Conflict Between Good And Evil In Harry Potter

Ammar Moussa

Prof Adell

Engl 101, 8:00

7 December 2015

Conflict between good and evil in Harry Potter series

Harry Potter by J.K Rowling is internationally known series which portrays eternal conflict between good and evil. Although the series has many important themes but this conflict is the main one and the most important because it is considered a representation of that in real life. There are countless characters in the series which divide between good and evil. Rowling has provided the series with two principle characters: one represents goodness which is Harry Potter and the other represents evil which is Lord Voldemort. The main conflict in the series is between these two characters and each one is being supported by number of friends

and allies. Actually, good and evil in this series is distinguishable as much as black and white. The series ends with the victory of good over the evil by the power of goodness. Theme of good and evil in Harry potter series became an issue tackled by many critics.
Actually, struggle between good and evil and the victory of good is not a modern theme. In fact, it goes back for medieval literature when many stories appeared at that time showed this struggle and how the triumph always stands by the side of good. Rowling has used this conflict in her series but with her own special way. She has gathered aspects from many literary periods including this theme and has put all together in contemporary frame to present the conflict between good and evil and the victory of good in new form gathering both traditional and modern tastes. Critics have admired the way in which Rowling has presented this conflict. Ballard, for example, praises Rowling’s success in putting elements of traditional stories in contemporary frame by saying “Ms. Rowling has successfully placed traditional story-telling elements--scary adventure, mishaps and success, the theme of good triumphing over evil--in an exceedingly contemporary context. This contemporaneity is the key” (Ballard).
Rowling makes a distinction between good and evil in this series although she does not state clearly who is good and who is evil.

We know that from the actions of each character in the novels. On other words, she does not judge her characters but she left judgement for the audience. For example, Harry's love to others tells that he is good because love produces goodness and is necessary to win over dark evil. Another example, Voldemort’s actions such as: cheating and disregard people’s life shows that he is evil. Colleta gives an opinion about that by saying “Rowling portrays good as good and evil as evil” (Colleta). He means that Rowling has succeeded to distinguish between good and evil not by stating but by portraying good characters in good aspects and bad characters in bad characteristics. Also, Rabbi Noson Weisz talks about this idea and says “The good is purely good and the evil is purely evil” (Weisz). He means that Rowling does not let any doubts about the nature of characters whether good or evil. On other words, Rowling’s character were whether totally good or totally evil. Frankly, among all characters in Harry Potter, there is only one character is considered wobbling between good and evil. This character is Snap who is seen sometimes trying to disturb Harry’s efforts to fight Voldemort and other times is seen working side by side with Dumbledore. The character’s attitude remains mysterious until the end of the story when Snap declares his position in and fights

against evil headed by Voldemort.
It is obvious that Rowling does not depend on one character to represent good. Although Harry is the main good character in the novels, he has a group of friends who are also good and trustworthy. Those friends help him lot to achieve victory over Voldemort at the end. “I say to you all, once again -- in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”(Rowling, Goblet of fire 723) It is noticeable that all adventures Harry involves in his close friends Ron and Hermione have a principle part in his succeed as well they protect him many times and without them maybe he would not be win. Weisz says “In each of the stories, Harry and his friends triumph over the evil Lord Voldemort through the spiritual power of goodness implanted in Harry, the strength of the powerful bond of friendship between Harry and the faithful Ron, the ingenuity and the problem-solving ability of the studious Hermione, and the courage of all of them combined” (Weisz). He emphasizes that strong relationships and cooperation among these three friends achieved the victory in all adventures and also at the end when they defeat the evil side represented by Voldemort. In addition to Harry’s friends, Dumbledore's Army, which led by Harry, has a role in fighting against the evil forces. The students are courage to struggle against Voldemort and his followings. Despite risks they resist because they trust their ability and believe that the power of goodness will make them win. While as for the evil, it is true that there are many evil characters but in fact all of these are Voldemort. It cannot be said that there is cooperation among Voldemort and his following because the same soul which is Voldemort’s has been put in of them. On other words, any evil character is Voldemort not in his real personality but inside that of one of dark wizards. Specially, that a selfish man such Voldemort does not cooperate with any person. For this reason, the evil defeated at the end of the story. Maybe Rowling wants to tell a message that cooperation is necessary to achieve aims in life and only a person cannot win even if he has power and is brave and clever.
In the beginning of the story, Rowling introduces Gryffindor as good and Slytherins, the house to which Voldemort belongs, as evil. Hagrid refers to this by saying: "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one"(Rowling, The stone). Dumbledore tells Harry that students’ distribution process is done through the sorting hat which makes choice for each student according to his/her nature either good or evil. Harry’s is chosen to Gryffindor that considered evidence that he has good mind Harry has some abilities and powers that Slytherins in general and Voldemort, In particular, characterized by, such as parseltongue,. Dumbledore and other teachers thought that some of Slytherins’ abilities when Voldemort kills Harry’s parents and injures him so the abilities have moved to Harry with the injury. But surely having this mutual powers do not mean that he has a bad character makes him related to the Malfoys, or Tom Riddle, his supposed counterpart that is because having or not these powers does not make the person evil but the most important thing is in which way the person uses these abilities in the way of good or that of evil.
In fact, Rowling is a very clever writer. She has used all available ways to distinguish between good characters and evil ones without direct stating. Symbolism is one of these ways. It is noticeable that the series is plenty of symbols which serve Rowling’s aim. For example, the Phoenix is a companion and friend for Dumbledore. Phoenix is known, in the myths, for that it represents good. On other words, Rowling wants to refer that Dumbledore is a good character through the symbolism of his companion the Phoenix. Also, the Phoenix, according to the myths, does not die but is always rebirth and defeat death. This is another symbol that goodness does not die but always defeat evil. The same thing is applied in the case of Voldemort. Voldemort’s companions are snakes and horrible monsters so that he linked him with evil. The defeat and death of all monsters is a symbol of the death and defeat of evil.
Conflict between Harry and Voldemort is an allegory for conflict between two contrast kinds of love. The first kind is called love of the self or egoism which represented by Voldemort. The Lord of the Dark only loves himself and seeks to achieve power and personal benefits at the expense of others’ lives. In the last book of the series, the extreme selfishness of Voldemort is shown when he tries to save himself and avoid death even if that costs the lives of his followings. Whited refers to this event by saying “Voldemort does not accept his death graciously; instead, as we learn in the last book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the evil wizard has killed others in order to split his soul in an unsuccessful effort to make himself immortal” (Whited). The other kind of love is sacrificial love which represented by Harry. This means to love other people to the extent of sacrifice for them. Harry is a person who loves his friends, teachers, and boss Dumbledore and he sacrifices for their sake. He puts himself at risks many times to protect one of his friends and sometimes to save the whole school. In fact, Harry learns this love from his mother who sacrificed herself to save him when Voldemort kills her with Harry’s father. Dumbledore tells Harry that this sacrificial love, he gets from his mother, makes him more powerful in the fight against Voldemort who is not able to understand what love of others means. He says “This your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign… to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever” (Rowling, Sorcerer's Stone 299). It seems that Rowling wants to convey a message by this saying. This message tells that whatever the amount of evil power is huge; the power of love can defeat it. Maybe some critics agree with this point of view. Colleta, for example, assures the importance of sacrificial love in defeating dark forces not only in Harry Potter but in every story. He says “The idea of sacrificial love consistently defeating evil is present in every book” (Colleta).
Some critics criticize that good characters use violence and magic in their war against the dark forces and that may be considered evil deeds.

Those critics argue that good forces can use logic to fight dark ones by persuading them to repent and give up causing damages for others or at least try to do so. Rowling responses that even if Harry and his friends use some violence or magic but that do not considered evil for many reasons. The first reason is that they are obliged to do that to save themselves from a murderer called Voldemort and to protect the school of magic from domination of dark magic followings. Another one, is that using magic is not a problem or even the fact that Harry and his friends are wizards while they use magic for good because ends justifies means but the problem begins when the wizard uses it to achieve personal interest on at the expense of others lives and safety. In addition to that this conflict gives more excitement to the life in school and without it would not have been a story and

adventures.