The theme of xenophobia in
J. K. Rowling’s fixion series
‘Harry Potter’
The object: xenophobia.
The purpose: to draw attention to this
problem and retrace how it is revealed in
the contemporary British literature.
The main tasks:
 to determine the term “xenophobia”;
 to study the history of this phenomena in
Britain;
 to study the way a modern British author
tells us about this problem in her books
(symbols, characters, allusions).
The methods of research:
 the method of study of documents
(educational and scientific literature,
dictionaries);
 literary analysis of the fiction series by
J.K. Rowling “Harry Potter”;
 the usage of Internet;
 public opinion poll.
Xenophobia is a fear or contempt of that
which is foreign or unknown, especially of
strangers or foreign people. It comes from the
Greek words ξένος (xenos), meaning
"foreigner," "stranger," and φόβος (phobos),
meaning "fear." The term is typically used to
describe fear or dislike of foreigners or in
general of people different from oneself.
Objects of xenophobia
Cultural
elements
Types of discrimination:
Race discrimination
 Age discrimination
 Gender discrimination
 Disability discrimination
 Language discrimination

The UK is a multicultural,
multireligious and multinational
country.
‘The White Man’s Burden’
by Rudyard Kipling
Take up the White Man's
burden
Send forth the best ye breed
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild
Your new-caught, sullen
peoples,
Half devil and half child.
Твой жребий – Бремя
Белых!
Как в изгнанье, пошли
Своих сыновей на
службу
Темным сынам земли;
На каторжную работу,
Нету ее лютей, Править тупой толпою
То дьяволов, то детей.
(Перевод В. Топорова)
J. K. Rowling is a British writer
and author of the Harry Potter
fantasy series.
Public opinion poll
44%
56%
Read the fiction series about Harry Potter
Didn't read about Harry Potter
Public opinion poll
17%
83%
Saw the films about Harry Potter
Didn't see the films about Harry Potter
Public opinion poll
10%
36%
54%
Recognised the theme of discrimination and
xenophobia
Recognised problems of the youth
Recognised family problems
Race, religious and national discrimination
are absent in the magical world…
The Dursleys
Pureblood magicians
Pureblood magicians
Arthur Weasley
Death Eaters
Pureblood
magicians
Half-blood
•The discrimination ideas are the bases of Death Eaters’ ideology.
• The Death Eaters seek the total destruction of Muggle roots.
• Prejudice and discrimination in the Wizard world in some cases
deep-rooted to the level of apartheid.
Squib is the term applied
to a child born of
magical parents but
possessing no magical
ability.
Squibs are encouraged to
integrate into the
Muggle world, which is
"much kinder" than
keeping them in the
magical world, where
they will always be
"second-class" –
disabled.
Hermione Granger
Daughter of two British
dentists.The most
talented student of
Hogwarts .Was brought
up in the modern British
society which has
admitted the necessity
She cares so much
of
multicultural
and
about the exploitation of elves.
national tolerance
She created the Society
for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare,
or S.P.E.W.
Magic Races
Here lies
Dobby
a Free Elf
The Battle at Hogwarts
To my mind J.K. Rowling managed to
express the appeal for necessity of respect
to “the alien” and acknowledgement of
their being unique. We can’t force people
assimilate with the majority, we should
value the cultural diversity of our world
and cherish individuality.
Thank you for your attention!