Harry Potter, the classic hero
“The effect of the successful adventure of the hero is the unlocking and release again of the flow of life into the body of the world” (Campbell, 37). Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone is an ideal representation of the traditional pattern of the heroic journey as represented by Joseph Campbell. As depicted in Campbell’s work, A hero with a thousand faces, Rowling’s story follows the traditional outline of this journey. This is demonstrated throughout Campbell’s book in; the departure, the initiation and the return.
The correlation between these two works can at some times be faint but, nevertheless, the fact that Harry potter journey is one outlined as classical is inevitable.
The departure, a chapter divided by five sections, is the chapter with the most evident link to Harry Potter’s story. The call to adventure “signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown” as explained by Campbell (53) is shown when Harry receives the letter from Hogwarts, an invitation to transfer to a new world, although Harry doesn’t know it yet he is about to embark on quite the adventure. The refusal of the call is defined as the refusal to accept this on coming journey either by the protagonist himself or forced on by another character, in this case Harry is forced to delay his adventure by Uncle Vernon temporarily forbidding this inevitable passage. The Supernatural aid in this case would have to be Rubeus Hagrid the keeper of keys and ground at Hogwarts he is Harry’s magical guide into the unknown. “The first encounter of the hero-journey is with a protective figure” (Campbell 63). By rescuing Harry from the Dursley’s, Hagrid becomes Harry’s protector and will help his transition into the magical world, into his new personality and into his new life. The first threshold that needs to be crossed is into Diagon alley, Harry makes his way there...