Key Takeaways
- Magic cannot cure eye issues in Harry Potter lore, explaining why Harry can’t fix his eyesight.
- Characters in the Wizarding World, like Dumbledore, also wear glasses, making them relatable.
- Harry’s iconic glasses make him easily recognizable, adding to his character’s relatability and appeal.
The Harry Potter world is filled with powerful spells and potions capable of doing all manner of things. Whether it is lifting objects up into the air and moving them or killing another wizard, there appears to be a spell for almost everything within the Harry Potter franchise, which makes sense as wizards and witches would create spells to make their own lives easier.
However, that leads to a big question about Harry’s appearance, especially his glasses. People question why he can’t just perform a spell to magically fix his eyes so that he doesn’t need to wear glasses, but that’s not possible for a distinct reason.
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Why Doesn’t Harry Potter Fix His Eyesight?
Harry isn’t able to fix his eyesight for a simple reason: magic cannot cure issues with people’s eyes. This simple explanation exists in lore, which is why Harry continues to wear glasses throughout the franchise despite how many powerful spells there are to fix other things.
During a Quidditch injury in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry has to regrow his broken arm, which he can do via a medical drink.
That in itself brings up questions about why eyesight cannot be improved, but when it comes to this, that’s something that he is stuck with. There are ways that eyesight can be changed, such as with replacements like what Mad-Eye Moody has, providing him with even greater eyesight in that one eye, which is capable of zooming in great distances and moving it around to his benefit.
The Harry Potter movies quickly establish that glasses can be fixed with the Oculus Reparo spell that Hermione Granger performs in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It’s something that Harry has to learn to use due to the bumps and scrapes he gets himself involved in throughout the franchise, with his glasses constantly taking a beating.
Other Characters Have Eyesight Problems Within The Harry Potter Movies
Having to wear glasses isn’t something that only Harry has to combat throughout the franchise either, as there are countless old and young characters that wear glasses in the movies. This includes some of the most powerful wizards, such as Albus Dumbledore or Minerva McGonagall, who showcase that wearing glasses is just as standard in the Wizarding World as it is for muggles. That in itself is an excellent detail because it allows audiences to relate to the characters a little more; even if they don’t wear glasses themselves, they can understand and appreciate it’s something they see regularly.
Having characters in fantasy movies such as the Harry Potter franchise have some distinguishable features is important in giving people something to connect with. It’s impossible for audiences to understand what having a wand that can perform magic might be like. Still, when it comes to someone wearing glasses and having eyesight trouble, it’s straightforward to appreciate what Harry and others might be dealing with.
It also allows the characters to look different from one another because, much like in real life, those who wear glasses have unique designs. Harry’s round spectacles are distinguishable and also create a powerful parallel to his father, who had a similar style. While Dumbledore wearing half-moon spectacles suits his wiser, older character and gives viewers a clear image to paint in their mind of what they look like, which is essential when a cast is as big as this.
The Glasses Have Helped To Make Harry Potter Iconic
Ultimately, it’s hard to imagine Harry without glasses now due to how iconic of a character he’s become in the world of entertainment. Whether it’s the image people conjure up of him when reading the novels or how Daniel Radcliffe portrays him, everyone pictures Harry with his staple rounded glasses on.
Giving them a distinguishable feature is always a wise move when creating a lead role for a fantasy story like this. That’s precisely what Rowling did, and it has benefited him overall as a character because audiences are never able to forget about him and can easily identify Harry within the movie. There are many times when he’s involved in crowded scenes with lots of characters, especially within Hogwarts; therefore, being able to pick him out because of an accessory like this is helpful as it makes him easy to identify in any moment.
Glasses also suit his character because they portray the idea he’s not perfect. He has something hampering him that he has to overcome, which he does by wearing glasses. That makes him relatable to any fan of the Harry Potter franchise, whether they deal with eyesight problems or not. Harry thrives on not being the stereotypical buff hero that might normally be the lead character in a franchise like this, which helps make the Harry Potter story and movies so easy to connect with.
Harry Potter
When Harry Potter learns that he is a wizard, he enters a world beyond belief. Aside from continuing his studies at Hogwarts with best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry must also face Voldemort and his dark wizarding forces. The Harry Potter franchise is a worldwide phenomenon, spanning seven books, eight movies, three spinoff movies, a stage play, and numerous video games.