>... My one beef with the Harry Potter books is that sometimes Harry breaks
> the "rules" (e.g., performing magic in front of Muggles; for the uninitiated,
> Muggles are people who can't do magic) but doesn't have any consequences for
> his behavior because Harry's "special."
>
> For those of you who are parents and have children who have read the Harry
> Potter books, do you think that Harry's exemption from the rules is a problem?
>
> Kirsten
>
Gee, isn't it the case that HP doesn't do this just to show off, but rather in
pursuit of some "good" cause, as a rule? In a kind of Kohlberg-ian sense, he
operates under a higher-order principle, breaking a (formal, conventional,
written) rule in order to achieve a more valued end. Maybe there are exceptions
to this pattern, but it seems to me that it might be a useful perspective to
offer to young readers.
Pat Cabe
**************************************************
Patrick Cabe, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
One University Drive
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
(910) 521-6630
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
