International Relations
Harry potter and the goblet of fire is a book that takes us through the word of wizardry where the main character Harry potters who is a fourth year student at the Hogwarts school of Wizardry, It is all magic as participants from similar schools organize an event to compete amongst themselves to find out the winner. The different teams represented in this book use different wizardry skills and abilities to attack their opponents. This represents the similar tactics that are usually used by the different nations to compete and fit in the global market. The goblet of fire is a magic cup that is used to select the candidates for the tournament. The candidates are Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts, victor Krum from Durmstrung, fleur Delacour from beauxbatons and Harry. These three teams are a clear representation of the three different countries from where the names were derived.
The titles of this teams and where they come from, tells us more about the culture and the way of the people represented. Hogwarts is a high street located in London it has accessibility to the wizardry world and is of economic importance to the country, it is clear from this statement that the people of London rely on wizardry for economic empowerment and prosperity. Durmstrung is representation of the German culture, which is revealed through the characters of the students in the team. Compared to others it places emphasis on the study of defense against the dark arts. Dumstrung is a school is a school of wizardry that is ranked among the best to offer knowledge on black magic, Krum who is a student from the school won the Triwizard Tournament” (Rowling, 2000 pp40-45). The third team, beauxbatons represents a French School where the students have to rise up as a form of respect when the head mistress enters the room. This is a representation of the French system of education and culture.
A look at the characters represented in this book, Dudley Dursley is described as wide and for his role he is put on a strict diet. Gabrielle Delacour is a young girl of about eleven years who is saved by Harry when she was among the underwater bait team. The weird sisters are described to be hairy and wearing black robes. Stan shunpike appears at the quiditch world cup and boasts of his ambitions to become the next minister for magic. He is described by Harry as not caring. Ollivander appears as an expert judge in the preliminary ceremonies of the triwizard tournament. Myrtle appears to be of great help to Harry in his second task where she helps him open the egg under water.
Relating this to the international relations we find that it is a basic form of how people from different nations of the world relate and coordinate. Despite the many barriers that may exist between nations, there will always be a meeting point where people wish to know about each other for mutual benefit. What mostly separates people is the cultural beliefs which differ from culture to culture, different languages and different religious believes. Over the years this trend has changed drastically to the rising need of international coordination. (Griffiths, 2008) argues that, there is free movement of people from one country to another. Different ideas are been exchanged and what was considered being a barrier has been adjusted. There is a variety of ways through which people come to learn and appreciate each other, media being the largest promoter of international relations. Books and video tapes are being used to clarify the many assumptions that people have concerning some cultures. Harry Potter and the goblet of fire reflect the diversity groups that exist in our society and how this is significant in our daily relations. “The three teams gathered together and a champion from each team was selected to compete for the triwizard torment”. (Rowling, 2000 pp 50-55)
In this series, Harry potter has touched the international world in different ways some which have been appreciated and accepted and others that have been highly condemned. Whether they have been accepted or not is not the issue, what matters is that he had touched on the issues that affect our society. The story has been set to display word of wizardry which is literally translated to display the kind of exploitation that exists in the world today. Through the different characters, used in the play, the social injustice practices have been displayed and how a certain group of society uses the same to their advantage at the expense of the majority who live in pain and suffering. This book is not only aimed at informing people about these malpractices but also provide insight and inspiration to the many that are uncomfortable about the state of affairs in their surrounding.
The setting of this play has laid emphasis on the world of witchcraft which has brought about mixed reactions on how the same is impacting on the minds of the people. The Christian community has especially condemned it and termed it inappropriate to be used in school as it will affect the children’s beliefs. They claim that this play will make the children to be interested in the witchcraft world which may in turn tempt them to find out more. Witchcraft and wizardry is a phenomenon used to display a culture that really exists in many society yet many have not accepted it. Wizardry here is a super power that is used by some few people to exploit others who are mostly living in ignorance. It is a form of influential leadership that clearly understands the weaknesses of the people and takes advantage of this to manipulate them. (Linklater, 2000)
Social segregation and discrimination has been touched through this play and how it has been used especially by the superior countries. They always think that they are the best and nobody can be able to compete with their superiority. This however is just a mindset and the character of Harry reveals that with determination and hard work, any body can be the best they want to be. What makes the few individuals to continue prospering is because they believe they can do better. If the same positive believe could be transferred to every body else, then, nobody is far from achieving good results. There is an emphasis on being determined and not loosing focus when fighting social injustice. The progress may not pick up real first and opposition may come even from the very people that you desire to help, but it is important not to loose hope for in the long run you can always receive support and the war finally won. Harry was selected to participate in the torment when he was young and this caused a lot of opposition from other teams. This posse a challenge to the international community that change is about believing in your capabilities and working hard towards achieving the same.
From the different reactions of this play, we also come to learn something about our society, as much as there will be people to support and commend your work, there will always be cases where others will not appreciate what you do. This is a good lesson to the many who may want to impact on the word in different ways. There should be no limiting factor of your success and one needs to keep working on whether they receive a positive response or not. When one understands his goals, he should work hard to realize them and not focus much on the challenges that come their way. (Linklater, 2000) Characters of different backgrounds displayed in the setting of the play show that we travel to other nations we get to know about the different culture of the people. Harry succeeded because of the different connections he had from the different groups of people.
The government is displayed as a group of people with their own interests at heart. Lord Voldemort is a clear reflection of the current leadership where the interests of the common man are ignored and instead political positions are used to manipulate the weak in the society. There is no balance in the society and the leadership that is looked up to ensure that things work well is the same that is manipulating its people. The characters used in this story clearly represent the behavior of the current leaders especially those who hold influential positions in the world. It has also been clearly displayed in this play that there is rarely clean and sincere relationship. Every current relationship is being maintained considering its financial worth (Linklater, 2000). What determines a person’s status in the society is not how much knowledge they have but how much they have in terms of money. There is a lot manipulation from the leaders who take advantage of the less fortunate to enrich them selves.
The story also expresses optimism that we can have a war free society. Wars are not meant to intimidate us but lessons can be learned through the effects that are caused by it. The lessons learned can help us to work our way through to happiness and unity. Movement and immigration rights should not be discriminative. Some countries place very harsh rules on the citizens of other countries and they are therefore not freely allowed to work visit or leave in other nations. These barriers should be lifted if we are to grow towards a free and just society. Capital punishment has not been proved to be the ultimate solution of those suspected to be lawbreakers (Hobson, 2000). This is because many innocent fellows may be victims of this irreversible punishment. Other means should instead be employed and intensive investigations done to clarify who the exact victim is and also to give chance to the prospective victim to change.
The play has had a greater influence on the children of the world many who have been inspired by the nature and character of Harry Potter. Different groups have been formed to commend on the different issues that have been raised. This has not only opened their minds but has also helped to cement different relationships. The story has also inspired activists internationally who use the name ‘Harry Potter’ to form alliances that are aimed at eradicating some problems in the society. The inspirational materials in the play form a basis of their strength where they believe that they can fight their way through their rights no matter their shortcomings and weaknesses. Unity and dedication is all that is needed to win such battles.
In Harry Potter story, it has been mentioned that, there is power in imagination. One will only be delivered from the poor situation only if they imagined on how it will be for them if they were in a better condition. There is a clear connection on how one thinks and how they really are. If one feels uncomfortable about his situation there will always be an inner strength that will motivate them out of it. Underdevelopment and the increased injustice in the society are because the very people that are suffering have come to accept their fate and are therefore not making any effort to lead a better life. (Hobson, 2000)
References
Griffiths M. (2008): International Relations: Routledge
Hobson M. (2000): The state and international relations: Cambridge University Press
Linklater A (2000): International Relations: Routledge,
Rowling K. (2000): Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Thorndike Press