HP/children's literature (again)

[Penny & Bryce]

No: HPFGUIDX 25144

Hi --

A.E.B.Bevan at open.ac.uk wrote:

> 
> I am coming to think of the *series* being about 'growing up'

Yes, it clearly is.  The series is what is often referred to by literary 
types as a bildungsroman -- a chronicle of the journey from childhood to 
adulthood.

 
> and in future years when we have all seven (plus whatever 'textbooks' and so
> on are produced as auxiliaries) it will be seen as something young
> people grow up with, getting to the appropriate books as they grow to
> need what that book offers.


> Books 1-3 could be read by kids from 7 upwards, book 4 maybe ages 9
> to 10 and I suspect that book seven will be best started by 12-13
> year olds.

The problem is this though. Let's say a 9 year old starts PS/SS.  She 
loves it.  She reads CoS a month later.  Again, she loves it.  She moves 
onto the PoA the following month.  Hmm... this is getting harder to 
follow & understand, but she's desperate to know what happens next.  So 
on.  It will be very hard to tell a child that he/she can only read the 
first few books -- "you'll have to wait a few years before you're ready 
to read those later ones, honey."  See the problem with that?  Children 
will either read the entire series at such a young age that they won't 
fully understand or appreciate the later volumes, or they will begin the 
series at a much older age.  If it's the latter, then what you have 
isn't really a childrens' series at all.  Young Adult (YA)?  Maybe.  I'm 
not a big fan of that classification though.

I guess I just forsee problems with assuming that the series will be 
read over the course of years, with the readers continuing to age right 
along with the characters.  I think it will be too much to expect that a 
reader will wait years before reading the series through to its 
conclusion.  I know I wouldn't have had that kind of patience.

Other multi-volume bildungsroman type works don't present the same 
challenges as HP.  Ebony and some of us discussed this thorny issue last 
summer or fall.  She said her fellow educators at a conference couldn't 
think of another multi-volume series like HP where the early books are 
clearly fine for the 9-12 set but the later volumes become less & less 
appropriate in terms of subject-matter & complexity.

AGE OF ADULTHOOD -- Bente took issue with my assertion that the 
characters will be full-fledged adults in Book 7.  I do agree that we're 
going to have to agree to disagree, but I do have a quibble.  I never 
used the word "17" in my post.  I do think that age 17 is the "age of 
consent" in the UK, but be that as it may, the characters will all turn 
18 at some point during Book 7 or sometime shortly thereafter.  We don't 
know if Hermione is 2 months younger or 10 months older than Harry 
(birthday of Sept 19th), but she may turn 18 at the beginning of Book 7. 
  Ron will turn 18 on March 1st of Book 7's school term.  Harry will be 
18 right as the novel is ending presumably. [This all assumes that each 
of these 3 characters is still alive at his/her 18th birthday]  Even the 
marketers have termed HP as being a chronicle of a wizard "coming of 
age."  Thus, it stands to reason that he will be *of age* at the 
conclusion of the series.

Chronological age aside, I also would argue that *Harry* (if not his 
friends yet) has matured beyond his years due to what he's already been 
through.  This will continue to be the case.  The demands of the 
conflict to take place over the last 3 books (presumably) will no doubt 
have a profound effect on the maturation of these characters.  JKR has 
also said that she did not intend to keep them rooted in pre-adolescence 
forever.  So, if their chronological age is progressing and their 
maturity level matches up more or less with that age (and you add in 
what will be going on in their lives), then yes, I stand by my argument 
that they will be adults by Book 7.

Bente raised some examples that she says support the idea that JKR 
thinks 17/18 yr olds are still children (or aren't yet adults).  Percy 
has a job with the Ministry, but continues to live at the Burrow with 
his family.  Are all young adults who live temporarily with their 
parents while trying to get their feet on the ground still children then 
-- simply by virtue that they haven't yet made the step to take out 
their own residence?  We don't know for sure, but presumably Bill & 
Charlie went straight from Hogwarts to their respective jobs in Egypt & 
Romania.  If they did this, then does it follow that the mere act of 
leaving home to live on one's own defines adulthood?

As I said, I think our 3 main characters are going to be thrown into 
situations & circumstances that will mature them beyond their 
chronological age in any case.  After all, Dumbledore already told Harry 
that he'd successfully shouldered a grown wizard's burden at age 14.
But, it does sound as though we'll just have to agree to disagree on 
this point.  :--)

Penny