Introduction
In the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling entraps her audience into the wizarding world with the many different details instilled in each book. People who read the series always ask about how this insane plot came across her mind naturally, so descriptive and creative to no end, including the movies, merch, art, etc. She has achieved the creation of an entire fictional universe from the normal human mind, so incomprehensible that people try to apply it to the nonfictional world, applying theories, facts to fiction, and real-world occurrences to match the Harry Potter timeline.
For example, Grindelwald’s Global Wizarding War was found to occur at the same time as the ending of the Second World War in 1945. One biological theory that is applied inconspicuously throughout the series is the Theory of Behavioral Genetics, specializing in Family Studies, fathered by the first behavioral geneticist Francis Galton. This theory is applied to the series as a type of personalizing touch, to connect the reader in a relatable way and make them understand why the characters are the way they are.
Theory
This theory basically explains what makes up the personality and character of a being-in this case a fictional one-mostly depending on the environment surrounding them. It is properly defined as “the study of genetic and environmental influences on behaviors. By examining genetic influence, more information can be gleaned about how the environment operates to affect behavior” (DiLalla). It obviously is explained in much further detail and includes how the genotypes and phenotypes of a person’s DNA tie into their psyche and character. This theory has been researched over decades, with results stemming from testing, surveying, and experimenting of masses, proving how families not only influence each other physically but also moral and religious ideologies. The influence roots back to what makes a person someone’s daughter, son, brother, etc.
Theorist
The head of all these discoveries was the scientist later known as the first behavioral geneticist in the world Sir Francis Galton. He became famous for his discoveries in human intelligence and anthropology, moving on later in his life to express his genius on the more genetic side of human behavior (Plomin). After reading his cousin Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, he began to investigate the subject more intensely from different points of view, moving on to his research in behavioral genetics. He even coined the phrase, “nature and nurture.” He would study accomplished men and their families, which led him to the conclusion that mental traits like being a genius or anything of the distinguishable sort are passed down the person’s lineage.
Psychologist Eric Turkheimer later went on to add to Galton’s work by establishing “The Three Laws of Behavioral Genetics and What They Mean” in 2000. This article goes on in detail describing the said three laws but in plain words they are defined as: “First law: All human behavioral traits are heritable; second law: the effect of being raised in the same family is smaller than the effect of the genes; third law: a substantial portion of the variation in complex human behavioral traits is not accounted for by the effects of genes or families” (Turkheimer 160). All this contributes to what is known today on the subject of behavioral genetics and how scientists use this research to apply it to criminology, psychiatry, law studies, and many more subjects where the human mind is analyzed.
Application in the Real World
Behavioral genetics, also called psychogenetics, is used commonly today to decipher the personalities of masses needed. It is, of course, still being improved on in today’s age with testing being carried out on both animals and humans. Animals tend to always have more accurate results considering that their environment can be controlled in every way in a laboratory. On the other hand, humans are much more versatile; there would have to be generations raised in a completely manipulated environment which is probably impossible. There would also have to be selective breeding involved in order to keep lineages pure.
Basically, the people involved would be treated inhumanely in order to have true results. But with the information available to the populations now, they have helped in distinguishing behavioral dimensions such as depression, hyperactivity, and schizophrenia. These are all psychiatric disorders that can cause huge harm to the person who has them. The importance of behavioral genetics is shown here by giving scientists and researchers the symptoms to watch out for people who have them in their genes and know how to handle those types of situations.
Moreover, the discussed theory’s real-life applications extend far beyond theoretical reflections on the nature of heredity and are considered a promising direction for research in criminal sciences. According to Sabatello and Appelbaum, the use of court evidence consisting of the results of “psychiatric and behavioral genetic data” may come to the court system in the near future (1). The concerns to be resolved prior to testing such applications include the ethical pitfalls of disclosing medical data, the risks of stigmatization, and the introduction of compulsory genetic testing.
Application in the Harry Potter Universe
It is not surprising that the behaviors and natural inclinations of some characters in the Harry Potter book series are reflective of the theory’s laws. Harry’s case is demonstrative of the theory’s pillars as he takes after the father despite being raised by his uncle and aunt. The central aspect of their resemblance pertains to Harry’s skillfulness in magical sports that he has never played. To the spectators’ excitement, with not much training, he manages to catch the Snitch in one of his first Quidditch games (Rowling, The Philosopher’s Stone 138).
The professors reveal that James, Harry’s father, had “a great talent on the Quidditch field,” filling Severus Snape with insurmountable jealousy (Rowling, The Prisoner of Azkaban 299). Harry’s genetic trait is clearly expressed, which illustrates the complete penetrance principle, but he could have also inherited the magical gene without manifesting it explicitly (Frazier and Huppmann 3). Overall, the role of genetic inheritance as a factor in the boy’s success is clear to those who knew James in person.
In Harry’s situation, predispositions inherited from his father are incomparably stronger than environmental influences, such as being raised by the Dursleys, in influencing his behavioral characteristics. Applying the theory’s second law, it is evident that full biological siblings would be similar to a larger extent than adoptive ones, which is clear from the drastic behavioral differences between Harry and his cousin Dudley. Despising Harry’s biological parents for being “as unDursleyish as possible,” the Dursleys adopt Harry and seek to raise him alongside Dudley (Rowling, The Philosopher’s Stone 7).
Expectedly, Harry’s being a black sheep in the family becomes more apparent as he gets older. Taking after the parents, Dudley presents a capricious and rude child, which goes in stark contrast with Harry’s seemingly innate sense of honor and competitiveness (Rowling, The Philosopher’s Stone 20). Therefore, living with the Dursleys does not ruin Harry’s similarity to the biological family, highlighting genes’ prevalence over environmental factors.
Inherited traits are also evident in Lord Voldemort’s personal story and engagement in magic. Born from a loveless union of Merope, who was a witch, and a man devoid of magical abilities, Voldemort inherits Merope’s power. He gradually achieves the status of “the most feared dark wizard,” which reveals magic-related traits’ explicit expression in his phenotype (Rowling, The Prisoner of Azkaban 5).
Relatively weak empathy for others might be another genetically passed trait in Voldemort’s case. Voldemort’s violent nature and a lack of empathy and compassion for other creatures’ suffering permeate the scenes of murder that Harry frequently sees in his mind (Rowling, The Prisoner of Azkaban 78). As a sorceress, Merope resorted to using a love potion to seduce Voldemort’s father. Her obsession with the man basically left no room for altruistic motivations and respect for another being’s freedom of will, implying rather low empathy that might have contributed to her son’s sociopathic tendencies.
Luna Lovegood is another character that illustrates the theory’s tenets. Aside from physical resemblance and magical powers, Luna shares behavioral similarities with Xenophilius, her father. Both are typically perceived as eccentric, non-conservative, and receptive to anything extraordinary (Rowling, The Order of the Phoenix 144). In her case, taking after Xenophilius might stem from a combination of genetic similarities and the ability to learn from the father by imitating his behaviors. The theory’s second law implies that genetic proximity has been more influential in shaping Luna’s uniqueness.
Rowling’s world, despite introducing some magic genes, resembles the audience’s reality in terms of the existence of clear psychogenetic principles. Through applying such principles, the author enables the readers to feel a connection to the characters and explain trends in their behavior. As an example, Harry’s experiences of being dissimilar from Dudley despite sharing one social environment might appeal to orphaned or abandoned children who differ from their peers in their social surroundings.
In other cases, the implied psychogenetic principles provide the audience with a window into a plethora of contributors, including the parents’ imperfections and distinctive traits, that factor into ambiguous characters’ unique behaviors. Therefore, by creating a universe that incorporates the Theory of Behavioral Genetics, Rowling strikes the right balance between the extraordinary elements and the elements tied to the reader’s life experiences and understanding of personality development.
Conclusion
To sum up, the reverberations of the Theory of Behavioral Genetics permeate the Harry Potter book series, enabling the author to achieve the audience’s better comprehension of characters and their behaviors. The theory basically reduces the psychological distance between the readers and Rowling’s characters, making the latter more relatable and establishing connections between their unique personalities and family histories. On a final note, Rowling’s fictional universe offers a series of scenarios in which magical abilities are and are not passed down to offspring. Identifying real-world behavioral traits that follow the exact same patterns in terms of transmission mechanisms and incidence could be a fascinating research topic to link the fictional universe to reality even more.
Works Cited
DiLalla, Lisabeth. “Behavioral Genetics.” Oxford Bibliographies Online. 2017. Web.
Frazier, Ryan L., and Alison R. Huppmann. “Educational Case: Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.” Academic Pathology, vol. 7, 2020, pp. 1-6. Web.
Plomin, Robert. “Behaviour Genetics.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2019. Web.
Rowling, Joanne Kathleen. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2003. IR Cambridge. Web.
—. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2004. Canonbury Primary School. Web.
—. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Bloomsbury Publishing, 1999. Vidyaprabodhini College. Web.
Sabatello, Maya, and Paul S. Appelbaum. “Behavioral Genetics in Criminal and Civil Courts.” Harvard Review of Psychiatry, vol. 25, no. 6, 2017, pp. 1-22. Web.
Turkheimer, Eric. “Three Laws of Behavior Genetics and What They Mean.” Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 9, no. 5, 2000, pp. 160–164. Web.