We all know that Harry Potter series is a masterpiece of literature. However, many critics attacked Harry Potter and tried to ban it from the public. As the response, Judy Blume, an author of 22 books, published an essay: “Is Harry Potter Evil” to defend Harry Potter series. According to “The Language of Persuasion” by Media Literacy Project, Blume’s essay qualifies as a “media message” that uses many “persuasive devices” (340) Thus, I will categorize Blume’s essay as a positive propaganda because she defends right of reading and counters the misapplication of political correctness. As a supporter to Harry Potter series, Blume has a positive view of the Harry Potter books. She first introduces her experience of buying Harry Potter and the
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Removing a book series from school campus definitely scares the audiences because people might consider that Harry Potter contain the material which is severely harmful to the immature children. In addition, the reason of “promoting witchcraft” terrorizes the audiences by introducing religious belief into classrooms, making them worry about the school environment of their children. Later, Blume diverts the issue to the protestor to Harry Potter from the book itself by describing the protestor that “(follows) a tradition that has been growing since the early 1980’s and often leaves school principals trembling with fear that is then passed down to teachers and librarians” and “spread to the politically correct.” Several persuasion techniques can be found in the text. A “diversion” that “diverts (audiences’) attention from a problem or issue by raising a separate issue.”(345) and a “Cause vs. correlation” that “intentionally confusing correlation with cause.”(345) are created. Blume raises a new topic: “political correctness” from the general discussion between Harry Potter and the religious belief. At the same time, Blume summarizes the reason of protesting Harry Potter through the following correlation: Harry Potter promotes the occult. It abuses several religions’ oaths. Thus, Harry Potter goes against political correctness. By reconstructing a weird correlation between Harry Potter and political correctness from protestors’ opinion, Blume knocks down this correlation, or “straw man” that “builds up an illogical or
Removing a book series from school campus definitely scares the audiences because people might consider that Harry Potter contain the material which is severely harmful to the immature children. In addition, the reason of “promoting witchcraft” terrorizes the audiences by introducing religious belief into classrooms, making them worry about the school environment of their children. Later, Blume diverts the issue to the protestor to Harry Potter from the book itself by describing the protestor that “(follows) a tradition that has been growing since the early 1980’s and often leaves school principals trembling with fear that is then passed down to teachers and librarians” and “spread to the politically correct.” Several persuasion techniques can be found in the text. A “diversion” that “diverts (audiences’) attention from a problem or issue by raising a separate issue.”(345) and a “Cause vs. correlation” that “intentionally confusing correlation with cause.”(345) are created. Blume raises a new topic: “political correctness” from the general discussion between Harry Potter and the religious belief. At the same time, Blume summarizes the reason of protesting Harry Potter through the following correlation: Harry Potter promotes the occult. It abuses several religions’ oaths. Thus, Harry Potter goes against political correctness. By reconstructing a weird correlation between Harry Potter and political correctness from protestors’ opinion, Blume knocks down this correlation, or “straw man” that “builds up an illogical or