The heroic monomyth, popularly referred to as the “Hero’s Journey”, outlines the common stages of a hero’s journey found in many stories. Joseph Campbell first described the monomyth in 1949 in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Although the nature of the monomyth is timeworn in that it derives from old Greek mythological works, this plot archetype aptly extends to countless stories and movies in today’s modern world. Take for example, popular movies, stories, and comics such as Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings. The protagonists in these movies go through the same basic phases of departure, initiation, and return. Likewise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first film of the immensely popular franchise based on J.K. Rowling’s book series, rather explicitly portrays three principal stages of this monomyth. The sequence of progression followed by the protagonist in this film, Harry Potter, comprises of “The Call to Adventure”, “Tests, Allies, and Enemies”, and the “Return with the Elixir.”
Prior to a hero’s call, he derives from an “ordinary world.” The hero, uneasy, uncomfortable, or unaware, is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma. The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history. Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress. Welcome to life with the Dursleys. In this world, Harry is an obvious outcast; he lives under a cupboard, he talks to snakes, and, as his Uncle Vernon portentously implies, strange things happen whenever he is around. This raises a string of forbidden, unexpressed questions in Harry’s mind. The audience can infer from the very first scene where Dumbledore and McGonagall leave Harry on the doorstep that he does not belong to this world. Harry seems to be destined for greater things.
The actual hero’s journey initiates with a “call” and the hero has to leave from his or her home. Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or from something rising up from deep within, so the hero must face the beginnings of change. Harry, after eleven years of a second-rate existence in a home lacking love and any knowledge of his true origins, is introduced to a magical world. Letters from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry addressed to Harry are delivered, but are destroyed by his Uncle before he can read them. This is in essence, is a call unanswered due to intervention by his guardian, Vernon Dursley. In response to this, magic owls flood the home with letters, forcing Uncle Vernon to flee to a small island with his family and Harry. But to no avail, the letters still manage to follow them.
Finally, through magical means and extraordinary strength, a “messenger” subdues Uncle Vernon and ultimately delivers the message. Hagrid, a half-giant, is the messenger and poses the “Call” for which Harry departs his ordinary life. As the family is settling into their place of refuge, Hagrid breaks in to tell Harry what the Dursleys have kept him from finding out: “You’re a wizard, Harry”. In the letter that was initially intercepted, Dumbledore, the headmaster of the school, states that Harry has special powers. He is pleased to inform Harry that he has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is stupefied, as he believes that he is not special. He is so taken aback in fact, that his first response is, “I’m a what?”.
A hero’s refusal of the call is often common, where the hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly. Alternately, another character may express the uncertainty and danger ahead. In this instance, when Harry reads the letter telling him that he is a wizard, he goes into a state of disbelief and instantly rejects the idea of departure with Hagrid. Harry experiences an internal conflict with himself regarding whether magic truly exists or not. This stems from him having been raised by a family of muggles, or people without magical capabilities. After considerable thought, however, he decides that the existence of such a phenomenon must be logical as it would explain all of the strange occurrences in his past. The protagonist hereby changes in the way that this encounter with Hagrid has given him newfound hope: a possibility of leaving the Dursleys. Harry’s journey initiates with this call and countless new adventures wait for him at Hogwarts. The hero understands that there is no return and he should complete what he has set out for.
The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World. From learning how to perform magic to fighting off a troll in the bathroom to three-headed dogs in the basemen, Harry undergoes numerous tests and encounters several allies and enemies throughout the course of the film. His first Quidditch match is rather brutal, but not when compared to getting strangled by vines of the Devil’s Snare. Harry uses his modesty, bravery, and courage to overcome such trials. Fortunately, he does not have to endure these obstacles alone. His loyal companions, Ron and Hermione, provide him their unwavering support along the way. Recognition of Harry’s first adventure at Hogwarts is incited by the reception of the Daily Prophet Newspaper. Upon reading the news of the vault break-in at Gringotts Bank, Harry recognizes the vault number and comprehends that Hagrid had removed a small article, presumably the Sorcerer’s Stone, from it shortly before the attempted robbery. He shares this news with Ron and Hermione, and it is the mystery of immortality and the Sorcerer’s Stone that summons them to their adventure.
The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special World; in this instance, this encompasses the quest for the Sorcerer’s Stone. Before crossing the threshold, the trio collects spells, clues, and comprehension of devices that will help solve the mystery. In order to reach there, they must first cross the threshold guardian, Fluffy the three-headed dog. They contrive a way past Fluffy without much difficulty and once past it, they face a trio of tests: each one embedded there by a different professor, and each one targeted towards each member of the threesome’s respective skillsets. The intellectual and book-smart Hermione has to get them past the tangling vines at the beginning. Ron has to play a perilous round of Wizard’s Chess and surrender himself to Harry’s checkmate in order to move on to the final confrontation. Harry reaches the inmost cave when he gets to the trap door that leads to the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Via analysis of this film under the concept of the monomyth, it is evident that there are two “returns” in the plot. After Harry’s struggle and conquest in the inmost cave with Professor Quirrell (Lord Voldemort), he passes out. Thereafter, he wakes up back in his school at the infirmary. Upon Harry’s “first return”, his return to Hogwarts, he is honored at the End of Term Feast after the events in the Dungeons (inmost cave) for stopping Voldemort. Harry’s house of Gryffindor is awarded a large sum of points ultimately resulting in their acquisition of the House Cup as a token of their triumph. Harry is furthermore recognized as a true hero by virtually the entire wizarding community. In this film, the elixir can be identified as Harry ridding the Wizarding World of Voldemort, at least for the time being. The monomyth of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is just a magnification of the broad spectrum of monomyth found throughout the entire film series. Dumbledore believes that Voldemort will be back, but Harry has obtained them all time to prepare and to plan against his next confrontation. With Harry’s return to the ordinary world, life with the Dursleys at 4 Privet Drive, he returns bearing a robust sense of determination and bravery after singlehandedly facing the utmost enemy and surviving. With the powerful incentive of knowing that he will be going back to Hogwarts the next year, he will be able to cope with living the Dursleys better than before. He will continue to respect them as his guardians, while subsequently standing up for himself, so as not to be walked over by their demanding personalities.
Overwhelmingly, the monomyth of the Hero’s Journey forms the basis of the majority of not just modern cinema, but also books and TV shows. Familiarity with the twelve cyclical stages of the Hero’s Journey breeds recognition of its structure in virtually any movie one might be watching, regardless of the genre or the setting. That is predominantly because the Hero’s Journey is a character-driven plot structure centering on the protagonist undergoing a change; this is a plot that can be interpreted and incorporated into virtually every story. It takes the protagonist from the commonplace “ordinary world” everyone can identify with in some way, to an unknown “special world” where they must face challenges and overcome obstacles, both externally and within themselves. Harry Potter is simply another drop in the pool of classic cinema that links with the classic archetypal monomyth.
