Disrobing the white wizard: A postcolonial examination of race and culture in 'Harry Potter'

This project analyzes J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books from a postcolonial perspective, utilizing a New Historical approach to compare Rowling's statements on her multicultural intents with the social norms and structures exhibited in the novels themselves. It traces the history of children's literature, specifically with respect to Britain's colonial history, to determine how Rowling's work fits into the genre. Rowling's text exhibits clear characteristics of both norm-driven children's tales and colonial texts. Remaining mindful of the definitions of race and social structure that Rowling herself experiences, this thesis examines both the literal and metaphorical levels of Rowling's narrative. A postcolonial approach to interpreting the Harry Potter books makes Rowling's colonial norms and values visible, revealing clear xenophobic interpretations and establishing Rowling as a more moderate and covert producer of classic colonial sentiments than her self-description would suggest.