Family Isn’t Everything: How Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Challenges Our Preconceptions About Family Ties Nadia Formisano College

J.K. Rowling explores the expression “blood is thicker than water” in her novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The expression leads many to believe that its message is that family is stronger than the relationships that we build in our daily lives. However, when the full expression, “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb” is considered, the true meaning is revealed to be the opposite. J.K. Rowling executes a similar switch with her readers during Philosopher’s stone when she leads the reader to the realization that one’s biological family is often the source of more of their problems than their self-created family, which can heal and support an individual. She shows that an external support network can greatly benefit someone and encourages the reader to reconsider their own definition of “family”. Biological family has a negative impact on the protagonists in Philosopher’s Stone, impeding them from reaching their potential, preventing the development of independence, and being the root of some deeper psychological issues as well. On the contrary, external family figures are all supportive and nurturing to the characters, aiding them to overcome their neuroses and become well functioning...