Tell it, girl!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

not for the same reasons as the Great Gatsby. Harry Potter is more entertainment while The Great Gatsby has strong symbolism about the "American Dream" which is why it is so popular.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Imagine if those future lucky bitches get pop quizzes on Harry Potter.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I don't know. Uncle Tom's Cabin addressed the extreme discrimination issues of the time, and Great Gatsby symbolized the American Dream, as RJ said above. Harry Potter's purpose is really just entertainment, no evident deeper meaning.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

yeah no, not at all. I like harry potter as much as the next kid, but that's exactly what it is-children's books. They're not classic literature and have no depth to them, they're not going to be used in schools because they really mean nothing, and there's nothing to learn from them. And learning to "use your imagination" doesn't count so no one has to jump in and attack for that.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I agree with the first half of this post. The second half, though, not so much. While it has somewhat "defined" (there's a better word for that) this era, it's not quite the same as classic literature that is so rich with the shit that we learn in our English classes.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I don't know...Uncle Tom's Cabin can be seen as one of the factors that started the Civil War Era, making it truly era-defining! Abraham Lincoln himself acknowledged that. Beecher Stowe talked about very deep racial issues, as well as religious issues, and the book can even be seen as propaganda. Does Harry Potter serve as great a purpose?

by Anonymous 12 years ago