  You've been discussing the power of books to stimulate intellect and imagination, and the Harry Potter series is certainly an example of the power books still have in our culture.
But what messages are readers of Harry Potter taking away with them? A group of French literary theorists have been debating this question, most recently on the pages of the French newspaper, Le Monde. One of the essays was reprinted in The New York Times today, worth registering for and reading, for those of you interested in the capitalistic messages of today's influential mass media. From urlLink "Harry Potter, Market Wiz:" "Harry Potter, probably unintentionally, thus appears as a summary of the social and educational aims of neoliberal capitalism.
Like Orwellian totalitarianism, this capitalism tries to fashion not only the real world, but also the imagination of consumer-citizens. The underlying message to young fans is this: You can imagine as many fictional worlds, parallel universes or educational systems as you want, they will still all be regulated by the laws of the market. Given the success of the Harry Potter series, several generations of young people will be indelibly marked by this lesson.
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