The Heroic Cycle in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

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Recommended: Symbolism in Harry Potter

What does it mean to be a hero in an exciting fantasy adventure? The bigger question is who would not want to be the hero of their own story? In the fantasy genre, these heroes are given the typical heroic tropes that go beyond the gender norm of saving a damsel in distress and fairy tale archetypes. For students, this could be known as “The Heroic Cycles” that are often found in the fantasy genre (Thomas 60). The hero “is usually an orphan, disposing of inconvenient parental monitoring. He or she is sent on a great quest of great importance… He or she meets up with a wise person, reflecting the desire of students for guidance. The hero confronts and conquers the evil foe” (60). In J. K. Rowling’s famous series and Chris Columbus’ film adaptation of her novel, Harry Potter, the main protagonist is the epitome of the heroic protagonist. However in the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone (English version is Philosopher’s Stone) the first novel of the series not only introduces Harry to the wizard world, but also introduces him as the reluctant hero. From the day he was born and due to his parental lineage, Harry is thrusted into playing the hero role and is therefore elevated into a celebrity in the Wizard World. This status and fame is accompanied with the heroic acts that Harry takes on and the prophecy also calls on Harry to also take on the heroic role. In both Harry Potter adaptations, the hero is called to arms and it is what Harry is introduced to in this first part of the series.

To begin the series, Harry is introduced as an orphan child and is quickly thrusted into the wizard world into the hero’s role. In both adaptations, they present Harry living in the muggle (non-magical) world with h...

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...er and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Dir.Chris Columbus. Perf. Daniel Radcliff, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Warner Bros, 2001. DVD.

Ionica, Cristina. English 207: Speculative Fiction: Fantasy Notes. London, ON: University of Western. 2014. Lecture Notes.

Nel, Philip. "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bored: Harry Potter, the Movie." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 46.2 (2002): 172-175. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. .

Rowling, Joanna. K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Markham: Scholastic Canada, 1997. Print.

Thomas, Melissa. "Teaching Fantasy: Overcoming the Stigma of Fluff." English Journal. 92.5 (2003): 60-64. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. .

Zipes, Jack. "Why Fantasy Matters Too Much." Journal of Aesthetic Education . 43.2 (2009): 77-91. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. .

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