11 Parallels Between the Wizarding World and Our Own

Video version available:

https://youtu.be/ulvA9qgppSg

However people may feel about J. K. Rowling, there’s no denying that the series she penned has influenced, and even defined, a whole generation. The Harry Potter books were a literary phenomenon, spawning countless copies, sequels, textbooks, and a film series. The various themes presented in the book feel more relevant than ever, and the stories remain worthy of analysis—as any influential works of art do, independent of the artists themselves.

Part of what made the books so endearing wasn’t only how unusual the world was, but how familiar. For all the differences there are between Muggles and Wizards, there are a myriad of similarities. Many of the books’ situations, whether it was discrimination levied against certain characters or feuds over sporting matches, were relatable for readers. Perhaps Muggles and Wizards aren’t so different after all.

1) Popular Musical Groups

In the Muggle World, we have The Beatles and Lady Gaga. If you’re a Witch or Wizard, however, you’re more likely to listen to Celestina Warbeck or The Weird Sisters. The way in which wizarding children (and adults) relate to these groups mirrors our own affections towards various bands. The Weird Sisters give off an Alice Cooper vibe, while Celestina Warbeck’s Cauldron Full of Hot, Steaming Love calls to mind the innumerable love songs we swoon over in our day to day lives. For Muggles and Wizards alike, music is an important aspect of pop culture.

2) A Passion for Sports

Like music, a passion for sports also unites Wizarding kind with their Muggle counterparts. Muggles are proud to declare their affiliations with different teams, proclaiming themselves Canucks fans, Bluejays fans, and so on. For Wizards, Quidditch is the primary sport, and debates about who supports which team can become heated. The Quidditch matches held between the four houses in Hogwarts result in feuding in the halls and not a shortage of hexes. Ron nearly destroys Harry’s chances with Cho when he becomes incensed over her support of the Tornados. Wizards can become carried away in their sporting loyalties, and Muggles are no exception; the Vancouver riots which followed the Canucks’ loss to the Boston team showcased such tensions.

3) A Global Sporting Event

Wizarding Quidditch is also played at the global level, encouraging various countries to come together and interact. The Quidditch World Cup, as well as the Triwizard Tournament, require world leaders to work together; moreover, it can encourage both friendships and rivalries between citizens from countries all over the world.

These grand events clearly mirror the Muggles own global sports match, the Olympics, which requires cooperation, fair play, and community from the innumerable countries which participate. There’s also great fame to be found for those who excel at their sport. The Muggle’s own Usain Bolt, whose fame extends well beyond his country, is comparable to the Wizarding World’s Victor Krum, who is beloved even by fans of the opposing team.

4) Wealth Disparity

Even magic can’t be used to conjure gold from thin air (unless you’re a leprechaun). Even so-called “Pure-blood” families can be poor, as evidenced not only by the Weasleys, but by the extreme poverty the Gaunt’s live in. Other families, particularly those of “Pure-blood,” will still frown upon those with less wealth than them; money remains a sad marker of worth, and Ron is made to endure taunts from Malfoy about his hand me down robes and crowded household. Ron’s poverty leads to him being bullied, excluded from certain events, and embarrassed when he can’t purchase the treats his classmates don’t think twice about.

For any kid who grew up in a struggling family, Ron’s shame and frustration would have been only too relatable, and it’s made clear that the Weasley’s aren’t the only impoverished family. Snape’s parents seemed unable to clothe him in proper clothes, and Voldemort himself came from a place of destitution.

5) Requiring the “Latest Model” of an Object to Keep Up

There are a series of broomsticks released throughout the years. The Cleansweeps are considered dated next to their Nimbus counterparts, and even the Nimbus becomes rapidly outdated, first with an “upgrade,” and then with the arrival of the Firebolt. The longing from children to own the best brooms in order to fit in with their peers, and compete on an equal plane, is reminiscent of the Muggle need for the latest cellphone or game console. The Nimbus 2000 is out for only a year before being superseded by the 2001 model; shortly after release, you can purchase “elite” versions of the various Xbox or Playstation generations. It’s difficult to be sure which model of iPhone we’re currently at, but those who won’t, or can’t, upgrade their technology find themselves being excluded from the latest games, apps, and daily functions. Someone who still uses a flip phone can’t readily access Facebook, despite how necessary the app has become to connect with others in a professional context.

Ron doesn’t try out for the Quidditch team until his sixth year; he mentions that his inability to participate earlier was due to his being unable to afford a broom that would enable him to fly against others with some semblance of fairness. That kids should feel pressured to spend more in order to be on even footing with their peers points to the negatives of such a culture, and is all too familiar for readers.

6) Inept Governments

In the wake of a pandemic and political upheaval, mistrust in government has only grown. Governments have struggled to address current issues, with some even going as far as to claim the problems presented don’t exist. Fudge denies the return of Voldemort not only out of fear, but because of how inconvenient it would be for him to deal with the problem; likewise, Trump denies the existence of both the coronavirus and global warming.

Harry, in standing up to the Ministry, and disagreeing face to face with Scrimegeour, demonstrates how important it is to not only speak up for your rights, but to call out those who have failed in their responsibilities.

For those of us who are frustrated with how our governments are addressing problems, or with how dated many laws remains, these books hit close to home. There are politicians in power who are homophobic, states where there are no protections in place for transgender individuals, and countries where same sex marriage is forbidden. The Ministry for Magic betrays it’s own dated ideas in the shape of a golden statue which shows a House Elf and a Goblin peering up at a Wizard in a manner that’s described as “sycophantic.”

7) Dangerous Political Movements

Though current generations have yet to live through a world war, we’ve grown up on stories of how horrific life was for our great grandparents when they fought against the Nazis. The Death Eaters are the magical stand in for the Nazi party, deciding the worth of individuals based on their ancestry. Those who can’t prove they are “Pure-blood” face persecution, just as those who couldn’t prove they fit the mold for the “Aryan” race were. Muggleborns are rounded up, and it’s implied that many are killed. In one particularly stark passage, Harry thinks of the eleven year old children who will be separated from their families forever. Jewish children were routinely removed from their parents, and then killed.

Even the leader of the Death Eaters bears a similarity with the leader of the Nazi party: like Hitler, Voldemort is of mixed descent, proclaiming love for a group to which he doesn’t even belong. Hitler wanted to promote the idea of a blond, blue eyed race—even though he himself was dark, and not wholly of German descent. Harry mentions to the Death Eaters in passing that their admired leader is Half-Blood, to which they can only respond with rage.

8) Racial Tensions

While the Wizarding World seems accepting of different human races, allowing the black Kingsley Shacklebolt to rule as Minister for Magic, they nevertheless betray a proclivity for discrimination. They are regularly unfair to other races, namely Goblins and House Elves. While House Elves may enjoy their servitude, there should be protections in place for them, and consequences against those masters who abuse their servants.

What creates the animosity between Wizards and Goblins is the Wizards lack of understanding when it comes to Goblin culture. When a Witch or Wizard purchases something that is Goblin made, they consider it theirs indefinitely. For Goblins, the process of a Wizard buying something from them is only a “rental,” which expires when the Wizarding owner dies. It is the maker to whom the item belongs.

This difference in thinking leads to feuds, with Wizards doing little to actually try and understand the other culture. Muggles suffer from the same misunderstandings, drawing their swords rather than trying to stop, and consider the perspectives of others.

Goblins and House Elves, like various human races in the Muggle world, remain second class…though individuals like Hermione seek to challenge the status quo.

9) Labels

Both Wizards and Muggles fight over what we are, instead of who. In the Muggle world, you can be male or female, white or black, cisgender, transgender or non-binary, young and old. In the Wizarding community, you can be Muggleborn, Half-Blood, Pure-blood, Squib, or Muggle. For both Wizards and Muggles, these aren’t things you can choose to be, or change. You are born the way you are.

Unfortunately, Muggleborns are continually oppressed due to their Muggle ancestry, despite many, such as Hermione, demonstrating exceptional talent. As Dumbledore puts it at the end of The Chamber of Secrets, it is our choices which define who we are. Whatever similarities Harry shares with Voldemort, he chose to help others while the latter turned to murder, which made him “different from Voldemort.”

The abuse transgenders contend with often extends to their partners, with those Pure-Blood families who exhibit pro-Muggle leanings likewise being labeled as “Blood Traitors.” All oppressed groups face derogatory terms, with Mudblood being synonymous with the N-word.

A world in which people are judged based on what they are, instead of what they do, sadly continues for Muggles and Wizards alike.

10) Toxic Social Media

For Muggles, Facebook and Twitter offer both the tools to empower…and to tear others down. For Witches and Wizards, The Daily Prophet, and letters which can be sent to anyone via owl, offer the same tools. While people are ousted on Facebook, and “canceled,” Harry contends with the misinformation that’s spread about him through The Daily Prophet. He is labeled as delusional and attention seeking, which leads to him being harassed by his fellow students and adults who have never even met him.

Hermione, after being the subject of a scathing article written by Rita Skeeter, finds herself being assaulted by hate mail. Nobody bothers to verify the story before deciding that Hermione is wicked; as a result, she ends up with burns when one of the hate letters spills bubotor pus over her hands.

Harry and Hermione’s livelihoods are threatened by these lies, with Harry’s future as an Auror being in jeopardy when Umbridge marks him out.

Muggles also enjoy gossip magazines, which routinely tear celebrities apart or otherwise share the most unflattering stories about them; gossip columns are a particular problem in England, where the books take place. The Royal Family has borne the brunt of such lies, which led to Megan Marckle being harassed, as well as to the death of Princess Diana when she was pursued by paparazzi. Rita Skeeter is the Wizarding world’s leading gossip columnist, and she’s infamous for destroying lives; that media can hurt people as much as it helps is a theme that feels more relevant than ever.

11) Protests, Marches and Books

Within Wizarding circles, the Squibs are oppressed even more actively than the Muggleborns. While Muggleborns face discrimination, they can still have career at the Ministry, or otherwise define a place for themselves in magical society.

Squibs are less fortunate. Having no magical powers, they are bullied by others. They can’t aspire to much, unless they leave their families behind and integrate with Muggles. For someone raised among Wizards, the Muggle world is foreign and being separated from one’s relatives is especially painful.

The novels main Squib characters are Argus Filch and Arabella Figg, neither of whom are given the opportunity to excel, despite Dumbledore’s confidence in them. Filch’s unhappiness is implied when Harry discovers a Kwikspell course in his office, which is supposed to help individuals master the basics of magic.

Further digging into the Harry Potter lore mentions Squib protest marches, as well as a Squib’s attempt to gain attention for his plight by writing a book on his experiences as a Squib. That Wizards also hold protests, and use writing as a means to help others listen, brings them closer than ever to us Muggles.

Whether it be our shared passions for sports and music, or our shared difficulties in challenging discrimination, and corruption where it crops up, Muggles and Wizardkind have more in common than not. At the end of the day, we aren’t Muggles and Wizards. With so much in common, we are, instead, merely human.