Episode 27: Humor and Harry Potter (Part 2)

J.K. Rowling’s comedy helps us connect with the darker themes of the Harry Potter story.

Join us for Part 2 of our discussion of “Humor and Harry Potter,” where we continue our conversation with Emily Strand (Mount Carmel College of Nursing), Louise Freeman (Mary Baldwin University), and Caitlin Harper (NYDA - Harry Potter Alliance, New York City). Exploring humor theories, we analyze how Rowling’s comedy works and its effect on the reader. We talk about how the laughs are balanced out by frightening and tragic moments, and how so much of the tragedy in the books stems from jokes gone wrong. We also consider the humor in the films, fan creations, and Rowling's other works.