Harry Potter’s eyeglasses with round lenses are iconic, as widely recognized as his lightning bolt scar. It is true that some members of the older generation seeing the glasses alone might imagine John Lennon, but the scar and glasses together in outline create a universally recognizable symbol of Harry Potter. Try to imagine Harry Potter without his glasses. Actually, J. K. Rowling does in the King’s Cross scene in the seventh book, but that’s another subject.
In J. K. Rowling’s world of wizards, witches, and Muggles, glasses and other items that correct, improve, or enhance vision play important roles and provide clues about the characters who wear them. Most maladies and physical problems in this wizarding world can be cured or corrected by magical means. Considering the head and face only, the list of things fixable by magic includes overly large teeth, a broken nose, and a skull fracture. Apparently, however, poor eyesight is an exception to the rule. In addition, the need for corrective lenses seems to run in families, notably the Dumbledore, Potter, and Weasley families.
Over the course of the seven-book series, 20 named characters are described making use of eyewear to see better. The list does not include Mad-Eye Moody’s magical eye, which despite the way it is shown in the Harry Potter movies, is described in the books as an organ in his eye socket rather than a manufactured orb strapped to his face. However, the list does include Luna Lovegood’s Spectrespecs.
No Death Eaters appear in the narrative wearing any kind of vision aid equipment, and for that matter, no Muggles do, either, but that doesn’t mean they see clearly or have perfect vision. Metaphorically, all Death Eaters and certain Muggles are shown to be shortsighted and subject to badly distorted vision about their worlds. And they do nothing to correct the problem. Might this be why Rowling deprived Death Eaters and the Dursleys of visual assistance? Was the author intentional about this phenomenon or was it a subconscious expression? Or coincidence? My guess is that J. K. Rowling has a fondness for glasses or else she wouldn’t have placed them on her hero’s face.
On the other hand, not all spectacle wearers in the series are nice people or sympathetic characters. Some are depicted as threatening, mean, scheming, or foolish, but in the end, it seems that only two of the twenty remain unredeemed. Every character in glasses whose name is reported in the narrative is a witch or wizard.
In addition to named characters, anonymous goblins use glasses to examine precious stones and gold coins, and Ron Weasley jokes about a midget wearing glasses. Various characters also use devices such as telescopes to view the heavens, protective goggles in Herbology, crystal balls to discern the future, and omnioculars to watch Quidditch, but these are tools used by characters regardless of the refractive condition of their eyes.
Eyewear users fall into four groups: Hogwarts faculty, Hogwarts students, Ministry of Magic staff, and miscellaneous others. A fifth category, Order of the Phoenix members can be created by taking individuals from each of the four groups. Here they are by category:
Hogwarts Faculty
+Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, is the first character in the series described wearing glasses, in his case, half-moon spectacles, allowing him to peer over them when watching students. The shape of the glasses provides a hint as to the idiosyncratic nature of this character, including his odd sense of humor.
+Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration professor, is the second character presented in eyewear, having square glasses, the outline of which appears in a facial pattern when she transforms into a cat. The shape of her glasses seems to match her personality, a classic, no-nonsense square.
+Sybill Trelawney, who first appears in the third book as Divination professor, wears large glasses that eerily magnify her eyes. They are further described as outsize spectacles. This reinforces her development as an airily comic character.
+Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank, who joins the faculty in the fifth book, substituting for Hagrid teaching Care of Magical Creatures, sports a monocle, befitting a character with a hyphenated name. Completing the caricature but delightfully reversing expected gender roles, she also smokes a pipe.
Hogwarts Students
+Harry Potter is introduced wearing glasses with round lenses that are repaired with Sellotape. Stereotypical heroes don’t wear glasses, especially ones taped together, but Harry is not typical and would be an example of the nerd-hero, except that he’s not brainy. Indeed, the brainy heroine, Hermione, does not wear glasses and even comments on how bad Harry’s vision is when trying on his glasses.
+James Potter has glasses that are lopsided on his face. Like father, like son. Both also have unruly hair.
+Moaning Myrtle wears thick, pearly spectacles, the only ghost to have eyewear. She must like her glasses, because as a ghost she wouldn’t need them to see, and when she was alive, they didn’t protect her from the Basilisk.
+Percy Weasley (who also fits into the Ministry staff category) wears horn-rimmed glasses. Here, at last, is the nerdish stereotype.
+Luna Lovegood occasionally puts on Spectrespecs, enormous, colored, psychedelic spectacles that she detaches from the Quibbler and uses to read that periodical. The key word here is psychedelic.
Ministry of Magic Staff
+Arthur Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, like his son Percy, wears horn-rimmed glasses. This parallels James and Harry Potter wearing the same kind of glasses. Since he deals with Muggle objects, it is entirely fitting that Arthur would have very mugglish glasses.
+Amelia Bones, of the Wizengamot, wears a monocle, an odd choice for someone essentially kind and egalitarian, but worthy of an important jurist.
+Professor Tofty, Ministry OWL examiner, wears a pair of pince-nez, the better to see Harry’s Patronus.
+Rufus Scrimgeour, head of the Auror office and Minister for Magic, wears wire-rimmed spectacles. A highly focused, no-nonsense public servant who demonstrates valor in the end.
+Bob Ogden, of the Magical Law Enforcement office, has on enormously thick glasses that reduce the appearance of his eyes to tiny specks. Presumably they help him see snakes nailed to cottage doors.
+Mafalda Hopkirk, who sends warning letters about Harry doing magic out of school and serves as court clerk for Dolores Umbridge, wears spectacles, as any self-respecting, officious clerk should.
Miscellaneous Others
+Mr. Borgin, of Borgin and Burkes, wears a pair of pince-nez to better examine items to buy or sell. Though dealing in dark objects, he is never described as a Death Eater and reacts in fear when shown Draco Malfoy’s Dark Lord mark. He cooperates with them because Death Eaters are some of his best customers, but he sneers at the Malfoys when they leave his shop. His fate is not recorded, but there is no hint that he ever changes into a decent person.
+Ernie Prang, driver of the Knight Bus, wears very thick glasses. His visual impairment, presented as comic relief, is consistent with his erratic driving, narrowly avoiding collisions as well as violently abrupt starts and stops.
+Rita Skeeter, reporter who trades in sensationalism, wears winged glasses decorated with fake jewels. Thus the decorations on her glasses match her form of journalism, gaudy and fake. She remains malicious and villainous to the end.
+Aberforth Dumbledore, brother of Albus, wears glasses, variously described as rain-washed and with dirty lenses. The dirty lenses of his eyeglasses match the dirty drinking glasses in his pub. Aberforth is usually discounted, but out from under his brother’s shadow, he proves to be brave and even heroic.
+Molly Weasley puts on spectacles a little lopsided to scan a to-do list, so perhaps she only needs them for reading.
Order of the Phoenix Members
Aberforth Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore
Minerva McGonagall
James Potter
Arthur Weasley
Molly Weasley
Conclusion
Considering the grand scope of Harry Potter themes, this is not a major matter, yet I find it one more example of J. K. Rowling’s amazing attention to detail in matching characters’ behavior and appearance. Bespectacled as I am, I quite enjoy literary characters who need glasses and confess a little disappointment that my favorite bookworm Hermione Granger did not at least occasionally wear reading glasses. Oh, and I’m not ashamed to admit that when I see eyeglasses with round lenses, I think of both John Lennon and Harry Potter. In my imagination, they know each other and are dear friends.
