J.K. Rowling

J.K. RowlingJohn Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]
A young woman named Joanne Rowling, born July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, England, struggled through multiple challenges straight from the beginning. Throughout her harshest moments, she advocated the motto “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." Rowling grew up traveling place to place as a child, with both her parents and sister. She started her writing career at a adolescent age, depending on it as her one joy, as it brought her great pleasure. Several years later, she got a job teaching in Portugal, where she met her first husband and gave birth to her first child. Sadly, later on they got a divorce and she was left as a single mother in major debt. She was financially torn, but her main focus was towards her child’s wellness and happiness, as well as her writing career. No matter the obstacle, Rowling never gave up on what she most desired, while also giving unlimited love and attention to her only daughter. She balanced work, being a single mother, and her writing, until her first book was published. She went from having downright nothing to having wealth and riches, making a name for herself and altering many others' view on life and what they can achieve with dreams that, at one point, may have seemed completely unachievable. J.K. Rowling's determination to support others, her passionate drive towards achieving her dreams, and acting as a role model even through battling becoming poverty-stricken is what shaped her into the respectable hero she is.

Rowling’s tendency to care for and protect her daughter, despite risking her writing career, shows what she values as a courageous and persistent person. As a single working mother, stabilizing all of her responsiblities was difficult. She was forced to prioritize things and risk others: “When Jessica was three months old, they moved to Edinburgh, where her sister Diana lived. While raising her young daughter by herself and battling fits of depression..." (“J.K. Rowling.”Encyclopedia). Rowling was consistently forced to move places with her daughter, as she always needed financial help. At one point she even unwillingly moved back to where her sister lived. A young woman, battling depression, and having to constantly care for a child alone shows that she is a very strong woman. She put her baby first no matter her hardships, and many women in that position may have not done the same. As a busy mother, focusing on her writing career wasn't easy. She kept having to push it to her spare time, and there were several complications that constrained her from writing at all: “Rowling confined her writing to her daughter's nap time while raising her infant daughter by herself and dealing with depression. She wrote the drafts of her book in longhand because she could not afford a used typewriter, much less a computer (“J.K. Rowling.” Encyclopedia). Rowling's books were not a two-to-three month processes, they took years to create because of the very little things she wasn't able to use. She wrote on used napkins and paper, because she couldn't afford a computer. All the money she had went to whatever she needed for her child, not herself. Her depression was one of the darkest parts of her life. She felt like she had no one and nothing left to live for except for her baby, which is one of the only reasons she remained alive. She depended on her daughter, just as her daughter depended on her. Rowling’s generosity for others, her extreme determination, and her kindness overpowered her supporters and made her the revelation she is.

Rowling strived to achieve her dreams no matter what. Even through moments of depression and bankruptcy, she still showed commitment and passion for her ambitions. Writing was her life, all she ever wanted to achieve. She had been working towards it ever since she was a child, and even in her most drastic states, she still was loyal to it: “A single mother now and without work, she went on the dole, or welfare, for a time as she studied to earn her teaching credential. At the same time she pushed forward with the first novel about Harry Potter" ("J. K. Rowling." Authors and Artists for Young Adults, vol. 82). So many obstacles came towards her, but it didn't matter, as she kept going at what she loved to do the most: write. She struggled through a divorce, becoming a single mother, and relying on welfare, all while studying for a teaching credential and writing a whole book. Having so many difficulties to conquer also showed her what she sincerely craved. Rowling however also had issues with being a female writer, because of the sexism that was so common around her time. She had to sacrifice her image and identity, but as long as her writing was finally published, after so many years of effort and sacrifices towards it, it didn't matter: “Rowling decided to use initials rather than her first name to disguise her gender and ward off any possible bias from her target audience of young boys" (J.K. Rowling.” Encyclopedia). Rowling knew the difference it would make if people had known she was a woman She changed her name for the benefit of herself and her works, but it also showed who she was as a person. It showed that she wasn't publishing books worldwide out of lust for fame. Her true identity wasn't revealed 'til even after the book became a hit. It showed that she was in it solely because it was her main passion and everything she wanted in her life. Writing was her one dream, her one commitment, her one passion, and throughout her vast life experiences, she stuck with it.

Rowling was an inspiration overall, as she went from having nothing to gaining not only fame but fortune as an empowering single mother. Rowling has represented so many acts of character as a writer, a person, a mother. She has done everything she could to better herself and the people she loves the most, and because of that she got the fame and fortune she most sincerely deserved. However, at one point she didn't know such happiness: “In 1990, Rowling's mother died at age 45 of multiple sclerosis, and then Rowling soon lost her job in Manchester. Around this time, her home was burgled as well" ("J. K. Rowling." Authors and Artists). So many horrible incidents happened to her around the same time, and because of this she fought many months of depression. This had provoked her writing to stop all together at one point and highly impacted the people close to her. Later on though she got out of this phase and won great success with her series of books. For someone to go through so many hurdles and still end up on top, all thanks to her hard work, determination and passion, shows everyone that they can do the same. Even after she got what she wanted, she did good deeds for others: “With the success of the 'Harry Potter' series, Rowling began to devote more time to various charitable organizations. In 2000 she founded the Volant Charitable Trust, which helps children, aids multiple sclerosis research, and also gives money to single-parent families" ("J. K. Rowling." Authors and Artists). After her series became a success, she dedicated and founded charitable organizations all around the world that helped with kids and diseases. She used the money she had gotten from the millions of books sold to help others who most needed it. She shared her wealth with people who were suffering, just like she once was. Rowling is generous to others and an idol, even after facing so many challenges that came her way.  

J.K. RowlingExecutive Office of the President [Public domain]Overall, J.K. Rowling, as a person of generosity, kindness, and love, is a hero and inspiration to anyone that knows her. She inspired others to fight for what they believe in, fight for their passions, their interests, fight for love. She taught others that even in the worst of situations there will always be something good that comes in the end, because as Rowling once said, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” Rowling has made such an impact on people everywhere who have understood what she went through and how much pain she had. It made people relate to her deeply, and that is why she is cherished and loved. She was so determined about one thing and never got distracted from it, never took her eye off of her dreams. She inspired others to believe in their dreams and believe that there are chances. Rowling is an amazing, beautiful role model, and although some might know her as the woman who wrote the record-breaking Harry Potter Series, to others she will forever be known and seen as an inspiration and hero.

Works Cited

"J. K. Rowling." Authors and Artists for Young Adults, vol. 34, Gale, 2000. Biography In Context

https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1603000645/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=11a021ad. Accessed 26 Mar. 2019.

"J. K. Rowling." Authors and Artists for Young Adults, vol. 82, Gale, 2010. Biography In Context

https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1603001824/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=4eebb197. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019.

"J. K. Rowling." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2018. Biography In Context

https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000130189/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=1ab3cf33. Accessed 26 Mar. 2019.

“J. K. Rowling." Encyclopedia of World Biography, vol. 25, Gale, 2005. Biography In Context

https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631008590/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=b1a8acf7. Accessed 21 Mar. 2019.