Font: In a matter of hours, fans will finally learn the fate of their beloved boy wizard. But even if he meets his literary grave, Harry Potter will be far from dead.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final instalment of J.K. Rowling’s mega-popular series, will be available in bookstores at one minute past midnight on Saturday and devoted readers will find out if their lightning-scarred hero survives.
But regardless of whether Harry lives to see the final page, once the book has been released and the “Harry hype” dies down, the bespectacled boy wizard is unlikely to ever disappear from the popular consciousness.
Some believe the story’s survival is no longer in the hands of Rowling — that the fans are now more in control of Harry Potter’s destiny than the author herself.
“Fans take ownership of the product, not the writer behind it,” said Michael Mulvey, a social trends expert at the University of Ottawa’s School of Management. “You often see several decades later, fans give the product new life. One of the classic examples is Star Trek — it has a very devoted fanbase that holds conventions. Some fans write new episodes online.
“Look at Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s trilogy lay dormant for years and went on to become a blockbuster — directed by a fan (Peter Jackson) — which drew interest back to the books.”
But what gives products and characters that “it” quality, drawing in rabid fans to keep their memory alive? In Harry Potter’s case, it appears to be the timeless theme of good versus evil in the midst of a fantastical wizarding world.
“The book series has a built-in shield from going out of style,” said Robert Thompson, pop-culture historian at the University of Syracuse. “It’s already an out of time experience, so the stories will be fresh years from now. No cell phones are used, the students arrive at Hogwarts by steam engine ... there’s also the fact that its a rip-roaring good story. I’m giving it at least another century before it goes remotely stale.”
Thompson said another lifeline for Potter is the nostalgia factor that will kick in once kid fans become parents: “They’ll want their kids to have the same experience they had with the Potter books. Harry Potter will be Goodnight Moon for that generation.”
In addition, marketing machines will be keen to remind future parents of that bittersweet longing for their past adventures with Harry. Marketers have become savvy at using “retromarketing techniques” to repackage old classics, Mulvey said. “Marketers are great recyclers. They reuse and reconfigure products, banking on nostalgia.”
There are many forms the return of Harry could take in the years to come. “When there’s a mega-popular brand there’s sure to be a spin-off,” Mulvey said. “We’ve seen it with Friends. We’ve seen it with Seinfeld. There’s no reason it couldn’t happen with a book.”
Thompson agreed: “Harry is becoming a man but he’s still an apprentice — he hasn’t become a Dumbledore (Headmaster) yet. There’s room for a whole new series with Harry as a teacher.”
But for now, what the wizard-loving world wants to know is the short-term fate of Harry. Speculation has been building for months, with key players providing their own hints and insights. Rowling has indicated two main characters are killed in the new novel, and the Internet is rife with alleged leaked copies of the book, and gossip on who from the Hogwarts clan lives and dies.
The New York Times and the Baltimore Sun published reviews of the final Harry Potter book on Thursday before it went on sale, the former claiming six characters perish.
Rowling responded to the reviews with a statement on her website.
"I am staggered that some American newspapers have decided to publish purported spoilers in the form of reviews in complete disregard of the wishes of literally millions of readers, particularly children," she said.
"I am incredibly grateful to all those newspapers, booksellers and others who have chosen not to attempt to spoil Harry’s last adventure for fans," the 41-year-old added.
Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who plays Harry in the film series, said in a recent interview that although he doesn’t know if his character dies, it “would be fitting in a way” because of the heightened standoffs between his character and the evil Lord Voldemort.
“One of them’s got to go ... I think (Harry) might — but that’s based on absolutely nothing,” the actor said.
Many are preparing for the possibility of Harry’s demise. One psychologist in the U.S. has developed a three-step grief program to help kids deal with losing their hero.
But what will be tough for most, Thompson said, is not the end of a character but the end of a really great read. “Some will be devastated and experience a real sense of loss. A lot of kids have never had this experience — a taste of how they can be completely absorbed by a book. And if Harry dies we have to assume this is just how the story should end. There will be a finality to that.” |
