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“Death of the author” (( Barthes, Roland Trans. Howard, Richard. [1967] 2009. “The Death of the Author.” In New Critical Essays. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press. )) is a controversial concept in literary criticism, coined by Roland Barthes in 1967 that claims the author’s opinions, values, and morals cannot be used to formulate an interpretation of their novel.
Many literary critics reasonably disagree with this point of view, but in the case of the Harry Potter series, Barthes is right. The concept of the death of the author applies to the Harry Potter series because the fans have taken control of the canon and largely ignore or reject JK Rowling’s input past what is in the novels.
Why Is JK Rowling Controversial?
JK Rowling has let her fans down a few times now, from retroactively editing her novels to posting transphobic content to Twitter. In 2018 she liked a tweet that called transgender women “men in dresses,” then in 2019 she posted a tweet aligned with Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist views. Just a few weeks ago she quoted an article that used incorrect pronouns and labeled a transgender female a “trans-identified male” before deleting the tweet twenty minutes later. On June 6 she posted the following tweet in response to the negative feedback she received in the last weeks.
Many Harry Potter fans have shown outrage at Rowling’s transphobic tweets and some, like the Huffington Post, have said the tweets “ruined Harry Potter.” It’s no secret that the Harry Potter books lack representation and that Rowling has often tried to retroactively fix that issue. The most glaring example of this is when, in 2007, she brought Dumbledore out of the closet. It was just after the publication of The Deathly Hallows, a book that spends a lot of time going in-depth into Dumbledore’s past without ever saying he’s gay.
Fans of the Harry Potter series are all over the spectrum on this issue; many found it insulting that Rowling thought it would be okay to tack on an after-the-fact gay character. Others get excited about the idea of a gay Dumbledore and embrace it whole-heartedly while acknowledging they would have liked to see more evidence of it in the books.
The Fans Have Taken Over
Rowling may have made statements that her fans vehemently disagree with, but that doesn’t mean they have to stop loving their favorite childhood book series. In fact, if Barthes’ concept is taken into account, the Harry Potter series no longer belongs to her. The fans have completely taken over the series and made it their own through fanfiction, fanart, cosplay, and so much more, including the comedic Starkid musicals. Fans have created their own canon, widely accepting Harry, James, and Hermione as people of color, Harry as bisexual, and turning JK’s claim that Dumbledore was gay all along into positive representation for each other despite her failure to actually put evidence for it in the books.
In 2009, Team Starkid posted a full-length re-written Harry Potter musical to YouTube titled A Very Potter Musical. Following in later years with two sequels, the musicals include an openly gay Dumbledore who carries not only the Sorting Hat but also a rainbow scarf he named Scarfy, The Scarf of Sexual Preference. This group of college students took Rowling’s retcon and ran with it, showing Harry Potter fans a version of Dumbledore unafraid to be who he is and accepting of all Hogwarts students no matter their sexuality.
The Death Of The Author
There are many cases in which Barthes’ concept of the death of the author can be a toxic Get Out of Jail Free card for authors whose views and morals become the only content of their writing. With the Harry Potter series, though, there is so much outside content that Rowling’s views and morals are no longer necessary to understand to read her novels. Today, a new reader can pick up the Harry Potter series and maybe not see themselves within the books, but the minute they go online that ceases to be true.
Fans of the Harry Potter series have come together and created their own canon. In fanart and fanfiction, Hermione, Harry, and James are people of color. Queer versions of many of the characters exist from gay couples like Dean and Seamus and Hermione and Ginny/Pansy Parkinson to non-binary characters like Tonks and Teddy Lupin. The most widely accepted are Harry being bisexual and Draco being gay along with Sirius and Lupin. There are so many other examples of the Harry Potter fans making the series their own.
There are many cosplayers who take liberties with Rowling’s characters as well. They show other fans how the characters could look, and aren’t afraid to share it. With the rise of TikTok during quarantine, Harry Potter cosplayers have taken to expressing their creativity from home, showing anyone can go to Beauxbatons, creating new looks for different Hogwarts professors, and so much more.
Don’t Agree? Make It Your Own
If your favorite creator, whether it be your favorite author, artist, animator, or anyone else comes up with a statement you disagree with, all might not be lost. Do a little digging, look into the fandom itself, and you just might find others who have gone against the views of the creator. Create your own fanfiction, fanart, cosplay costumes, and more. Put it out in the world that the fandom you belong to can separate itself from the ideals of its creator.
Daniel Radcliffe wrote Harry Potter and no one can tell me otherwise. I love the idea of separating the author from the story, especially with a story as loved as Harry Potter! Good thing Daniel is an unproblematic king!