CCBC-Net Archives
Houses in Harry Potter
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 11:22:30 -0600
Maia wrote:
"...the various houses are set up in competition and conflict in manners that are probably not completely dissimilar to the structuring of gangs."
I was very interested in this portion of Maia's longer message because I have found, in discussions with children, that it is the Houses of Hogwarts that seem to fascinate them the most. They get entirely caught up in discussing who's in Gryffindor, who's in Slytherin, who's the Hufflepuff prefect, what is the name of Gryffindor's ghost, what House was Hagrid in, why didn't Hermione get sorted into Ravenclaw, etc. They also are quite keen on choosing Houses for themselves and, on web pages designed by children, they nearly always have some means of sorting visitors into Houses, and often some type of activity which allows for the different Houses to compete for points.
This reminds me of a speech by an urban anthropologist I heard at an ALA/ALSC preconference in family literacy several years ago. (Perhaps someone on this list will be able to come up with her name. I unfortunately have forgotten it.) Anyway, she has done extensive research on the importance of group identity with adolescents, working in particular with urban gangs. One of her comments was that she was surprised that young adult literature didn't focus more on kids in groups, because that was what really interested older children and teens, whether they were in gangs or social clubs, cliques or sports teams. She pointed out that even sports novels (where an emphasis on teamwork would fit naturally) seemed to focus more on the notion of rugged individualism and personal achievement, which she pointed out is much more interesting and important to adults than it is to children and teens.
I've been thinking a lot about her observation in terms of Harry Potter and the question of its popularity with young readers. I think Rowling's use of Houses is one of the major contributing factors to its appeal, although it's the type of detail that adults might not think too much about at all.
Kathleen T. Horning (horning at education.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706 608&3930 FAX: 608&2I33
Received on Wed 10 Nov 1999 11:22:30 AM CST
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 11:22:30 -0600
Maia wrote:
"...the various houses are set up in competition and conflict in manners that are probably not completely dissimilar to the structuring of gangs."
I was very interested in this portion of Maia's longer message because I have found, in discussions with children, that it is the Houses of Hogwarts that seem to fascinate them the most. They get entirely caught up in discussing who's in Gryffindor, who's in Slytherin, who's the Hufflepuff prefect, what is the name of Gryffindor's ghost, what House was Hagrid in, why didn't Hermione get sorted into Ravenclaw, etc. They also are quite keen on choosing Houses for themselves and, on web pages designed by children, they nearly always have some means of sorting visitors into Houses, and often some type of activity which allows for the different Houses to compete for points.
This reminds me of a speech by an urban anthropologist I heard at an ALA/ALSC preconference in family literacy several years ago. (Perhaps someone on this list will be able to come up with her name. I unfortunately have forgotten it.) Anyway, she has done extensive research on the importance of group identity with adolescents, working in particular with urban gangs. One of her comments was that she was surprised that young adult literature didn't focus more on kids in groups, because that was what really interested older children and teens, whether they were in gangs or social clubs, cliques or sports teams. She pointed out that even sports novels (where an emphasis on teamwork would fit naturally) seemed to focus more on the notion of rugged individualism and personal achievement, which she pointed out is much more interesting and important to adults than it is to children and teens.
I've been thinking a lot about her observation in terms of Harry Potter and the question of its popularity with young readers. I think Rowling's use of Houses is one of the major contributing factors to its appeal, although it's the type of detail that adults might not think too much about at all.
Kathleen T. Horning (horning at education.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706 608&3930 FAX: 608&2I33
Received on Wed 10 Nov 1999 11:22:30 AM CST
