July 9, 2009

Harry Potter's focus on grief, death are valuable for all ages

"Author J.K. Rowling isn't afraid to talk about death and dying, and she has done a good job handling grief in the Harry Potter series," says Heather Servaty-Seib, a counseling psychologist and associate professor of educational studies. "Her characters and storylines show that grieving is idiosyncratic, and that's good because it is unique to each person."

The sixth film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," opens Wednesday (July 15). In the book, the teenage heroes are frequently discussing people who have died, and, at the end, a significant character close to Harry Potter dies. Death has been a meaningful part of the series from the beginning, when we learn that Potter's parents were killed when he was an infant, then continued with the deaths of other key characters, such as a fellow student and Potter's godfather.

"Unfortunately, there is often a presumption in our culture that there is a particular way to grieve, but grief is very individualized," Servaty-Seib says. "People react differently based on their relationship with the person who died."

Mourning rituals, such as funerals, are important ways for people to remember the deceased and express their feelings, she says. Servaty-Seib's research suggests that adolescents may view traditional services as less helpful than do adults. She argues that this may be because they are less involved in the planning and do not see the services as meaningful to their own experiences.

"Dumbledore's funeral shows how people, especially children and teens, respond differently to death. Even the story says, 'It did not mean very much. It had little to do with Dumbledore as Harry had known him.' We'll see some of the young characters react differently in book seven when they are more involved in the mourning rituals of their friends and loved ones."

Servaty-Seib also recommends parents use examples from the book and movie to reaffirm to children that it's OK to grieve differently. Parents can ask their children questions about their feelings and be prepared to listen when their children want to talk about what they read or watch.

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: Heather Servaty-Seib, 765-494-0837, servaty@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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