HERO'S JOURNEY:

HARRY POTTER
STUDENT: JEOVANA REIS
SEPARATION
1. The Call to Adventure
For Harry, this was the classic “Yer
a wizard, Harry” moment that sets
the story in motion.
2. Refusal of the Call
Harry’s “refusal” was the short-
lived “I can’t be a wizard; I’m just
Harry.”
3. Supernatural Aid 4. The Crossing of the
First Threshold
Hagrid plays the role of
This would be Harry’s first
Harry’s “supernatural aid,”
steps into Diagon Alley,
subsequently providing
where he is fully submerged
Harry with an “artifact” that
into the wizarding world.
will help him “later in [his]
quest” — a wand
5. Belly of the Whale

While it is debatable which moment is the “belly of

the whale,” I think the closest thing is when Harry is
sorted into Gryffindor House, a place where he can
finally belong like no other place in his life.
INITIATION
1. The Road of Trials

In Chamber of Secrets there is the Dueling Club,

then following the spiders into the Forbidden Forest,
and lastly Harry’s encounter with Tom Riddle and
the Basilisk.
 2. The Meeting with the Goddess

Harry’s “meeting with the goddess” was when he was an

infant and Lily died to protect him. This act saved Harry’s life
many times and even helped defeat Voldemort later on, so
it matches up with the criteria of being “a love that has the
power and significance of the all-powerful.”
3. Woman as Temptress

This one is tough because Harry doesn’t really ever “stray

from his quest.” I think that the closest thing to this
would be his relationship with Ginny since she was
always on Harry’s mind, and him breaking up with her for
her own safety at the beginning of Deathly Hallows shows
that Harry tried to push away this “temptress.”
 4. Atonement with the Father
There are many moments when Harry has had “atonement” with
James, at this point in the story Dumbledore is the “father” and
mentor of this stage and is the one who “holds the ultimate
power.” This act being the “center point” of the journey, we can
conclude that this moment is best represented by:

Being “initiated” by helping Dumbledore search for the

locket Horcrux
Dumbledore’s death at the Astronomy Tower, a turning
point for Harry
5. Apotheosis
Harry’s apotheosis is when he sacrifices himself to Voldemort in
Deathly Hallows, physically dying and meeting Dumbledore in the
purgatory/King’s Cross dream state. It is certainly a “period of rest”
and allows Harry to think through his plan and have a moment of
“fulfillment” with Dumbledore, who finally answers the questions that
Harry had been desperately wanting answers to.

6. The Ultimate Boon

Plain and simple: when Voldemort’s spell backfired and killed him,
leaving Harry victorious.
 RETURN
1. Refusal of the Return
There is not a direct example of this in Harry Potter since
we know little about what happened directly after the
Battle of Hogwarts.

2. The Magic Flight

Once more, there is not a direct example of this in Harry’s journey
because of the limited information we are given after the
“Ultimate Boon” stage.
Ginny was a one of the “guides” for Harry after the
battle, leading him back to everyday life since in the
epilogue they are living happy and peaceful lives.
4. The Crossing of the Return Threshold

Harry shared some of his “wisdom” with Albus Severus on

Platform 9 3/4 when he reassured Albus that it did not
matter what house he was sorted into, because “the
bravest man” he ever knew was a Slytherin. This reflects
directly back to the first novel when Harry himself was
concerned about being sorted into Slytherin, and this
moment in the epilogue at the train station is a little tidbit
of Harry sharing knowledge from his journey “with the rest
of the world.”
 5. Master of Two Worlds
Again, in the epilogue, Harry is shown content with
everyday life while still being connected to the wizarding
world.

6. Freedom to Live
We do not see any regret from Harry, but regarding the
future we are told that “the scar had not pained Harry for
nineteen years” and that finally, “all was well.”
Harry Potter
and the soft
power
The UK has topped Soft Power 30 -
attributing this to the success of
many influences in popular culture
including Harry Potter.
Harry Potter, it’s fair to say, is more
than just a book; its fans and it
seriously influences their worldview
and even politics.

The world J.K. Rowling created speaks

hugely about the modern British brand. It is
a curious mixture of progressive political
values – Gryffindor v Slytherin is a thinly
disguised conflict between liberals and
reactionaries.
 Harry Potter’s value to the UK economy is
incalculable, but Rowling has arguably put
more cash into the British treasury than
anyone in history.