Harry Potter as Joseph Campbell’s Hero Archetype in the Novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

...

Now that he has all the things he needed to go to his Hogwarts adventure, he now passes through his departure’s next point. Going to platform 9 ¾ was his crossing of the first threshold. He had trouble to find platform 9 ¾. He met the Weasleys who helped him show the location of the platform which is between platforms 9 and 10. They also demonstrated him how to cross it.

Harry’s encounter with his journey’s lowest point or the belly of the whale was when he went through the trapdoor. He felt something strange happening inside it. The trapdoor led him to the second part of his quest.

Harry’s initiation

Initiation is the second portion of Harry’s quest. The hero must be equipped with proper tools and well-prepared for his journey’s critical conflict (Milum, 2004).He will experience road of trials, meet with the goddess, reach apotheosis and achieve ultimate boon in this phase. His initiation served as the adventure’s climax.

Harry has gone through a road of trials when he entered the trapdoor. Harry started playing his flute to make Fluffy, the one who guards the trapdoor, fall asleep. They landed on the devil’s snare, a trap made by Professor Sprout but Hermione was quick to help. The flying keys by Professor Flitwick were the next test they have encountered. Using his broomstick, Harry flew as fast and as high as he can to get the right key that will open the door of the next chamber. Professor McGonagall’s trap was the wizard’s chess. They followed Ron’s instruction to win the game. Harry discovered that Professor Snape created the last trap. Their knowledge about potions was tested in this phase. Then he saw Quirrell and realized that under his turban lies Voldemort, his antagonist. Voldemort commanded Quirrell to kill Harry, but he placed his hands to turn Quirrell’s body to ash (Rowling, 1997).

Harry’s meeting with the goddess was when he met Hermione Granger. Milum (2003) explained that the goddess may be beneficial to the hero’s journey. She will also serve as the hero’s guide to accomplish all his trials. In the novel, Hermione helped Harry passed through all his trials; she also solved the devil snare’s trap and the potion riddle (Milum, 2003).

Campbell (2004) defines woman as temptress as the hero’s distraction towards his journey. It is the opposite of the meeting with the goddess. Harry did not get tempted or distracted by a female figure; therefore, he did not encounter his woman as temptress. His quest continued and reached his apotheosis. It is the stage where Harry discovered that he has the ability to have a godlike moment. He has defeated his ultimate antagonist, Voldemort. He discovered that the reason behind Quirrell’s wearing a turban is that he hid his master. Harry overthrew his foe by putting his hands all over Quirrell’s face to vanquished Voldemort.

The hero’s ultimate boon is achieved when he has accomplished his goal and received rewards and praises in his journey. It also served as the turning point because the hero has resolved the story’s conflict (ChangingMinds.org). Harry attained his goal by defeating Voldemort and saving the Philosopher’s stone from his hand. Professor Dumbledore, Hogwarts’ headmaster, rewarded him and his fellow wizards from Gryffindor. They gathered several points which made them the winner and later received the house cup as their prize. Harry also accomplished his Hogwarts adventure by passing all his exams.

Return to the Muggle world and achieving the hero title

Having gained his initiation, the hero is ready for his return. He must now be able to leave the special world and get back to his ordinary world as a changed man. He will return with triumph and with the hero title. His return is the final stage where he will come back to where it all began; however, he will not experience the same things that happened before (Campbell, 2004). The final stage consists of refusal of the return, magic flight, crossing of the return threshold and becoming the master of the two worlds.

The refusal of the return is reached when the hero has achieved his ultimate boon. The reason of his refusal to go back is that he has found happiness and comfort in the special world (ChangingMinds.org). Harry’s refusal of the return was when he thought of the things he had gone through in Hogwarts with his friends. He also does not want to go back because he might suffer maltreatment from the Dursleys again.

Though Harry seemed to refuse the return, he still needs to go back to his ordinary world to earn the hero title. The magic flight is the part which helps the hero to return to his house safe and sound. The supernatural aid might once again help the hero in his return. Hagrid, Harry’s supernatural aid, accompanied him to Hogwarts Express. His magical flight was when he rode a train in platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station.

The crossing of the return threshold was the quest’s last threshold. It is also the final transition of his challenge in the special world back to the land of the known or his ordinary world (ChangingMinds.org). Harry’s crossing of the return threshold was when reminisced the moments he experienced in Hogwarts. He thought of going back to Hogwarts. His wand and other magical supplies made him think about his adventure. Harry and his friends’ exchanging of words at King’s Cross Station and his reunion with the Dursleys were also part of his crossing of the return threshold.

The hero is now the master of the two worlds when he has finished all his adventures. It marks the end of the hero’s series of quest. He is now a fully transformed man having gone through a different world (Campbell, 2004). Harry became master of the Muggle world and Wizarding world after he had accomplished all the series of quest and returned home safely. His success in his Hogwarts journey was a life changing for him. He gained knowledge from his adventures in the Wizarding world and as part of being the master of the two worlds; he applied those lessons well in the Muggle world. One example is that he did not try to use magic to avenge himself from the Dursleys.

Conclusion and Recommendation

J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a novel featuring Harry Potter’s journey. Harry did not experience a normal life with the Dursleys. He grew up satisfying what the Dursleys wanted him to do. However, his life was changed when he discovered that he is not just an ordinary boy but a wizard with an exceptional magical ability. His life was transformed when an adventure called him to study in Hogwarts, the School of Witchcraft