Is Hogwarts a Mental Institution?
I am a Harry Potter fanatic and finally had the chance to see the movie this weekend. It killed me to not go to the midnight showing, but being the procrastinator I am, I hadn’t finished my research paper. Anyway, as I was watching it, I began to think of how many characters in the movie are said to be “mad” which prompted me to do some browsing on connections between Harry Potter and mental illness. In doing so, I found a website that states that Harry Potter is not just a magical fairytale, but rather an extended metaphor about mental illness and the institutionalization of children. While I don’t agree with the blogger’s theory, he presented many interesting ways that Freud’s ideas could be applied to Harry’s life.
The central idea is that Hogwarts is a mental institution and that “every major event in the books is a fantasy/delusional version of the experiences that a child would encounter in the course of being institutionalized and forcibly treated for mental illness.” The real world is the world with the Dursely’s and the wizarding world is simply part of Harry’s imagination. His violent encounters with Dudley are what got Harry sent to the mental instition/Hogwarts rather than his magical talents.
To me, his strongest and most interesting point was about Freud’s family romance. Family romance is a fantasy in which a child imagines that their birth parents are not actual, but adoptive parents. Typically, the fantasy parents are noble, or a higher social class than the real parents. Harry fits the mold exactly. He believes that the Dursely’s are not his real parents, but adopted parents and that his real parents are well-known wizards, famous for their great bravery and love in protecting him. Interesting, isn’t it?
I’ll post the link so that ya’ll can read the original blog for yourselves. He presents loose, but interesting ideas about the series. What do ya’ll make of his ideas?
http://freedomainradio.com/BOARD/forums/t/27506.aspx?PageIndex=1
Amy McLean on Theoretical thoughts about empathy.
11:02 am, 10.04.10
This was an interesting discussion to me because I am the worst at laughing when someone gets hurt. It is never meant to be mean-spirited but when I get the giggles, I just cannot stop. I agree that a lot of it does come from experiencing something unexpected. Michael talked a little about how if people were falling down all the time it wouldn’t be funny. To me, America’s Funniest Home Video is often not funny for this very reason- you are completely expecting to see someone get hit in the stomach with a ball. I think this also goes along with people’s theory about tension. If something is expected, there is not the same kind of tension associated with it.
Amy McLean on Man or Machine?
10:16 pm, 09.19.10
I agree with Jonathan in that I am interested to see how emotions play a part in the idea that man is a machine. I see how Behaviorists would agree that certain events might program us to act a certain way. However, does it also program us to feel a certain way even if we do not act upon it?
Amy McLean on Look, I know all or nothing thinking is frowned upon, but...
9:57 pm, 09.19.10
I agree that skepticism can be a good thing. I believe that the questions we ask ourselves are what allows us to grow. You mentioned vanity as one of the aspects of Christianity that seems inconsistent among followers today. I can see where you are coming from. In our Child Psych class we were learning about the harm that princess stories can have on a girl’s self esteem when a fellow classmate brought up Esther. She was valued not only for her character, but also her beauty. Christians today have made beauty out to be sinful, but I believe that beauty is from God and is to be valued. As long as you love God more than beauty/yourself I believe no harm is done.
Amy McLean on Reason and Religion
9:42 pm, 09.19.10
This has always been an interesting theory to me. Why not just believe? I think you are right in saying that faith plays a big part in this. It is hard enough to walk in the footsteps of Christ when you are trying to do so whole-heartedly. Jesus says he will spit the lukewarm out of his mouth. This is not to say that you may never have doubt, but that you must be in it all the way searching for truth. If you are believing just to believe, this is unlikely.
Amy McLean on The Fetishization of Authenticity
12:25 am, 09.06.10
This was a very enjoyable and interesting interpretation of the cave. Your comment about being inauthentic when we purposefully act against something in order to break the mold prompted me to think about fashion as an art form. When piercings, tattoos, and wild hair styles became an alternative way of dress in western culture, they were breaking the social norm purposefully. Now, however, that has almost evolved into a culture of its own. Does this make them inauthentic?
Amy McLean on Philosophers and their impact on Christianity
10:54 pm, 09.05.10
I agree that modern Christians do still latch on to fads and incorporate them into the church. A recent trend at my home church and the surrounding churches was the study of Dave Ramsey’s program, Financial Peace. While the basis of this study was on how a Christian should conduct their finances, it was not entirely scripture based. This is not to discount the program or it’s ideas, but to serve as an example of how many congregations incorporate outside ideas in weekly Bible classes or small groups. As to whether this is okay or not, I think depends on the nature of the material. I believe that intelligence comes from God and if new ideas are generated that are in accordance with the Bible, there is no problem with incorporating them in study. However, I believe that outside sources should be learning aides and not what we base our faith on.
Amy McLean on A modern translation of Epicureanism in the Church
10:28 pm, 09.05.10
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. Ephesians 4:5&6
I agree with your statement that a “truth is relative” approach is a threat to the Church Christ calls us to be. The verse above has always spoken to me as an absolute. When truth becomes relative it discounts the fact that there is only one God and one faith and thus, rejects the central theme of Christianity entirely.