Background of Research INTRODUCTION
There are some definitions that can be considered as children’s literature; First, childrens literature is work written by children and young teens, because
the reader is a child so the one who most understand about children is children that why the writer should be children too. Second, the most common definition of
childrens literature is those books intentionally written for children. Nancy Anderson defines childrens literature as all books written for children, excluding
works such as comic books, joke books, cartoon books, and nonfiction works that are not intended to be read from front to back, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias,
and other reference material. Third, the most restrictive definition of childrens literature are those books various authorities determine are appropriate for
children, such as teachers, reviewers, scholars, parents, publishers, librarians, retailers, and the various book-award committees. Fourth, the broadest definition
of childrens literature applies to books that are actually selected and read by children.
1
It can be concluded that Children’s literature is literature for children that can be understood by children and c
hildren’s literature will often have less complexity of plot where there are absolute distinctions of good and bad and it
will usually have child characters with the happy ending. C hildren’s literature also
are generally less frank than adult. So children’s literature always provides delight and enjoyment, because that what they search.
There are four kinds of children’s literature. First, picture books that intended for children under age five. Second, early reader books appropriate for
children age 5 –7. These books are often designed to help a child build his or her
reading skills. Third, chapter book which appropriate for children ages 7 –11.
Fourth, young-adult fiction appropriate for children age 13 –18.
1
Nancy Anderson, Elementary Childrens Literature Boston: Pearson Education, 2006, p. 24.
Young adult fiction more sophisticated than others, it is not only providing delight and enjoyment but also reflecting the real world. This can show children
how the real world is and give children new perspectives on the world. In young adult fiction, there are mainstreams of genre such as fantasy, adventure, quest,
romance and myth. Fantasy creates their own extraordinary world where many magical things happen. Even in the fantasy stories, the authors draw the ideas of
life through character. The ideas of life in fantasy stories often lie on the struggle between good and evil. It teaches children about real life which one is good and
which one is bad. Literature tries to have many similarities with the real world because
literature is copying the real world. Literature has ideology because ideology always comes up in every single thing in the real world, so there are ideologies
even in children’s literature. The ideology can manifest through character and characterization on fantasy stories. Ideology is set of ideas and one of the
ideologies is Fascism. Fascism is a set of ideologies that want to rule society by one people with
full authorities and denial the freedom of people. Fascists believe that a nation is an organic community that requires strong leadership, singular collective identity,
and the will and ability to commit violence and wage war in order to keep the nation strong.
2
They claim that culture is created by the collective national society and its state that cultural ideas are what give individuals identity, and thus they
reject individualism. Viewing the nation as an integrated collective community, they see pluralism as a dysfunctional aspect of society, and justify a totalitarian
2
Joseph Grčić, Ethics and political theory Maryland: University of America, 2000, p. 120.
state as a mean to represent the nation in its entire. Fascists advocate the creation of a single-party state. Fascist governments forbid and suppress opposition to the
fascist state and the fascist movement. Although fascism, like communism, is a movement that exists everywhere,
it has no such authoritative statement of principles as communism has; moreover, there is no one country, at present, directing a fascist world conspiracy. During the
Nazi regime 1933-1945, Germany was the most powerful of the fascist states then in existence, and world fascism was very largely directed, financed, and
inspired by German brains and money. Since the defeat of the fascist Axis Germany, Japan, and Italy in World War II, however, there has been no really
major fascist state; Argentina never possessed anything like the world-wide influence that Nazi Germany had until 1945.
The absence of universally recognize authoritative statement of fascist principles is not total. Hitler has left in Mein Kampf 1925-1927 a trustworthy
guide to his thought, and Mussolini’s The doctrine of Fascism 1932, a moderate statement of fascist principle, expresses the Italian brand of fascism. The latter has
served as a model for most other fascist movement in the world because it is more universal in outlook; Nazism, especially German brand fascism, has proved for
that reason less suitable for. Although there is no Fascism Manifesto with undisputed authority among
fascist according to William Ebenstein, there are seven principal elements of the fascist outlook; distrust of reason, denial of basic human equality, code of
behavior based on lies and violence, government by elite, totalitarianism, racialism and imperialism, the last is opposition to international law and order.
A fascist character can be found in many fictional works because the theme of power is so fascinating to tell and we can find those symptoms of fascism in the
character of Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter series. Harry Potter series is one of children favorite of fantasy stories by Joanne Kathleen Rowling, the most popular
children author. In the beginning, JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter series for children consumption but by times past Harry Potter series have been claimed as
their own by adult. Now the publisher makes an adult and children’s versions with the only difference being the books cover art.
Harry potter series have seven books; First is Harry potter and the Philosophers Stone Bloomsbury 1997, second is Harry Potter and the Chamber
of Secret Bloomsbury 1998, third is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Bloomsbury 1999, fourth is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Bloomsbury
2000, fifth is Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix Bloomsbury 2003, sixth is Harry Potter and Half-blood Prince Bloomsbury 2005 and the latest is Harry
Potter and Deathly Hallows. As of mid 2007, worldwide sales of Rowling’s 7-
book series exceeded 325 million copies. Only the Bible has sold more books. The Harry Potter titles are available in more than 200 countries and have been
translated into 64 languages. The film version of the series has also attracted millions of viewers. By anyone’s measure of success, the Harry Potter series is a
tr ue blockbuster, one that is unrivalled in children’s literature.
Harry potter series chronicle the life of the young, orphaned wizard Harry Potter. The series is a coming of age story, beginning when Harry is eleven and
following him through adolescence and young adulthood until he is seventeen. Setting of the stories set in a society of witches and wizards which is parallel to
the society of Muggles
3
.
3
Muggles are normal human being in Harry Potter world, they do not know the existence of wizard and witches.
Harry potter and Deathly Hallows is the final series about the real last encounter between Harry and Lord Voldemort. In this book Lord Voldemorts
Death Eaters have launched a reign of terror and are on the verge of replacing the Ministry of Magic
4
with a fascism-style government that will enslave muggles and mudbloods alike. Anyone who stands in their way will be eliminated. Harry
with his two best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger decide do not attend Hogwarts in their last year to search the way to beat Lord Voldemort. And
join in the great battle with Lord Voldemort and his allies. Therefore central storyline of the Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows
revolves around a struggle between good and evil like other fantasy stories for children. In this series Harry Potter is the hero and the evil is Lord Voldemort or
He-Who- Must-Not-Be-Named, the leader of the powers of Darkness. When we read fantasy stories, we focus the attention to the main character;
a protagonist, a hero. A character that receives a conflict and become hero in the stories, like in Harry potter, the reader tied up with harry and sometime ignore the
antagonist, a character who makes a conflict; Lord Voldemort. According to the writer Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows become interesting because the great
evil Lord Voldemort that have ideology of fascism. Lord Voldemort is the lord of darkness, he wants to rule the world, start
from magic world. He has follower “Death Eater” that have mission to clean the wizarding world of “mud-bloods”
5
and to take dictatorial control over the wizarding world and ordinary human world. Voldemort display typically fascist
4
in wizard’s world there are a ministry of magic that lead by a minister.
5
Mud Bloods are wizards and witches who born into “muggle” families.
characteristics; a hatred of those with “impure” blood in this case, mud bloods and muggles, a fetishism for symbols in this case, the remark in death eater
arms, a disregard of other creatures giant,goblin,elves,etc and a will to power. Voldemort also harbors genocidal ambitions. He hopes to purify the wizarding
world by exterminating all “mud-bloods” and forcibly unite wizarding community under his fascism rule.
Fascism is a “heavy” ideology on children literature because it is beyond children knowledge but still Lord Voldemort character has it. Fascism symptoms
on character of Lord Voldemort in children’s literature make the writer write this thesis. The writer interested in how the character of Lord Voldemort represents
fascism and the kind of Fascism ideology on in the last Harry potter series, Harry potter and Deathly Hallows