"Interiorized Fantasy" and Harry Potter ...

The “Posthuman” concept that was discusses in Ostry’s article reminded me of my great grand mother’s story. I remember one evening when my great grand mother was watching a movie and the main actor died in that film she cried and felt really sad. But when she saw the same actor “alive”, in another movie, few weeks after that she was shocked and said, “It seems that the people in the TV are big liars, because I have seen this same man when he died few weeks ago, how come he is back to life again, I do not understand what’s going on!!”
According to Ostry, “what their parents and grandparents had always thought of as science fiction [TV actors who die and come back to life]…are now realities, or possible realities.” (p. 435)
That’s why I feel the need to read fantasy books, to get out of the box. I do not expect my children who read fantasy books to act or react as my grandmother did if they see or read about something unusual or imaginative. I do agree to a certain degree with Elain Ostry that “being introduced to and understanding the posthuman age is essential for young adults, as it is their future.” As she was saying some of the children might be one of those who would be experiencing such biotechnology issues, a designer baby, for example. I would add that some other children might be one of those people who would live in Plato planet. Reaching the Outer Space was one of those themes in many science fiction novels few decades ago. Interestingly enough, I have seen few days ago a report in one of the newspapers that 10 people are buying lots/gardens on the moon. Who knows! That one of my children or yours would decide to buy a lot and live in moon too? So what I’m trying to say is that science fiction and fantasy in general is a healthy and fun thing to read. Why do we have to read about things that we know about already? Do not we need to have some change? Some others believe that reading fantasy helps one to escape from the harsh realities of this world.
The book that I’m reading for this week is HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE BY J.K. Rowling. This novel is one of those “interiorized fantasies _daydreams, nightmares, and hallucinations of children beset by terror and insecurity.” Harry Potter, the main character in this novel is exposed to emotional and physical abuse by his guardians “aunt and uncle and their spoiled son Dudley” which is again a main feature of “interiorized fantasies”. According to Ostry, “In many of these stories, the very people who are supposed to be protecting the children are the ones who pose the greatest threat” (p. 433) Harry lived a miserable life for ten years with his guardians. His cousin hits him and makes fun of him all the time. His room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, he has to do many house chores, cleaning, fixing breakfast and much more. He has never played with toys, or went outside the home or even ride a car and worst of all he hasn’t had a birthday party in eleven years. But things have totally changed at his 11th. Birthday, great luck and adventure are waiting for him…
Another obvious feature of this kind of novels, interiorized fantasies, is that “the terror is overcome, order is restored by the child protagonist, and the story becomes reassuring and empowering.” (p. 433) All the miserable life that Harry has been living is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he find not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that’s been waiting for him. The best he could reach and wished for is a happy life with his guardians and his cousin who used to be abominable child. The story ends with his wish to have fun with Dudley this summer …!!