Aspects of mythic Hero in Harry Potter

Aspects of mythic Hero in Harry Potter 

The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell outlines the aspects that a character must possess in order to be considered a mythic hero. Although society
terms many different people who perform certain tasks heroic, a true mythic hero must fit into a certain mold. A hero must first be “the man of self-achieved submission”. The hero is one of virtue and morality in all situations and these two aspects remain evident throughout all of the hero's struggles. He also exhibits an underestimated appearance that is the result of a humble and even terrible beginning of life. Harry Potter of the Harry Potter series shows these characteristics beginning with his own humble beginnings. In the collected work of essays based on the series, The Psychology of Harry Potter, Goodfriend comments on the terrible circumstances in which Harry Potter is brought up: “Harry is a great wizard. But often, greatness is bred from childhood strife and results in interpersonal loneliness and separation in adulthood”. Harry Potter is gifted, but it is not because he was brought up in an inspiring and caring world that fostered magical growth. Harry is forced to live with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and horrid cousin Dudley, otherwise known as the Dursley family. The obvious hate the Dursleys feel towards him is glaring. Their obvious disdain towards Harry is, unfortunately, a common occurrence, and it seems the Dursleys would rather choose to ignore Harry than recognize him as a member of their family: “The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn’t there-or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn’t understand them, like a slug”. Harry’s “family” chooses not to recognize him, and because of his magical abilities, he is treated as not only an outcast of the family but as a despised being who is intruding on their “normal” lives.