Harry Potter, the most popular and universal phenomenon known, has changed the thinking category of modern literature. The Influence of Harry Potter on modern literature is undeniable. Its highly rich content has made a permanent place in the hearts of the readers, even those who are not a fan of the fantasy genre. This popularity of Harry Potter made the other writers follow the theories of it and change the traditional writing style of fantasy stories. Harry Potter paved the way for other fantasy genre writers to succeed. The unique writing style of Harry Potter was later followed by many writers who were popular beyond their expectations. We can say Harry Potter came to the field, changed the whole game, and turned the table of fantasy genre.
Harry Potter is not just “The Boy Who Lived”, it has a great impact on modern literature, specifically on the fantasy genre. Its narrative style, detailed expressions, and dark themes make it different from other fantasy writing, yet it remains available to children. J.K. Rowling’s language choice is also unique as she uses simple words to describe complex ideas and emotions. The description of dark themes also maintained its regularity yet serious aura in the whole series. These special characteristics of Harry Potter make it so exclusive that it becomes something more than just any other fantasy work.
The Influence on Storytelling Techniques:
J.K. Rowling used long-term narrative arcs that helped Harry Potter to become a successful series. Her talent for weaving complex plotlines and overarching plots that cover all seven books makes Harry Potter a richly mounded series that makes an emotional attachment with the readers. She is the sole reason for the influence of Harry Potter on modern literature. Her writing style has attracted many other writers of the modern time. Here is how J.K. Rowling employed long-term narration arcs in Harry Potter:
1. Foreshadowing and Setup:
Rowling used some hidden clues in the first books, and later, those clues took a major role. For example, in the first book of Harry Potter, Sirius Black was just a name taken a few times here and there. In no time the name Sirius Black took a massive role in the book “Prisoner of Azkaban”. At first, he was a most wanted criminal feared by all. Everyone thought of him as a betrayer and Harry himself despised him so much that he wanted to kill Sirius with his own hands. Later, it is disclosed that Sirius is not a negative character. Rather, he is the godfather of Harry Potter who was framed by lord Voldemort and was prisoned for twelve years.
This harmonious dropping of clues gives the Harry Potter series a continuity making the readers feel connected through the whole series.
2. Character Development Across Books:
Rowling gives her characters long-term development arcs, making sure that the characters grow realistically over time. For instance, Harry was an innocent boy in the first book who, with time, eventually became the leader in The Deathly Hallows. Another most rewarding character development was Neville Longbottom’s. In the beginning, he is a naive, clumsy character; later on, he plays a heroic role by destroying one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. 
Same way we can see how the trio has developed their characters from little 11 year old kids to mature teenager’s who are determined to save the world from evil. They were just some kids from random families who didn’t even know each other but with time passing they developed into incredible brave characters. Hermione becoming more aware of the magical world and gathering knowledge, Harry becoming a leading character where at some point he represents one the founder of the house of Gryffindor and Ron becoming a great friend who would always be there at times when any one of the trio would need a hand or a little bit of advice.
Rowling’s character development arcs help the readers to get an emotional attachment to the series and make each character’s journey feel acquired.
3. The Importance of Friendship and Loyalty:
Friendship and loyalty are the most important themes that keep the series bound. From Harry’s friendship with Ron and Hermione to the wider community of the Hogwarts. Although as the series progresses, Rowling researches the friendship of the characters and gives them difficulties to continue, eventually, the friendship stays strong and fights any danger together. The long-term narrative arc of Harry’s friendship not only helps them fight against Voldemort but also makes Harry’s character a better version.
4. Narrative Payoffs:
One of Rowling’s strengths in writing is handling long-term narrative arcs. Throughout the series, she uses many seemingly minor details that later come back surprisingly. In Order of the Phoenix, The Room of Requirement was introduced, and later in Deathly Hallows played a vital role during the hunt for Horcruxes. Dobby, who was a comedic character, became a symbol of loyalty and sacrifice when he died rescuing Harry and his friends in Deathly Hallows.
J.K. Rowling’s use of long-term arcs in Harry Potter makes it a masterclass in storytelling. The success of the series is mostly earned by her ability to plan and execute these long-term arcs, making sure that every detail feels important while reading and gives the readers a peculiar thought on what’s going to happened next?
Complex, Flawed Characters:
1. Harry Potter:
Harry Potter himself is a flawed character as he does not follow the rules of becoming a hero. He struggles with anger, anxiety, and insecurity throughout the series. He often gets off his tracks and brings questions in the reader’s mind about whether he is even qualified to be the hero.
2. Hermione Granger:
Hermione Granger is a smart, brilliant, and capable wizard, but she also has some flaws. She is a socially awkward and self-conscious person who struggles to fit in. She often feels the urge to prove herself, especially as she is a Muggle-born. Throughout the series, she stays as a socially awkward person.
Hermione Granger’s character is a little bit different from traditional female characters of YA literature. She is brave and intelligent but has flaws just like an ordinary human being.
3. Ron Weasley:
Harry’s loyal best friend, Ron Weasley, is another character who has flaws that can be related. He often feels jealous over the adoration Harry gets from everyone, which creates a false impression between him and Harry.
Ron’s character identifies that the most loyal and trustable friendship can have weaknesses. This theme resonates with readers and adds emotional complexity to the series.
Moral Complexity in Fiction:
Moral complexity in fiction is mostly used in Harry Potter characters. Here, “Who is the villain and why?” generates enormous controversy in the reader’s mind. They sometimes get compelled by whom they need to love and admire the hero or the villain. Later, other fantasy writers such as James Dashner (The Maze Runner), Veronica Roth (Divergent), etc.
In The Maze Runner, we find similarities between Thomas and Harry in how they get confused about what to choose: moral compass or justified necessity. At the end of both series, they challenge the readers to question the cost of survival and whether it is inevitable to compromise our morality in desperate times.
In Veronica Roth’s Divergent she also follows the legacy of Harry Potter by making complex moral dilemmas. Tris faces all of the difficulties through the series just like Harry Potter did. Her journey, like Harry’s, reflects the internal struggle of doing what’s right and what’s wrong in a world where every single choice carries a significant amount of weight.
Harry Potter has brought so many changes in world history. Wherever it set foot, that industry was fully controlled by Harry Potter in just a few years. Whether it’s literature, movies, series, or even themed parks. Harry Potter has the biggest impact on modern times that has changed the history of YA literature. The influence of Harry Potter on modern literature massively impacted the audiences, too. They got to experience some new types of literature out of the ordinary. Rowling’s use of flawed and relatable characters in Harry Potter led many writers to add flaws in their characters. This similarity can be seen in series like The Hunger Games (Katniss Everdeen), Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson), and Divergent (Tris Prior). These characters also have some flaws in them that they sometimes feel like a normal human.
In conclusion, the influence of Harry Potter on modern literature has drastically brought many changes in the reader’s taste in literature, too. In modern literature, morally ambiguous characters are more prominent these days, and all the credit goes to J.K. Rowling for coming up with these complex yet successful ideas. This shift toward imperfect characters in literature helps the writers to give deeper storytelling and greater emotional attachments. Rowling brought the exploration of moral ambiguity in YA literature. In these terms, characters and narratives force the readers to question the simple concept of good and evil. It also helps the work to attract more readers from various sections. So, the readers neither feel bored nor feel out of the topic. Such writing has an amazing contrast that gives an adventurous feeling to the readers and becomes the center of attraction to them. This type of storytelling has become a hallmark of modern literature that was pioneered by Harry Potter.
