Campbell & Rowling: "The Monomyth" &
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Hp7) is the final book in a series written by author J.K. Rowling. Rowling is an English Author who started writing these books for her kids. She wrote Seven books all together. The series was extremely popular that they were turned into Movies. Hp7 Resembles Joseph Campbell's Monomyth (The Heroes Journey). Harry, the hero, goes through trials and tests throughout Hp7. Although it seems Rowling followed the Monomyth there are steps that Harry did not take in Hp7.
Harry has multiple Archetypes. The most obvious one being "Hero", he is also an "Altruist" and a "Martyr". He is an Altruist because he is willing to sacrifice himself to better the wizard world. He knows in order for there to be peace, not only does he have to kill Voldemort, he must also kill himself. He is a Martyr because he is Christ like. Dumbledore says harry is the prophet. Although he goes through adventures he puts everyone else first. He has empathy towards other people. He feels guilty for the war that is going on in the Wizard world. At the end he must make a decision to sacrifice himself in order to save mankind.
The Call to Adventure:
Harry, Ron and Hermione actually start the adventure (call to adventure) in the very end of the previous book, (Harry potter and the half blood prince) when Dumbledore dies and Harry knows he must continue looking for the Horcruxes to defeat Voldemort.
Harry has help from Ron and Hermione,but, he also has a supernatural aid. I consider Dumbledore (although he died in the previous book) to be a main supernatural aid. Throughout the entire Harry potter series Dumbledore was like the wise old man that looked after Harry. He always gave him advise and tried to prepare him for what was going to come. He also gave Harry, Ron and Hermione Talisman. When Dumbledore died he left some items to The three. He left Harry the golden snitch he caught in his first Quidditch game. He also left him the sword of Gryffindor but the minister of magic took back because he said it was not Dumbledore's to give away. He believed it to belong to Godrick Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts. He also said it was lost and no one knew where it was. He left Ron a dimlluminator which he said "when things seem the most dark it will show you the light"(Hp7). He left Hermione a book called "The Tales of Beetle Bard" which Dumbledore said "I hope she find it entertaining and informative" (Hp7) Each of these Talismans helped Them in different ways.
The final separation between the three and the "normal world" or the belly of the whale would be when they are forced to leave Ron's brother Bill's wedding, Although they were never in a "normal" world to begin with. Harry tries to leave the burrow the night before Bill and Fleur's wedding to protect everyone. Ron stops him and tells Harry that he does not care what happens to him, He wants to be with Harry and help him. However, During the wedding reception some of the Death Eaters swarm in. While everyone else is trying to fight them off, Ron, Harry and Hermione apperate. Hermione takes them to London, the only place she feels safe because she would go there all the time with her parents as a little girl. From this point on they can no longer go back or see any one they know because it puts everyone else in danger. You might even argue that the Belly of the Whale starts from the moment Harry enters Hogwarts in the very first book of the series because ever since that moment, he has been training and preparing for this final battle.
Initiation:
Harry, Ron and Hermione embark on this journey and face "The Road of Trials" that only one can imagine. They must locate the Horcruxes in order to defeat Voldemort. In Hp6, Harry and Dumbledore found one of the Horcruxes. However when Harry went to open the Horcrux he found a note that said "R.A.B." already took the real one. So their first goal is to begin to figure out who "R.A.B." is to find the rest of the Horcruxes. In the Monomyth Campbell says "The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes."(Monomyth) Just like in any other Harry Potter book he goes through many trials in order to get to the problem. In Hp7 Harry does have three trials or quests. He must find the Horcruxes, Find the Deathly Hallows before Voldemort does and the biggest Quest: KILL VOLDEMORT!
The Monomyth lists "The Meeting with the Goddess", However, Harry's "Goddess" is not an actual person as it is more of a feeling or a longing. Campbell says "This is the point when the person experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful,all encompassing, unconditional love..."(Monomyth). Harry meets his "Goddess" in Hp7 for the first time I think when he and Hermione go to Godricks Hollow. The place where Harry's parents were killed and where Harry survived the killing spell. They go into the cemetery where his parents are buried. He comes across their grave and he stands there and talks to them and just thinks to himself. He longs for the love that his mother would have gave him or to feel his father be proud of him, but because of Voldemort he will never get that. Throughout the entire series Harry struggles with this love. It's almost as if his Goddess does not exist.
There is a lot of moments during Hp7 where it gives Harry perspective and showed him what he would have to do but I think the "Atonement" really gave Harry all the answers. "The Atonement with the Father" Campbell describes it as "But this requires an abandonment of the attachment to ego itself, and that is what is difficult. One must have a faith that the father is merciful, and then a reliance on that mercy."(Monomyth) As I read this part of the Monomyth it was uncanny how much it resembled the relationship between Harry and Professor Snape. Harry held such grudges against Snape and it seemed Snape did the same towards Harry. When Voldemort Killed Snape, Harry took Snape's tears and viewed his memories. He saw that Snape was in love with Harry's mother. He saw that Snape promised himself that he will always look after Harry and guide him. Throughout the Harry Potter series, Harry was always saved or shown the right way by a "Doe" patronis. Harry always thought it was his mother but it turned out it was Snape. Snape had the Same patronis as Harry's mom did because your patronis can change due to strong emotions. Snape was so in love with Lily that even until the day he died he had the same patronis. Campbell also says "The problem of the hero going to meet the father is to open his soul beyond terror to such a degree that he will be ripe to understand how the sickening and insane tragedies of this vast and ruthless cosmos are completely validated in the majesty of being." (Monomyth) He goes on to say lastly " He beholds the face of the father, understands-and the two are atoned." That is exactly what Happened between the two. Snape's final words were "You have your mother's eyes." At that moment everything was forgiven. The bond between Snape and Harry set the tone for not only Hp7, but the entire Harry Potter series. Harry later names his son after him and Dumbledore (Albus Severus Potter).
"The Ultimate Boon" Is Finally killing Voldemort. It took seven books but Harry finally gets to finish the war. The entire journey was in preparation for this. Up until Snape dying, Harry didn't know he would ultimately have to sacrifice himself to kill Voldemort. He didn't know a piece of Voldemort's sole was in him. In Killing Voldemort, He would restore the peace and safety in the wizard world. He would also avenge the death of his Parents, his Godfather and so many more innocent lives.
Return:
"The Magic Flight" is when "sometimes the hero must escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding."(Monomyth) After Harry successfully killed Voldemort he gets the Elder wand, Which is the most powerful wand in the Wizard World. He knows it has so much power and does not want anyone else to have it. so to be on the safe side he takes the wand and snaps it in half. Ron was shocked and said he should have kept it. Harry knew that he did not want that much power and he wanted to make sure no one else tried to go after it.
"The crossing of the return threshold" & "Freedom to live" I think go hand in hand in Hp7. Although we do not really knows what happens right after the war with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, we do know what happens 19 years later. Harry married Ron's sister Ginny and have three kids of his own who also go on to attend Hogwarts. "The hero is the champion of things to becoming, not of things, become, because he is." (Campbell) Harry is finally intent with his life. He does not regret anything nor is he hoping for anything in the future. He is happy being married and being a father. He finally got the family he never had. Just as the final three words of the very last page says "All is Well" (Rowling).
Citation:
"Monomyth." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 21 May. 2012. Web. 27 May. 2012
"Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows" Harry Potter Wiki. Vostok, 04 July. 2005. Web. 20. May. 2012
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Scholastic 2007. Print.
photo credit....FanPop
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