| Myths about heroes involve early parental loss, tests and trials, mentors, battles against evil, and night-sea journeys during which self-awareness deepens. J. K. Rowling's books about the hero, Harry Potter, share these plot similarities, while they engender phenomenal attention and commercial success. Amplification of the archetypal and mythic themes in Rowling's books may explain their compelling hold in popular culture. This dissertation offers an exploration of the Harry Potter books using the methods of depth psychological analysis. It asks, "Who needs Harry Potter, with his adventures, challenges with evil and decision making?" Ultimately, I propose that we have invited Harry, and he has shown up.;In chronicling Harry's coming of age, J. K. Rowling also provides a metaphorical commentary on contemporary society, which is analyzable in depth psychological terms. She highlights the age-old vulnerability and powerlessness of children. Children, and the futurity they represent, remain unprotected in modern, technologically evolved society. It is my contention that Rowling writes about similarities between the world fantasized in her novels and the contemporary world.;Rowling encourages an examination of our shadow thoughts with implications that it is heroic to ponder our beliefs and prejudices. Harry faces quests that require self-reflection and the recognition of the evil within, all of which potentially offer transformation to the existing status quo. Like C. G. Jung, Rowling avoids conceptualizing life's dilemmas within the dualities of good and bad, light and dark. Jung's theories about the shadow provide a framework for understanding Harry's emerging self, warts and all, as well as the personality of the antagonist, Voldemort.;We discover in Rowling's work that the failure to develop empathy or meaningful connections with others is perhaps the greatest evil of all. In the Harry Potter books, the theme of healing the heartfelt despair of loss through connections with others joins with the power of story to transform. The archetypal images within the Harry Potter novels represent connections to the collective unconscious, and offer meaningful commentary about love, loss, and transformation in contemporary culture. |
