The Meaning of Choice

When Selecting Reading Texts H2 Title

When selecting reading texts, we really appreciate the author's values in the book regarding life, death, and living in the moment, observations and challenges regarding the wealth gap, and the emphasis placed on campus bullying.

In the Harry Potter series, we often explore with students what is considered "normal" and the importance of "choices."

In Book 1, the very first sentence of the first chapter reads:

"住在水蠟街 4 號的德思禮一家非常得意地表示好佳在他們非常正常。"
(Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.)

During the first class of the course, we bring up this passage with the children to reflect on what so-called "normal" means. The Dursley family (Harry Potter's uncle and aunt) can be seen as a typical Western Caucasian family: the father is the sole breadwinner, the mother is a homemaker who loves gossiping with neighbors, and their son is a thoroughly spoiled child showered with boundless affection. In contrast to their family, the wizarding world can be viewed as the "minorities" of society, such as people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, patients with rare diseases, and so forth.

When Selecting Reading Texts H2 Title

When preparing for class, our teachers also repeatedly discussed the various themes conveyed in *Harry Potter*, among which the most core thinking topics are "life and death" and "choices."

"Death" is one of the most serious philosophical questions because, as long as one is human, there is no escaping the threshold of "death." But what actually happens when we die? Where do we go after death? Does "I" still exist after death? Is death a good thing or a bad thing? Is it possible for humans to achieve immortality? ...

I believe that anyone who is human must have pondered these questions. Beyond discussing "death," what we care about even more is how you "choose" to live.

—

If you think carefully about why Harry Potter is named Harry, rather than a more unique or glittering name, the reason might just be that Harry Potter is an ordinary person just like us, only with extraordinary experiences.

In Britain, when referring to so-and-so, anyone, or any ordinary person, people say "Tom, Dick and Harry." Have you noticed anything interesting?

When Selecting Reading Texts H2 Title

Harry → Harry Potter
Tom → Tom Riddle, Voldemort's real name. Harry Potter and Voldemort share many similar encounters and experiences:

1. Orphanhood:
   Both Harry and Voldemort (Tom Riddle) lost their parents in infancy and became orphans. Harry's parents were murdered by Voldemort, while Voldemort's mother died shortly after giving birth to him, and his father had already abandoned them.
   
   

2. Childhood Loneliness and Abuse:
   Harry was treated unfairly at his aunt's house, often suffering neglect and mistreatment. Voldemort grew up in an orphanage, also experiencing loneliness and being misunderstood; his life in the orphanage was likewise full of unhappiness and isolation.
   
   

3. Growing Up in an Orphanage or Foster Environment:
   Voldemort grew up in a Muggle orphanage, while Harry was fostered by the Dursley family. Both grew up in environments lacking love and care.
   
   

4. Extraordinary Magical Talent:
   Both Harry and Voldemort displayed extraordinary magical talent from a young age. They were both recognized as wizards with great potential in the wizarding world, especially during their studies at Hogwarts.
   
   

5. Ability to Speak with Snakes:
   Both Harry and Voldemort possessed the ability to talk to snakes, a skill known as "Parseltongue." This is an exceptionally rare magical ability, symbolizing a connection to the founder of Slytherin.
   
   

6. Roles in the Prophecy:
   Both Harry and Voldemort were influenced by the prophecy concerning each other. The prophecy stated that a "boy born in July" would become Voldemort's foe, and its contents deeply shaped both of their destinies.
   
   

7. Connection to the Deathly Hallows:
   Both had profound connections to the Deathly Hallows (including the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Invisibility Cloak). Voldemort sought the Deathly Hallows in pursuit of ultimate power, whereas Harry unwittingly became the master of the Hallows and ultimately "chose" to relinquish their power.
   
   

8. Inner Fear and Darkness:
   Both felt inner fear and darkness deeply. Harry feared becoming someone like Voldemort, while Voldemort feared death. Their fears drove their actions, but the paths they chose were completely different.

When Selecting Reading Texts H2 Title

Despite these similarities, Harry and Voldemort ultimately walked down opposite paths due to their different "choices" and beliefs. Harry chose love, friendship, and sacrifice, whereas Voldemort chose power, control, and fear.

We are making choices every minute and every second of our lives. We believe in and teach children to protect themselves while respecting others, and even more, as Leo Tolstoy mentioned in *Anna Karenina*, to "always be wary of things you firmly believe in."

This is the true meaning of learning critical thinking.