The Path of Harry Potter
Since people have expressed interest in reading what I come up with for my presentation on connecting the path of the hero from Joseph Campbell's Hero with 1000 Faces to the Harry Potter series, I am going to post what I've come up with here. If you aren't familiar with the path of the hero, but do want to know what I'm going to talk about, here's the wiki.
The Path of Harry Potter
Call to Adventure - “Harry - yer a wizard” (Sorcer’s Stone 50). When Hagrid finds Harry at the hut on the rock and Harry finally gets his letter. This scene is what pulls Harry into the Wizarding world, a world where his destiny is to be found.
Refusal of the Call - Within the scene that’s the Call to Adventure, there is also a moment where Harry refuses the call: “I think you must have made a mistake. I don’t think I can be a wizard” (SS 58). But, Harry is quickly reassured and the journey continues.
Supernatural Aid - Dumbledore is Harry’s supernatural aid. The mentor that is the old man, who gives Harry magical objects to help him out, such as the invisibility cloak and the golden snitch that contains the resurrection stone.
Crossing of the First Threshold - The first book is when Harry crosses the threshold onto his heroic journey. Harry spends a year at Hogwarts and comes face to face with Voldemort. The end of the year is when Harry fully commits himself to his journey, first by trying to get to the stone before Voldemort and second by standing up to Voldemort and defeating him once again.
Belly of the Whale - Takes place during Order of the Phoenix in the Department of Mysteries. Harry goes down into the Department of Mysteries and fights against Voldemort and his Death Eaters over the prophesy. This is the first major battle of the second war against Voldemort and losing his Godfather and learning that he has to kill Voldemort or die trying - and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives - forces Harry to undergo a metamorphosis.
The Road of Trials - This is the events that happen in Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, and even Goblet of Fire. The road of trials takes place after the crossing of the first threshold and before the transformation in the Belly of the Whale. Harry faces off against the memory of Voldemort and a basilisk; confronts the killer of his past; competes in the Triwizard tournament and finally faces the newly embodied Voldemort. All of these trials are what made Harry who he was when he went down into the Belly of the Whale.
The Meeting with the Goddess - This is the Scaly Monster in Harry’s Chest™. This is the Half-Blood Prince through Deathly Hallows, where Harry finds he’s in love with Ginny Weasley. They even are married in the epilogue of Deathly Hallows.
Woman as Temptress - Again, this is Ginny Weasley in the Half-Blood Prince. At the end of the book, Harry temporarily breaks up with Ginny to keep her safe, but she is still the temptress. Ginny represents a normal life and freedom from the responsibility that the prophesy puts on Harry, but Harry resists temptation and does what he thinks is right.
Atonement with the Father - Happens during Deathly Hallows when Harry puts on the Resurrection Stone and summons his parents, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin: all of Harry’s father figures.
Apotheosis - During Deathly Hallows when Harry allows the killing curse from Voldemort to hit him. Harry finds himself at King’s Cross Station where he talks to Dumbledore before giving a choice: move on or go back to fight Voldemort. Harry chooses to return from death to try and stop Voldemort.
The Ultimate Boon - The Deathly Hallows are the Ultimate Boon. When Harry possess all three of the Deathly Hallows - the Invisibility Cloak, the Resurrection Stone, and the Elder Wand - he becomes the Master of Death, though he does not stay that way for long, choosing to lose the stone and deactivate the wand.
Refusal of Return - Harry definitely refuses to go back to the muggle world, choosing to stay in the magical world. While he does give up the Ultimate Boon, he does not give up the call to adventure. He’s the department head of the Aurors and J.K. Rowling says in an interview given in 2007 that Harry completely revolutionized the Auror Department.
The Magic Flight - Harry has no real need to escape with the Deathly Hallows, but one could consider the nineteen years between the end of chapter 36 and the Epilogue to be the magic flight.
The Path of Harry Potter
Call to Adventure - “Harry - yer a wizard” (Sorcer’s Stone 50). When Hagrid finds Harry at the hut on the rock and Harry finally gets his letter. This scene is what pulls Harry into the Wizarding world, a world where his destiny is to be found.
Refusal of the Call - Within the scene that’s the Call to Adventure, there is also a moment where Harry refuses the call: “I think you must have made a mistake. I don’t think I can be a wizard” (SS 58). But, Harry is quickly reassured and the journey continues.
Supernatural Aid - Dumbledore is Harry’s supernatural aid. The mentor that is the old man, who gives Harry magical objects to help him out, such as the invisibility cloak and the golden snitch that contains the resurrection stone.
Crossing of the First Threshold - The first book is when Harry crosses the threshold onto his heroic journey. Harry spends a year at Hogwarts and comes face to face with Voldemort. The end of the year is when Harry fully commits himself to his journey, first by trying to get to the stone before Voldemort and second by standing up to Voldemort and defeating him once again.
Belly of the Whale - Takes place during Order of the Phoenix in the Department of Mysteries. Harry goes down into the Department of Mysteries and fights against Voldemort and his Death Eaters over the prophesy. This is the first major battle of the second war against Voldemort and losing his Godfather and learning that he has to kill Voldemort or die trying - and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives - forces Harry to undergo a metamorphosis.
The Road of Trials - This is the events that happen in Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, and even Goblet of Fire. The road of trials takes place after the crossing of the first threshold and before the transformation in the Belly of the Whale. Harry faces off against the memory of Voldemort and a basilisk; confronts the killer of his past; competes in the Triwizard tournament and finally faces the newly embodied Voldemort. All of these trials are what made Harry who he was when he went down into the Belly of the Whale.
The Meeting with the Goddess - This is the Scaly Monster in Harry’s Chest™. This is the Half-Blood Prince through Deathly Hallows, where Harry finds he’s in love with Ginny Weasley. They even are married in the epilogue of Deathly Hallows.
Woman as Temptress - Again, this is Ginny Weasley in the Half-Blood Prince. At the end of the book, Harry temporarily breaks up with Ginny to keep her safe, but she is still the temptress. Ginny represents a normal life and freedom from the responsibility that the prophesy puts on Harry, but Harry resists temptation and does what he thinks is right.
Atonement with the Father - Happens during Deathly Hallows when Harry puts on the Resurrection Stone and summons his parents, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin: all of Harry’s father figures.
Apotheosis - During Deathly Hallows when Harry allows the killing curse from Voldemort to hit him. Harry finds himself at King’s Cross Station where he talks to Dumbledore before giving a choice: move on or go back to fight Voldemort. Harry chooses to return from death to try and stop Voldemort.
The Ultimate Boon - The Deathly Hallows are the Ultimate Boon. When Harry possess all three of the Deathly Hallows - the Invisibility Cloak, the Resurrection Stone, and the Elder Wand - he becomes the Master of Death, though he does not stay that way for long, choosing to lose the stone and deactivate the wand.
Refusal of Return - Harry definitely refuses to go back to the muggle world, choosing to stay in the magical world. While he does give up the Ultimate Boon, he does not give up the call to adventure. He’s the department head of the Aurors and J.K. Rowling says in an interview given in 2007 that Harry completely revolutionized the Auror Department.
The Magic Flight - Harry has no real need to escape with the Deathly Hallows, but one could consider the nineteen years between the end of chapter 36 and the Epilogue to be the magic flight.