The concept of Memory has always been an intriguing question for human beings. From the mnemonic devices associated with the oral tradition, invention of written language, and recording of events in the forms of diaries and journals, to the invention of external memory devices in the modern age in the forms of computer memory, pen-drives, hard-disks and so on, we are constantly in a race to stretch our limits to preserve what we can of the present, and of the past. In literature, memory often becomes a major theme assuming three forms- individual or personal memory, collective memory and historical memory; and all these dimensions come into play in J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series. This paper tries to connect two parallel-seeming worlds- Rowling’s wizarding world as seen in the books of the series and the Europe during 1933-45, particularly Hitler’s Nazi regime and the Holocaust, using Memory as the bridge. The First World War had affected Germany as a nation, both economically and politically. In this context, fascism, taken forward by the National Socialist Party (Nazis) became the popular ideology. The Fascists believed that only a social, economic as well as cultural regeneration would help them recover from the crisis they were facing. The Nazis took over the Reichstag in 1932, and Hitler became the Chancellor shortly afterwards. The Nazis under Hitler promoted a sense of …show more content…
It has since evolved into a global icon representing the perils of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and other forms of state-sponsored atrocities. Approximately six million Jews perished in the Nazi annihilation in Germany. Millions of others—including Gypsies and homosexuals—were also killed. But the primary objective of the extermination camps, where inmates were killed in gas chambers and by other means of mass execution, was what the Nazis referred to as the “final solution to the Jewish question”.