Hannah, Katya and Mav are joined by some expert Potterheads for this jam-packed episode: Christopher Bell of the Deconstruction Workers podcast and Bayana and Robyn of the #WizardTeam podcast. Join us as we break down the politics of Harry Potter and the wizarding world… everything from racial representation, to representation, to class dynamics, to slavery, to privilege, to colonialism and empire, to isolationism and relations with the muggle world. Also there’s even a little bit of discussion of Jane Eyre. Like we said, it’s a jam-packed episode. Give it a listen and let us know what you think.
Citations and Links:
- This episode’s Call for Comments
- Harry Potter books box set by J.K. Rowling
- Harry Potter movie box set
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorn and John Tiffany
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Crimes of Grindelwald
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Hear Hannah on last week’s Protagonist Podcast #246
- Thank you to Maximilian’s thoughtForm Music for our theme
- Follow Christopher Bell on Twitter: @DocChristopherB and listen to The Deconstruction Workers podcast
- Follow Bayana and Robyn on Twitter: @weblackandnerds and listen to the #WizardTeam podcast
- Follow Hannah on Twitter: @hannahleerogers
- Follow Katya on Instagram: @justthatnerdkid
- Follow Mav on Twitter: @chrismaverick
- Follow Mav’s Personal Blog: http://chrismaverick.com
- Follow us on Twitter: @voxpopcast
- Follow us on Instagram: @voxpopcast
- Follow us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/voxpopcast
- Make sure you subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever podcasts are found and please leave us a review!
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