Harry Potter

The story of Harry Potter is a story that I love. I’ve read the books, watched the movies, listened to the e-books, and visited the theme park! In fact, when I found out my sister hadn’t read the books or watched the movies, I insisted we do a movie marathon together the last time she visited (that was only two months ago)!

So why do I like it so much? Each and every book in the series, as well as the overarching story, are all well-structured and focused in their construction. They all deal with the same good versus evil narrative, and in fact, the the Story Spine doesn’t change:

Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived with his horrible aunt. Every day, this good-natured boy would be mistreated or bullied by his family.  But one day, he was told he was a wizard. Because of that, he was able to go to a special school for wizards, and because of that, he made new friends and learned new things. And because of that, he learned what happened to his parents, and the evil things that caused him to lose his parents came back to haunt him. Until finally, he won the battle and good overcame evil. And ever since then, he lived happily ever after.

Each story seems to use every structural rule that is possible, from the journalists 5W’s and additional rules, to Ashley Fell’s 4I’s. Once the foundation is laid, it’s up to the latter 4I’s to really draw you into the story, and this is where I think that the story of Harry Potter is very successful. From an interest perspective, as children, we dream of living fantastical lives whether at home or school, and as adults, we may have the two-fold level of interest: the first being that we remember what it was like to be in school along with the trials and tribulations of being a teenager, and the second being, as an adult who may actually deal with teenagers!

These stories draw you in with parallels to reality, and keep you guessing as to what’s going to happen next.

These stories naturally instruct us, as they’re based on school life! Additionally, they include the moral compass, teach ethics, virtue, and values along the way. The stories compel you by drawing on real emotions, feelings, and experiences that are felt by everyone.  You might have known someone who looked like or acted or behaved like one of the characters. You may have been treated the same way, experienced similar excitement or trepidation.  And in the end, with good overcoming evil, we are inspired by the strength, integrity and courage that brings our story to the end.

I think these stories are special because we grow up with them. While the story itself is the age-old good versus evil plot, we become invested in the lives of the characters as if they’re someone we know personally, and we want them to succeed. We are immersed in that whole journey with them, and while there are obvious areas where we suspend our disbelief, their development from unsure, innocent children to mature, confident teenagers is very real, and we celebrate their success with them.

The stories have also been successfully translated into so many other mediums. They started off as physical books and have been translated to audio books and movies. There are many fan websites, such as Wizardingworld.com, formerly Pottermore, where they encourage people to get involved in different activities and clubs. Sightseeing and studio tours, theme parks and vacation packages and interactive toys have all sprouted from these stories, making them truly multi-media!