Graduate Research Papers
Availability
Open Access Graduate Research Paper
Abstract
Many parents, teachers, and students are unaware of the level of moral development exhibited by characters in the Harry Potter series. The purpose of this study was to explore moral development in the first four novels of the series in an attempt to find positive examples of moral decision-making. Using Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development, adolescent characters were evaluated for higher-level moral development and adult characters were evaluated for moral development at a higher level than that shown by the adolescent characters.
A content analysis was performed on the first four novels in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Moral decisions and their underlying motivations of four adolescent characters and eight adult characters were evaluated. The researcher discovered that the adolescent characters fell into a higher moral development level than predicted by Kohlberg's theory in the first three novels. They remained in this level for the fourth novel where their ages matched Kohlberg's predicted predominant level. Three of the adult characters studied showed moral development at a higher level than the adolescent characters. Only these three, however, were written as positive examples for readers. The other adult characters fell into fantasy archetypal roles of the fool and villain and were not expected to perform at the highest moral development level.
Year of Submission
2003
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Department
Division of School Library Studies
First Advisor
Barbara Safford
Date Original
7-2003
Object Description
1 PDF file (v, 153 pages)
Copyright
©2003 Amy J. Grundmeyer
Recommended Citation
Grundmeyer, Amy J., "Moral Development of the Characters of the Harry Potter Series" (2003). Graduate Research Papers. 2914.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp/2914
Comments
If you are the rightful copyright holder of this graduate research paper and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit an email request to scholarworks@uni.edu. Include your name and clearly identify the thesis by full title and author as shown on the work.