Professional Documents
Culture Documents
28-04-2013
-Utkarsha Kotian
kotianutkarsha@gmail.com
Table of Contents
Introduction
03
Archetypes
06
14
26
35
Works Cited
40
Introduction
A mythical Hero is defined as the core character of any myth, one who brings about a
change and thereby becomes an extra-ordinary person. This Hero ushers in the new era and
leads society towards change and becomes the protagonist of many stories that are described
as his journey. The journey of such a Hero is seen in all myths around the world in literary
work as well as oral stories. The journey of the Hero is perhaps the most important element of
the story, which follows the coming of age as well as the shaping up of moral character of the
Hero.
Such Heroes are also found in popular literature as well as movies. One such Hero of
popular literature is Harry Potter, the Hero of Joanne Kathleen Rowlings Harry Potter series.
Starting with the first publication in 1997 of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone,
Rowling, the author of the books unleashed the imagination of a generation to whom books
were seemingly lost. Within a month of the release of the last book in 2007, the series was
declared as the biggest story of success while it topped all charts of bestsellers of all times.
The secret of success of the series is in the nature of the lead Hero of the book Harry
Potter. A boy of eleven years, Harry discovers he is a wizard and is lead into a quest to defeat
the most evil wizard of all time Voldemort, forms the main story arc of the series.
All Heroes are said to have certain traits and characteristics that can broadly be seen in all
Heroes of the past of all cultures. The Hero is truthful, fights evil, is just etc. are some
popular themes. Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces summarises
the entire journey of any Hero, across stories/era/cultures into his Monomyth theory.
This theory covers all the aspects of a Hero that he possesses and the stages in the journey
that ultimately form the Heros life. The Monomyth theory is broadly divided into three
categories: departure, initiation and return. While these three stages are further divided into
sub stages that act as stepping stones; the order of their occurrence differs from story to story.
Most protagonists from Hero myths and fantasy stories go through most, if not all of these
steps.
While it is clear that Harry Potter is the Hero of the series, there are certain markers that
Campbell describes which define a Hero. Not any character can be defined as the Hero of the
story and the theory fit around his journey.
Campbell talks of clear and defined events that propel the Hero. The so-called rites of
passage, which occupy such a prominent place in the life of a primitive society are
distinguished by formal, and usually very sever, exercises of severance, whereby the Hero is
radically cut away from the attitudes, attachments, and life patterns of the stage being left
behind.
This assignment is simply an analysis of how Harry Potter fits the Campbells theory which
catapults him into the category of a mythical Hero instead of only a literary one. The
assignment is divided according to the theory and traces Harrys journey in the seven books
with comparison to Campbells theory.
The first part of the assignments explores the archetypes that Campbell believes are present
in every story. These archetypes are similar to Carl Jungs theory of archetypes. The presence
of all of the archetypes in the book series, establishes Harry Potters position as an
archetypical Hero.
The next three parts of the assignments describe in detail the Hero journey of Harry Potter
which is possible after a close reading of the texts as well as a basic understanding of
Campbells theory. The novels are clearly the saga of a Hero which has all the signs of the
departure, initiation and return of the Hero Harry Potter. While all the steps seldom occur in
the same story, most of them are usually present. In the same way, the Harry Potter series
misses out some steps of the Journey and moves to the next. This is simply according to what
the plot demands.
Hence, wherever the story misses a step, that part of the Journey is absent in this analysis
and is simple mentioned in the order. The analysis is twofold wherever applicable taking
the entire series as one story arc and then each book individually as separate adventures.
ARCHETYPES
When Campbell describes the archetypical Hero and his journey, the stages of the journey
are also characterised by the presence of certain characters that could be true for every and
any myth/story/fable. Such characters that form the narrative of the Heros journey are called
the archetypical characters or the archetypes.
However, the idea or existence of the archetype is not an idea invented by Campbell but is
based on the archetypes that Carl Jung explained. These archetypes are a part of shared
consciousness in the history of mankind and their story telling way; making them the most
commonly seen aspects in a story. These, according to Jung, are already known to everyone
and one need not know the theory to understand or recognise them.
The archetypes that are usually associated with the Monomyth theory are the Hero, the
Shadow, the Mentor, the Herald, the Threshold Guardian, the Trickster, the Allies and the
Shapeshifters.
1. Hero
A Hero is usually a man who is the main character of the story and is most easily
identifiable. He has the good qualities that everyone desires but does not possess. He also has
some superhuman power that marks him out different from the others. Courage, honesty and
being noble are some of the attributes a Hero has. His parents are either uncaring or dead,
thus helping the Hero be a person of his own. One of the basic characteristics of the Hero is
that he is not fearful of death and would risk it for the betterment of mankind.
This Hero is clearly Harry Potter on this series. As the title character, the seven books are
his adventures in a new world and how he deals with them. This in the simplest words forms
the crux of the story. He is also the chosen one. As told by Albus Dumbledore to him in the
fifth book that Trelawneys prophecy suggests that either Harry or Voldemort can survive, the
story arc of the series is the way in which one must defeat the other to live.
As established early in the book, Harry is not just unassuming and simple but is also much
more worldly wise when placed in contrast to his over pampered cousin Dudley. Forced to
be so, he remains the simple person who is happy to be out of his cupboard under the stairs
and finally be recognised as a person and not just a burden on people, as is the case with the
Dursleys. Harry is an orphan and his parents Lily and James Potter were murdered when he
was around a year old by Voldemort, the greatest dark wizard of all time. It is a mystery for
most part of the series as to why Harry survived that fateful encounter and Voldemort died.
Time and again, Harry risks his life for the greater good or for saving someone elses. In
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, he ensures Voldemort does not become immortal.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, he risks near death to save Ginny Weasley. In
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he frees his Godfather Sirius Black after fighting
hundreds of Dementors who wouldve sucked his soul. Similarly in Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half Blood
Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry puts himself in the way of danger
over and over again to save both his near ones as well as the entire wizarding community.
2. Shadow
The Shadow archetype is of utmost importance in the Heros journey because it is the
Shadow that has to be defeated in order to overcome the obstacles and complete the journey.
The Shadow could be a mortal enemy, a complete antithesis of the Hero or also a person who
had the same options as the Hero but chose to be the Shadow. The cause for villainy of the
Shadow may be a result of suppression of anger or the need of recognition.
The Shadow in the Harry Potter series is Lord Voldemort. Born as Tom Marvolo Riddle, he
is an orphan too who enter the castle of Hogwarts the same way that Harry does decades later.
However, while Voldemort turns into the greatest Dark Lord ever, Harry chooses to be the
saviour. This is a clear distinction between the two making them the antithesis of each other.
The reason why Voldemort desires to be different and eventually rule over others is revealed
to the readers subsequently when his past is explained in Harry Potter and the Half Blood
prince
. Born to a muggle father and witch; he is the offspring of a love potion and not true love.
Hence cannot ever understand the power nor fall in love himself. Brought up in an
orphanage, he is often ridiculed and sometimes punished for being a freak; when
Dumbledore enters his life to take him away and tells him he is special, Tom Marvolo
Riddles journey to Voldemort begins.
3. Mentors
The Mentor archetype could be either the principles that lead him to see the bigger picture
in his actions or a figure that watches over and guides the Hero. He steers the Hero on his
path to glory and helps him make the decisions that lead him there. The Mentor also keeps a
look-out for the Hero and makes sure he is safe and has his choices with him.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts and himself an
extremely accomplished wizard is a defeater of the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald who
preceded Voldemort. This makes him the perfect mentor for Harry, since he is experienced
and also is the only person that Voldemort fears. As the headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore
is always present to help Harry and guide him and in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,
he even takes him on quests with him to discover the secrets of Voldemorts immortality. In a
way that is neither condescending nor belittling, Dumbledore often asks Harry to not involve
him in certain activities and instead just do as he says. Regardless of which, when Harry does
the same, Dumbledore saves him every time and often faces the repercussions so that Harry is
not harmed. When Dumbledore is killed, Harry feels more alone than he had ever before,
because the only guiding light and ever present support he had is now gone. Thus he spends
the rest of his journey in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, fulfilling the quest and
responsibilities set by Dumbledore to defeat Voldemort, in which he ultimately succeeds.
Such is the relationship between the Mentor and the Hero, that Harry names his son Albus
Severus Potter; Albus taken from Dumbledores first name.
4. Herald
Since the Hero comes from a world that is different from the one where he has his
adventures, the starting point of the journey is a Herald or a harbinger of news or summons
from the land. Such a Herald could also be an event that leads the Hero to quit his life and
move on to other lands for adventures.
When Harry Potter is left at the doorstep of his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia Dursleys
house on his first birthday by Dumbledore with a letter explaining the circumstances, the
Dursleys decide to never tell him that he is a wizard. Thus, Harry grows up neglected and
hated by his Uncle and Aunt as well as their son Dudley who is a brat and bullies Harry. The
Herald or the Call to Adventure for Harry arrives in the form of owls that start arriving with
letters a little before his 11th birthday. The letters are specifically addressed to him and keep
pouring in till the Dursleys decide to drive off to a remote location where they cannot be
traced. Though Harry demands to see the letters since they are addressed to him, Uncle
Vernon does not let him. Finally, at the Hut-on-the-Rock, Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys
of Hogwarts arrives and tells Harry on his 11th birthday that he is a wizard and must enter the
magical world now. It is then that Harry comes to know of his past as well as why certain
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inexplicable events like his hair growing back in a night, a glass vanishing etc. have
happened to him over the years! Its his magic showing. Hagrid then takes Harry to Diagon
Alley the following day to buy his wand, cauldrons, books etc. for school. Thus, both the
arrivals of owls with letters to Harry, as well as the unexpected appearance of Hagrid, act as
the Herald in the series.
5. Threshold Guardians
The Threshold Guardian as the name suggests, is a guardian to a major changing point in
the journey. This guardian could be an event, a general sentiment or a proper guardian that
stop the change from happening or by hindering it. It could be a jealous opponent or a
seemingly overwhelming situation etc.
The Threshold Guardians in the series are many. When Hagrid arrives, Harry is convinced
that there is a mistake and that he could not be a wizard. If he were, he wouldnt have been
the victim of the bullying and ill-treatment of everyone. He also is doubtful of the fact that
he has anything special to defeat Voldemort till as far as the 5 th instalment of the series when
after his godfather Sirius Black dies; Dumbledore informs Harry that his power is to
understand and be able to love. It is like compassion which is absolutely lacking in
Voldemort. Thus, his very first Threshold Guardian is his own doubt. When in Diagon Alley
with Hagrid, Harry meets Draco Malfoy, his adversary in school and life subsequently; whom
he takes an instant dislike for. When Draco mentions other ideas and words that are not
known to Harry at all, he is once again left feeling inadequate at his capabilities and is
convinced he will be a misfit. Later in Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone we see that in
order to get to the Philosophers Stone, Harry must cross various obstacles that require
courage, intelligence and presence of mind. This is a recurring theme in the books and there
are various other people and events that act as Threshold Guardians against Harry.
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6. Shapeshifters
Usually, most mythical stories or fables have Shapeshifters that in the actual sense of the
term- change their shape. They move from one form of being to the other either willingly or
unwillingly. This could also be interpreted as a change in the perception of an event that is a
major turning point or a person whose loyalties are not known and could turn any side.
The books have both these forms of Shapeshifters. In Harry Potter and the Philosophers
Stone, it is mentioned early on that Professor Quirrel who teaches at Hogwarts met some
vampires and every since is scared of everything around him, including students. Remus
Lupin, Professor at Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harrys close
friend and confidante, is bitten by a werewolf as a child and turns into one every full moon.
He forms one of the core characters in the final war. However, unique to the series is a
Shapeshifter similar to tales of vampires turning into bats at will; theyre call Animagus.
Some people, such as Professor McGonagall, James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Rita
Skeeter etc. While it is mandatory to be registered, most wizards in the series are not so. In
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, we discover that Voldemort had divided his soul into
7 parts that reside in different objects/beings. These include a diary, cup, his pet snake etc.
This too is a form of Shapeshifter where his soul as long as residing somewhere else, he can
be resurrected over and over again and is not completely dead. That part of his soul lives in
the object as seen in Tom Riddles diary in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The other form of Shapeshifter in the form of mixed loyalties is Professor Severus Snape
who was a follower of Voldemort but turned to Dumbledore before Voldemorts death. He is
seen as one of the major antagonists in the series, who time and again does not support Harry
and makes himself a nuisance. His loyalties are questioned by everyone but Dumbledore who
truly believes Snape has changed. This is questioned again when Snape kills Dumbledore in
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Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and later as the new Headmaster of Hogwarts spreads
a reign of terror in the school. Even Voldemort is convinced that Snape favours him and was
a double agent only to bring about Harry and Dumbledores fall. It is not till the last few
chapters of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that we discover his loyalties were always
to Dumbledore and helped save harry numerous times. This brings about a huge change in the
perception of Snape in Harrys eyes that he names his son Albus Severus Potter, Snapes first
name being his sons middle name.
7. Tricksters
Tricksters are the mischief makers. They more often than not serve as a comic relief or a
distraction to the main plot. They could also sometimes lead the Hero astray, albeit in a witty
way.
Three main tricksters can be pin-pointed right away in the series. The Weasley Twins Fred
and George are the pranksters whore popular amongst the Hogwarts students as the two who
can smuggle in forbidden stuff as well as be unto some mischief for the sake of amusement of
others. With Harrys help they establish Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, a joke shop that sells all
sorts of accessories for pulling pranks. The third is Peeves, whos the castles poltergeist. He
is a troublemaker and only looks to create havoc. He completes the trio with the Weasley
twins.
8. Allies
Allies are by far the most important archetype for the Hero. They help him and aid him by
bringing about solutions to problems as well as advising him. Often, they are an emotional
support to him and also closest confidantes.
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Quite clearly, these allies for Harry are his two perennial companions Ronald Weasley and
Hermione Granger. While Ron and Harry have been close friends from the moment they meet
at Kings Cross, their friendship with Hermione is only formed after they save her from a troll
in their 1st year. Through the series, they stand by him and whenever Harry gives them a
choice to leave and not risk their lives for him, they stay back.
Underneath the cloak, Harry turned to the other two.
If you want to go back, I wont blame you, he said. You can take the
cloak, I wont need it now.
Dont be stupid, said Ron.
Were coming, said Hermione.
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15
The Call that gets Harry into the magical world is the sudden appearances of the owls on
Privet Drive that get letters for him. Even before this though, Harry is spotted by numerous
wizards who bow to him in shops and pavements that he thinks of as strangers. In a way, the
bouts of magic that Harry has for his self preservation the vanishing glass in the zoo, his
hair growing back etc. are all Calls. They make him wonder if he is different or simply not
normal at all. Hence, Harrys Call is diverse and multiple coming to him at regular events till
the final Call comes in the form of Hagrid.
a. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone
Harrys initiation to the world of magic has happened much before his conscious realisation
of the same. When Harry is doubtful of his capabilities, Hagrid asks him if he has never had
any weird experiences or events that just occurred and he had no control over; reminding
Harry of the same. However, the Herald that were the owls and Hagrid are Harrys first Call.
The Call to the Adventure actually begins when Harry learns of the vault at Gringotts being
stolen on the same day as his arrival with Hagrid at the bank. It is here that Harry begins
suspecting something is occurring and joins the dots finally when he realises Hagrid emptied
the same vault.
Hagrid! said Harry, that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday!
It mightve been happening while we were there!
There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didnt meet Harrys eyes
this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the
story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied
earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and
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thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little
package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?
-
The Call to Adventure this year arrives in the mysterious deaths of people and the writing
on the wall which read THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES
OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.. First Mrs. Norris, a cat is petrified and slowly multiple students
are. However, the decision to go after the Heir of Slytherin, who is the perpetrator of these
attacks is taken after Ginny, Rons sister, is taken into the Chamber by the Heir. Hence, the
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Call for this adventure is twofold the writing and the attacks as well as the information
about the same given to Harry by Dobby when he is at the Dursleys.
c. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
When at the Dursleys for his vacation, Uncle Vernons sister Marge arrives who goads
Harry into performing magic by her constant taunts on Harrys mother. The uncontrolled
burst of magic that caused Marge to bloat and fly away, Harry is convinced, will get him
expelled from Hogwarts since it is the second time magic is performed in the house in front
of muggles. When he tries to flee, The Knight Bus, a bus for stranded wizards or witches
arrives to take him. Before the bus arrives, he sees the form of a huge dog and goes to
investigate what it is but the buss appearance drives the form away. In the bus, the conductor
Stan Shunpike tells Harry about the first ever escaped prisoner from Azkaban, Sirius Black.
He also tells Harry that Sirius was a death eater and one of Voldemorts biggest supporter;
leading Harry to be more alert and nervous. This dog is the Call in the book where it keeps
making its presence felt to Harry time and again and is mistaken to be The Grim, or the omen
of death. Later, following the dog that drags Ron to the Whomping Willow, Harry discovers
that the dog is the Animagus form of Sirius Black.
d. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry finally has a person to go in case of his problems his Godfather Sirius. But, Harrys
problems only increase as the Triwizard Tournament is announced where students from three
magical schools participate in a championship. In a twist, it is Harrys name that is chosen
(without him fielding himself) as the 4th champion which has never occurred before. His
name coming out of the Goblet of Fire that selected the champions means he must compete in
three challenging magical rounds that could also be life-threatening. In the last round Harry is
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transported to a graveyard where Voldemort comes back to life. Hence, the Call here is
Harrys name coming out of the Goblet that forces him on the adventure.
e. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harrys movements are confined since everybody is of the opinion that Dumbledore and
Harry are lying about Voldemort. Harry now enters a magical world where he is not the Hero
but a liar. His Call appears in the form of Dementors who land up at Little Whinging when
Harry and Dudley are returning home one evening. In order to save himself he uses magic
and hence a notice arrives asking him to come to a trial to decide on his expulsion from
Hogwarts. Later, it is revealed to the world that the Dementors are no longer in control of the
Ministry and were sent to attack Harry. The Dementors are the first of continuous hostilities
that Harry faces instead of being the beloved of everyone.
f. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Since the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge sees Lord Voldemort at the end of previous
book, the wizarding world is preparing for the inevitable war. The Call arrives at the
Dursleys doorstep in the form of Dumbledore himself. He informs them of Siriuss will and
on the way to the Burrow informs Harry that he will take private lessons from Dumbledore.
This Harry knows has to do with Voldemort. These lessons are the hunt for Horcruxes which
in the last book help Harry to kill Voldemort. Since Dumbledores words are ominous enough
for a major event in the story, this is his Call to Adventure, when Harry is sure that if
Dumbledore wants to have private lessons with him it should be important.
g. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
After Dumbledores death, Harry has accepted the truth that all he can do now is to find the
Horcruxes that will eventually provide a fair chance for killing Voldemort. The Call in this
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book arrives in the form of a newspaper article. As Harry is reading The Daily Prophet in
Privet Drive, the readers are introduced to two clashing views of Dumbledore. The one by
Elphias Doge, Dumbledores school friend, speaks of him as a caring, intelligent and selfsacrificing man. Rita Skeeter on the other hand, writes a biography of Dumbledores life
where she gets the juicy details of his life to be prominent, casting a doubt in Harrys mind if
the Dumbledore he had known was actually as close to him as Harry thought he was.
This dilemma carries on for most part of the book where Harry now has to choose between
looking for the Hallows or the Horcruxes. Finally, the choice Harry makes is influenced by
his memory of Dumbledore, thus making this predicament developed from the newspaper
articles a Call of the events in the book.
2. Refusal of Call
Often, when the Call is given, the Hero refuses to heed to it. This may be from a sense of
duty or obligation to previous commitments. It could be fear, insecurity, a sense of
inadequacy etc. This stage occurs more frequently when the Hero is an ordinary man even in
the previous life, and hence has to be convinced/coaxed to accept his participation in the
journey.
This happens to Harry in the first book when Hagrid comes to deliver his letter and take
him shopping. Hagrid informs Harry that he is a wizard and that he will henceforth be
educated in Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry where his name has been down
since he was born.
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Though first elated on finally discovering what the contents of the letter were, Harry is then
sceptical of the whole idea. He is sure that though his parents could have been extremely
gifted witch and wizard, Harry was an ordinary boy.
A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? Hed spent his life being
clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he
was really a wizard, why hadnt they been turned into warty toads every
time theyd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If hed once defeated the
greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able
to kick him around like a football?
Hagrid, he said quietly, I think you must have made a mistake. I dont
think I can be a wizard.
To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.
- Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (Pg 47)
Hagrid then convinces Harry that he is a wizard by asking him to recollect the events in
which he had no involvement but his problems solved themselves in Harrys favour. Finally,
Harry agrees. Harry does not Refuse the Call in any of the other books since he has already
been initiated into the world of magic and the rest is simply a continuation of his adventure.
3. Supernatural Aid
Once the Hero has committed to the quest consciously or unconsciously, his or her magical
helper appears or becomes known. This aid guides the Hero through his first set of challenges
and eases the stress and burden of leaving the known behind and venturing into the unknown.
This aid is supernatural from the point of view of the Hero. The aid is simply different from
the Hero but could be normal when it comes to the new world that the Hero enters.
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Harrys constant Aid throughout the series is Dumbledore. He is Harrys mentor and care
taker though not always directly aiding him, he does it through various other means. Being
the only person of whom Voldemort was scared, he is best placed to help Harry. In the first
book, he sends Hagrid to assist Harry in his shopping and other small chores. In the second
he sends Fawkes, his pet phoenix to get Harry out of the Chamber of Secrets. In the third he
helps by instructing Hermione to turn her time-turner three times to get their work done. In
the subsequent four books, Dumbledore acts like a guide who stands at the sides but always
keeps an eye out for Harry. After his death, he helps Harry through Severus Snape by
instructing him through the portrait in the Headmasters room in Hogwarts.
4. Crossing the First Threshold
This is the point where the Hero actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the
known limits of his world and venturing into the unknown and dangerous realm where the
rules and limits are not known to him. This stage is one of the most difficult since it is a
literal leap of faith that the Hero takes from where he may never come back. The threshold is
thus symbolic of the conscious decision to let go and move ahead.
Harrys literal Crossing of the Threshold occurs when he decides on his eleventh birthday to
leave the shack and follow Hagrid to buy his school supplies and know about the wizarding
world. This is the physical action of the previously made conscious decision that Harry
acknowledges of him being a wizard.
a. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone
While Harrys first crossing, as mentioned before, is moving out of the shack with Hagrid;
the Crossing and move towards the adventure can be seen in another event as well. The
corridor on the third floor on the right side is out of bounds to all students. As Harry, Ron,
Hermione and Neville discover, a three-headed dog is guarding something over there which
could kill anyone who tried to go past it through the trapdoor to whatever it was guarding.
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Yet, when the Harry is convinced that Snape will go through the door to try and recover the
Philosophers Stone, he decides to cross the threshold and go through the door. This he
knows, may lead him to a face to face encounter with Voldemort and could be extremely
dangerous; yet he crosses the threshold to make sure that the Stone does not fall in
Voldemorts hands.
b. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
When the Heir of Slytherin opens the Chamber of Secrets and many muggle born children
are petrified by the monster of the Chamber; Harry knows he must do something to stop this.
When Hermione is petrified just as she is about to tell Harry the reason he can hear voices in
the wall that might be a clue to the chamber, Harrys resolution to do something about the
situation solidifies. Finally, when Ginny Weasley, Rons younger sister is taken by the
monster into the Chamber itself, Harry and Ron decide to enter the Chamber themselves
without caring about their own well being and take Professor Gilderoy Lockhart along. This
Crossing of the Threshold of the way into a possibly fatal adventure of saving Ginny, gets
Harry to face Voldemort for the third time.
c. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Since his return to Hogwarts, Harry has accidents where he would die if not the
intervention of Dumbledore. Also the recurring dog in Trelawneys prophecies and in Harrys
surroundings makes him wary of it. When a huge black dog drags Ron through a hole in the
Whomping Willow, Harry and Hermione know that it may kill them, yet they follow him
down the hole to save him. This crossing leads to Harry meeting Sirius Black and Peter
Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack and discovering the truth.
d. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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In this book, Harry does not undertake the adventure himself, but it is thrust on him. He
does not volunteer to Cross the Threshold (the magic age line that Dumbledore draws in
order to keep underage kids away); someone else puts his name in for him. Hence, he has no
choice to but to compete. However, when he is reaches the choice of winning the
championship by touching the trophy at the centre of the maze, he unconsciously crosses the
threshold to reach the graveyard where Voldemort is waiting to be resurrected.
e. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harrys connection to Voldemorts brain is explored in depth in this book. While Harry can
look into Voldemorts brain when the latter is particularly angry or happy; Voldemort uses
this connection to plant an idea in Harrys brain that Sirius is being tortured in the
Department of Mysteries. When Harry decides to rescue Sirius by fleeing Hogwarts on
Thestrals and then enters the Ministry of Magic through the telephone booth, he crosses the
threshold to enter what is guaranteed to be an encounter with Death Eaters and another nearly
fatal adventure.
f. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
When Harry discovers that Malfoy has been successful at mending whatever he was
working on in the Room of Requirement, he realises that Snape and Malfoy will get together
to attack Hogwarts that day since Dumbledore would be going out to look for a Horcrux he
believes he has located. In spite of knowing that Snape was the one who heard the prophecy
and betrayed Harrys parents; Harry decides to leave it all behind and go with Dumbledore to
find the Horcrux. This decision to go ahead on a dangerous adventure, in spite of knowing the
possible dangers to Hogwarts, is Harrys threshold that he crosses since Horcruxes are more
important.
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The entire series is a trial for Harry. Year after year, Harry has to undergo several tests that
tire him physically as well as mentally but he carries them on. Hence, if seen from the point
of view of the entire story arc, Harrys stay at Hogwarts and one year after that is in itself one
long trial. He overcomes hardships and in the end successfully defeats Voldemort and saves
the magical world from being ruled by Dark Lord.
In a short summary, the following are the trials that Harry has to face in each of the book in
order to survive and sometimes save his near ones.
a. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone
Harry must cross various challenges such as getting past the three headed dog Fluffy,
surviving the Devils Snare, winning the game of Chess etc. in order to safeguard the
Philosophers Stone. To prevent Voldemort by attaining immortality by having the stone,
Harry is tested physically, mentally and his bonds with Ron and Hermione too are put to test.
When he does succeed in preventing Professor Quirrel and Voldemort from attaining the
Philosophers Stone, Harry passes these Trials.
b. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:
In order to keep the Heir of Slytherin from killing Ginny as well as other muggle born
students, Harry must decipher the entire story of the Chamber and the monster that lives in it.
To accomplish this, Harry must find out the events of what happened when the Chamber was
opened the first time and how the monster travelled in the castle without anyone noticing it.
When Harry does locate the Chamber, he must battle the Basilisk, defeat Tom Riddle who
resides in the diary and is Voldemort, as well as save his, Ginnys, Rons, and Lockharts life.
Harry is helped here by Fawkes and he overcomes this trial as well. The diary it is later
revealed was Voldemorts Horcrux that Harry destroyed unknowingly.
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to Harry at all. The posting of Dolores Umbridge in Hogwarts as the Professor of Defence
Against the Dark Arts is seen as a Ministry involvement in the schools day to day running
and she has a particular loathing for Harry. Hence, he is tortured by her and his movements
too are restricted by her. Finally, when Harry enters the Department of Mysteries to rescue
Sirius who he thinks is captured there; he overcomes multiple Death Eaters and finally
Voldemort too.
f. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
One of the biggest mysteries of this book is the identity of Harry whose book helps Harry
throughout the year. Also, Harry must resist the urge to ambush Draco Malfoy who is
planning something sinister that Harry cannot figure out. His classes with Dumbledore too
are strenuous and the tasks he sets for Harry require cunning and skill on part of Harry.
Finally, Harry must persevere in order to get the Horcrux out of the cave where it is hidden
while Dumbledore slowly slips into insanity and is then killed by Snape. While Harry
survives all of this, Dumbledore is killed, Bill Weasley is bitten by a werewolf and other
students are also injured in the fight. Now, Harrys last set of trials begin; that of locating and
destroying the Horcruxes.
g. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Every step Harry takes is dangerous and every action must be weighed in well before being
done. Harry escapes the wedding where the Death Eaters appear and then also evades capture
by the Death Eaters who show up at the Cafe where the three of them are sitting. Later, he
enters the ministry to get Umbridges locket which is a Horcrux and escapes once more.
Finally, after a fallout with Ron and a narrow escape from Godrics Hollow and Nagini,
Harry and Ron reconcile and yet again evade capture from Xenophilius Lovegoods house
while finding clues about the Deathly Hallows. Subsequently, Harry enters Gringotts,
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destroys another Horcrux after breaking into Hogwarts, finds the last Horcrux and finally
instructs Neville to kill Nagini before surrendering himself to Voldemort. When he comes
back to life, he fights Voldemort once more and kills him and thereby ending the war once
and for all.
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5. Apotheosis
When someone dies a physical death or dies and lives on in the spirit, he moves beyond this
realm and into a state of divine knowledge, love, compassion and bliss. This is stage of
enlightenment that one achieves after surviving a major event and in this case death. The
knowledge that one receives after death moves them into the supernatural and above ordinary
beings.
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When Harry dies in the Deathly Hallows, he meets Dumbledore in what can be described as
an afterlife where Harrys unconscious awakens and provides him of the true knowledge of
his and Voldemorts being. Dumbledore explains his various decisions to Harry and gives him
the choice of whether he wants to go back to the mortal world or no.
When Harry does return, he understands the true nature of the Elder Wand and also of why
Voldemort will fail and Harry can survive - because Harry is good and does not want to rule
as a Dark Lord and Voldemort wants the very same. He very calmly kills Voldemort and
overcomes the biggest war of his life unscathed and not hurt while shutting the door to that
unpleasantness forever.
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d. Harry wins the Triwizard Tournament and the prize money along with it in Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire. He also is successful in announcing to the world that Voldemort
is back, which was not a part of Voldemorts plan.
e. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry is successful in proving to the world
that Voldemort has indeed returned and is also informed by Dumbledore the secret of
why it was him that Voldemort tried to kill. The prophecy is the single most important
piece of information that Harry receives that can change his life.
f. In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Harry successfully comes back from the
cave and acquires the knowledge of Horcruxes too, though Dumbledore is killed. He
also is the only witness to the murder by Snape, thereby getting the Order to organise
themselves against any other form of treachery.
g. In the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry finally kills Voldemort
and his Horcruxes and defeats most of his Death eaters and earns for himself a peaceful
life.
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seated in the train and did not agree to get down at all. However, he does return albeit
reluctantly, as at the end of every book with the hope that he will come back the next year.
This Reluctance however is absent at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows since
Harry is no longer required to go back to Privet Drive but instead he can stay on in the
magical world. He does so in the end and in the epilogue we discover he has married Ginny
Weasley and has three children with her who are of Hogwarts going age.
2. The Magic Flight
This is the stage where the Hero must escape with the boon. This could be dangerous or just
as adventurous as the rest of the journey since the only way out and peace is his flight.
Though rarely seen at the end of the journey, this stage can be explained in context of
Harrys flight from scenes of fight at the last moment thereby saving him. Harry never has to
escape the magic world and always returns on good terms, so in situations where he is
running from the Dark Lord, we can see this Magic Flight in the series twice.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry is mortally wounded by the Basilisk
venom and is resigned to the fact that he will die. However, he asks Ginny to leave with
Fawkes who arrives there on Dumbledores instructions to save Harry. But Fawkes cries over
Harrys wounds, and the tears being a magical antidote, Harry is cured. Fawkes then proceeds
to carry Harry, Ginny, Ron and Lockhart out of the Chamber and into the Castle as Phoenixes
can carry weights much heavier than themselves.
The second instance occurs in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when Voldemort is trying
to kill Harry; their wands have an unusual response to each other that Dumbledore calls Priori
Incantatem. Since Voldemort and Harrys wands are brothers the wands are forced to
recreate their last spells and Voldemorts creates a ghostlike image of Harrys parents, Cedric
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Diggory and an old man whom Voldemort had killed in his fathers house. Harrys mother
then whispers to Harry that theyve reversed the Port Key and he must take it back to
Hogwarts. When the connection breaks, they linger around for a while distracting Voldemort
and Harry escapes back to Hogwarts.
Though these two examples are hardly instances of Magical Flight, they come the closest to
the description of this stage and it would not be wrong to say that Harry never has a Magical
Flight where he escapes with the boon.
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to come back to life so that he may defeat Voldemort permanently. Dumbledore makes Harry
believe in himself and in the power of his own goodness that he assures will ensure a win for
Harry. Thus, this Rescue can be equated to Dumbledores assistance to Harry in Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows.
4. The Crossing of the Return Threshold
At this stage, the most important activity that the Hero accomplishes is by retaining the
wisdom he acquired on the quest and sharing it with other in the world. This is also a signal
of return to his previous life and thus a major decision of the Hero to return and leave his
fame behind in the world that he achieved it in.
Harry does not experience this stage in most part. Since he stays back in the magical world,
and his knowledge which was simply the defeat of Voldemort is shared with the world, he
does not have any threshold crossing to do. In all of the other books though, his Return
Threshold is Platform 9 from where he comes back to spend another summer at the
Dursleys. This he does out of no choice since Dumbledore has instructed him to do so.
However, he does return every time except after annihilating Voldemort in the end of the
series. After this, he remains in the magical world and has no return threshold.
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Harry achieves this only in the final book. Till then he is only superficially satisfied. Mostly
Harry is angry, confused or annoyed. This change in his moods could be attributed to the
bond he shares with Voldemort. However, after Voldemort is killed, Harry understands the
purpose of his life and the knowledge and calm nature he gains after coming back to life
make him more tolerant.
For example, Harry no longer begrudges the Malfoys who were throughout the series
Harrys adversaries. He tells Narcissa that Draco is alive in exchange for her lying to
Voldemort and later in the epilogue smiles at Draco and his children there by symbolising his
settlement of issues with him despite past enmity.
6. Freedom to Live
The mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which leads to freedom from the
adventure, responsibilities and its expectations. This could be the philosophy of living in the
present and not bother about the future or the past and thereby making the Hero self satisfied
and happy.
Since Voldemort is dead, Harry is free to live his life the way he wants without any
restriction of any sort. He no longer needs protection nor has a pain or visions from
Voldemort that making his life difficult. This is seen in the last chapter of the Deathly
Hallows when Harry repairs his wand and does away with the Resurrection Stone and the
Elder Wand and simply decides to live in peace. In the epilogue we see this come true in the
life that he lives with his children where he is happy and content; and is aptly conveyed in
one line:
The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.
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WORKS CITED
1. Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Third ed. Novato, CA: Joseph
Campbell Foundation, 2008. Print.
2. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997.
Print.
3. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. London: Bloomsbury, 1998.
Print.
4. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. London: Bloomsbury, 1999.
Print.
5. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. London: Bloomsbury, 2000. Print.
6. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. London: Bloomsbury, 2003.
Print.
7. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. London: Bloomsbury, 2005.
Print.
8. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. London: Bloomsbury, 2007.
Print.
9. Olanick, Christina. Harry's Hero Journey.
http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/editorials/edit-olanick02.shtml , 27/04/2013
10. Milum, Lynne. The Hero's Journey through Harry Potter.
http://mythicHero.com/new_world_mythology.html , 27/04/2013
11.Algeo, John . Harry Potter and the Hero With a Thousand Faces
http://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/1682, 27/04,2013