What SCAD’s Harry Potter Elective Really Taught Me

Written by Edith Manfred. Graphic by Edith Manfred.

This past winter quarter, whenever anyone asked me about my schedule, there was a guaranteed chuckle after I explained that on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. I spent two and a half hours in a class titled “The Boy Who Lived and His Legacy,” and yes, it is an English elective about the beloved Harry Potter series. 

My love for Harry Potter began around age ten, when Harry and his valiant friends helped me through a difficult move to a new elementary school. Ever since then, like so many of my peers, I feel like I grew up with the characters. They matured and grew with me and I found myself returning to their adventures every few years, seeking everything from comfort to inspiration. Therefore, it was unsurprising that “The Boy Who Lived” class topped my list of preferred English electives. I came into the class blind to what the subject matter would be beyond Harry and his pals, and I came out with a newfound appreciation for the series I love so much. 

As one would guess, a class as fantastical as this one requires a professor ready to dive into the nitty-gritty of the fantasy world. The professors currently up to that challenge are Professor Tiffany Griffith and Dr. Philip Smith, the latter of whom has learned new insights and perspectives every time he teaches the class. Having first read the series in young adulthood when it was first coming out, Dr. Smith is familiar with the story but had to re-familiarize himself with all things “Wizarding World” in order to prepare to teach the class. Children’s media was an interest, but not his forte, so he prepared with everything from the original texts, to fan fictions, to literary criticisms of the books. 

Dr. Smith comes into the class with the understanding that he might have students who have a more thorough knowledge of the series than he does, which is unusual in a college-level English class. For example, when he teaches a class on Shakespeare, Dr. Smith is confident that through his extensive studies and writing, he definitely knows more about Shakespeare than all of his students. That principle doesn’t hold up in “The Boy Who Lived and His Legacy,” where a student is likely to point out a deep cut or easter egg in the series that even the die-hards hadn’t noticed before. 

The unique environment of the Harry Potter class is built by a guarantee that everyone in the classroom has a different level of familiarity and personal experience with the texts before taking the class. While the class content and professors are always the same, Dr. Smith tries to leave space open for each class’ distinct personality to come out, through everything from inside jokes about Umbridge to the occasional Snape-apologist. The course’s mixture of literary theory and children’s media history means that no matter the student’ experience level with the Wizard World, they can find an element of interest and curiosity. Dr. Smith has found that, “the class exists in that interaction: the chemistry between what I bring and what the students bring,” as his students continually bring unique perspectives on the series. 

One common misconception about the course is that it is not a Harry Potter book club. While there are many spaces for that community to exist, the class forces students to apply critical literary theory and challenge the moral and historical faults within the series, no matter how much passion they have for the Golden Trio and their gang. There is space to enjoy the text for the beautiful adventure story that it is, but readers can love the series while acknowledging that it’s imperfect and occasionally problematic. Yes, Lily Potter’s maternal love for Harry is deeply moving, but does it present an unrealistic depiction of sacrificial motherhood? Is Hermione’s second-wave feminist ideology outdated? And how on earth do we overlook the poorly disguised slavery of house elves? All of these questions are considered as students hold the emotional and analytical outlooks together. 

Taking this unique class taught me to challenge my perspective on a story that holds such a special place in my heart. It opened my mind to the ability to separate the art from the artist, and appreciate the beauty of a famous story while simultaneously recognizing the moral faults that it holds. Diving into the history of children’s literature helped me to better understand the stories that shaped my understanding of the world. Everything from Harry Potter to “Goodnight Moon” has helped me to make sense of the world around me, and learning more about these beloved stories brought joy to my winter quarter.