Mental health patients used to be idolized in certain cultures such as in Native American culture. These defects, such as seizures or hallucinations, were seen as god-given talents because they were perceived as special and uncommon. However, in more developed societies. Those with mental disorders were ostracized and were treated as lesser beings. These practices still exist in today’s society, albeit to a lesser extent due to forms of treatment that are now available. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series can be seen as an extended metaphor for those struggling with mental illnesses. As more information is discovered, it can be applied to the series to further show the characters’ journeys. The field of Neuroscience, has only recently hit a …show more content…
Harry’s isolation, considering harsh upbringing, drastically contributes towards his devolvement into a more unstable mental state. Harry Harlow’s controversial ‘Pit of despair’ gave insight as to how animals reacted to isolation. The experiment proved that cutting emotional bonds between parent and child will hugely attribute to an uneasiness within the child (1). To test the effects of isolation on animals, he separated baby rhesus macaque monkeys from their mothers, which had enormous implications on the the mental state of both; most of the babies eventually developed depression and killed themselves, while the mothers were described as ‘emotionally disturbed’. Since these animals are closely related to humans, this is one of the closest forms of unethical human experimentation that we can do to fully analyze the bond between a human mother and human child and the effect that isolation has on the child. Harry was separated by his mother after she was killed. He had to live in an enclosed space for years with virtually no freedom with his abusive Aunt and Uncle. As a result of this upbringing, he did not have a bond with anybody, and is greatly misunderstood. The first sign of mental illness is often creativity; he is able to create intricate worlds with a magical explanation for every possible event. The more creative someone is, the more likely they are to be mentally disabled (2). This functions as a positive feedback loop -- isolation and creativity causes causes unfriendly feelings towards those around someone and more positive feelings when they are alone, which results in further isolation. “Harry Potter not knowin’ his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!” (Rowling, J. K., and Jim Dale. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Listening Library/Random House Audio, 1999. 53. Print.). It is common for children