THIS IS PART V IN A SERIES
When the discussing the book as author work in the context of the Harry Potter series, we shouldn’t avoid looking at the authors represented in the book. While Rowling doesn’t seem to represent herself as one of the authors, we do see various types of authors, giving readers insight into the working of media.
Chapter header featuring an image of Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The first author we formally meet is bumbling yet conniving Gilderoy Lockhart. “‘We can actually see him!’ Hermione squealed. ‘I mean, he’s written almost the whole booklist!’” …
“Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard’s hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair” (Rowling, 1999, p. 59).
In Lockhart Rowling gives us a shining example of the author as genius and celebrity. Everyone know’s his name, he’s pretty sure he’s a genius, and he has a stack popular novels to his name. He’s fitting the profile Haynes (2005) was arguing against in their paper about the concept of author as genius. Haynes argued that an author should be studied not only for their popular works but also how they treat and communicate with people such as their publishers. We don’t need to speculate what would happen if Lockhart was separated from his genius because Rowling does that for us. Readers eventually learn Lockhart was bumbling because he altered facts in his books and stole the heroic acts he committed from others; he claimed them as his own. He is, however, gifted with memory charms, so that no one could ever tell the truth. This evil fact-alterer gets his due when a memory charm backfires and he loses his own [memory] (Rowling, 1999). If only that had happened to Frederic Wertham, perhaps readers wouldn’t still feel guilty about reading comics (Tilley, 2012). While Rowling is clearly telling readers we should watch out for those that obscure the truth, she does give us one interesting twist. We meet Lockhart again in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies. “‘Why hello there!’ he said. ‘I expect you’d like my autograph, would you?’” (Rowling, 2003, p. 509). It seems that, while he’s lost his memory, Lockhart still considers himself a celebrity and genius. Perhaps it’s built in?
Chapter heading from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
I’ve already discussed gossip columnist Rita Skeeter when I looked at the special quill she uses to take notes while she conducts interviews. She’s worth mentioning again as another unreliable member of the media. While her stories are based in fact, she doesn’t care to check references as long as her stories will make headlines (Rowling, 2000). Once again Rowling seems to be warning readers about unreliable members of the media and sensationalism. We meet Rita again in Order of the Phoenix when Hermione forces her to write Harry’s story of the return of Voldemort (Rowling, 2003). Readers come across Skeeter one more time in The Deathly Hallows. “‘Harry, Rita Skeeter is a dreadful—’ … ‘She’s written a book about Dumbledore, you know!’” (Rowling, 2007, p. 153). While no one seems to like her, her book does contain some interesting and damning information about Headmaster Dumbledore, his treatment of family members, and his past involvement with dark wizard Grindlewald. These controversial topics are presented as facts in the universe in the Fantastic Beasts film saga.
And speaking of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, perhaps the most famous author within the Harry Potter series is Newt Scamander, although readers wouldn't know it until long after the seventh book had been published. Although in the original series Scamander is really only mentioned as the author of the textbook he wrote, he gets is own film saga with two movies already released and more on the way. While in the movies we learn otherwise, in the original Harry Potter series, there isn’t really mention of any controversy surrounding Scamander and so Rowling elevates him to an unwitting celebrity.
In her books J.K. Rowling shows us two types of authors, those who are truthful and faithful to what they do, and those who aren’t. The unreliable authors are loved and hated, and misfortune befalls them while the truthful ones are elevated. Perhaps Rowling is working a bit of media literacy into her novels?
Citations
Haynes, C. (2005). Reassessing “genius” in studies of authorship: The state of the discipline. Book History 8, pp.287-320.
Rowling, J.K. (2007). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Arthur A. Levine Books An Imprint of Scholastic.
Rowling, J.K. (2003). Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix. Arthur A. Levine Books An Imprint of Scholastic.
Rowling, J.K. (2000). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Arthur A. Levine Books An Imprint of Scholastic.
Rowling, J.K. (1999). Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets. Arthur A. Levine Books An Imprint of Scholastic Press.
Tilley, C. (2012). Seducing the innocent: Frederic Wertham and the falsifications that helped condemn comics. Information & Culture (4)47, pp. 383-414.
*Some citations for web resources are linked directly in the post (in blue).