By Chris Calderon

The release of the adapted for cinema Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will mark the first time J.K. Rowling has set any of her stories in America.  It may be a bit of a puzzle to her fans why she would choose to set any of her stories stateside, as she’s perceived by most people as a UK based phenomenon.  Then again, there’s also the possibility that many fans will either worry or take offense at exactly what kind of treatment they can expect from an author who often writes with various cultural sacred cows in mind, and whether or not this means the U.S.A. itself will wind up as her latest target.

Let’s take a look Rowling’s fictional version of New York to start this discussion.  Here are a few of points about the first film’s setting that may turn out to be meaningful with respect to the author’s aim in moving from Hogwarts to Harlem — to include some thoughts on alchemy and the Big Rubedo Apple. [Read more…]

By Chris Calderon

In yesterday’s ‘Allegory of Fantastic Beasts’ post, I began making the case that Newt Scamander is in fact based on the real life physicist and alchemy scholar Isaac Newton.  In this post I’ll be looking at the thematic aspects of the character, in relation to his real life model.  The reasons for this may be far reaching in their potential implications.  For if Newt Scamander is indeed meant as a symbolic stand-in for a real life hermetic philosopher, then its possible Ms. Rowling may have more in mind than mere entertainment by sending her main character stateside in New York.

We’ll start by examining the philosophy of the real Newton, then see how it may apply to the fictional one in order see whether or not it sheds some light on the trajectory of his character.  We’ll also touch on the subject everyone seems concerned about more than any other: the shipping question of Newt and Tina Goldstein. And Newt’s having been expelled from Hogwarts!

A word of caution: because of the piecemeal nature of the evidence, what I’m about to suggest is highly theoretical, and subject to correction.  However, I believe that the proofs are sufficient enough that it is possible to present a more or less coherent picture, provided one has the proper background knowledge in Literary Alchemy, or what the Inklings called Mythopoeia.  With that in mind, let’s begin.

[Read more…]

By Chris Calderon

It seems the Wizarding World has a new Hero.  On November 18^th, 2016, Potterphiles around the world will get their first glimpse of J.K. Rowling’s latest champion.  That person is…

Well, he’s this sort of funny little fellow with a ridiculous name and, judging from his looks, he suffers from what the late Richard Attenborough would call “a distinct lack of personality”.  Who is he, though?  What is it about the character of Newton Scamander that makes Ms. Rowling feel he’s so darned important?  There are answers to that question, and when taken together the overall picture they present may come as rather a pleasant surprise.  Let’s find out! [Read more…]

The Allegory of Fantastic Beasts 2: Rowling and the American Gothic

by Chris Calderon

In discussing the American Puritans as J.K. Rowling’s latest target in her upcoming Fantastic Beasts film, it’s important to realize just why she chose such an obscure group of Christian sectarians for her satire.

The Puritans have long since passed into memory in America, yet they’ve left behind an artistic legacy whose impact has proved beyond measure.  It is this legacy, I’d argue, and that Rowling is tapping into in with her latest outing in the Wizarding World.  In order to understand what kind of artistic tradition the Puritans have left behind, it’s important to know a little bit about the Gothic Tradition in fiction, and in particular how the history of the early American Colonies shaped its modern form of expression.

[Read more…]