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