The Psychology of Harry Potter: An Unauthorized Examination of the Boy Who Lived (Psychology of Popular Culture series)

Harry Potter has provided a portal to the wizarding world for millions of readers, but an examination of Harry, his friends and his enemies will take us on yet another journey: through the psyche of the Muggle (and wizard!) mind. The twists and turns of the series, as well as the psychological depth and complexity of J. K. Rowling’s characters, have kept fans enthralled with and puzzling over the many mysteries that permeate Hogwarts and beyond: Do the Harry Potter books encourage disobedience? Why is everyone so fascinated by Professor Lupin? What exactly will Harry and his friends do when they finally pass those N.E.W.T.s? Do even wizards live by the ticking of the clock? Is Harry destined to end up alone? And why did it take Ron and Hermione so long to get together? Now, in The Psychology of Harry Potter, leading psychologists delve into the ultimate Chamber of Secrets, analyzing human mind and motivation by examining the themes and characters that make the Harry Potter books the bestselling fantasy series of all time. Grab a spot on the nearest couch, and settle in for some fresh revelations about our favorite young wizard! Presents A Psychological Look At The Harry Potter Books, Examining Such Topics As What Students Learn From Hogwarts Classes, What Harry And Fawkes The Phoenix Have In Common, And Mental Illness In The Wizarding World. What Do Students Learn From Hogwarts Classes? / Robin S. Rosenberg -- Harry's Curiosity / Susan Engel And Sam Levin -- Intergroup Conflict In The World Of Harry Potter / Melissa J. Beers And Kevin J. Apple -- Have You Got What It Takes To Train Security Trolls? / Shoshana D. Kerewsky And Lissa Joy Geiken -- Hogwarts Academy / Charles W. Kalish And Emma C. Kalish -- Attachment Styles At Hogwarts / Wind Goodfriend -- What Harry And Fawkes Have In Common / Misty Hook -- Harry Potter And The Resilience To Adversity / Danielle M. Provenzano And Richard E. Heyman -- Discovering Magic / Karl S. Rosengren And Emily C. Rosengren -- Magical World Of Muggles / Carol Nemeroff -- Time And Time Again / Peter A. Hancock And Michelle K. Gardner -- Social Dynamics Of Power And Cooperation In The Wizarding World / Nancy Franklin -- Mental Illness In The World Of Wizardry / Jessica Leigh Murakami -- Dobby Had To Iron His Hands, Sir! : Self-inflicted Cuts, Burns, And Bruises In Harry Potter / E. David Klonsky And Rebecca Laptook -- Werewolf In The Wardrobe / Siamak Tundra Naficy -- Exploring The Dark Side / Christopher J. Patrick And Sarah K. Patrick -- Harry Potter And The Word That Shall Not Be Named / Mikhail Lyubansky -- Evolution, Development, And The Magic Of Harry Potter / David H. Rakison And Caroline Simard -- Using Psychological Treatment With Harry / Neil Mulholland -- Defense Against The Real Dark Arts / Patricia A. Rippetoe -- Resisting Social Influence / Melanie C. Green -- Harry Potter And The Magic Of Transformation / Laurie J. Pahel. Edited By Neil Mulholland. Includes Bibliographical References. Contents 5 Introduction 7 What Kind of School Is Hogwarts? 9 What Do Students Learn from Hogwarts Classes? 11 Harry’s Curiosity 25 Intergroup Conflict in the World of Harry Potter 39 “Have You Got What It Takes to Train Security Trolls?” 51 Hogwarts Academy 65 Will Harry Be Okay? 79 Attachment Styles at Hogwarts 81 What Harry and Fawkes Have in Common 97 Harry Potter and the Resilience to Adversity 111 Is Magic Real? 127 Discovering Magic 129 The Magical World of Muggles 141 Time and Time Again 159 The Weird World of Wizards 173 The Social Dynamics of Power and Cooperation in the Wizarding World 175 Mental Illness in the World of Wizardry 181 “Dobby Had to Iron His Hands, Sir!” 195 The Weird World of Muggles 211 The Werewolf in the Wardrobe 213 Exploring the Dark Side 227 Harry Potter and the Word That Shall Not Be Named 239 Evolution, Development, and the Magic of Harry Potter 255 Learning from Harry Learning from Harry 269 Using Psychological Treatment with Harry 271 Defense Against the Real Dark Arts 289 Resisting Social Influence 305 Harry Potter and the Magic of Transformation 317 ** COMPLETELY UNAUTHORIZED ** Leading psychologists delve into the world and characters of Harry Potter in this revealing look at J. K. Rowling's constructed universe, using the characters and their puzzling situations to offer insight into real-world psychology. Designed to appeal to both fans of pop culture and students of psychology, this unique blend of scholarship and contemporary criticism consists of essays by professional psychologists hailing from schools and clinical practices throughout the world. Every major area of psychology is covered as the contributors tackle such heady questions as: Is Harry a cranky adolescent or suffering from real post-traumatic-stress disorder? Is Voldemort evil incarnate or a misguided boy now twisted beyond recognition? and Is Snape treacherous or struggling for redemption?, revealing the fictional world's complex psychological brew.