While reading Hairy Snout, Human Heart? Werewolves in Harry Potter’s World and in European History by Eveline Brugger was comparing being a werewolf to having AIDS or HIV. Eve line stated, “Lupin’s condition—and the reaction it causes among the majority of the Wizarding population—indeed resembles a dangerous, contagious illness” (303). That is in fact a very good comparison, however in today’s society most people with AIDS or HIV are able to live a normal day-to-day life. Mental illness is more of an issue in today’s society that affects people’s day-to-day life more than AIDS or HIV. My mother works in the mental health field therefore, I grew up seeing the side affects of mental illnesses.
Today’s society if a person is diagnosed with a mental illness there is an invisible label on that person. In the Wizarding World there is also a label on those who are a werewolf. Both werewolves and mental illnesses change a person’s life. Once a month the werewolf has it transformation and they have no control over their actions. A person who has a mental illness, like Bi-Polar disorder or schizophrenic, also has no control over their actions. Both are being overruled by their disorder and are not their selves during those times. Many of people who know of wizards who have been bitten treat them differently and may not associate with them. Then again there are wizards who do associate and accept their disorder and allow them to live a normal life. Lupine, for example, had his friends in the Harry Potter books to help him live a good life and did not neglect him because of his illness.
In Harry Potter and History it was noted that there is “The anti-werewolf legislation passed by the Ministry makes it almost impossible to find employment and generally pushes them toward the fringes of wizarding society” (299). In today’s society there is not legislation against mental illness and jobs due to discrimination, however there is the unspoken rule employers use. In today’s job society employers will keep searching and/or decline a person from a job offer due to their mental illness, but will not use that reason. Both werewolves and mental illnesses face this situation. Another comparison is people in today’s society are nervous to have children around a mental disabled person for an unknown reason. On page 304 in Harry Potter and History, Brugger mentioned that “It is absolutely certain that a such a person would not be allowed to work with children—just as Professor Lupin lost his job at Hogwarts when parents learned that he was a werewolf”. The Wizarding World and today’s society is very similar when it comes to having a disability whether it be a werewolf or bi-polar.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Snipe was able to create a potion to help Lupin with his transformation. The potion was able to help Lupin’s werewolf side effects and allow him to be calm. Before a full moon, Lupin would take the potion and then stay inside his office until the moon passed. In today’s society there are all different kinds of medicine to aid a person through their lives. This allows them to live a normal life without having an uncontrollable life. Both potion and medicine are there to help a person control their life and to live a normal life.
Seeing that there are many of different comparisons to being a werewolf in the Wizarding World is surprising. The authors are able to attention on how others treat wizards who were bitten. Some are going to accept and will not change their opinions, while others will push them away. The similarities are also surprising because they both are able to create a connection between the two.