Harry Potter and The

Sorcerers Stone
The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Adventure of a
Hero

Jessica S. Garza

English 101
Mrs. Mary Petty
20 October 2014

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Jessica S. Garza
Mrs. Mary Petty
English 101
October 18, 2014

Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone

Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone follows Joseph Campbells
monomyth The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Adventure of a Hero. The monomyth is broken
down into three different stages: The Call to Adventure, The Initiation and The Return. The Call
to Adventure is where the hero leaves the comfort of their home to set out on a journey that will
take him to an unknown world where hell take on many challenging trials and obstacles. The
Initiation stage is where the hero encounters those trials and obstacles of the new world hes
entered, while also facing his ultimate challenge. In the Final stage the hero will face his final
challenge where he contemplates the idea of returning to the life he was accustomed to in the
beginning. Even though he may not want to return he will have too, to complete the cycle. Harry
Potter, in Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone, follows Joseph Campbells monomyth of the

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hero by separation from his evil relatives to find out the truth about his deceased parents and the
world of wizardry, once he sets out on this journey he faces many challenges that prepare him to
take on a villain only he can defeat, once he returns home his living situation becomes more
bearable and is filled with knowledge and experience that will benefit him later down the road.
Harrys journey begins when he is called to an adventure by receiving a letter to attend
Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At first his unbearable and evil relatives try to
keep him from attending the school, while also trying to keep the truth of his parents death
under wraps. Fortunately the staff who works for the school was not going to allow that to
happen. Once the family is found and persuaded by a very large man named Hagrid, Harry sets
out to attend the school of wizardry. Thats where Hagrid comes in as a supernatural aid. He
shows him the way into the world of wizardry within London and informs him of an inheritance
that his parents left for him. This helps him purchase the school supplies needed to attend
Hogwarts. He then crosses his first threshold once he discovers that there is a concealed
platform at the train station, his ticket that says he will need to take the 9 3/4s platform. He
witnesses he will have to run straight into and through a wall between platforms nine and ten.
Once through, he makes his way on the train where he makes new friends named Ron and
Hermione along the way. Once they arrive the students are separated into different dorms and
told the rules of the school. They are informed that they are not allowed to enter a certain hall
way, it is simply forbidden. As classes begin and the school year goes on Harry and his friends
are intrigued by the forbidden hallway. When they are headed to their rooms they end up coming
across the forbidden hallway, intrigued they run into a room putting them in the belly of the
whale. They are face to face with a three headed beast, terrified they run back out and come to a
conclusion that the beast is safeguarding something and that something is the sorcerers stone.

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After that incident the three of them will later find out that there will be a road of trials that lie
ahead.
Harry and his friends encounter mays challenges as he continues his journey. They defeat
a troll who is on the lose that comes across and tries to kill Hermione. Harry is then put in danger
during first Quidditch match when his broom is taken over by a spell that tries to make him lose
control of his broom. He then encounters, The meeting with the Goddess. In Harrys case he
discovers the Mirror of Erised, which displays the deepest desire of whoever looks in it. Harry
looks in it and sees his parents alive. He is later informed that Voldermort is the person
responsible for killing his parents and also attempted to take Harrys life as well, he was declared
the chosen one. After being told this information Harry starts to look like he might be tempted
not to continue this journey. He may feel like he is not ready to take on such a powerful wizard.
He then realizes that he needs to continue on and he will not be known as just the chosen one.
He will look to Professor Dumbledore to confine in and look to win his respect as not just the
chosen one or the boy who lived but as a great wizard. Right before the ultimate boon an
apotheosis will happen, sort of a calm before the storm. He will come in contact with Voldermort
for the first time while in the woods looking for a creature that has been drinking the blood of
unicorns. Once hes approached by him he is then scared off by a friendly centaur who tells him
that it was indeed Voldemort. Harry realizes that Voldermort is looking for the stone and he will
need to find it before he does. Then the final boon Harry and his friends make it through the final
obstacles that stand in the way of him and the stone. Once he reaches the room where the Mirror
of Erised is now placed he is now face to face with Professor Quirrell who also has Voldermorts
face on the back of his head announces that Harry must die but first Harry must look into the
mirror to tell him where the stone is hidden. Harry sees it in his pocket and tries to lie about the

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stones whereabouts but Voldermort knows he isnt telling the truth. Now angry he tells
Professor Quirrell to kill Harry but once he becomes in contact with Harry he perishes and turns
into dust. Harry then passes out and wakes up in the hospital and is told by Professor
Dumbledore that he saved him from Quirrell just in time and destroyed the stone.
This will be the final stage called The Return. Now that the stone has been destroyed and
the school year is over Harry must return back home. Harry is sent home to spend the summer
with his aunt and uncle. Even though he doesn't want to return he knows that it's only temporary.
Once Harry heads home he now has to be cautious of Voldermort and his return. Harry knows
that once he returns home he can't use his magic. He is leaving the wizarding world and
returning to the muggle world, where he started. He has conquered life in both the familiar world
of muggles, and the wizarding world. Finally, Harry Potter has his freedom to live as the wizard
he was born to be. Now that he has returned from Hogwart's he is being treated a little bit better
due to his family being afraid of what he is capable of doing with his new powers.
Harry Potters journey in Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone incorporates Joseph
Campbells monomyth The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Adventure of a Hero to the tee. Harry
embarks on this journey to get away from his unbearable relatives and embrace the world of
wizardry. He wasnt expecting to overcome so many obstacles and challenges along the way.
The monomyth helps Harry to become the hero he needs to be to defeat the villain and destroy
the stone.

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Work Cited
Campbell, Joseph. Hero with a Thousand Faces. New York: Pantheon Books, 1949. Print.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Dir. Chris Columbus. Perf. Daniel Radcliffe. 2001. DVD.