Harry Potter the Hero of J.K. Rowling\'s

Harry Potter

The hero of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series is a remarkably complex character for one that is crafted to relate to a young adult readership. In the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was renamed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for American readers only. As Davis points out, the too-intelligent or sophisticated sounding word "philosopher" might have put off American readers. The word "sorcerer" simply sounded more exciting. Regardless of the title, the character of Harry Potter remains the same: a stalwart hero that captivates the reader's attention from the first few pages. When readers first meet Harry Potter, he is an awkward young boy but one who is undoubtedly destined for something special. After all, the title of the first chapter of the novel is "The Boy Who Lived." The remarkable story of his birth characterizes much of Harry's life thereafter. Harry is a chosen one with supernatural gifts and talents. While not quite on the level of a Jesus-type savior, Harry Potter does emerge as someone singled out from his peers. Although he does have a few enemies at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft, his humble and charming personality also endear him to the majority of the staff and students. The Harry Potter series are also coming-of-age stories for Harry, although the Sorcerer's Stone has Harry cast in a largely pre-pubescent role. Harry's set of morals and ethics is still complex, though: he understands exactly when it may be appropriate to break rules and tell lies. He does not completely avoid getting into trouble, ensuring he is not a goody-goody. Harry Potter is the gentle but strong and humble hero of Rowling's novel.

At first, Harry is certainly featured as an underdog. The use of the underdog theme remains strong in Rowling's book, because the literary technique allows or encourages the reader to identify strongly with the protagonist. Readers root for Harry because he is an underdog, and because those who belittle and oppress him are also highly distasteful characters. Whereas Harry is a three-dimensional and complex human being, his enemies are usually depicted as shallow and one-dimensionally evil. In the opening segments of the novel, Harry finds himself orphaned. He is thus symbolically alone in the world. Fate -- or destiny -- leads him to be housed with the dreadful Dursley family. Dudley Dursley proves to be a terrible bully. The entire family has it in for Harry, blaming him and scapegoating him. Their human evils are, however, contrasted sharply with the looming spiritual evil that is Voldemort. Because of the Dursley's and Harry's tragic tale of birth, readers are instantly drawn to the boy's character and his will to survive.

Harry is also soon set apart from the Muggles as someone who is blessed with special gifts. Not only is Harry blessed with the special gifts of wizardry; many people in Potter's world have those gifts. However, Harry is extra special because Voldemort was the one who killed his parents and nearly killed Harry too. Voldemort is the epitome of evil: a satanic character who is not just Harry's enemy but the enemy of all those who would do good in the world. Because Harry's arch-enemy is also the world's arch-enemy, Harry is indeed the Chosen One. No other character in the book has the ability to confront and defeat Voldemort. A lot of responsibility for an eleven-year-old boy, the need to defeat Voldemort comes to consume Harry's character. Being set aside as the Chosen One also endows Harry's character with grave responsibility. Harry is to defeat Voldemort not for selfish survival reasons, to save his own body. But Harry also needs to defeat Voldemort to help the world. Voldemort is the darkness, and harry is the light the will defeat the darkness. Rowling makes out Harry to be a sort of godlike child put on earth to be the symbolic good that conquers the symbolic evil.

At the same time, Harry is just a pre-pubescent young boy who makes both friends and enemies at school. He cares about what people think, although not so much that he becomes weak. Harry makes friends fairly easily, because of his unassuming character. Even though he is the Chosen One, Harry remains humble. He never puts off his peers or boasts. Ron and Hermione become Harry's loyal side-kicks, and Harry is equally as loyal to them. Yet Harry is fully human. He is not immune to social problems such as bullying. In fact, Harry's encounters with Draco Malfoy in the Sorcerer's Stone define Harry's character and help him to become more mature. Moreover, the fact that Hermione needs to intervene on Harry's behalf during the Quiddich game shows that Harry has the potential to garner trust and loyalty from those who know him. Harry also goes out of his way to help others. For example, he courageously defeats the troll in the bathroom for Hermione.

Courage is one of Harry Potter's distinguishing character traits. A defining moment in The Sorcerer's Stone is when Harry agrees to meet Draco Malfoy, even when the bully is too chicken to do the same. A boy of lesser character might have avoided the confrontation out of fear, but Harry exhibits remarkable bravery. Then although Voldemort is established as a figure so powerful that even his name cannot be muttered, Harry is determined to defeat him. Yet defeating him is no small feat, and even by the end of the novel Harry remains alive but so too does Voldemort. Harry's confrontation with Voldemort that makes up the climax of The Sorcerer's Stone is also one that requires an incredible amount of courage. Harry's courage comes from within, even though he is aware that he is a Chosen One.

Harry is a good student, calm and obedient, and yet he also has a mischievous side which endears him to readers. His mischievous side also rounds out his character, which would otherwise be shallow and saccharine. When Harry receives his father's cloak of invisibility, he immediately explores the school undercover, even though he should not. Harry is always willing to break rules that are not meaningful, without causing harm to others. For instance, he lies to Quirrel about what he sees in the Mirror of Erised. The lie is categorically wrong from a Kantian point-of-view, but Harry is wise enough to know he is being tricked. Therefore, Harry understands how to make complex moral and ethical decisions based on situational ethics. He is not a utilitarian, though: as Harry has a definite sense of right vs. wrong when it comes to confronting his nemesis.