pro con research paper

For my English class I had evaluated the pro's and con's of J.K. Rowling publishing more works pertaining to the Harry Potter series.  As a fan and admirer of her works, I strongly believe she should continue adding to this series to not only satisfy fans but the other benefits that will come along with the new works that is explained below.

 Why the Magic Should Continue

            Trends come and go, but the Harry Potter series is an ongoing, worldwide phenomenon.  More than 400 million books have been sold, eight movies have been made, and even theme parks have been created to give an individual the experience of “becoming a wizard”.  The magic began when J.K. Rowling was very poor and roaming the street.  One day she had an idea, while on a train, which would change everyone’s lives forever.  After consulting with 13 different publishers, the books finally found their way onto the shelves, and ten short years later, the series had ended.  Since that point, J.K. Rowling has only published very small books pertaining to Harry Potter, but had never satisfied her fans wishes of writing a continuation of the series.  If she continued the story she could touch upon so many elements that were left unexplained in the novels, satisfy many fans following the series since day one, and even generate money for charities across the world with unneeded profits.                                                                                                                                          Harry Potter is one of the most successful series of all time that, fortunately, has so much information that hasn’t been touched upon.  All seven books have received praise from fans and critics but nowadays, fans are craving more.  Throughout the novels, characters touch upon the first wizard war when Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord, gathered followers and fought for power.  This event was, for the most part, left in the dark and leaves an open door for possible storylines.  In addition, the last book had firmly ended the series with Harry and his wife, Ginny, leading their children onto Platform 9.  Although this is the happy ending readers wanted, we now really want to know what happens with their kids.  These are just some ideas that have undoubtedly crossed Rowling’s mind and are very good reasons for her to pick up the pencil and start putting a plot together.                                                                                                                                                                From an educational standpoint, Harry Potter was very beneficial to people trying to read in general.  Not only was the series pure eye candy, but readers started to begin looking at other novels after the series had ended.  Readers who weren’t exposed to this phenomenon early (since this series was intended for children) didn’t have any type of reading that people were raving about.  This is shown in the article, The Power of Potter, as Hallett states that, “the number of 17-year-olds who reported never or hardly ever reading for fun rose from 9 percent in 1984 to 19 percent in 2004.”  Showing that these statistics display that if a person isn’t targeted at a young age, they will most likely never experience the joy of reading. Hallett then later states that, “59 percent of U.K. kids think the books have improved their reading skills and 48 percent say the books are why they read more.”  Although everyone knows that any fan who followed Harry Potter wouldn’t mind another book here or there, these books have statistically shown to improve the way those of adolescence look at literature in general.  And with that being said, these books may be the key to hopefully preserving past literature and paving the future for it.                                                                                                          The Harry potter series had, in total, sold over 400 million copies, making J.K. Rowling a very wealthy woman.  After the series had finished she had produced three short story books that were related to the world of Harry Potter.  In the article, J.K. Rowling's charity giving knocks her off Forbes' billionaires list, by Michael d’Estries, Rowling states “You have a moral responsibility when you’ve been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently” and with this being said, she had written "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard [which] have raised almost $30 million for various initiatives.” (d’Estries) This action by Rowling puts Harry Potter on a new pedestal of philanthropy and gives new possible reasons for publishing more related works.  Rowling has millions upon millions of dollars and realizes that she doesn’t need all of it so she donates it to charity.  If she decided to publish another Harry Potter novel, the sales would be through the roof and the money could be put towards charities, of her choice, across the world.  Doing this would not only give readers what they want but would also help people that need the money most.  This would give Harry Potter a bigger purpose in the world other than satisfying readers and even if the book wasn’t up to par, Rowling would be doing what she could to help those who need it most.                                             Harry Potter has shown to have amazing positive effects other than just satisfying readers wants.  There are so many reasons as to why Rowling should continue the story and there are so many great ideas that the books could be used for.  Whether or not she chooses to continue the magic, Harry Potter has already made such and impact on the world that without more publications, the series will live on forever.  Although, in the meantime, all anyone can do is wait eagerly at the edge of his or her seat to hear any news of what she decides to do with the mysterious wizarding world. 

                                                                                                                       

Why the Magic Shouldn’t Continue

            Over time, books have come and gone but one that stands out like none other in the public’s eye is Harry Potter.  The series is a classic that has inspired people to start reading all over the world.  Over the years, it has had so many impacts ranging from educational purposes to theme parks built in Florida.  The novel has set such a standard for all other novels in the fantasy world ever since its debut in 1997.  Many believe that the story should continue but sometimes, when something is already great then it’s best to just let it be.  If Rowling decided to continue the life of Harry Potter then she risks ruining her reputation, destroying a very solid ending to a phenomenal series, and tarnishing the name of Harry Potter if the new novels are not up to par.                                                               Ever since the first novel was published in 1997, sales skyrocketed and the “Harry Potter name” spread like the shot heard around the world.  Rowling’s life for the next 10 years would soon revolve around the novels as if they are a part of her being.  Even after the series had finished, it still very much continues to rule her life.  Rowling’s reputation is based upon the words that were produced when her pencil touched the paper.  If she was to write another novel, she would have to live up to this reputation she already has and produce a solid Harry Potter book. Otherwise, she will be known as the woman who wrote a good series, not as the woman who never fails to impress.  It’s a lot of pressure to have on someone’s shoulder but it’s something she has to think about.  Of course anyone will find information regarding how much fans want another book to be written but by doing so, Rowling puts her phenomenal reputation on the line in order for the chance to satisfy readers wants.                                                                                                                                                                    The ending to the Harry Potter series had been anticipated for about 10 years.  Fans had followed Harry from when he first got his letter to attend this mysterious school all the way to when he defeated Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts.  The series had finally closed with Harry and his wife, Ginny, helping their children board the Hogwarts Express alongside the children of Ron and Hermione.  At the end of the novel the narrator said, “The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well” (Rowling 749) which showed that after his victory over Voldemort, peace had finally found him.  In the eyes of the readers, this ending was so final and was an ending that everyone wanted Harry to find.  For 7 years, he had had major ups and downs but never really found peace until this very moment at the end of the series.  If Rowling had decided to write another book she risks the closure that was created at the end of this adventure.  In the article, Are Original Movies Really Better than Derivative Works?, author Jason Dietz states that, “conventional wisdom has it that movies based on original concepts are better than derivative work” in order to show that sequels don’t always live up to the original.  These books were so original and so loved that it would be such a shame to watch them become “old news” as the new Harry Potter books plummet in sales.                     Ever since its debut in 1997, Harry Potter novels have run the world of literature.  After the publications of the following books in the series, movies were successfully made.  Each one had smashed box office records during their premieres in theaters across the world.  As each movie came out, the series’ popularity grew.  In time, a theme park had been created in its name for fans to get a real feel of becoming a wizard.  All of these factors give the Harry Potter series such an amazing reputation.  The idea is so original and outlandish that it is hard for anything to live up to it.  If J.K. Rowling was to release another book, she would risk tarnishing the Harry Potter name.  Harry Potter would soon become “what was” rather than “what is”.  Although you can find many fans that would like another book, they would need to take into consideration the chance that the series could be ruined.  The ending of the last novel was so final and so complete that starting the series back up again leaves an opportunity for the Harry Potter name to become ruined.                                                       Ever since the series had ended in 2007, the question of “will the series continue?” is always roaming around.  Although Harry Potter fans rave about the series and how much they wouldn’t mind another book, Rowling has a lot to lose on her end by publishing another work.  All anyone can do now is wait for her decision, but in the meantime some can only hope that if she ever does decide to pick up the pencil again, she preserves the novels reputation as well as her own.