“Youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present?” ― Confucius The Power of The Orphan in Harry Potter (And YA Fiction) By: Paloma Marshal

Orphans are the ultimate underdogs we all want to succeed. They must overcome greater obstacles than most people will ever face in their lifetimes. Orphans represent courage, strength, resiliency and usually fulfill some sort of prophecy. Harry Potter follows this same pattern.

“Harry's status as orphan gives him a freedom other children can only dream about (guiltily, of course). No child wants to lose their parents, yet the idea of being removed from the expectations of parents is alluring. The orphan in literature is freed from the obligation to satisfy his/her parents, and from the inevitable realization that his/her parents are flawed human beings. There is something liberating, too, about being transported into the kind of surrogate family which boarding school represents, where the relationships are less intense and the boundaries perhaps more clearly defined.” ~ J. K. Rowling, 31 March 1999 Salon.com interview

Orphans have great power (like Cat Chant, Harry Potter, Pevensie siblings) The orphan will have to overcome a great obstacle but will be greatly rewarded Orphans are “pure of heart” meaning that they are very kind, smart, and calm (like Harry, the Baudelaire siblings, Cinderella) These orphans are faced with a choice: to become good or bad. Harry could have ended up like Voldemort, Cat could have become mad with power, Edmund could have chosen to fight alongside The White Witch.

Orphans (particularly in Harry’s case) show children that they have the potential to become great. Any future obstacle they may have to face, they can overcome it because their favorite character did too. Ultimately, orphans show potential for good, despite the hard lives they face. Most children’s greatest fear is losing their parents. Because Harry succeeded, they can too. YA novels like Harry Potter inspire potential in children.

Works Cited J.K. Rowling quote: Confucius quote: Potter Puppet Pals: