Xenophobia, Intolerance and Acceptance in Fantastic Beasts

Fantastic Beasts

It is the year 1926, prohibition is at its height and the jazz age is in full swing. There are two years before the Great Depression and one war is behind them, while another looms in the future. Magizoologist, Newt Scamander journeys to New York, hoping to collect more information for his book and to free a Thunderbird. Instead, he is swept into a battle between the magic and non-magic communities and the rise of the dark wizard, Grindelwald. Joined by Jacob Kowalski, a No-Maj and the Goldstein sisters, Tina, and Queenie, the four find Newt's creatures, protect the wizarding world and perhaps the most dangerous task of all, defeat Grindelwald. Xenophobia and intolerance line the streets of J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, all in an attempt to find acceptance.

The magical community in America has separated itself from their non-magical counterparts. While the wizarding world continues to combat Grindelwald, they fear exposure to and the retaliation of the non-magical community. Their laws are strict, one cannot befriend or even marry a No-Maj. The Magical Congress of the United States' (MACUSA) rulings go as far to have a Section 3A in which all non-magical persons must have the memory erased if they are exposed to magic. This particular law gets Newt into trouble when Jacob Kowalski witnesses magic. Beth Felker Jones writes, "This concern for secrecy is the basis for draconian American laws against keeping magical creatures and against friendships between wizards and ordinary people. (The parallel with prohibition as with Puritanism, is just beneath the surface)" (Jones 44). The severity that has been placed upon the magical community leaves them with an idea that they are in the wrong. Their environment is oppressive and cruel, forbidden to be themselves but also forbidden to extend themselves to the No-Maj.

The non-magical community also to some extent have the right to be afraid. Both groups fear the mysterious force that is wreaking havoc. "Whatever it is, one thing's clear- it must be stopped. It's terrorizing No-Majs and when No-Majs are afraid, they attack. This could mean exposure. It could mean war" (Rowling 42). Seraphina Picquery, President of MACUSA knows full well she has everything to lose. It does not matter what it is if it continues to attack the No-Maj will eventually rise to stop the force themselves. In doing so, they will go after the magical community as an explanation for the uncontrolled force. Conveniently they are for a while able to blame it upon Newt's creatures, whom the wizarding world also does not understand and fear. Alicia Powell writes, "There is this fear of the other, this fear of what we don't understand, a need to blame and segregate. And how hate can grow into something that is just overpowering because of that," actress Alison Sudol, who plays the mind-reading Queenie Goldstein, told reporters on the red carpet in New York" (Powell). Alison Sudol's words are at the heart of Fantastic Beasts. So long there is fear, they will separate and stay to the known. The unknown leads to hate and blame, it leads to war.

Gellert Grindelwald has been steadily gaining power in Europe but has vanished from the public eye. His goal is to free the wizarding world from hiding and to dominate over the muggles. In his mind nothing will stop him, or his ideals which hold a populist ideology. Andrew Chow writes, "However, she did say that modern global developments informed her story set in the 1920's. "This period was threatening to become very dystopian. You were looking at the rise of a very dark force... I think I was partly informed by a rise of populism around the world" (Chow). Populism, which is the range of political stances focusing on the ideas of "the people" and will form groups with anti-establishment and anti-political ideologies against the elite. There is fear and when fear is apparent there will be a rise in power. Grindelwald acts as one of the few who will seize that power and upend the world as it is known with his dangerous charisma and values for the world. Logan Hill writes, "Mr. David Yates said, "He wants to win the hearts and minds in a way that's quite beguiling and sophisticated, but his values are dangerous... able through sheer charisma and the ability to inspire and hypnotize and carry the crowd and take the world to a darker place" (Hill). Grindelwald is manipulation at its finest, capable of hoodwinking both Credence and the entire magical world. He will play off emotions, lure others into the idea that they should no longer have to hide.