| Many articles have been written on the | | | | Dursely's, a family that will be very |
| subject of Harry Potter and his remarkable | | | | familiar to anyone who has read the works of |
| appeal to the mass market, but that's not | | | | Roald Dahl, to Lord Voldemort (Tolkien |
| going to stop me putting in my five cents on | | | | anyone?), to the boarding school environment |
| the subject.I came to Harry Potter late | | | | (a setting used in many older British |
| myself, having dismissed the books as | | | | children's books) to the magical creatures |
| something for children for several years. It | | | | which inhabit Harry Potter's world.Now, it's |
| was a silly dismissal on my part since I can | | | | important to be clear on this point. I am not |
| name several children's books that I still | | | | suggesting plagiarism. Those allegations have |
| happily read. However, a couple of years ago | | | | been made and in each case, clearly showed to |
| the staggering media coverage of the movies | | | | be false. No I am talking here about |
| forced me to read the books to see what all | | | | archetypes:"the original pattern or model |
| the fuss was about. Since then, like most | | | | from which all things of the same kind are |
| everyone else, I have been captivated.I have | | | | copied or on which they are based; a model or |
| read all of the Harry Potter books in order, | | | | first form; prototype."Like all writers (like |
| watched the movies and read many articles | | | | everyone), J K Rowling has been influenced by |
| about various aspects of both Harry and J.K. | | | | her own experiences, by what she has seen and |
| Rowling and I believe that I have identified | | | | by what she has read. In creating Harry |
| two key elements in the success of Harry | | | | Potter she has called on much of that and |
| Potter. I make no claims that these are the | | | | made use of (knowingly or unknowingly) many |
| only elements, but I believe they are central | | | | archetypes from both fantasy and children's |
| to its appeal to both children and | | | | literature. Archetypes are present to some |
| adults.GROWING UP ALONG WITH THE READEROne | | | | degree in almost all fiction and used well |
| obvious feature of the Harry Potter novels is | | | | can create extremely satisfying stories.They |
| that Harry ages. With each book, a year goes | | | | also tend to create stories that have a mass |
| by. While this is not unique to Harry Potter, | | | | appeal, because archetypes are things that we |
| it is unusual for a writer to stick with a | | | | are all familiar with to some degree and |
| single feature character over so many years. | | | | humans by nature (whether they will admit it |
| Particularly when those years encompass the | | | | or not) like the familiar. Don't believe me? |
| key ages of ten through seventeen.As a result | | | | Look at one of the most popular movie series |
| of this, and the fact that the books have | | | | of all time.Star Wars was heavily influenced |
| come out over an approximately nine year | | | | by Joseph Campbell's The Hero with A Thousand |
| period (most likely ten by the time the final | | | | Faces which maps out the common underlying |
| book is published), the children who read the | | | | structure of myths using archetypes. It is |
| Harry Potter and the Sorceror's/Philosopher's | | | | the use of that very structure which allowed |
| Stone have effectively grown up with Harry | | | | Star Wars to break out from the sci-fi niche |
| Potter.Whether by accident or design, it | | | | and become a cultural phenomenon. The use of |
| seems that J. K. Rowling has reflected that | | | | archetypes made the alien situation less |
| increasing maturity in both Harry and her | | | | threatening to audiences.Rowling is in good |
| audience by telling tells that become | | | | literary company on her journey. J. R. R. |
| progressively darker and more complex in | | | | Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings can also be |
| their characterization.This reflection of | | | | mapped against the same mythic structure and |
| Harry's growth towards adulthood conveniently | | | | it has more than stood the test of time and |
| mirrors the same growth that Rowling's core | | | | popularity.Of course following Campbell's |
| audience was experiencing. It also has the | | | | roadmap the story should end with "The Hero's |
| side benefit of attracting the interest of | | | | Departure"...But that's a whole other |
| adults, many of whom became aware of the | | | | discussion.Eoghann Irving is the webmaster |
| books through their children but discovered | | | | for Solar Flare, the long-running science |
| something with a little more depth than the | | | | fiction news blog. A lifelong fan of the |
| average children's tale.So the increasing | | | | sci-fi and fantasy genres, Eoghann writes |
| sophistication helped Harry Potter capture an | | | | news, reviews and commentary for all forms of |
| ever larger audience, but what was it that | | | | science fiction including tv, books, movies |
| appealed to them in the first place?THE | | | | and comic books. Eoghann is always looking |
| IMPORTANCE OF ARCHETYPESThe Harry Potter | | | | for news and information on all things |
| books are packed full of archetypes. From the | | | | sci-fi. |