Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 37

Trials, Allies and Enemies
Harry's trials had begun when he was a baby and Voldemort tried to kill him.
However his conscious trials begin on the train to Hogwarts when he overcomes Malfoy’s
threats. Soon Malfoy and Snape are his perceived enemies. He also learns of Voldemort’s
attempts to kill him, which establishes Voldemort as a perceived enemy. In retrieving
Neville’s Rememberall, a trial, Harry’s abilities on a broomstick are discovered. He becomes
friends with Ron on the Hogwarts train and he soon welcomes Hermione as an ally after
helping to save her from the trial of the troublesome Mountain Troll. These two young
wizards offer their own talents to assist Harry in his trials. Hermione helps discover
information about the Philosopher’s Stone and inadvertently helps save Harry when Quirrell
tries to kill him during a Quidditch match. Harry shows his talents in Quidditch by recovering
the golden snitch. By this stage Harry has begun to work out how his new world operates
(PS, 101- 141).
Approach to the Inmost Cave
Harry learns more about himself through the Mirror of Erised, which he discovers in a
darkened room. The Mirror of Erised will later be a key part of Voldemort’s quest for
immortality. Through this object Harry is able to see his parents. As with many quest stories
there is rescue of loved ones because Harry has now achieved a link with his parents. There is
also the harbouring of a potential monster, which is another element common to many quest
stories, as Harry, through the desires he views in the mirror, could be driven to madness.
With the help of Dumbledore Harry is able to overcome the temptation of the mirror, a minor
ordeal. Dumbledore has now become Harry’s primary mentor. He has provided Harry with
sound advice and with the elixir of the invisibility cloak (PS, pp. 148-157).

Ordeal
As stated above, the Mirror of Erised is a minor ordeal while the main ordeal for
Harry, in the PS quest story, is located further than indicated in Vogler’s general hero journey
structure. Vogler places the main ordeal after the Approach to the Inmost Cave (1999, p. 12)
but in PS the main ordeal occurs after the structural point entitled The Road Back. Such
variations in the hero journey are not unusual.
Reward
Harry has received the gift of the invisibility cloak earlier so that he can access the
mirror. It is a gift from the grave as it was his father’s. It assists Harry in sneaking around
Hogwarts to gather information and in providing cover for Hermione, Harry and Ron in their
final adventure in PS. He has also received Dumbledore’s advice regarding the Mirror of
Erised, which will later assist him in his confrontation with Voldemort/Quirrell. This is where
Dumbledore properly shows his mentoring role. Harry learns that desire can be one’s worst
enemy as it can literally destroy your humanity. This notion is demonstrated in Voldemort’s
quest for immortality and power that derives him of his humanity (PS, pp. 148-157).
The Road Back
Through the detention he receives Harry gains information that will help him on his
quest. During the trip to the forbidden forest with Malfoy, they find a hooded creature
feeding off the blood of a slain unicorn. The centaur Frienze saves Harry and also provides
information that explains why the Philosopher’s Stone is at risk (PS, 181-189).

Ordeal
Harry’s main mentor, Dumbledore, is away so Harry must face the main ordeal alone.
However, Harry starts this ordeal with his friends Ron and Hermione. Initially Harry and his
friends must overcome those who would restrict them. Harry must risk expulsion from
Hogwarts as he needs to break school rules to stop the rebirth of Lord Voldemort. Then
Harry, Ron and Hermione suffer the ordeal of stopping their friend Neville from threatening
their quest. Using their respective talents the trio must overcome a number of minor ordeals
until Harry faces the ultimate one. They descend past the three-headed dog, Fluffy (a
reminder of Cerberus, the guardian dog of the Underworld in Greek mythology) and then the
Devil's Snare plant. They then retrieve a specific flying key, compete against a group of huge
animated chess pieces, solve a riddle to avoid poisoning and complete a task. Ron and Harry
will suffer physically from these ordeals (PS, pp. 195-208). Harry, now the lone hero, faces
his key test/ordeal. He meets Voldemort/Quirrell alone. He must then look past the desire to
use the Philosopher’s Stone for himself in order to stop Voldemort/Quirrell getting the Stone
to provide Voldemort with eternal life. Dumbledore’s advice is instrumental here because he
told Harry that in the mirror you are able to see what you most desire, which in this case is
the Philosopher’s Stone (PS, p. 157). By looking in the mirror Harry sees the Philosopher’s
Stone placed in his pocket, which is where it suddenly appears. Harry then overcomes
Voldemort through the death of Quirrel (PS, pp. 195-214).
Resurrection
After struggling with Quirrell/Voldemort, Harry falls into darkness. He returns to
consciousness with Dumbledore in the hospital wing. Order has been temporarily restored to
the wizarding world and Harry has shown himself to be a real hero in his own right. Some
people may read this episode as a literal ‘resurrection’ in that Harry may have died and Dumbledore brought him back to life. This type of resurrection is found commonly in heroic
myths (Vogler, 1999, p. 22). Ironically, Harry has temporarily hindered Voldemort’s chance
of being resurrected to full life (PS, p. 214).

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 36

Harry Potter as a “Hero Journey”
If a hero journey is attractive to us, speaks to us and teaches us values, it is necessary
to ask if the Harry Potter series is a hero journey. As previously stated a number of critics
(Applebaum, 2003, Nikolajeva, 2003, Alton, 2003, Schafer, 2002, et al.) have referred to this
aspect of the series. Schafer (2002) feels that Harry fulfils many of the criteria required to be
called a mythical hero including that he acquires self-knowledge, matures during his ordeal
and that readers are able to “identify with Harry’s experiences and recognize parallels in their
own lives” (p. 130). Pharr (2002) sees Harry as a hero in progress, a potential representative
of Campbell’s monomyth (p. 54) while Nikolajeva (2003) writes that “the movement of
Campbellian monomyth, . . . corresponds exactly to the master plot of children’s fiction . . .
most tangible in all Harry Potter novels to date” (p. 127). If we accept Harry Potter as a hero
in the sense of the monomyth it is necessary to relate directly some incidents in the Harry
Potter series to Campbell’s monomyth pattern.

Harry Potter and the “Hero Journey” form
There is no great surprise that the Harry Potter series draws from the hero journey
form because a large number of popular stories, both in the written media and other media,
draw on this pattern; it speaks to us psychologically as we are connected to this pattern
through our collective unconscious (Segal, 1999, p. 135). Campbell felt that a new set of hero
journey narratives was needed that drew on the world as we knew it, that allowed us to enjoy
the great stories of mythology in a new setting. “. . . mythology shows itself to be as
amenable as life itself to the obsessions and requirements of the individual, the race, the age”
(Campbell, 1993 p. 382). Some critics see the Harry Potter series and other works, such as
Star Wars (1977), as examples of these new narratives (Milum, 2003).
Throughout the Harry Potter series it is easy to connect events in the stories with the
hero journey or monomyth pattern as described by Campbell and others. Written below is a
depiction of the hero journey in PS. The structural outline and terminology used is taken from
Vogler (1999, p. 12).
Ordinary World
Harry lives at the residence of Mr and Mrs Dursley, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging,
Surrey. The creation of this address by Rowling indicates her desire to portray the Dursley
family as comical and distasteful early in the series. Privet refers to a shrub, which is
frequently planted in some numbers to be turned into hedges that are trimmed into
uniformity. Vernon and Petunia Dursley wish to be seen as conventional, in uniformity with
the rest of their neighbours (PS, p. 7), not connected with anything strange or mysterious,
especially witchcraft. They tend to be boring people rather than excitement seekers. The term
“whinging” is commonly used in the English language to describe the action of constant complaining which is one of the characteristics of Dursley family especially in regard to
Harry (PS. pp. 19-27). Harry is an orphan, small and skinny, with wild hair and a lightning
bolt scar. He is given old clothes to wear, requires glasses and is forced to live in the
cupboard under the stairs. Mr and Mrs Dursley reluctantly look after him and he has to put up
with his spoiled cousin Dudley, who is a bully. Both Vernon and Petunia do not wish Harry
to know about his origins as they lie to him about how his parents died (PS, pp. 19-27).
Call to Adventure
Harry is called to his adventure, initially a life of wizardry, through strange
occurrences. His hair grows back almost instantly after it is cut, one of Dudley’s large
jumpers refuses to fit over his head and he strangely ends up on the school roof when he was
only seeking to jump behind some bins. He has a dream about a flying motorbike then, on the
visit to the Zoo for his cousin Dudley’s birthday, Harry gets physical responses from a snake
he is talking to, the glass on the snake’s enclosure vanishes and while the snake escapes
Harry swears he heard it talk to him (PS, pp. 23- 26).
Refusal of the Call
Harry then receives strange letters that he is not allowed to open. On behalf of Harry,
but without his consent, Uncle Vernon refuses the call to wizardry by trying to stop the letters
arriving even though they now number in the hundreds. The Dursleys try to avoid the call by
fleeing with Harry to an old house on an isolated rock in the sea but Hagrid arrives and the
call is taken up (PS, p. 30-51).

Meeting with the Mentor
Harry has met one of his mentors, Hagrid, but he is yet to formally meet his dominant
mentor, Dumbledore. However, Dumbledore has already been involved in mentoring Harry’s
life, as he was responsible for Harry’s placement in the Dursley household when his parents
were slain. This action was undertaken to protect Harry (PS, pp. 15-16).
Crossing the First Threshold
In PS Harry must pass a number of thresholds rather than just one, to enter his new
wizarding world. These thresholds are not the dramatic episodes that occur in many hero
journeys but they do show Harry’s commitment to a new life. In London Harry is assisted by
Hagrid to get into Diagon Alley, a witches shopping area, which is hidden away from the
muggle world. He is also assisted by Hagrid to get some of money left to him by his parents
from Gringotts, a bank run by goblins that is positioned in the Alley, which will help him
break the shackles of poverty and enter a world of economic independence. He purchases
items that will assist him to live effectively in the wizarding world. These include a wand and
an owl. At King's Cross he is taught how to get through the protective barrier at Platform 9
3/4, so that he can get the Hogwarts train, the formal means of entering his new world/life.
Here he meets Ron Weasley and many of the Weasley family. On the train Draco Malfoy
threatens him with the same fate as his parents. Draco may be seen here as a Threshold
Guardian (Vogler, 1999, p. 129). Harry then has to travel over water, a common symbolic
threshold, to arrive at his new home, Hogwarts. Finally Harry must pass the Sorting Hat
ceremony. This hat takes some time in deciding whether Harry will go in the Gryffindor or
the Slytherin house. With his acceptance into the Gryffindor House Harry has now crossed
from the Dursley family into a new surrogate family (PS, 55-97).

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 35

The “Hero Journey” and its relevance to our youth
Research undertaken by Campbell, Vogler and others indicate that people relate to the
hero journey form in its varied forms. As Vogler (1992/1999) observes, people find this type
of story attractive. His book, The writer journey: Mythic structure for writers (1992), and
subsequent revised editions outline how the hero journey pattern, as disclosed by Campbell
(1949/1993), has been used in many successful films. Our young people also view films in
which the hero journey has been used and many of those films have been highly successful with the youth audience. Examples are The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, E.T. the Extra-
Terrestrial, The Wizard of Oz and the Star Wars films (Vogler, 1999). More contemporary
examples would be Finding Nemo and Shrek. Our youth have been exposed to the hero
journey through films as well as through other forms of narratives including traditional
myths.
The recent Angus and Robertson survey of Australian children between the ages of
five and seventeen, in which 60,000 children voted for their favourite book, chose
adaptations of the hero journey in all of their top ten choices (Angus & Robertson, 2006).
These included the Harry Potter series as equal first choice, the Narnia chronicles (Lewis),
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Dahl, 1964) and Eragon (Paolini, 2003). Due to this
enculturation of the hero journey in our young people, particularly through our popular film
culture, it is reasonable to assume that they are comfortable with this form of narrative and
that they find it relevant because it continues to attract both young viewers and readers. This
connection with the hero journey is important because by using this concept in the education
of our youth we are providing a greater chance for the learning to be more effective as
students personally relate to the learning process (White, p. 130, p.168).
Modern Australian based research also supports the relevancy of the hero journey to
our youth. In a limited research project undertaken in the Wollongong area of Australia, with
a Grade Six class, the published results indicate that the hero journey does connect with our
youth. Kori Nemme and Phil Fitzsimmons (2004) based their study on Campbell’s views
about how a person’s interaction with a hero journey causes a natural response as they relate
that story to their own lives (pp. 5-7). In their research project they introduced students to the
concept and structure of the hero journey, and immersed students in the novel Rowan of Rin
by Emily Rodda (1993/2003). Importantly, the study undertaken showed how the hero
journey narrative could be used in a co-educational class with a varied range of abilities and culture backgrounds. The class contained seven children out of the class of twenty-eight who
were undertaking a reading-recovery programme and the class had a wide range of language
abilities with students mainly coming from Anglo-Saxon, Lebanese and Portuguese
backgrounds, including some with little use of English at home (Nemme & Fitzsimmons,
p. 9).
Through a shared book experience and set tasks, students were encouraged to apply
their understanding of the text to their own life journey. Without inducement from the
researchers students frequently responded with their personal experiences in relation to the
text (Nemme & Fitzsimmons, 2004, pp. 9-18). The results of the study indicate the suitability
of the hero journey narrative as an educational tool with contemporary students because
students connected with it.
The study found that there was a great deal of resonance with Campbell’s
(1991) notions of natural response when the ‘Hero’s Journey’ was introduced
into the classroom context through the shared book experience. The process of
resonance appeared lively and interactive and involved the interplay between
Campbell’s notions of natural response and the relationships and nature of
learning in the classroom. Students applied an archetypal resonance to the text;
undertook a personal resonance with the ‘Hero’s Journey’ to other narrative and
their own lives; and also developed a social resonance to other students and the
teacher (pp. 9-10).
The second relevance of the hero journey is in the way it relates to our mind,
whether consciously or subconsciously. While a hero journey describes a physical
journey to its reader, which often involves adventure and suspense, it is also an inward
journey that relates to its reader’s psyche. The reason this occurs, as Campbell perceives it, is because all hero journeys are actually about us. He speculated that
people related naturally with the narrative form, particularly the hero journey narrative,
because we are aware that our own lives are a narrative (1993). People also respond to
the archetypes present in hero journeys. The hero’s search connects with modern
readers because it is a reflection of their own search, through their unconscious, for
self-knowledge (Segal, 1999, p. 135):
Freud, Jung, and their followers have demonstrated irrefutably that the logic, the
heroes, and the deeds of myth survive into modern times. In the absence of an
effective general mythology, each of us has his private, unrecognised,
rudimentary, yet secretly potent pantheon of dream. The latest incarnation of
Oedipus, the continued romance of Beauty and the Beast, stand this afternoon on
the corner of Forty-second Street and Fifth Avenue, waiting for the traffic light to
change (Campbell, 1993, p. 4).
The hero journey also connects with people on the conscious level of our emotions. As
Vogler (1999) states:
In any good story the hero grows and changes, making a journey from one way of
being to the next: from despair to hope, weakness to strength, folly to wisdom,
love to hate, and back again. It’s these emotional journeys that hook an audience
and make a story worth watching (p. 13).
If we accept Campbell’s view then all myths are relevant to us and speak to us because they
are about us:
In the end we are all of us in a sense experts on stories, because nothing is closer to us
than to see the world in the form of stories. Not only are our heads full of stories all
the time; we are each of us acting out our own story throughout our lives. Outwardly
male or female, we are each of us, like David Copperfield, cast as the hero of the story of our own life – just as we are equally its heroine. And the aim of our life, as we see
from stories, is that those two should become one, to ‘live happily ever after’ (Booker,
2004, p. 701).
Lastly, myths, including the hero journey, speak to us about our values. While various
critics interpret myths in different ways most recognise them as a valuable instrument in the
reinforcing of cultural values including renowned mythologist, Bronislaw Malinowski and
Jung (Segal, 1999, p. 79). Jung felt that myth had a social function because he saw the
archetypes as models of how man [sic] should behave (Segal, p. 79). Malinowski followed
the socio-functional or structural-functional approach to myths, which studied them “ in
terms of their functional ability to provide social solidarity, to transmit cultural values”
(Doty, p. 46). This corresponds with an earlier statement in this thesis that stories are seen as
an important means through which societal values are taught.
Myths, particularly hero journeys, are also stories (Hourihan, 1997, pp. 1-4) and
provide the same sort of function as stories including the enculturation of values. They do
this through people encountering hero journeys in different media and relating their own
inner struggles with the struggles undertaken by the hero and the choices he (and
occasionally she) makes in overcoming these challenges. These choices, as mentioned
previously, are based on the hero’s personal values. This, in reality, presents a problem, as
outlined previously in reference to Hourihan’s work. She states that the values hero stories
espouse usually involve the upholding the values of the dominant societal group and the
glorification of violence to achieve victory (pp. 1-4). This is because the meanings of the
traditional hero stories include “the inscription of white European dominance, the
marginalisation of women and the privileging of action and extroversion over imagination and feeling “ (p. 10). Vogler (1999) also recognises that the traditional hero journey is more
masculine than feminine (pp. xviii-xix).
The masculine need to go out and overcome obstacles, to achieve, conquer, and
possess, may be replaced in the woman’s journey by the drives to preserve the family
and the species, make a home, grapple with emotions, come to accord, or cultivate
beauty” (p. xix).

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 34

CHAPTER 5: HARRY POTTER, THE “HERO JOURNEY” AND OUR YOUTH
“Search for the hero inside yourself. Until you find the key to your life”
(M People, 1995)
“Heroes summarize individual and collective desires, and support the idea of the eternal
personal achievement which is therefore, the guide for the greatest advances of human race”
(Michelle Roche, 2003, pp. 24-25).
Introduction
Previous mention has been made of the relationship of the Harry Potter series to the
hero journey or monomyth. Many critics have commented on this relationship in their
opinions of the books (Applebaum, 2003, Nikolajeva, 2003, Alton, 2003, Schafer, 2000, et
al.). The connection between the Harry Potter series and the hero journey is an important one
because it helps us to understand one of the reasons that the books have been so successful in
engaging with our youth and how our youth can learn from the books.
What is the “Hero Journey”?
The monomyth or hero journey is a term used by mythologist Joseph Campbell in his
famous book, The hero with a thousand faces (1949/1993). This book built on the work of
German anthropologist Adolp Bastian (1826-1905) (Campbell, 1993, p. 18), who had
proposed the idea that myths from various parts of the world contained elementary ideas that
derive from the human psyche (Brennan, 1999, Booker, 2004). Campbell was also influenced by Arnold van Gennep’s (1909/1961) work on rites of passage (Campbell, 1993, p. 10).
Renowned Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung, called these elementary ideas, “archetypes” which
he saw as the inherited, unconscious ideas and images that are the components of the
collective unconscious (Doty, 1986, pp. 148-158). Jung felt that while we could not see the
archetype we could see how the force had shown itself (Doty, p. 151). Jung claimed that we
needed mythical stories to help us:
make sense of the confusion of our society and our psyches. Myths voice the truths of
our unconscious selves, . . . the gods, goddesses, and heroes of myth embody aspects of
creativity, cleverness, grief, joy, aggression, and ecstasy. The monsters of myth are
really monsters of the mind (Mythology: Myths, legends. and fantasies, pp.12-13).
Campbell’s work took Jung’s theory of “archetypes” and looked for the common
underlying structure in the world’s myths and religions (Campbell, 1993, p. 18). He called
this common story pattern a “monomyth” (a term taken from James Joyce’s work Finnegan’s
Wake, 1939/1992, p. 581), yet it is now usually referred to as a hero journey. This story
pattern refers to the standard adventure path of mythological heroes, which Campbell divides
into three parts: departure (or separation), initiation and return. He saw these stages as a
magnification of the traditional rites of passage, which are separation, initiation and return:
A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of
supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory
is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to
bestow boons on his fellow man. (Campbell, 1993, p. 30)
In his research Campbell found that heroic adventure myths had similar stages even
though they came from all over the world. Even though others had noticed these story patterns too (Segal, 1999, pp. 117-118) Campbell published a more thorough analysis of
these patterns than had previously been produced. He divided each of the three parts of the
heroic adventure myths into a number of stages. They are:
Departure:
1) The call to adventure
2) Refusal of the call
3) Supernatural Aid
4) The crossing of the first threshold
5) The belly of the whale.
Initiation:
1) The road of trials,
2) The meeting with the Goddess
3) Woman as the temptress
4) Atonement with the father
5) Apotheosis
6) The ultimate boon.
Return:
1) Refusal of the return
2) The magic flight
3) Rescue from without
4) The crossing of the return threshold
5) Master of the two worlds
6) Freedom to live (Campbell, 1993, pp. 49-243).

Campbell did not state that each monomyth followed these stages exactly but he did
argue that there is little variation from this adventure path in most hero journey myths
(Campbell, 1993, p. 38).
Other critics have also analysed the stages of the hero journey (Brennan, 1999),
including David Leeming (1973), Michael Vogler (1992/1999) and Booker (2004). Leeming
settled on an eight-stage hero’s journey while Vogler settled on twelve-stages. The stages
outlined by these critics are very similar to those outlined by Campbell with Vogler
specifically basing his stages on Campbell’s work (Vogler, 1999, pp. 9-12). Vogler’s stages
are:
1. Ordinary World
2. Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting with the Mentor
5. Crossing the First Threshold
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave
8. Ordeal
9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)
10. The Road Back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with the Elixir (1999, p. 12).
The hero journey occurs in some of the great stories of our world including that of
Moses, Jesus and Gautama Buddha (Campbell, 1993, pp. 30-40). A key structural stage of
any hero journey is when the hero has to face a number of trials. These can involve a hero undertaking trips to the underworld, labyrinths, caves, over seas, through the sky as well as
encounters with dragons (beasts) and confrontations with their opposite (Campbell, 1993, pp.
97-109).
While the Harry Potter series does draw strongly from the hero journey or monomyth
plot structure it is important to understand that it also draws from other plot structures as
well. Booker, also using a Jungian perspective, makes mention of seven basic story plots that
are found in stories (2004). These plots are labelled as: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to
Riches, The Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy and Rebirth (pp. 21-213). While
the Harry Potter series draws mainly from “The Quest” plot, the series also draws from other
plots Booker cites, including “Voyage and Return”, “Rags to Riches” and “Overcoming the
Monster” (Booker, p. 319). This is not uncommon because, as Booker states, many stories
also draw from a number of these plots:
There are extensive areas of overlap between one type of plot and another. Indeed,
there are many stories which are shaped by more than on ‘basic plot’ at a time (there
are even a small number, including The Lord of the Rings, which include all seven of
the plots (pp. 5-6).

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 33

Students were not specifically questioned on the humility of the characters in the
books but one student did see Harry as vain while another saw him as not being vain
(Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, p. 4). Many of the qualities students felt the good
characters displayed, such as a caring attitude, are usually those we would see as being
common to a person of humility. Qualities such as selfishness and putting people down,
which were commented on by students as qualities of bad/evil characters, would usually be
those we associate with a lack of humility.
There are instances in the series where Harry does show vanity. As previously
mentioned he gets jealous when he feels he should have been made a prefect (OoP, p. 152).
However, there are also incidents where Harry shows that humility rather than the seeking of
fame. As he states to Hermione he did not seek to be famous. “ ‘I didn’t ask – I didn’t want –
Voldemort killed my parents!’ Harry spluttered. “I got famous because he murdered my
family but couldn’t kill me! Who wants to be famous for that? Don’t they think I’d rather it’d
never -’ ” (OoP, p. 71) [Italics in original]. In the Triwizard Tournament, in GoF, Harry
could win the tournament, which would provide him with great glory and further fame above that which he already enjoyed as the boy who could not be killed by Lord Voldemort. Instead
Harry helps Cedric Diggory. Cedric offers him the cup, to win the tournament, because he
deserves to have it but Harry decides it should be a tie:
‘Both of us,’ Harry said.
‘What?’
‘We’ll take it at the same time. It’s still a Hogwarts victory. We’ll tie for it.’
Cedric stared at Harry. He unfolded his arms. ‘You – you sure?’
‘Yeah,’ said Harry. ‘Yeah . . . we’ve helped each other out, haven’t we? We
both got here. Let’s just take it together.’ (GoF, pp. 550-551).
Conclusion
“I think you understand that these books are fundamentally moral (that is how I see them, in
any case)”
(Joanne Rowling, 2000b, ¶ 78)
The personal choices displayed by Harry Potter are an essential part of the Harry
Potter series and those choices are based on Harry’s personal values, which are in consensus
with the personal values that are encouraged by both Federal and State Governments. These
values are also Christian-based and are expressed using free choice, which is also in
agreement with current Christian teachings making the series acceptable for use in teaching
Christian values.
Harry’s choices are shown as important because not only do they show his values but
they also indicate his growth as a human. Our young people need to also understand that the
choices they make, based on their values, are indicators of their growth as human beings regardless of their previous history. Their choices decide who they become. As Dumbledore
states to Cornelius Fudge, a government official, who stereotypes many characters due to
their origins, “You fail to recognise that it matters not what someone is born, but what they
grow to be!” (GoF, pp. 614-615). As Cecilia Hatt (2006) suggests the books contain:
a structure which gives coherence to moral choices, an assurance that being faithful in
little things will affect the larger ones, that a good deed mainly benefits the doer but
still makes a difference far beyond its immediate point of application (p. 43).
Contrary to what one might expect, the magic enables the realism, creating a world in
which the consequences of moral choice are immediately identifiable and this gives
urgency to the need to develop an informed judgement. In the Hogwarts world, the
characters may be observed as they formulate an ethic of justice, mercy and
forgiveness. Because they are physically much more able to effect what they wish
than ordinary people would be, they see and understand the results of their decisions
more starkly (p. 42).

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 32

The ending of the HBP novel sees Harry taking offensive action, hoping to destroy
Lord Voldemort completely rather than continually fighting off his attacks. He is willing to
take the attack to Lord Voldemort by hunting down and destroying the Horcruxes that
contains the parts of Voldemort’s soul (HBP, pp. 467-470):
‘Then I’ve got to track down the rest of the Horcruxes, haven’t I?’ said Harry,
his eyes upon Dumbledore’s white tomb, reflected in the water on the other side of
the lake. ‘That’s what he wanted me to do, that’s why he told me all about them. If
Dumbledore was right – and I’m sure he was – there are still four of them out there.
I’ve got to find them and destroy them and then I’ve got to go after the seventh bit of
Voldemort’s soul, the bit that’s still in his body, and I’m the one who’s going to kill
him.’ (HBP, p. 606).
Grace is also a personal quality that critics recognised in the books. Grace, in this
work, refers to the showing of goodwill towards others or to provide them with a favour (The
Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 352). Furst and Heilmann (2001) refer to the
example of grace shown by Professor McGonagall when, rather than punish Harry for flying
his broom against a teacher’s instructions, he is made a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch
team (PS, pp. 110-113). They see this example as a good analogy for the grace shown by God
for us by allowing his Son to die for our sins (p. 109-111). Cherrett (2003) also relates the
grace shown by characters in the Harry Potter series with the grace shown by God (pp. 50-
68). Harry shows Peter Pettigrew grace in PoA when he tells Remus Lupin and Sirius Black
not to kill him (PoA, p. 275) while Dumbledore shows grace towards characters that have
been seen by others to do wrong. He provides Hagrid with a job even though he was expelled from Hogwarts (PS, p. 48), and Severus Snape with a job even though he was a Death Eater
(GoF, p. 616).
Forgiveness is closely connected to the quality of grace. Forgiveness derives from the
word forgive which means “to cease to feel angry or resentful towards (a person) or about (an
offence)” (The Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 315). Cherrett (2003)
highlights the close connection between grace and forgiveness in the series and connects
forgiveness with the forgiveness that God provides (pp. 65-68). She particularly highlights
how the act of forgiveness can strengthen a friendship as when Harry, Ron and Hermione
reconcile (p. 66) after the break-up over Hermione’s cat’s possible consumption of Ron’s rat
in PoA (p. 186). Personal relationships require acts of forgiveness if those relationships are
going to continue.
Mercy is another personal quality and is closely connected to forgiveness and grace.
Mercy is viewed as one of the basic virtues of Christian ethics, and refers to “refraining from
inflicting punishment or pain on an offender or enemy etc. who is in one’s power” (The
Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 525). Both Furst and Heilmann (2001, p.
116) and Cherrett (2003, pp. 73-74) comment on the mercy shown in the Harry Potter series
in its relationship to the Christian traditions. Harry shows mercy as well as grace towards
Peter Pettigrew when he does not allow Remus Lupin and Sirius Black to kill him in the
Shrieking Shack, after it is discovered that it was Pettigrew’s betrayal of James and Lily
Potter that caused their death:
Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.
‘You should have realised,’ said Lupin quietly. “if Voldemort didn’t kill you,
we would. Goodbye Peter.’
Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall.

‘NO!’ Harry yelled. He ran forwards, placing himself in front of Pettigrew,
facing the wands, ‘You can’t kill him,’ he said breathlessly. ‘You can’t.’
(PoA, p. 275).
This is the key example of mercy remarked on by critics. Furst and Heilmann (2001)
see this example as an analogy of the mercy God shows to us (pp. 116-119). In HBP the
concept of mercy is expanded on. Dumbledore, weak and suffering, loses his wand and Draco
Malfoy states that Dumbledore is now at his mercy. Dumbledore replies, “ ‘No Draco,’ . . . ‘It
is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now.’” (p. 553). This indicates a wider
understanding of mercy where the victims of cruelty need to show mercy towards those who
inflict cruelty on them if the inflictor is ever to find real peace. This is particularly shown in
the kindness Harry shows through his act of mercy and grace for his enemy, Peter Pettigrew
(PoA, p. 275).
In regards to the values of grace, mercy and forgiveness, students being surveyed only
made mention of the character of Dumbledore as showing forgiveness (Appendix 7: Student
Interview responses, p. 5) and no mention was made about grace and mercy. This does not
necessarily mean that students felt that characters did not show these qualities but it may be
that they simply felt the values of mercy and forgiveness are simply apparent when one is
being kind, just, considerate, caring, loving, friendly, etc and therefore there is no need to
make specific mention of them (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, pp. 4-5). While
students were not specifically questioned regarding the qualities of grace presented in the
books, they felt that key characters exhibited qualities closely linked with showing grace. To
show grace a person has to show qualities of forgiveness, kindness and caring rather than
vengefulness. As previously mentioned, students found that the “good” characters had these
sorts of qualities (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, pp. 4-6). Importantly, students also recognised qualities in bad or evil characters that are inconsequent with the qualities
needed to show grace, mercy and forgiveness to others. These poor qualities included:
• They hurt/kill people
• They seek power (without consideration for others)
• They are selfish
• They put people down
• Don’t value other people
• They take pleasure in seeing others suffer (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses,
pp. 7-8).
Love is also a personal quality critics found relevant to the Harry Potter series. Selfsacrifice
can be an explicit example of one’s love for someone else. Lily and James Potter’s
sacrifice of their own lives to protect their son’s life is an excellent example of love (PoA, p.
213). Cherrett (2003) makes mention of the important personal qualities that are shown in the
Harry Potter series including love (pp. 82-84). When Dumbledore asserts that there is a force
“that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than
the forces of nature” (OoP, p. 743), Cherrett presumes he is referring to ‘love’, which she
perceives as the most powerful of human qualities.
Students perceived a large number of examples of self-sacrifice in the series and they
also expressed opinions on the specific quality of love shown in the series. To the Focus
Group question, “Is there love, shown in the book?” responses were:
• “Yes.”
• “I think Harry and Hermione love each other.”
• “They do.”
• “Mrs Weasley shows love.”
• “Dumbledore”
• “Hagrid does. Like Hermione is called a mudblood, he comforts her.” (Appendix 8:
Focus Group responses, pp. 8-9).
Other personal qualities that students perceived characters exhibiting in the series can be
perceived as showing love. These would include kindness, honesty, courage, loyalty,
forgiveness, thoughtfulness, consideration and justice (Appendix 7: Student Interview
responses).
Truthfulness is another personal quality commented on by the critics. It is derived
from the word “truth” which is “the quality or state of being true or truthful” (The Oxford
reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 883). To fully understand “truth” it is necessary to
have an understanding of the meaning of the word “true”. Like many words it has a variety of
connected meanings. In this thesis it also has a number of meanings. These meanings include
“in accordance with fact . . . correct principles or an accepted standard; rightly or strictly so
called; genuine, not false …loyal, faithful . . . completely true to one’s principles; firmly
loyal” (ibid., p. 882).
In the series we find the manipulation of truth by the reporter Rita Skeeter (GoF, pp.
380-382, pp. 444-445, pp. 531-532) and others, and even Harry does not always tell the truth;
but when he lies it is for a higher good, a higher moral principle (Neal, 2001, pp. 165-172,
Bridger, 2001, pp. 67-71). This is related to Harry’s higher moral decision-making ability
previously mentioned. There are examples, in the series, where the key characters of Harry,
Ron and Hermione act dishonestly but they do so in pursuit of a higher goal. This pattern is
demonstrated in nearly every book as Harry and his friends break rules at key moments,
usually to stop Voldemort fulfilling his plans. In PS Ron, Hermione and Harry leave the
Gryffindor common room without permission (p. 198) and enter a forbidden area of
Hogwarts. In CS Ron and Harry go to Gilderoy Lockhart’s room when they should have remained at the Gryffindor common room (p. 216) and Harry eventually ends up in the
Chamber of Secrets. In PoA Harry and Hermione break the law and help Sirius Black escape
from the Ministry of Magic’s imprisonment at Hogwarts and his perceived fate of receiving a
Dementors kiss (p. 303). They do this because Sirius is innocent. This action will later assist
Harry in his fight against Voldemort, especially as Sirius Black gives his own life to help
Harry escape death from the Death Eaters in OoP (pp. 708-709). In the OoP the formation of
the “Defence Association” (DA) (pp. 303-310 and p. 347) is against the new school rule (p.
313) that bans student organizations, including groups or clubs, but the DA’s formation and
the actions of its members will help in the fight against the evils of Lord Voldemort and the
Death Eaters.
However, as Cherrett (2003) mentions, the truth helps Harry and others to grow
(pp.102-112). She contends that Harry’s continual discovery of the truth behind his heritage
helps him to develop into an individual in his own right (ibid.). Cherrett remarks on how the
series does value the truth (pp. 104-105). Dumbledore states: “that the truth is always
generally preferable to lies,” (GoF, p. 626), but he also warns us that the truth can be
dangerous: “ ‘The truth.’ Dumbledore sighed. ‘It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should
therefore be treated with great caution.’” (PS, p. 216). Beck also recognises truth and honesty
as being main themes in the series and that “honesty is the best policy and whenever
dishonest behaviour occurs, there are always negative consequences” (p. 53).
Students surveyed made useful observations in regard to the quality of truth. While
commenting on honesty students noticed that key characters, including those perceived as
good characters are not always honest in the books:
Q: Is there honesty in the book?
Yes, sometimes.
Q: Sometimes – that’s a good point. Is Harry always honest?
No [several]

Q: No? Is Hermione always honest?
No [several].
Q: No? So, when they’re dishonest, why are they dishonest? They may not actually
lie, but they bend the truth… Why do they do it?
To protect someone.
Q: To protect someone.
To get something done.
Q: To get something done? Anything else?
If they don’t want to make a big fuss out of something. (Appendix 8: Focus Group
responses, pp. 6-7).
Importantly, the series supports the view that in maintaining a personal friendship it is
necessary to be honest with one’s friends. Throughout the series key characters demonstrate
this honesty in being open to their friends. Examples include when Hermione is honest to
Harry and Ron telling them how insensitive they are in OoP (p. 405) and in HBP when Harry
is honest with Ron when he tells him that he has a mental problem regarding his Quidditch
ability rather than a co-ordination problem (p. 272).
Humility is also a personal quality examined in the Harry Potter series. Humility
means “to have a humble state of mind” (The Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p.
403). In this thesis humble is taken as “showing a low estimate of one’s own importance”
(ibid.). Cherrett (2003) highlights Dumbledore’s humility towards those who work under him
and how this is an example for all of us (pp. 127-128). Dumbledore almost provides a
stewardship model of leadership through the humility he shows to others over whom he has
authority. We see the way Dumbledore only uses his immense magical power when it is
absolutely necessary. This is best illustrated towards the end of GoF when Barty Crouch Jr., a
Death Eater, disguised as Mad-Eye Moody, teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts at
Hogwarts, is about to kill Harry Potter. Dumbledore, accompanied by Professors Snape and McGonagall, enters the room after blasting his way in with a spell and causing the disguised
Barty Crouch Jr. to be thrown back:
At that moment, Harry understood for the first time why people said
Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. The look upon
Dumbledore’s face as he stared down at the unconscious form of Mad-Eye Moody
was more terrible than Harry could ever have imagined. There was no benign smile
upon Dumbledore’s face, no twinkle in the eyes behind the spectacles. There was cold
fury in every line of the ancient face; a sense of power radiated from Dumbledore as
though he was giving off burning heat (pp. 589-590).

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 31

Harry escapes death here and numerous attempts to kill him in preceding books. This
is best illustrated in the graveyard scene towards the end of GoF where he escapes from
Voldemort and the Death Eaters:
And then an unearthly and beautiful sound filled the air … it was coming from
every thread of the light-spun web vibrating around Harry and Voldemort. It was a
sound Harry recognised, though he had heard it only once before in his life …
phoenix song…
It was the sound of hope to Harry (GoF, p. 576).
In reference to Cherrett (2003) and Griesinger’s (2002) statements relating the hope in the
Harry Potter series to the hope offered by Christ it is important to note that the Phoenix itself
a recognised symbol of Christ (Becker, 1994, p. 232). Fawkes, the phoenix, does give hope
to Harry in other parts of the series. He helped Harry defeat the Basilisk in the Chamber of
Secrets by blinding the beast and providing a sword to Harry through the delivery of the
sorting Hat. Fawkes also saved him from the Basilisk’s deadly venom with his tears and
carried Harry, Ron, Ginny Weasley and Gilderoy Lockhart to safety (CoS, pp. 232-239).
The theme of hope is also important in the trail of Voldemort’s past victims who
appear to Harry when he struggles with Voldemort as they both try to eliminate the other
with magic. Many of these victims have a message of hope and encouragement for Harry:
‘Hold on, Harry,’ it said. . . .
‘You fight him, boy …” . . .
‘Don’t let go now!’ she cried, and her voice echoed like Cedric’s, as though
from very far away. ‘Don’t let him get you, Harry – don’t let go!’ . . .
‘Your father’s coming …’ she said quietly. ‘He wants to see you … it will be
all right … hold on ...’ (GoF, pp. 578-579).

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 30

Lavoie (2003) notes that the Slytherin house’s main task seems to be to test the
courage of those in Gryffindor, the two houses forming a duality (p. 42). She expresses the view that throughout the series the Gryffindor house members show their courage when faced
with adversity (pp. 38-44). There are exceptions to this, as she notes that Severus Snape, a
Slytherin, shows courage while Peter Pettigrew, a Gryffindor, lacks courage (p. 41). She also
contends that Harry inherits his courage from his two families, from Lily and James Potter
and from the Gryffindor house (p. 46).
The students surveyed also recognised courage as a key quality of some of the
characters in the Harry Potter series (Appendix 8: Focus Group responses, p. 1, p. 6). They
specifically recognised it as one of Harry’s qualities (Appendix 7: Student Interview
responses, p. 4, Appendix 8: Focus Group responses, p. 2). The courage of characters in the
books can also be recognised in many of the self-sacrificial and selfless acts that students
recognised in the series (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, pp. 9-10). This would
include:
• Ron getting injured in chess game in PS
• Sirius Black helping to save Harry (and others) against Remus’ werewolf in
PoA
• Severus Snape in trying to help Harry in Shrieking Shack
• Hermione Granger helping house elves
• Ron and Harry risking death in following spider trail
• Harry Potter entering Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny
• Hermione and Ron standing up for Harry over Filch’s cat’s petrification
• Harry risking life to save others in Triwizard Tournament.
These are good examples of courage, particularly Hermione’s efforts to improve the
conditions for the house elves. Her almost solitary stand is commendable because she is
seeking real change in the wizarding culture and is not receiving the best of support from her friends Harry and Ron (GoF, pp. 198-199). Another example of courage shown in the books
is Neville Longbottom’s efforts in standing up against Harry and his friends in the first book
when he tries to stop them leaving the Gryffindor common-room (PS, p. 198). Dumbledore
rightly makes much of this event and the courage Neville shows because it is always hardest
to stand up against one’s friends:
‘There are all kinds of courage,’ said Dumbledore, smiling. ‘it takes a great deal of
bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I
therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom.’ (PS, p. 221).
Hope is another personal quality that critics identified in the series. Hope refers to an
“expectation and desire” (The Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 395). In this
thesis it refers to an expectation or desire that encourages a positive outcome for those with
hope. We need to have hope as a personal quality so that we can be positive in our attitudes
rather than becoming despairing in our outlook. As previously stated it is closely connected
to choice because no-one would bother making choices if they felt there was no hope for a
better world. Heroes too, need hope because without it there would be no reason to undertake
heroic acts.
Carroll (2004), in her thesis entitled Imagination for better not worse: The Hobbit in
the primary classroom, stresses that children need hope to help them cope with the
adversities which they will face in life (pp. 25-28). Bettelheim (1989) stresses that the
primary importance of fairy tales and fantasy is to give children hope (p. 3-6). Cherrett
(2003) relates the hope depicted in Harry Potter to the hope in salvation through Jesus Christ
(pp. 50-68). Emily Griesinger (2002) also stresses the importance of hope in the Harry Potter
series. She feels that “Harry Potter articulates the hope that goodness will triumph over evil,
that wrongs done to the small and the weak will be righted, that courage, loyalty, and friendship will overcome hatred, bigotry, and fear” (¶ 39). Griesinger also feels that the hope
portrayed in the series will assist children in understanding the hope that Christ offers (¶ 4).
Students, in responding to specific questions, also found hope in the series:
Q: Do you think there’s hope shown in this book?
Yes. [several].
Like Harry brings hope to the like, um, to the Muggle borns.
Well, Harry shows hope to all the wizards by, like, kind of defeating Voldemort in
every book, in every movie, and shows hope that the next time he comes they he will be
able to protect them.
Q: What would be an example of the hope that’s shown in this book?
Well Harry can survive Voldemort’s Avada Kedavra.
Q: Good, Harry’s hope – he’s survived the curse… And is there any other side? What
are they hoping for in the book to happen? If there was one big hope – what are they
hoping for?
For Voldemort to be defeated (Appendix 8: Focus Group responses, pp. 7-8).
The whole Harry Potter series is based on the key hope that Harry will be able to
defeat Lord Voldemort. This hope begins with Harry’s escape from Lord Voldemort’s attack
on him as a child. It is greeted by the majority of the wizarding world almost in the same
manner as the resurrection of Jesus. The common biblical term “Rejoice” is even used:
“Don’t be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for
You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating,
this happy, happy day!’
And the old man hugged Mr Dursley around the middle and walked off.
(PS, p.10).

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 29

The Harry Potter narratives take place predominantly within a school setting, which
is a social setting, so friendships and other relationships are key themes in the book and the
qualities of these relationships, which are personal qualities, are aptly illustrated throughout
the series. Friendship derives from the word “friend” meaning “a person with whom one
enjoys mutual affection and regard (usu. exclusive of sexual or family bonds), (The Oxford
reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 321). In particular, friendship qualities include
kindness to one’s friends and making sacrifices for your friends, which have been previously
mentioned. Many critics made mention regarding aspects of friendship in the books
especially the friendship of Harry, Hermione and Ron.
Mendlesohn (2002) looks at the way friendship with members of the social hierarchy
has an effect on one’s acceptance in Hogwarts. She sees Hermione and Ron’s acceptance at
Hogwarts as almost totally dependent on Harry’s friendship towards them (p. 174) and
Crabbe and Goyle are also accepted only because of their friendship with Draco Malfoy (pp.
173-174). Therefore Rowling’s depiction of friendship is limited. Mendlesohn views Ron,
Hermione, Crabbe and Goyle as courtiers to the princely Harry and Draco (pp. 173-174).
Mendlesohn’s remarks on friendship are limited because she centres her statements
specifically on this aspect of friendship rather than the personal qualities that the friendships
in the books illustrate.
Beck (2001) cites the re-occurring theme of friendship in the books. She finds this
theme worthwhile for religious educators because Harry, Ron and Hermione’s friendship
grows as the years go on but their friendship also illustrates that other people move in and out
of such friendship groups and that other things happen in friendships: “As with all
relationships, there are times when the friendships falter, people are misunderstood and
doubted and for a time the friendship doesn’t exist” (p. 53). The rocky parts of friendships, as
illustrated by Ron, Harry and Hermione’s friendship, are also commented on by other critics.
Furst and Heilman (2001, pp. 142-145) and Neal (2001, pp. 81-82) view the friendships
illustrated in these books as useful starting points for discussing friendships with children. In
friendships, children will go through many emotions and call on their own personal qualities
as well as experience the personal qualities of others. These include qualities of selflessness,
kindness, fairness, tolerance, respect, loyalty, self-discipline, compassion, trust, honesty,
courage and mercy.
As previously stated, Kern (2003) mentions the importance of friendships in
relationship to Kohlberg’s model on moral decision-making (pp. 123-124). Kern views
aspects and actions such as friendships and kindness as representative of “attempts to make
society function smoothly through loyalty, sensitivity, and respect - all virtues pointing
toward the conventional level of moral reasoning” (p. 124). Plyming (2001) also stresses the
importance of friendships in the Harry Potter series because they illustrate that people can
only be their true selves through how they live with others (pp. 18-19). This view stresses the
importance of community involvement, which enables a Christian to live their faith. Neal
(2002), a Christian critic, also remarks on the importance of friendship (pp. 81-82) because
one’s friends influence one’s character development.
Granger takes a more symbolic view of the friendships exhibited in the Harry Potter
series. He sees the friendship of Harry, Ron and Hermione, and the abilities, qualities and talents that each contributes to the friendship, as symbolising the human soul’s three faculties
or powers, which Plato wrote about (Granger, 2002, pp. 114-122, Granger, 2004, pp. 87-91).
The friends represent our own soul and we can learn the importance of how our soul should
work by considering the actions of Ron, Hermione and Harry. Ron symbolises the Body,
Hermione the Mind and Harry the Spirit (Granger, 2002, pp. 115-119, Granger, 2004, pp. 88-
91). The combined actions of these three friends are symbolic of our own actions. When
Harry, Hermione and Ron work in unison by permitting the Mind and Body to be subservient
to the Heart then there is success. However, if this order is turned upside down then there are
problems (Granger, 2002, p. 120, Granger, 2004, pp. 90-91).
Harry also has a strong relationship with Albus Dumbledore for much of the series
and, as with most relationships, this one has its ups and downs but we generally see Harry
showing trust in loyalty to the older man. Cherrett (2003) refers to Harry’s personal
relationship with Dumbledore as being similar to a person’s relationship with Jesus
Christ/God (p. 48). In times of personal loss people often feel antagonism towards God and
this same antagonism is reflected in the temporary breakdown in Harry and Dumbledore’s
relationship when Harry wishes harm to the older wizard towards the end of OoP after the
death of Sirius Black, (p. 726). Neal (2002) focuses on the importance of trusting one another
so that God’s will can be done (pp. 151-152). She illustrates her point by referring to
Dumbledore’s comments to Severus Snape and Sirius Black to lay aside their old differences,
which began when they were students at Hogwarts, and unite so that through trust they can
help overcome Lord Voldemort (GoF, p. 618).
Many critics discuss specific aspects of Harry’s friendships because they illustrate
what sort of person Harry is and what personal qualities are needed to maintain relationships.
Students also found examples of friendship in the book and the qualities that are needed to
maintain friendships in any relationship. In Focus Group remarks students felt that there was friendship shown in the series (Appendix 8: Focus Group responses, p. 6). They specifically
mentioned the friendship between Hermione, Ron, Hagrid and Harry, between Malfoy,
Crabbe and Goyle and between Hagrid and Dumbledore (p. 6). Students also mentioned
personal qualities that they found in the books, which are qualities linked to maintaining a
healthy friendship. These included kindness, loyalty, treating people equally, honesty,
selflessness, being interested in others, friendliness, thoughtfulness (Appendix 7: Student
Interview responses, pp. 4-5). To the specific question of, “What did you learn about
friendship from the books?” (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, p. 10), students
responded with these opinions:
• Stick by your friends
• Nothing new
• If a disagreement happens don’t let it end the friendship
• Friendship can grow through/with unexpected people
• To value friendship more highly than previously
• Be loyal
• To make new friends you should really get to know them first
• Mixed friendships can occur
• Stick by your friends providing they are of good character
• Help each other
• Be nice
• Trust your friends
• Respect each other
• Look deeper into people’s emotions, actions, etc to judge whether they are
true friends
• True friendship is life long even if separated by distance
Friendships grow through challenges.
Courage is another personal quality in the Harry Potter series that is recognised by
critics. Killinger (2002) makes particular mention of the courage of Harry Potter, particularly
in his Quidditch matches (p. 73). He relates this type of courage to Christ’s courage in dying
on the cross, “It is the kind of courage that leads people forward despite powerful opposition
- even to a cross!” (p. 74). Other critics make mention of our own personal need to show
courage, as reflected in the character of Harry, if we are to overcome our own fears. Cherrett
(2003) states: “fears increase when we try to sweep them under the carpet…” (p. 23), hence
the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson on defeating the boggarts in PoA (pp. 100-106).
She contends that we need to show courage if we are to confront the wrongs in the world
(p. 74, p. 87) and that the Harry Potter series demonstrates the type of courage needed as
shown through Harry and other characters (p. 80).
Neal (2002) also recognises the importance of courage to overcome evil, which is
shown in PS (p. 5). Courage means to show ”readiness to face and endure danger or
difficulty” (The Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 194). Lavoie (2003) also
notes the importance of Harry’s house, Gryffindor, valuing courage above all else (p. 38).
The Sorting Hat song states:
“ You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart; . . . . (PS, p. 88)

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 28

While Mendlesohn’s observations on the depiction of kindness in the books are
legitimate, it may be that Rowling is actually reflecting the reality many people have of
kindness. People are willing to donate thirty dollars a month to help a child in a poor country
as an act of kindness but would never think of joining a political movement or social
movement which has as its aim to cause real change. This may involve change in
Government policies such as the implementation of true free trade policies so that poorer
countries are able to freely sell their goods in Western countries or the transfer of excess farm
produce to poorer countries from nations that subsidise their farmers to overproduce resulting
in dumping of excess produce where it is left to rot. Change in big companies’ business
practices can be encouraged so that production of items in poorer countries provides those
workers with a fair wage based on the price the products eventually sell for in Western
countries and that natural resources taken from poorer countries are paid for at a reasonable
rate. Such changes may enable the demise of world poverty and give all families in the world
an acceptable lifestyle. The payment of small amounts of money by kind hearted people so
that a child will survive in a third world, inevitably growing up into a culture of disease,
poverty and short life expectancy may be an accurate interpretation of one form of Western kindness. Rowling shows a flawed kindness, which is perhaps the real depiction of kindness
in the world of the majority of her readers.
It is important to note that there are numerous incidents of Harry Potter and his friends
being kind to those around them throughout the series. Hagrid is kind to both the students in
the school and the animals that he encounters as well as his giant half brother Grawp (OoP,
pp. 608-614). The trio of Ron, Hermione and Harry show kindness towards Neville
Longbottom even before they witness the condition Neville’s parents are in after being
tortured by the Death Eaters (OoP, pp. 452-455). Harry himself seems to be generally kind to
those around him except when Rowling presents the reader with the mood swings and
emotional minefield that can be part of being a teenager. Dumbledore is certainly depicted as
a kind headmaster who is always concerned for the welfare of his students regardless of the
policies that are being pushed onto him by the bureaucracy of the Ministry of Magic.
We are all flawed, as are the characters in the books, including the hero, Harry Potter.
We have some instances of moodiness exhibited by Harry when he is not so kind to those
around him. This is particularly illustrated in the fifth book in the series, OoP, where Harry
suffers moments of jealousy and anger towards his friends:
He could hardly bear to think of the pair of them having fun at The Burrow when he
was stuck in Privet Drive. In fact, he was so angry with them he had thrown away,
unopened, the two boxes of Honeydukes chocolates they’d set him for his birthday.
(p. 13).
But before he knew it, Harry was shouting.
‘SO YOU HAVEN’T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU’VE
STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN’T YOU? YOU’VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME,
I’VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEYS’ FOR A MONTH! AND I’VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO’VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS
IT – WHO SAVED THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE?
WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM THE DEMENTORS?’ (p. 63) [Capitals
in original].
These types of feelings, while unkind, can be seen as examples of the feelings that
most teenagers suffer from. Ron also shows jealousy and betrayal towards Harry when he is
convinced Harry placed his own name in the Goblet of Fire (GoF. pp. 251-252): “ ‘Yeah?’
said Ron, and there was no trace of a grin, forced or otherwise, on his face now. ‘You want to
get to bed, Harry, I expect you’ll need to be up early tomorrow for a photocall or
something.’ ” (p. 252). Harry, like most of us, has a dark side, which is sometimes shown in
his actions and emotions. At one stage Harry cannot understand why both Ron and Hermione
are made prefects when he isn’t and he is upset and jealous over their appointment: “I’ve
definitely done more, Harry thought indignantly. I’ve done more than either of them!” (OoP,
p. 152). We all have moments of jealousy when others get something we may have wished
for and though we should feel happy for them in the success they have gained we instead find
ourselves resentful. Instead of criticising Rowling for this depiction of flawed kindness we
should be praising her. She portrays the sort of select kindness that we all exhibit because we
all have emotions, which cause us turmoil. By portraying a heroic figure with real emotions,
including those less attractive emotions, Rowling helps readers understand that no one is
perfect and the reader is more readily able to identify with that hero because of his flawed
character.
As previously mentioned, students included kindness as a personal value that Harry
exhibits in the books (Appendix 7, Student Interview responses, p. 4). Students perceived
kindness as the most popular personal value that Harry displayed with nine students expressing opinions on this value compared to the next popular value which was caring for
others with six responses (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, p. 4). Kindness is also
mentioned in other values people exhibit which include caring for others, helping others,
treating people equally, being interested in others and being thoughtful, which were all
commented on by students (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, p. 4). Students
recognised the values in other characters that are linked with kindness or included kindness.
Hermione showed kindness and a caring attitude, Ron showed kindness, a caring attitude and
consideration for others, Dumbledore was kind, caring and treated people equally while
Hagrid was also kind, caring, loving and helpful (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses,
p. 5).
Importantly children recognised that for a character to be good they had to exhibit
kindness and the qualities linked to kindness. In answering the question “What makes them
good?” students listed some qualities that relate to kindness. These included:
• They have good qualities (humour, smart, helpful/fun to be with, kind,
caring)
• They are caring
• Try to help others
• Don’t put others down (Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, p. 6).
It is also relevant that students made statements on values that are opposite to those that are
based on kindness to explain what were the qualities of bad/evil characters in the series
(Appendix 7: Student Interview responses, pp. 7-8). These included:
• They hurt/kill people
• They seek power (without consideration for others)
• They are selfish
• They put people down
They take pleasure in seeing others suffer
• Don’t care about others’ feelings
• Don’t value other people
• They’re mean
• Hate others

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 27

Other personal values in Harry Potter
Selflessness is derived from the word “selfless” which is defined as “disregarding
oneself or one’s own interests, unselfish” (The Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986,
p.751). In this thesis the term “selflessness” refers to acts of unselfishness where people act
out of regard for other people’s interests rather than their own. Self-sacrifice is defined as the
“sacrifice of one’s own interests and wishes so that others may benefit” (ibid.). Selflessness
and self-sacrifice are key themes in the Harry Potter series. Critics express opinions on the
examples of selflessness and self-sacrifice in the books by Harry and other characters
(Bridger, 2001, pp. 91-93). Hermione even makes the comment that Harry has a bit of a
“saving-people thing” (OoP, p. 646). Examples include Harry’s mother’s sacrifice of her life
to protect Harry (CoS, p. 233 and GoF, p. 566), Harry entering the Chamber of Secrets to
rescue Ginny (CoS, pp. 221-240), Harry’s rescuing both Ron and Gabrielle Delacour from
the merpeople (GoF, pp. 435-436) and in PS when Ron sacrifices himself in the chess game
under Hogwarts where he could have been killed:
‘Ready?’ Ron called, his face pale but determined. ‘Here I go – now, don’t hang
around once you’ve won.’
He stepped forward and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard
around the head with her stone arm and he crashed to the floor” (pp. 205-206).
Bridger (2001) draws attention to the importance of this self-sacrificial love which he
views as a key Christian theme in the book and expresses the view that Rowling seems to embrace self-sacrificial love as a moral philosophy to live by (p. 31, p. 62, p. 90, p. 93).
Other critics also see this theme as important. Furst and Heilmann (2001), among others,
comment on the analogy of the sacrificial love of Harry’s mother with Jesus’ death on the
cross to take away our sins (pp. 104-105) but they stress that it does not offer the eternal
salvation Christ’s death does. Yet Furst and Heilmann see Jesus’ act as far more important
that the sacrifice provided by Harry’s mother because Jesus’ death provided eternal salvation
for humankind, whereas Harry’s mother’s sacrifice provides limited salvation for Harry
(2001, p. 107).
Other critics remark on the centrality of the theme of self-sacrifice to Christian faith
(Killinger, 2002, pp. 80-89, Neal, 2001, 195-196, Cherrett, 2003, p. 69). Cherrett and others
state that the acts of self-sacrifice in the books are specifically aimed at the defeat of evil and
are therefore closely connected with the Christian faith (Cherrett, pp. 80-82, Neal, 2001, pp.
195-196, Bridger, 2001, p. 31). Abanes (2001) takes a different view because he attacks the
sacrifices Harry makes as only being done for his friends (p. 135, p. 239). However, he has
conveniently forgotten Harry’s sacrificial actions in seeking to help Hermione when she was
not his friend (PS, pp. 129-132).
Dumbledore also provides a model of the sacrificial lamb, exemplified by Jesus,
through his actions in HBP. Before any action takes place in HBP Dumbledore has suffered a
blackened hand from his efforts over the summer break to try and retrieve Voldemort’s
Horcruxes (p. 50). Through his actions Dumbledore hopes to cause the ultimate defeat of
Voldemort. During the book Dumbledore suffers greatly while trying to retrieve a horcrux
from a cave (pp. 519-540). These actions have so drained Dumbledore that his enemies even
note that he is close to death: ‘He’s not long for this world anyway, if you ask me!’ (p. 555).
Dumbledore’s death is caused by his sacrificial act to save Harry from being noticed by his enemies. He is struck down by the Avada Kedavra killing curse because he is unable to
defend himself as he has had his wand dislodged by Malfoy in an early incident:
Then, by the light of the Mark, he saw Dumbledore’s wand flying in an arc
over the edge of the ramparts and understood . . . Dumbledore had wordlessly
immobilised Harry, and the second he had taken to perform the spell had cost him the
chance of defending himself. (HBP, pp. 545-546).
Plyming (2001) also highlights the importance of sacrifice in one’s relationships with
others. He comments on the sacrifices Harry’s parents made in trying to save him and how
“these events and the continual reliving of them shape and change Harry’s present existence”
(p. 19). Kern (2003) also notes the importance of sacrifices in relationships (pp. 73-74, p.
118), as does Neal (2002, pp. 65-66). Examples of the effect of people sacrificing themselves
for others are shown in other parts of the books and they have a profound effect on people’s
relationships. A key example, as stated earlier, is when Ron and Harry risk their lives to fight
off the troll that is attacking Hermione Granger. From this sacrificial act a seemingly
permanent friendship is born (PS, pp. 129-132). Kern sees Harry’s sacrificial activities as
very important to the books particularly as these actions support his view of Harry as being a
stoic figure (p. 115).
Students also responded to the presence of selflessness and self-sacrifice in the Harry
Potter series. Upon questioning students about the self-sacrifice shown by Harry’s mother
they were able to provide other examples of self-sacrifice in the series (Appendix 7, Student
Interview responses, pp. 9-10). These included:
• Ron getting injured in chess game in PS book
• Sirius Black helping to save Harry on OoP and dies
• Sirius Black helping to save Harry (and others) against Remus’ werewolf in PoA Sirius Black protecting Harry
• Severus Snape in trying to help Harry in Shrieking Shack
• Hermione Granger helping house elves
• Dumbledore in helping Harry at end of OoP
• Hermione and Ron suffering to help Harry get to Philosopher’s Stone
• Hermione and Ron helping Sirius Black escape
• Albus Dumbledore in all books
• Ron and Harry risking death in following spider trail
• Harry Potter entering Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny
• Snape helping Harry survive the Quidditch game in PS book against own house team
• Harry risking life to save others in Triwizard Tournament.
One of the key scenes mentioned by the students is Severus Snape’s rescue of Harry
from the supposed threat of Remus Lupin, the werewolf, in PoA (pp. 262-265). Snape
dislikes Harry Potter and in HBP appears to be a traitor to Professor Dumbledore. He is a
complicated character who is not always what he seems. He had previously saved Harry from
plunging to his death from his enchanted broomstick in PS (pp. 139-140) but in PoA he
actually places his own life in danger to protect Harry because he thinks Harry may be killed:
“Get out of the way, Potter, you’re in enough trouble already,’ snarled
Snape. ‘If I hadn’t been here to save your skin - ’
. . . ‘I have just saved your neck, you should be thanking me on bended knee!
You would have been well served if he’d killed you!’ (p. 265).
Critics make mention of the importance of the personal quality of kindness in the
series. Kindness is derived from the word “kind” which means to be “gentle or considerate in conduct or manner towards others” (The Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 454)
and is essentially a communal action, which is shown through one’s gentleness, consideration
and fairness to those around you. Farah Mendlesohn (2002) comments that the ideological
structure which Rowling uses for all her books is based on the manipulation of an uncritical
construction of fairness (p.159). Mendlesohn feels that this follows in the traditions of
Tolkien and Lewis’ message that “fairness and happiness can best be achieved when rules are
obeyed and heroes decided by destiny” (p. 160). By this she means that characters such as
Frodo Baggins have been chosen by destiny to do great deeds and that they generally follow
the rules of their time to achieve their task. Yet Mendlesohn seems mistaken in this
assumption because the key characters in the Harry Potter series, including Harry, Ron,
Hermione and Malfoy, constantly disobey rules. They may sneak out at night, go to forbidden
areas or indulge in magic spells that are not permitted for their age group. Also, as previously
stated, Harry’s future is not decided by destiny but by the choices he makes.
Killinger (2002) also emphasises the importance of kindness in the Harry Potter
books. He views the series as depicting Harry as the “seeker” of a “golden” existence based
on a set of ethics which are based on the Judeo-Christian tradition exemplified by Jesus
Christ in the Gospels (pp. 64-99). Neal (2001) also makes mention of this seeker motif and its
relationship to Judeo-Christian ethics (pp. 189-190). Jesus exemplified kindness in his words,
actions and the way he responds to others throughout the Gospels and Harry exhibits similar
kindness in his words, actions and the way he responds to others.
However, Mendlesohn (2002) makes further remarks about Harry and kindness. She
feels that Rowling’s depiction of kindness in the novels is flawed. While Harry shows
kindness to others it is limited because it does not offer real life change for those who are
oppressed. Mendlesohn feels that the books only argue superficially for kindness to others
because in reality they deny “the oppressed the agency to change their own lives” (p. 181). An example of this limited kindness is Harry being kind to the house elf Dobby. He helps
Dobby to be free of the Malfoy household at the end of CoS (p. 248) book but he does not
show the compassion that Hermione shows for the rest of the enslaved house elves through
her creation of S.P.E.W. (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) (GoF, p. 198). Harry is
quite content for house elves to continue to be enslaved in other wizarding households, as
well as providing him with all his cooking and cleaning needs at Hogwarts; whereas
Hermione understands that there needs to be real social and political change if house elves
are ever truly to be free.

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 26

Lachance’s (2005) comments on Harry’s responsibility to make choices, because of
his hopes for a better world, are consistent with the Christian interpretation of choice rather
than just a humanist interpretation. Lachance seems to comprehend humanism in a limited
way. She seems to see it as referring to a rejection of the existence of God because humans
alone decide their fate through the choices they make. However, one can be both a humanist
and a Christian. Lachance even refers to Christian humanism when she comments that Harry
moral values correspond to Christian humanist criteria (p. 65). A Christian humanist can
believe in the power of God, who has provided humankind with freedom of choice, and also
believe that humans should not be reliant on God to save them from atrocities on earth but
that they have the power to make choices that will decide the fate of our world (Edwords,
1989, pp. 1-2). This is what Christian theologians refer to as creating the Kingdom of God on
Earth (Nolan, 1977, p. 46 and Hornsby-Smith, 2006, p. 41), where a new world order is
created based on “right relationships of justice, love and peace” (O’Murchu, 1991, p. 46).
Catholic theology would state that freedom to make one’s choice, which affects one’s
destiny, is an essential part of the Catholic faith and are shown through the freedom that God
allowed the mythical creatures of Adam and Eve to make their choices regarding picking and
eating the fruit. This Christian anthropological view of a God allowing human free choice
varies greatly to the view of God(s) found in other creation stories such as “the Babylonian
creation-story Enuma Elish, where humanity is designed to bear the burden of the
capriciousness of the gods” (Tuohy, 2004, p. 98).
Many contemporary Catholic theologians view the Fall Myth as central to the
Christian faith because it shows humans exercising their power to choose, their freedom of
choice, even if the consequences of such freedom may not always be so pleasant. It was
ancient man’s attempt to try and explain the differences between humans and other animals
that do not have the same power to make choices (Booker, 2004, p. 547). Catholic Church documents support the view that humans should exercise free choice and not rely on God to
make their choices for them:
It is, however, only in freedom that man can turn himself towards what is
good. . . . but that which is truly freedom is an exceptional sign of the image of God in
man. . . . Man’s dignity therefore requires him to act out of conscious and free choice,
as moved and drawn in a personal way from within, and not by blind impulses in
himself or by mere external constraint (Gaudium et Spes, 1965, ¶17).
“The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in religious and moral matters, is an
inalienable requirement of the dignity of man” (Catechism of the Catholic Church,
¶ 1747).
Choice, therefore, is a key component of freedom and in Christian tradition the
freedom of the human person has been linked to the belief that God has free choice, and as
we are created in God’s image, Imago Dei, then we share in the free creative activity of God
(Tuohy, 2004, pp. 97-98). We are God-like because we are able to choose. Harry Potter is
therefore following the Christian faith model as much as a Humanist one, even though
Christianity is not mentioned in the series in any important sense. Due to this interpretation it
is not possible to state that Rowling rejects the idea of faith in a supernatural being
(Lachance, p. 86).
Choice is also important because Harry needs to find the courage in himself to make
choices that correspond with his moral makeup. This is not always easy because such choices
affect those around him. Readers can learn much from the way Harry struggles with fear,
anxiety, concern and other emotions as he makes decisions. This is particularly apparent in
Harry’s guilty reaction to Sirius Black’s death: It was his fault Sirius had died; it was all his fault. If he, Harry, had not been
stupid enough to fall for Voldemort’s trick, if he had not been so convinced that what
he had seen in his dream was real, if he had opened his mind to the possibility that
Voldemort was, as Hermione had said, banking on Harry’s love of playing the hero …
(OoP, p. 723) [Italics in original].
However, through making these decisions Harry’s character and self-esteem are able
to grow. Harry, like all of us, makes mistakes but he does learn from them. He mistakenly
supports Ron in his criticism of Hermione Granger by not commenting on Ron’s verbal
attack on her:
‘It’s no wonder no one can stand her,’ he said to Harry as they pushed their
way into the crowded corridor, ‘she’s a nightmare, honestly.’
Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione.
Harry caught a glimpse of her face – and was startled to see that she was in tears. (PS,
p. 127).
Harry also chooses not to comfort Hermione when she is obviously distressed.
However, when Harry makes the choice, with Ron, to break the rules (PS, pp. 127-132) to
search for Hermione and save her from a mountain troll a strong friendship begins. “But from
that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend” (PS, p. 132).
Through his choices Harry gains greater understanding because sometimes his choices
help others and sometimes they cause others to suffer, the ripple or consequences effect of
choice. Through Harry’s choices students are able to experience the emotions that come with
both successful and disastrous consequences based on one’s choices. As stated previously
Harry feels guilty for the death of Sirius Black and this is because Harry dreams that Sirius is being tortured by Lord Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic’s Department of Mysteries and
believes it is true. “ ‘It’s time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter”
(OoP, p. 690), state his enemies. Harry chooses to lead a band of student wizards to the
Ministry of Magic thinking that he will be able to rescue Sirius Black (OoP, pp. 640-673).
The students are attacked by Death Eaters, and members of the Order of the Phoenix,
including Sirius Black, arrive to save them. The end result of this action is the death of Sirius
Black (OoP, pp. 710-711). Harry is heartbroken by his death, loses his temper and causes
destruction in Dumbledore’s office:
‘I know how you’re feeling Harry,’ said Dumbledore very quietly.
‘No you don’t,’ said Harry, and his voice was suddenly loud and strong; whitehot
anger leapt inside him; Dumbledore knew nothing about his feelings. . . .
Harry felt the white-hot anger lick his insides, blazing in the terrible emptiness,
filling him with the desire to hurt Dumbledore for his calmness and his empty words.
. . .
‘I DON’T CARE!’ Harry yelled at them, snatching up a lunascope and throwing
it into the fireplace. ‘I’VE HAD ENOUGH, I’VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I
WANT IT TO END, I DON’T CARE ANYMORE-‘ (pp. 725-726) [Capitals in
original].
Harry is also free to make choices to disobey set rules, just as Jesus chose to disobey
the Jewish rule of not labouring to get food on the Sabbath when he picks and eats corn
(Matthew12: 1-8). Both Harry and Jesus are considering the greater good. Harry and Ron
leave their dormitory against Professor McGonagall’s instructions to get some vital
information to Gilderoy Lockhart in CoS (pp. 218-219) in the hope that he can save Ginny
Weasley from the monster in the Chamber of Secrets. In OoP Harry breaches the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery (pp. 29-30) by using a Patronus Charm
because he is trying to save both Dudley and himself from the Dementors (pp. 20-23).

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 25

Human Freedom, Destiny, Choice and the Fall Myth
Choice is a key theme in the Harry Potter books because much of the series deals
with the choices people make, particularly the choice between good and evil. Choice is
therefore a key component in reaching a set of personal values from which we decide on
whether we are of good or bad character. Essentially the ability of humans to make choices
allows humans to develop a sense of morality based on the values they choose. Shannon (2006) suggests that there are a number of elements that lead to people becoming morally
responsible. Two of these key elements are, firstly, that we need “to become aware of the
embedded values in our way of life and to take responsibility for them by either affirming or
rejecting them” (p. 43), which is a personal choice, and, secondly, that we need to learn to
make a decision which also involves learning “how to identify what is different about each
part of the choice, how each part affects me, what are the consequences of my choice, and
how to move beyond simple choice to reasons for the choice” (p. 43).
Choice can only occur if people have the freedom to choose from two or more
alternatives, without such freedom it is not possible to have genuine choice. This freedom of
choice allows humankind to have a say in their future rather than their future being decided
by prophecy or by the whims of some supernatural force. In the Harry Potter book OoP there
is mention made of a prophecy, previously made by Professor Trelawney, regarding Harry
Potter:
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches … born to those who
have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will
mark him as equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either
must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives (OoP,
p. 741).
If this passage is taken in isolation then it may be argued that Rowling is providing
Harry Potter with little, if any, free choice regardless of Dumbledore’s previous statements
about choice being all-important in what one becomes (CoS, p. 245). This passage would
place Harry’s destiny out of his hands because it has been prophesised that he must kill
Voldemort to survive, as ultimately both cannot co-exist. Yet, as Granger (2002) states,
Harry’s “choices remain critically important, however, because this destiny is not a fate; he must choose to play the Harry Potter role . . . which is by no means automatic or predetermined
(p. 83). However, it is not until HBP that this is made clear.
In an exchange between Harry Potter and Dumbledore we have a clarification that
Harry does have the power of free choice regardless of the prophecy, which would initially
seem to argue against free choice:
‘But Harry, never forget that what the prophecy says is only significant because
Voldemort made it so. I told you this at the end of last year. Voldemort singled you
out as the person who would be most dangerous to him –and in doing so, he made you
the person who would be most dangerous to him!’ . . .
‘If Voldemort had never heard of the prophecy, would it have been fulfilled?
Would it have meant anything? Of course not! Do you think every prophecy in the
Hall of Prophecy has been fulfilled?’ . . .
‘You see, the prophecy does not mean you have to do anything! But the
prophecy caused Lord Voldemort to mark you as his equal … in other words, you are
free to choose your way, quite free to turn your back on the prophecy! But Voldemort
continues to set store by the prophecy. He will continue to hunt you… which makes it
certain, really, that –‘
‘That one of us is going to end up killing the other,’ said Harry. ‘Yes.’
But he understood at last what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him.
It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle
to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people,
perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but
Dumbledore knew –and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did
my parents –that there was all the difference in the world (HBP, pp. 476 – 479)
[Italics in original].

This exchange illustrates that Harry’s free choice is not ruled out by a prophecy but one’s
choices are certainly limited by the actions of someone who believes in a prophecy and acts
on it. This is a reflection on life in general where we all have free choice but that free choice
can be limited by the actions of others. In modern society our free choices can be limited by
the actions of people such as terrorists or through a lack of opportunities because of
government policies, financial constraints, access to educational facilities, our place of birth,
etc.
In discussing the Harry Potter series and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy,
Lachance (2005), argues that both groups of books make use of the concept of choice to
present a humanist faith (pp. 4-6, p. 63). She states that Pullman and Rowling make their
characters responsible for their destiny and conscious of the repercussions of their actions and
choices without involvement of supernatural forces although she does believe that both
authors follow a Christian narrative tradition (p. 4, p. 86). Instead of being protected and
guided by a superhuman being, the characters have to look within themselves for answers and
choose the path they believe is good according to their moral values (p. 16). The author of
this thesis fully supports this interpretation of choice in the Harry Potter series but does not
support Lachance’s argument that such an interpretation is inconsistent with Christian beliefs
and therefore needs to be classed as a humanist interpretation of choice. Lachance states that
Rowling rejects the idea of faith in a supernatural being (p. 86) but the author of this thesis
feels that a reading of the Harry Potter series does not support such a sweeping statement.
Lachance (2005) bases her view of both the Harry Potter series and the His Dark
Materials series presenting a humanist perspective on choice by stating that Pullman
deliberately reverses the Christian belief of the Fall Myth (pp. 20-21). The Fall Myth is a key
Christian concept that comes from a story found in the Old Testament book of Genesis. This
story refers to the fall of humankind from a state of innocence to a state of sinfulness because of an act of disobedience. The common Christian translation of the original Hebrew scripture
suggests that God created Adam and Eve, the first humans, in His image. Adam and Eve are
allowed to live in the Garden of Eden but are not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge because
to do so would show disobedience to God’s instruction. They were innocent beings but a
serpent tempts them to eat fruit from the forbidden tree and when they do eat the fruit they
are transformed. They become aware of a distinction between ‘Good and Evil’. They are
now superior to all forms of life, but their existence is filled with new troubles. They have
become self-conscious; they are ashamed of their nakedness, and conceal their reproductive
organs. God questions their actions and then expels them from the Garden of Eden. Finally
they know, for the first time, they are going to die (Booker, p. 546). All their descendants will
suffer and die because of their actions. Lachance states, in referring to His Dark Materials:
Pullman paradoxically uses the Fall Myth to illustrate his idea of secular faith.
Pullman's "sin" is that he uses a Christian myth to deliver a message that rejects the
idea of God and of religious faith. He uses the same images as in the traditional Fall
Myth: Adam and Eve, the serpent and the fruit, for example. However, Pullman's
version of this religious myth works as a central articulation of his idea of hope, of
humanist faith. He presents the coming of awareness of sexuality, the eating of the
apple, not as a "fall" but as a joyful discovery, as an enlightenment (pp. 20-21).
It is a view of hope that places emphasis on a faith in humanity to make the right choices
rather than a faith in a God to provide us with a good life (p. 3). Harry Potter does have hope
in a better future through the decisions he makes but this does not mean that he either accepts
or rejects the notion of a supernatural being in whom others may find hope. A person can
have hope in their own ability to make choices and make their life better yet it does not mean
that they reject or accept an ultimate hope in being at one with a loving God.

Harry Potter and the Quest for Values 24

CHAPTER 4: CHOICE AND VALUES IN HARRY POTTER
“Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of
choice”
(Michael Josephson, 2003).
Introduction
The Harry Potter series deals with a hero who struggles throughout his life. As Harry
continues on his life journey he, like all of us, needs to make a number of choices. These
choices are the key to discovering Harry’s values and the choices that we make are the key to
our humanity. In this chapter specific mention is made of the values that both critics and
students have recognised in the series. Comment is also made in relation to the Catholic
belief in the importance of humanity’s ability to make free choices because this freedom
separates humans from all other creatures and supports the Christian belief in their eternal
bond with God.
Critics, youth, Harry Potter and values
In essence, critics’ personal ideologies have dominated the opinions they have made
regarding the Harry Potter series. Critics have drawn from their own ideologies and referred
to aspects of the Harry Potter series which speak most relevantly to them at the time they
read and expressed views regarding the novels. All critics’ comments are relevant because
they bring meanings to the text which may differ to other people’s reading of the text.
People’s perception of the values in any text will also vary due to the different ideologies they bring to that text. This thesis, in seeking to reach an understanding of values that can be
found in the series, makes observations on values that both critics and young people found in
the books. It is through their opinions that a substantive understanding of values in the Harry
Potter series can be ascertained. As this thesis is considering the use of the series in teaching
Religious Education in a Christian context, the values that have been singled out for study are
those that can be classed as Christian values. These values, which guide the way we live, are
generally perceived as our personal values.
The qualities that a person demonstrates in their behaviour indicate the personal
values that the person has. These qualities are seen as being important for one’s development
because they are seen as essential to the formation of the self. Personal qualities are also
important in one’s religious beliefs. All religions carry some set of beliefs on the qualities we
should exhibit to fulfil our potential. The followers of Christianity would be expected to love
one another as Jesus loves humankind if Heaven on Earth is to be achieved, in Hinduism one
should refrain from killing if one wished to move further on the path to Moksha, and in
Buddhism truthfulness would be seen as a personal quality if one wishes to eventually
achieve Nirvana. However, one can also exhibit personal qualities without having any
religious beliefs and a person may exhibit qualities that are in opposition to their supposed
religious beliefs. Through the examination of and reflection on one’s qualities it is possible to
gain a greater understanding of ourselves and those around us. Personal qualities are
important in our spiritual and moral growth, regardless of our religious beliefs.
Critics have made statements on the personal qualities they found in the Harry Potter
series and their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with them. The qualities mentioned included
selflessness, self-sacrifice, honesty, kindness, fairness, tolerance, respect, loyalty, self
discipline, relationships, friendships, compassion, trust, courage, grace, need for justice,
mercy and hope.

Choice
“ ‘Life is a do-it-yourself project.’ Your attitudes and the choices you make today will be
your life tomorrow, build it wisely”
(Life is a do-it-yourself project. n.d. p. 1)
Choice derives from the word “choose,” meaning, specifically, to pick from a greater
number (The Oxford reference dictionary, Hawkins, 1986, p. 454). Choosing is defined as
“the act or power of choosing” (ibid.). Choice is also highlighted in opinions expressed by
critics because it is seen as important to the series. As Mimi Gladstein (2004) states,
“Rowling creates a world where what is and should be important is the “content of one’s
character” and the choices one makes” (p. 49). Plyming (2001) refers to the importance of
Harry choosing to want to be in Gryffindor rather than Slytherin. He justifiably mentions the
importance of Dumbledore’s statement in CoS that, “It is our choices, Harry, that show what
we truly are, far more than our abilities” (CoS, p. 245) (p. 14). We demonstrate our personal
values through the choices we make. Other critics see this as a key statement in the series
(Cherrett, 2003, p. 29, Bridger, 2001, p. 74, 2001, Houghton, 2001, p.17, Beck, 2001, p. 53,
Pharr, 2002, p. 63, et al.). In “the Harry Potter series, choice is used to deny the fixedness of
nature as characters are not good or bad in essence but in their choices” (Lachance, 2005, p.
75). Hélène Lachance (2005) also states that in making his choices “Harry (Potter ) shows a
string of moral values that corresponds [sic] to Christian humanist criteria: courage, loyalty,
love, forgiveness, altruism, nobility of the soul, spirit of sacrifice, etc” (p. 65).
Plyming (2001) highlights “This emphasis of choice over and against fate, peer
pressure and family pedigree”, as being at the heart of the spirituality in the Harry Potter
series (p. 14). He relates this choice to that preached in the New Testament and which provides guidance in remembering that we “are morally responsible people, who can make
choices and who must answer for them” (p. 15). Choices have consequences in real life and
they also have consequences in the Harry Potter series (Doughty, 2002, p. 249, Pharr, 2002,
p. 64). Plyming also emphasises that we “humans do not have to be slaves to the voices
without or the genes within” (p. 15). It is clear that through our choices we illustrate what sort
of person we are, what our personal values are (Cherrett, 2003, p. 32, Kern, 2003, p. 88).
John Granger (2002) also believes that the choices Harry makes define who he is (p. 77), as
does Killinger (2002, p. 94). As Granger states: “Harry makes two types of choices in every
book – about what sort of person he is and what to do in a crisis – and he chooses ‘what is
right’ over ‘what is easy’ every time” (p. 77). Often these choices cause Harry suffering but
this does not deter him from continuing to make the right decisions (Killinger, p. 99).
Bridger comments on the theme of choice that is apparent in the Harry Potter series
as corresponding to “one of the major themes of ethics – the relationship between freewill
and determinism ” (2001, p. 74). Beck also stresses this point when she states that the Harry
Potter series discusses the issue of free will “ that as human beings we were created to be free
to choose and then live with the consequence of such choices ” (p. 53). David and Catherine
Deavel (2002) also mention Rowling’s emphasis on choice versus destiny and “ how choices
must be made according to the criteria of truth and absolute moral limits ” (p. 49). Kern
(2003) states how important choice over fate is in the Harry Potter series (p. 54). Chantel
Lavoie (2003) also cites the important lesson of choice demonstrated by Harry Potter (p. 42).
She states children, too, have important decisions to make, and Rowling’s books emphasise
that children need to consider individual preference, conscience, and right and wrong rather
than what the majority think and do. These choices should be informed, reflecting both selfreliance
and cooperation-involving group or family loyalty and “grown-up” negotiations
between these shifting boundaries (p. 42). Rebecca Skulnick and Jesse Goodman (2003) recognise the importance of Harry not
blindly following institutional rules but basing his choices on “his sense of citizenship, his
ability to make concerted choices, and his willingness to negate or promote the rules of his
popular government, the Hogwarts institution” (p. 264). Some critics attack Harry for making
choices that are against set rules because they feel that this illustrates some sort of antiauthoritarian
stance which the series’ readers may adopt (Furst & Heilman, 2001, p. 135,
Abanes, 2001, pp. 260-261). However, Harry generally only breaks set rules for the common
good. In fact he often illustrates a higher level of moral development than many of the adults
in the series. If people are willing to break rules when a higher principle is at stake then they
are said to be at the Postconventional level under Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, a
level usually reserved for adults (Whited & Grimes, 2002, p. 195). With Harry being
predominantly at this stage of moral development he avoids being manipulated by those
around him. In essence it assists him in being a leader rather than a follower:
We cannot make good choices by mindlessly keeping to a set of rules and regulations.
In fact, if we never progress beyond an unthinking attitude of compliance with laws
handed down to us from above, we may even lay ourselves open to deception and
manipulation by authority figures who would wish to control and enslave us.
(Cherrett, 2003, pp. 35-36)
Other critics have also noted the importance of the choices characters in the series
make in relation to their moral development. They relate Harry’s development to Kohlberg’s
stages of moral development because Kohlberg’s work is still an acceptable criterion to
analyse a person’s moral development. Lana Whited and M. Katherine Grimes (2002)
undertake a study on the actions and attitudes key characters show in making choices to try
and ascertain at what level they are performing at (pp. 182-208). They place Draco Malfoy at Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience, based on his actions in the first book, PS (p. 185). In the
book GoF they feel Harry is predominantly acting at the Stage Three: Interpersonal level (p.
189) but has shown steady signs of movement into the Stage Four: Authority and Social
Order level and occasionally the Stage Five: Social Contract level in PoA and GoF (p. 199-
200). Kern (2003) makes mention of Whited and Grimes work in this area and while making
comment on the weaknesses in Kohlberg’s model and offering insight into others’ work
regarding this model, including Carol Gilligan’s (1982), he does believe that Harry’s stories
will help children with their moral reasoning because of the reasoning Harry and other
characters use in the series (pp. 123-127).
Cherrett (2003) also notes how the majority of Harry’s choices involve choosing
what is right over what is easy (p. 48). Pharr (2002) recognises that the thin but crucial wall
that separates us between being good and being evil is choice (p. 63). This choice, however,
can be guided by providing opportunities for students to experience moral behaviour. Thomas
Shannon (2006) states that adults:
can encourage moral behavior, we can help moral development, but at a certain point
individuals have to do it by themselves, on their own, without anyone observing them.
One has given them the moral map, helped them learn to read it, but now you hope the
map is internal and will help them to navigate their own way (p. 44).
Students surveyed in this study made mention of the importance of choice. To the
question, “What do you think Dumbledore means when he says to Harry, in Harry Potter and
the Chamber of Secrets, ‘It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than
our abilities.’ (p. 245)?” students’ responses indicated an understanding about the importance
choice has in deciding who we are (Appendix 7, Student Interview responses, p. 3). Student
views included: Your actions show what sort of person you are or become. Your choices
decide your path in life
• Your actions are decided by your choices not anyone else’s. Choices can be
affected by background but still are your choices
• You can choose who you are and what you become
• Abilities you have, choices you decide, you can change
• You have to have the strength to choose what you think is right
• Choices decide what we mean in life, what we believe in life
• Your choices affect others
• Your personality is important. Your choices reveal who you truly are
• Making choices and decisions show what sort of person you really are
• Choices/decisions decide whether we are good or bad people
Throughout the Harry Potter series Harry and his friends and others make choices
from which the reader is then able to judge what sort of person they are, what values they
espouse. In the response to the question, “Can you please list for me some of Harry’s
personal values that you perceive from reading the book(s)?” students were able to provide a
extensive list of the personal values Harry exhibits (Appendix 7, Student Interview responses,
p. 4). These included kindness, courage, a caring attitude and loyalty. In focus group
discussions students also recognised personal values exhibited by Harry and others in the
books. They recognised values such as courage, cunning, loyalty, bravery and modesty
(Appendix 8, Focus Group responses, pp. 1-2).
At the end of HBP we see Harry prepared to be responsible for his own moral
behaviour rather than be guided by advice from those around him. He is now about to turn
seventeen and has grown in his ability to make choices. Harry has moved through Kohlberg’s stages of moral development and found both joy and tragedy through the consequences of
choices that he has made (Kern, 2003, pp. 121-127. Whited & Grimes, 2002, pp. 183-208). In
this way Harry is a model for other children because he has had to work his way through a
number of moral conflicts. Through the various experiences Harry has undertaken he gains a
greater ability to make educated moral decisions. His experiences provide examples for
children to analyse; they are able to study Harry’s “difficulties of moral conflict to have a
better sense of ethical problems and solutions. The non-threatening conditions of imaginative
play allow them to try out different approaches and to adopt different perspectives” (Kern, p.
40). As Kern (2003) suggests, fantasy literature, such as the Harry Potter series, offers youth
a chance to work through difficult moral questions in a safe and secure context (p. 120).
Whited and Grimes (2002) also reflect on Kohlberg’s theory of moral development and feel
that based on Kohlberg’s views “Rowling provides young readers with models of moral
decision-making via the characters who inhabit her magical and Muggle worlds” (p. 207). At
the end of HPB Harry has recently lost the guidance of Albus Dumbledore, the moral
lighthouse that has guided him through the dark times he has faced in his short life, and is
now ready to voyage out under his own steam, guided by his own choices, navigating his
own destiny.