Rowling shows familiarity with both the published symptoms of clinical depression and its treatment. The most obvious is dementor-induced depression and the ability of both chocolate and the Patronus Charm to neutralize their effects. Nonetheless, Harry Potter offers four clear representations of Muggle psychiatric disorders that match the official diagnostic criteria. Rowling has created a wizarding world almost entirely devoid of mental health issues and treatment.
Read under a queer lens, the ambivalence of all the DADA teachers and their unique relationship with the hero offer a fertile ground for speculation how the DADA teachers influence Harry’s process of sexual (and possibly queer) maturation. Concluding, the significance of the DADA teachers for Harry’s final role as heterosexual husband and father in the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II will be discussed. This paper seeks to investigate the role-conception of the DADA teachers from a film scholars’ perspective by exploring their queer potential, mainly focussing on their relationship with the hero and on their appearance in the movies. And finally, Harry’s eyes are eroticised as fetish for Snape. Furthermore, Moody has not only a secret identity he gets a perverse kick from pain and transfiguration. Lupin’s second nature as werewolf is a secret that references closeted homosexuality and AIDS. Lockhart’s role-conception follows the Sissy-stereotype from the Classic Hollywood era. There is Quirrell’s lavender turban and his double-identity as host for Voldemort.
Every DADA teacher turns out to be hiding something, has a secret identity, and is untrustworthy, evil or at least strange. It is important to note that all six possible role-models to the hero are defined by their highly ambivalent character.
Apart from his relationship with Albus Dumbledore, Harry’s encounters with these teachers are the most important lessons during his way into adulthood. Every Hogwarts school year is defined by Harry Potter’s new teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts (DADA): Quirinus Quirrell, Gilderoy Lockhart, Remus Lupin, Moody/Barty Crouch Jr., Dolores Umbridge, and Severus Snape.
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