Children are very impressionable; Alfons Heck once described them as being ‘empty vessels.’ Because I started reading the series at such an early age, Harry Potter has had an enormous impact on the person I am today. Nearly all of my beliefs and morals are variations of themes found within the books: love conquers all, good will always triumph over evil, and do the right thing above all else. These themes dictate how I live my life. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and many of the other characters in the series have all taught me what it means to be a decent person.
The world is changing, but vestiges of old-fashioned ideas still remain. Even today, some consider a woman to be incomplete unless she is in a relationship. Too many of today’s young females buy into that stereotype, but I am sincerely glad to say that I am not one of them. Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger will always be the best role models I could ask for. Both are strong, independent, brave, and clever. Both understand the value of being able to stand on your own: they have never needed a man to be happy with themselves. Their example is possibly the most valuable thing I have drawn from reading this incredible series – they have shown me that all a girl really needs is to be happy with herself and the rest will follow.
My morals and values are very essential to who I am. I refuse to compromise on what’s important to me, and I won’t change who I am or what I believe just to appease other people. Throughout all seven Harry Potter books, the main