Prompt 1.1: J.K. Rowling, Author or Puppet-master?

In the Harry Potter series, as with many books I've read, there is a seamless inclusion of me, the reader, into the text. Rowling accomplishes this by not telling you every little thing. It’s true I can relate directly due to similar experiences as a child in an impoverished household - while I did not live under the stairs, my bedroom was (at one point) in a closet. Though, this is not all that draws me into the story. My mind enjoys filling in the blanks, as I imagine many minds do, and it’s those blanks that allow us to be in the story and to experience it with Harry Potter himself. As a result, the character I most identify with is Harry. After all, he gets the most attention, and we know a lot about him, but not enough to alienate anyone without similar experiences.

I believe this comes down to what the author chooses to keep or leave out of their texts. Rowling gives us facts about the lives of the characters, but never enough to keep us from being engaged with filling in bits and pieces. What she does reveal, and often in fine detail to draw us in, is emotion. Humans are programmed to empathize. Our mirror neurons allow us to understand and, in some cases, even feel echos of what others are going through. In engaging us with the feel of the magical world, Rowling can draw us in with no objection from our subconscious. Rowling is emotionally hijacking each reader.

While I can see other people of differing experiences not getting the same out of the books that I experience, I can’t imagine their understanding is all that different. The parts of our psychology that Rowling is appealing to exist in all people. Though they can be reinterpreted on a conscious level, I would argue that it’s the subconscious understanding and empathy Rowling guides us to that allows Harry Potter to reach and touch such a vast multitude of readers - far apart in space, age, and time.

I wouldn't argue Rowling is a neuroscientist, but I think she knows how to pull our heartstrings, which is just as good.

-Carrie Callahan