Content area
Abstract
Scholz examines the depiction of power and oppression in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series and how it represent the dangers of the current American education climate. The language used in the Harry Potter series contains a lot of derogatory terms intended to oppress certain people, and this language has been passed down throughout the generations. The characters that use the negative terms are generally antagonists rather than the protagonists, supporting the idea that Rowling is an advocate of critical pedagogy. Language is a source of power, regardless of basis in fiction or reality, which means it is a way to control people, and is frequently used when discussing class relations. In present-day America, the word "ghetto" describes a lower-class, uncultured, uneducated person or group of people, and this term has been around for decades. It has grown from a mere adjective to a state of mind, and those described as such often embrace it.