Are "Harry Potter" and "Left Behind" Pretty Much the Same Thing?
This article from Slate contends that the Harry Potter and Left Behind books are pretty much the same, at least as far as plots and characters go. When you read it you will find that the author of the Slate article says that they have similarities in their heroes, villians, corrupt authority figures, and romances. They even have a theology behind them, different theologies, but theologies nonetheless.
This article is a brilliant statement of the obvious. I'm still wondering what is particularly insightful about it. All stories have protagonists and antagonists, good guys and bad guys, conflicts and resolutions, romantics and enemies. Harry Potter and Left Behind are alike in the same ways that all stories are alike.
Brian Godawa, authored the article "Beyond Sex and Violence - How to Watch Movies," a three part series that originally appeared in Cornerstone Magazine (Volume 25, issue 110 to Volume 26, issue 112), and has since written the book Hollywood Worldviews. This is as good of a place as any to go back and review the basic format of stories for all of us who have forgotten what we learned in English Lit back in school.
But the point is that all stories follow a basic pattern and all stories have some kind of redemptive motif or ideal at their core. So, its not surprising that these two do the same.
One thing this author does point out that is interesting is the notion that the theology of Left Behind is evangelical, as it emphasizes faith, whereas the theology of Harry Potter is catholic, because it emphasizes morality.
I don't know about that - in the few Left Behind books that I read before I just couldn't take it anymore, there was a whole lot of moralism going on, in addition to faith. The characters are very one dimensional, where the good guys never drink, smoke, cuss or lust (well, what's his face - the hero lusts after a stewardess, but thats before the rapture and his acceptance of Chist) - no Romans 7 type struggle for these guys. Also, as I pointed out here, even Harry Potter begins with a basic redemptive premise where Harry's salvation was dependent on the work of another, not his own morality.
Anyway, call this a rant - I just wasn't very impressed with the Slate article - I think he merely stated the obvious and missed the nuances.
Hat tip to Slacktivist for pointing out the Slate article.
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