Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix definitely illustrates magic as representing technology and how this contributes to identity in the wizarding world. As the Shletrown article discusses, magic and its role in the Harry Potter universe is analogous millennials and technology. It is essential for their daily lives and plays a major role in forging their identity. The clearest example of this is wands. As the article points out, a witch/wizard’s relationship with their is very much a two-way interaction- as much as someone choose their wand, the wand also chooses them. When Umbridge attempts to restrict the students’ use of magic and wands, it’s like if she had restricted cell phone, facebook, and internet time for muggle students- they find themselves a way to use it help others with it. There is a clear generational discrepancy between Umbridge and the Ministry’s view on the use of magic/technology and those of Harry and his millennial group of friends.

In terms of the Ciaccio article on the connection between Harry Potter and Christian theology, I didn’t really buy it. Western culture and conceptions of morality are so informed by Judeo-Christian thought that most Western discourse in regard to morality are going to contain strains of that sort of theology. He did make two important points, though. First, he pointed out that while magic is traditionally framed as being opposed to Christianity, yet this series (and others- LOTR and Narnia have clear Christian archetypes and allusions among their magic/fantasy worlds yet there is not a huge stink surrounding them) aligns magic with a Judeo-Christian informed set of morals. More importantly, he makes the point that Harry Potter works to break down good/evil binaries. The similarities between Harry and Voldemort are highlighted throughout the seven works yet both are clearly established as being good or evil. Whether this is informed by Derridean or Eastern philosophy it is certainly a step beyond traditional Western morality.

One thing I also picked up on was political thought that was very millennial and relates to the Obama campaign. The one thing Harry and his friends want most from the ministry is honesty and transparency, two things the 08 Obama campaign advertised heavily.