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There are a number of questions on this site which query the internal logic of the Harry Potter world. Here's a couple of examples:

I could quote more, generally about economy, geography and employment in the wizarding world. I suspect most people who've read all the books have probably been struck by one or more such questions as they've gone through.

Of course, it's a testament to the skill of the author and the wonder of the world itself that these omissions don't really spoil most people's enjoyment of the story. The suspension of disbelief is extremely strong, partly precisely because Rowling has chosen to focus on the narrative over the consistency.

One of those linked questions, the one about Quidditch, is mine. I recently added another. After which I began to wonder: what if this isn't just the result of an author being more interested in story and characters than they are in consistency? What if Rowling intentionally made aspects of the wizarding world nonsensical in order to make points about modern society?

Take Quidditch. It leaves much to be desired as a sport (see answers to linked question above), yet many Wizards seem oblivious and remain fanatically devoted to it. Could this not be read as a wry commentary on the fanatical devotion shown by many sports fans to what are, after all, relatively inconsequential pursuits? And the "poor" nature of some Wizarding families in spite of the magic available to them. Again, perhaps a comment on how a rich western society still relegates some people to live in poverty, in spite of the wealth of the nation?

Other authors have form here. Kazuro Ishiguro is on record has saying he's not interested in whether his fantasy worlds make any sense, merely in whether they work to help examine his chosen themes.

A question about allegory is, to some extent, unanswerable. Unless the author has specifically commented on whether or not the allegory is intentional and/or accepted by them. So this is my question: has Rowling ever intimated that some or all of the logical inconsistency in her invented world should be read as allegory or metaphor?

Bob Tway
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  • Why the downvote, please? – Bob Tway Apr 24 '17 at 10:58
  • We know that any errors of maths in her world are just because she is bad at maths. I'm still looking for a quote on other inconsistencies. – Bellerophon Apr 24 '17 at 11:25
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    I sense an English Lit student... – DavidS Apr 24 '17 at 12:54
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    @DavidS I'm not. no. Doesn't really explain why this is a bad question. You think it might be more suited to the Lit SE? – Bob Tway Apr 24 '17 at 13:00
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    @MattThrower I'm not the downvoter, though if I had to guess they might have had issue with the length of the question, or the ambiguity. Might work for Lit SE, though if that's anything like real classes they'll probably just tell you her intention is irrelevant. – DavidS Apr 24 '17 at 13:08
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    I think the mention of allegories in the title are unfortunate, since the purported duplicate is about the analogies that can be drawn between Harry Potter and the Second World War. This is not a duplicate, IMHO. – SQB Apr 25 '17 at 05:55
  • The questioner himself acknowledges the question is unanswerable, yet it has already been answered here on this site, and the duplicate is not about WWII allegories specifically, only the answer to the general question about whether there are any allegories, which is the question here as well. – J Doe Apr 25 '17 at 08:51
  • @JDoe I have done no such thing. I acknowledge a question about allegory is unanswerable by anyone other than the author. Hence the question is about whether she has offered any such comment. I am confused on whether this is a duplicate or not: the previous question is very broad, but none of the answers address what I'm seeking to find out here. – Bob Tway Apr 25 '17 at 09:01
  • @MattThrower Have read the question? The first and accepted answer to it answers your question. – J Doe Apr 25 '17 at 09:06
  • @JDoe Yes, I have. The accepted answer deals with the allegories of racism and fascism. My question is very specifically about whether the inherent inconsistencies of the world are deliberately allegorical. I am thoroughly bemused as to why you think that answers my question. – Bob Tway Apr 25 '17 at 09:11
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    @MattThrower, well IMO Yes, she has confirmed and discussed the allegorical nature of the Potter series, while having some reservation on how intent she is on spelling out a message/moral/critique. states that Yes, it was deliberately allegorical. – Edlothiad Apr 25 '17 at 09:21
  • @Edlothiad I am asking if a specific aspect of the books was an allegory, an aspect not covered in the other answer. I'm sorry, but I'm really struggling to see how this is unclear from my question? It's even right there in the title! – Bob Tway Apr 25 '17 at 09:25
  • @MattThrower You asked "has Rowling ever intimated that some or all of the logical inconsistency in her invented world should be read as allegory or metaphor?" This was already answered in the other question where it was shown that Rowling had in fact intended some allegory involving several logical inconsistencies, particularly the persistence of slavery in a magical world, pretending threats don't exist for political purposes, and racism against Muggles and half-bloods. The logical inconsistencies are explained in that answer. It thoroughly amuses me that you failed to recognize it. – J Doe Apr 25 '17 at 16:34
  • @MattThrower You had also decided that the answer did not answer your question, probably because you already decided the question was unanswerable, when it in fact answers your question perfectly, as Rowling herself explains the logical inconsistencies she uses for allegorical purposes. Hence why your question was downvoted along with being closed as a duplicate. – J Doe Apr 25 '17 at 16:39
  • @JDoe I'm sorry to be so stupid - at least, your tone suggests you think I am - but I'm not seeing the reference to logical inconsistencies in the answer. If you mean the reason why "half-blood" is sometimes applied to wizarding families, that is semantics, not a logical inconsistency: it's used by those who care to refer to anyone who is not pure of blood. If you look at the questions I've linked, you will see they refer to inconsistent aspects of the world to which there is no good solution. That is the specific remit of this question, and why it is different from the suggested dupe. – Bob Tway Apr 26 '17 at 08:55
  • FWIW, this question only gives an example regarding Quidditch, and the other one is all-encompassing. It may not mention Quidditch in any of the answers yet, but it doesn't mean it's not a duplicate. One way to encourage additional answers for the examples you want is to offer a bounty on the question. –  May 02 '17 at 04:55
  • @MattThrower Duplicate or no, +1 simply for 'A question about allegory is, to some extent, unanswerable. Unless the author has specifically commented on whether or not the allegory is intentional and/or accepted by them.' And the phrasing of the title aligns with that point well too. – Pryftan Nov 22 '17 at 02:59

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