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