Taj Taher

Magnusson
ENG 281
24 November 2012

The Match to Light a Bonfire Research Paper

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I
was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all
before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it,
if you want to know the truth." This opening line from J.D. Salingers classic novel The Catcher
in the Rye is considered by many (or at least by Stylist Magazine) as one of the most iconic
introductions of all time. In one line, it manages to capture not only the tone of the entire novel,
but also the sentiments of teenagers everywhere. For this reason, the novel has gone down in
history as one of the quintessential parts of any young adults literary diet. And yet, we live in a
world where a vast majority of children have not read this book. While that might not come as
frightening or apocalyptic, it is not just The Catcher in the Rye that is in danger, but all of
literature as well.
For as long as the written word has existed, literature has been a reflection of humanity, a
meditation on who we are and the world we live in. As one of the oldest art forms, literature
through the ages, regardless of the seriousness of its material, has had something to contribute to
culture and humanity. But according to an extensive study conducted by the National
Endowment of the Arts (NEA), when it comes to literary reading, 18- to 24-year-olds showed
one of the steepest percentage point declines for all age groupsa 7-point drop from 1992 to
2002, representing a loss of 2.1 million potential readers (Iyengar, 27). The study continues to
say that in the twenty year period investigated, for teenagers [the] growth rate represents a

doubling of the percentage of 17-year-olds who never or hardly ever read for fun (Iyengar, 29).
And it is not difficult to see why reading for pleasure has become an activity cherished by few.
As Dana Gioia, chair of the NEA, wrote in 2006, About 20 years ago, the average American
household had one TV, one record player, one radio and maybe one phone. Now weve got two
to three TVs, two video games, two computers, countless phones (if you count both wired and
cell phones)the Internet, etc. (Gioia, 19). In a world where social networking and media are a
click away, the kind of pleasure presented by literature is lackluster in comparison to the instant
gratification offered in todays society.
This loss of reading for pleasure is initially lamentable in a romantic kind of way, but
when looking at the concrete details it is obvious that this decline in reading for pleasure holds
great practical implications as well, the most obvious being academic success. In the NEAs
study, despite the fact that school work related reading rates have remained constant, Little
more than one-third of high school seniors now read prociently (Iyengar, 13). The report also
found correlations for those children who did read for pleasure, as Children and teenagers who
read for pleasure on a daily or weekly basis score better on reading tests than infrequent readers
(Iyengar, 14). Aside from academics, it has even been shown that reading for pleasure
contributes to social skills, since a significant relation between the amount of fiction people
read and their empathic and theory-of-mind abilities allowing them to conclude that it was
reading fiction that improved the subjects' social skills, not that those with already high
interpersonal skills tended to read more (Kreamer, 1). For children in particular, failing to
develop empathy and the ability to sympathize and understand the perspectives of others would
be a great blow to their forming psyche. It is clear that this drastic decline in reading for pleasure
holds serious implications for the future of the youth.

In order to resolve this issue, one must investigate the core of the problem. The general
consensus is that above all else, children simply do not want to read because it seems boring. Not
only are there are a billion alternatives that seem far more enticing on the Internet or TV, but also
because adults can make children feel that reading is a duty. A common complaintfrom
children and young adults is that few books relate to their lives or interests (Mehegan, 1). This
is why Macy Halford of The New Yorker writes that many people think that fart and poop books
are good for boys because they get them to read (Halford, 1). Taking these ideas into account
minus the fart and poop it is clear that what children need more than anything else is an
inspiring example of how wonderful reading can be; that beyond a chore or something academic,
it can also be fun. This inspiration can be found in a novel that has for more than a decade
encouraged children to read in an unprecedented way. Based on its commercial and critical
success, as well as its thematic relevance to children, J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter and the
Sorcerers Stone should be introduced into English curriculums in schools as an example of
books that can be read for pleasure in order to inspire further reading for pleasure outside of the
classroom, ultimately curbing the diminishing literacy rates plaguing the nation.
When it comes to Harry Potter, pleasure is actually a rather mild term to describe the
sensational enthusiasm and love that the series has elicited since it was first published. It is this
exact enthusiasm that could be harnessed within the classroom to encourage reading. Matoko
Rich of the New York Times managed to describe this phenomenon, writing, the series has sold
325 million copies worldwide Before Harry Potter, it was virtually unheard of for kids to
queue up for a mere book. Children who had previously read short chapter books were suddenly
plowing through more than 700 pages in a matter of days (Rich, 1). It is clear that many
children absolutely adore this book, and it makes sense to take advantage of this popularity.
Children will not see reading Harry Potter as a chore or just part of another lesson plan, but more

as a fun excursion from the monotony of school. Now, it could be said that this enthusiasm will
only be harbored by children who are already familiar with Harry Potter. It cannot be expected
that everyone loves it. However, in a survey conducted by Scholastic, 51 percent of the 500 kids
aged 5 to 17 polled said they did not read books for fun before they started reading the series. A
little over three-quarters of them said Harry Potter had made them interested in reading other
books (Rich, 1). While it may not appeal to all, Harry Potter has and could be the perfect base
pad for children to begin reading for pleasure. Since Harry Potter has had such a great effect on
millions of children so far, there is no reason why it should not be introduced at school for the
same purpose. There is no guarantee that every child has read or even heard of Harry Potter, so
introducing this phenomenon at school would guarantee the greatest outreach of promoting
literacy to children of all backgrounds, as the wide spread commercial success of the series has
proved already.
One possible counter to Harry Potters introduction into an English curriculum is that, as
it is so popular, that it would be practically ubiquitous to read it in class, especially given the fact
that the movie adaptations are equally as popular. However, seeing as the final chapter was
released in 2007 and the final movie in 2011, there is an entire generation that has not
experienced the sensation of the series. Additionally, there is no guarantee that everyone learns
everything perfectly the first time. Each time one visits literature, something new is offered.
Even if the kids had seen the movies or read the books, in an academic setting they could learn
something new. And in fact, utilizing the pop culture element of the movies and the books would
be just the spur to demonstrate to the children just how incredibly fun literature can be, a fact that
has been demonstrated a million times over in the past decade through the colossal commercial
success of the series.

However, impressive profits alone cannot justify a position in the academic coursework
for children. If that were the case, then any of the bestsellers in childrens literature of the day
such as Twilight, The Hunger Games, or The Mortal Instruments that harbor just as much of a
fan base as Harry Potter would suffice in the classroom. But one aspect of J.K. Rowlings
beloved series that elevates it above the aforementioned novels and wins it a spot among the
other literary classics part of school curriculums already is the overwhelmingly positive critical
acclaim heaped upon it. One of many glowing reviews, Publishers Weekly stated, Readers are
in for a delightful romp with this award-winning debut from a British author who dances in the
footsteps of P.L. Travers and Roald Dahl (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, 1). A positive
review is one thing, but to be compared to the likes of such esteemed literary geniuses as P.L.
Travers or Roald Dahl clearly indicates Harry Potters status as not just a passing phenomenon
but a classic. It is apparent that by reading Harry Potter, children would be delving into a literary
atmosphere akin to the great authors of the past. In numerous reviews, the underlying message is
that Rowlings writing is pristine; the children reading this book will walk away not only
entertained, but also exposed to a terrific example of prose, which is the goal of most English
curriculums to begin with. Furthermore, as published by the New York Times, The book is full
of wonderful, sly humor [and] the characters are impressively three-dimensional (occasionally,
four-dimensional!) and move along seamlessly through the narrative. Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone is as funny, moving and impressive as the story behind its writing (Winerip, 1).
Rowlings novel sounds anything but boring, and if the critics are to be believed, then children
everywhere would be in for not only a literary work of art, but also an entertaining time. For
children, that kind of exposure would only serve to bring them back for more, because they
would see that a book can represent more than just a chore: it can also be fun. Emphasizing the

aspect that Harry Potter was written to be enjoyed and not to be analytically dissected in school
will keep children from being scared off by literature and allow them to appreciate its wonders.
While English curriculums tend to restrict its members to the esteemed upper echelons of
literature, the critical acclaim showered upon Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone
demonstrates that despite preconceived notions that it could be too silly to teach in class, the
book could be revelatory to those children in doubt of the joys of reading.
But beyond the mountains of money made or the prevalent piles of praise, Rowlings
most incredible achievement lies within the pages of her book. The themes of an unfamiliar
world, self-realization and insecurity in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone emotionally
engross readers because the issues children are personally familiar with are laced into a
beautifully rich cake of fantasy. This first becomes evident when Harry says, Everyone thinks
Im specialbut I dont know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things?
(Rowling, 86). Part of the reason so many children have connected with Harry is because he is
basically just like them, but with magic. Here he grapples with the fear of not meeting peoples
expectations, a fear that every child experiences in their life. Constant pressures, such as making
ones parents proud, are the same in any setting, be it here or at Hogwarts. This theme holding
such relevance to children can demonstrate that even though these characters are bounded by
words and paper, they are fundamentally similar. This can inspire children to read, because
suddenly it is not just Harry fighting trolls and three-headed dogs, but the children reading it as
well. And the fact that Harry does not start out as a hero, that he like us slowly comes into his
own, makes him far more tangible, as shown when A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible
thoughts always do when youre very nervous. What if he wasnt chosen at all? What if he just
sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head
and said there had obviously been a mistake and hed better get back on the train? (Rowling,

120). Once again, Rowling opens a door into Harrys shoes for the readers by voicing doubts that
everyone has had at some point in their life. It transforms Harry from being words on a page to a
person that children will feel is truly real as he is just like them. And as Harry overcomes the
same obstacles that the children themselves face, he becomes a projection for everything that the
readers want to be. His victories become their victories. In this way, children can discover the
beauty of reading for escapism, of inhabiting anothers clothes and allowing their imagination to
run rampant, and it would not be too long before they would be diving into the next book, and
the next book, and the next book. The thematic relevance in Harry Potter would not only allow
children to see the point of reading as it would pertain specifically to them, but would also
make it easier for them to realize the unlimited potential of imagination and the joys it would
bring.
In turn, the joys from reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone would inspire
children to set off in search of other such joys in the vast sea of literature, thus curbing the
diminishing literary rates in the nation; for this shift in mentality to occur, J.K. Rowlings
critically and commercially lauded novel, with its thematic relevance to children, would be
perfect to be taught in English programs. In reality, this concept of using pleasure as a motivation
to encourage a certain behavior is nothing new. It has been used from large social and theological
metamorphoses like The Great Awakenings where a passionate spin on religion inspired people
to worship, all the way to the humble circus ring to train animals to perform tricks. What both the
cleric and ringmaster knew was that fear and intimidation tactics could be used to accomplish a
goal ineffectively and without much aplomb. But with the promise of pleasure, a goal could be
accomplished a hundred times over and the trainee would still be hungry for more. In the end,
everyone involved was satisfied, and as the responsible parties reflected upon the feat, they could

not help considering it an act that was truly marvelous, miraculous, and maybe even a little
magical.

Works Cited
Kreamer, Anne (2012). The Business Case for Reading Novels. Retrieved 28 November 2012
from Harvard Business Review:
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/01/the_business_case_for_reading.html
Gioia, Dana (2006). On the Importance of Reading. Retrieved 28 November 2012 from The
Commonwealth: http://www.csub.edu/ah/AH_matter/importanceofreading.pdf

Clark, Christina and Rumbold, Kate (2006). Reading for pleasure: A research overview.
Retrieved 28 November 2012 from National Literacy Trust:
http://www.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/i/Reading_for_pleasure.pdf
Iyengar, Sunil (2007). To Read or Not To Read. Retrieved 28 November 2012 from National
Endowment of the Arts: http://www.nea.gov/research/ToRead.pdf
Mehegan, David (2007). Young people reading a lot less. Retrieved 28 November 2012 from
The Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/19/young_people_reading_a_lot_le
ss/?page=full
Halford, Macy (2010). Children Who Don't Read Grow Up Bad. Retrieved 28 November 2012
from The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2010/07/childrenwho-dont-read-grow-up-bad.html
Rich, Motoko (2007). Potter Has Limited Effect on Reading Habits. Retrieved 28 November
2012 from The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/books/11potter.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Publisher's Weekly (1996). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Retrieved 28 November 2012
from Publisher's Weekly: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-590-35340-3
Arthur A. Levine Books (). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Retrieved 28 November 2012
from Arthur A. Levine Books: http://www.arthuralevinebooks.com/book.asp?bookid=32

Winerip, Michael (1999). Children's Books. Retrieved 28 November 2012 from The New York
Times: http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/02/14/reviews/990214.14childrt.html