Beloved actor Alan Rickman, known for his languid voice and frequent portrayal of villains, died yesterday at the age of 69. For many, his role as Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films brought to life a complex character and imbued him with a tragic humanity.

In this 2008 article in the Journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies, Dr. Peter Appelbaum, professor in the School of Education, explores how Rickman’s portrayal transformed “the entire literary and film series from an adventure featuring Harry to a complex study of the meaning of Bildung, the education of the young adult who will be taking their place as a grownup member of society, and thus, to improve society itself.”

Excerpts from the article also appeared in Dr. Applebaum’s 2008 book, Children’s Books for Grown-Up Teachers.

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