Servings
– 1.
Served
to – Children.
Harry Potter and
the prisoner of Azkaban is the third book in the Harry Potter series penned
down by the widely acclaimed British author J.K. Rowling. The third book of the series takes on a dark
and sinister theme embedded in Harry’s past as a child and in the magical
universe of Hogwarts. The Harry Potter series revolves around the supernatural
elements of the wizarding world of Harry Potter in its eccentric take on the
magical world with the existence of a magical curriculum, sport, types of food
and drinks, animals and so on. However, regardless of the presence of such
entities in the series, this particular book deals with the theme of
criminalization of the innocent and subsequent marginalization of such agents
in its plot and characters.
Such a theme is categorically dark because the
intended audience for the book are children. Most texts constructed around and
for children are didactic in nature, they might from time to time take up
complex, realistic and particularly dark themes, but such is rare in terms of
literature for children. Rowling’s adaptation of the theme of criminalization
in her book, particularly educates children about a spectrum of realistic
sinister characters offered by the world, as it takes on the theme of Sirius
and Azkaban.
Sirius Black plays
a major role in Potter’s backstory. He was James Potter’s best friend all
through his years in Hogwarts, and by the end of his life, Sirius was amongst
the couple of people who could be accounted for as Potter’s confidant. However,
in the present day Sirius is a lunatic breakout criminal of the Azkaban asylum
for criminals, and a defiant of the magical world and also, Harry’s beloved
Godfather. At the moment the connotation of the word “love” between Sirius and
Harry stands problematic in the novel for throughout the novel Harry is in
constant contempt and fear of his Godfather, while Sirius is in search of his
Godson and acts always for and towards his protection.
The larger theme
of deception in this case isn’t foregrounded by Sirius’s actions but by that of
a backgrounded character. Sirius was the black sheep of the famous Black family
of pure bloods of the wizarding world. Their infamous affiliations with Lord
Voldemort, Slytherin legacy and an anti-mud blood sentiment isn’t something
that was passed on to Sirius, who remained innocent despite being incriminated
for 12 years in Azkaban.
However, it was
Pettigrew, a shrewd friend of the Potters’ who was partly responsible for
Voldemort murdering the Potters, and fully responsible for the deception of his
friend and allies on, which was then, a war ground. Moreover, Rowling creates
the theme of deception into an enigmatic play within the text. Throughout the
text, Black is foregrounded as the criminal, whereas the real criminal was in
hiding the whole time in the background. Peter Pettigrew, throughout the text
is present in all the events, however he remains in hiding as his Animagus –
Wormtail, also Ron’s rat.
Through the image
of Azkaban, Rowling puts forth Foucault’s concept of asylum in Harry Potter and
The Prisoner of Azkaban. The criminalization of the innocent, and the
subsequent marginalization of all that is criminal, or ‘Other’ to the Power in
an asylum for criminals – Azkaban. The book titled around the asylum,
personifies Black as a Prisoner apart from the others, mainly because he was
the only one capable enough of escaping the asylum, which is located at a far
distance from the Wizarding World. What’s ironical with the title isn’t the
exception of Black being innocent, but him being the only escapee. This points
towards the ambiguous system of justice within the World, which as per
Rowling’s representation in subsequent novels isn’t particularly ideal.
Secondly, Azkaban
is Rowling’s intertextual derivative of Alcatraz – of Hebrew origin, meaning depths
of hell and place of destruction. The image of the prison constructed in
the book was that of a horrific, gruesome asylum, infested with Dementors. Moreover,
due to the conditions of the prisoners, the fear of the dementor’s kiss, and
the security system of magical charms, escape from Azkaban was nearly
impossible, if not fatal. Alacatraz, too is described as an inescapable prison
situated in a distant island, and various narratives have been set around the
prisoners’ attempts to escape the asylum.
In conclusion,
Harry Potter helps embark children and young adults into a vibrant world of
fantasy through its setting up of the wizarding world, in the universe running
parallel to our own. This creates a sense of awe and admiration for the
audience for all that is magical and fantastical, a feeling that far beyond the
rigid structure of the world, there exists a universe, quiet similar to one’s
own, but full of a million more opportunities. This promise is of control
of the individual’s power as asserted by the use of magic, which in the real
world lies in the hands of the Power. However, at the same time, while painting
a promising picture for the children, Rowling includes a realistic tone in the
text. This tone is represented through Harry’s traumatic childhood,
criminalization of the innocent, and a deep underlying theme of deception which
highlights the realities of the world order.
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