HOW CAN WE READ NOVELS INDEPENDENTLY OF THEIR AUTHORS?

THE DEATH OF THE AUTHOR

(How) Can We Read Novels Indpendently Of Their Writers?

Growing up with a Harry Potter mad mum, the Wonderful World of Witchcraft and Wizardry has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Whether it was dressing as Hermione Granger every year for World Book Day, building Diagon Alley Lego sets with my parents, or numerous trips to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, J.K. Rowling’s magical world has influenced mine and I’m sure 99% of childhoods globally. (Even my bathroom, hallway and dining room at home have some subtle Harry Potter décor). So how, as an audience enchanted by the world she created, do we react when our favourite author turns out to be a bigot? At first, maybe, with disbelief? How can an author who has imagined hundreds of mystical creatures, spells and created an entire universe not understand the very REAL concept of being a transgender person? Or in a world full of names such as Bellatrix Lestranges and Filius Flitwicks, would it really have been so difficult for Rowling to name her (only!) Chinese character something more creative and appropriate than Cho Chang (two Korean last names)? After spouting transphobic and transmisogynistic tweets throughout 2020, Rowling made a lazy attempt at masking her overshares by latching onto the fact that Dumbledore was gay. Obviously, she’s not bigoted because a character she created (but never canonically depicted as gay) is part of the LGBTQ+ community so she’s totally cool with anything and everything LGBTQ+ and doesn’t deserve any backlash and everything is fine and everyone’s happy - right? Wrong, actually.

Rowling then decided to write a three thousand word essay expressing her views and opinions surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, focussing on her attitudes towards transgender people in particular - this was something that was neither necessary nor asked for by anyone, not to mention the fact that it was incredibly discriminative and harmful. To save everyone the trouble of reading it, the essay focuses mainly on her insistence that her blatant transphobia and harmful comments were intended for the benefit of ‘protecting’ women (by which she of course means AFAB people) and goes on to explain her own opinions on the backlash she received. Obviously, she managed to express all of this whilst claiming that she cannot possibly be transphobic as she has met transgender people and has an ‘interest’ in their issues. Needless to say, there wasn’t an acknowledgement of the hurt she caused the transgender community, or an apology towards them, in sight. Cue eye-roll. Roland Barthes wrote an essay in 1967 called “The Death of the Author” which argues that an author’s biases and experiences cannot be used to derive meaning from a text. The beauty of Barthes’ argument is that it allows fans of ‘cancelled’ authors like J.K. Rowling to enjoy their work void of their writers. Whilst it’s hard to enjoy something like Harry Potter while ignoring the creator of the series, and it’s important not to forget Rowling’s actions, the all-encompassing universe that the Harry Potter novels and franchise has created ensures it’s not impossible to do so. Harry Potter means so much to so many people. It has a global fandom, it’s been in the public eye for decades and all fans have a very personal relationship with the book. Rowling may have been responsible for this, but she is also just a 57-year-old woman with bigoted views who has little to no effect on your own private experience with the novels. I went to Lacock with my dad this summer, the filming location for Hogwarts, Professor Slughorn’s house and Lily and James Potter’s house. Did I do this because I love J.K. Rowling? No. I did this because I love Hermione Granger and I’ve always wanted to be her, and sitting in the cloisters of the abbey made me feel like a real Gryffindor student studying for my OWLs. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, don’t feel guilty about it. Don’t think you have to avoid buying Harry Potter related stuff just because of J.K. Rowling; unfortunately, she has a net worth of over £1 billion, so any effect brought about by denying yourself won’t be making a difference. J.K. Rowling only did half the work by writing Harry Potter; the thoughts and feelings that you, as a reader or watcher of her work, gain from these experiences, are personal to you, and this applies to any controversial author’s work. I personally will always love Harry Potter because it reminds me of my mum and my childhood, and since I don’t know J.K. Rowling, I can enjoy Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts through the life experiences and the fond memories I have attached to them without acknowledging her at all. words by: Bee Evans design by: Soyal Khedkar