Day 10 (exploring my topic)

Harry PotterLiterature or Pop Culture? Harry Potter came into the literary scene in the 90’s captivating young readers who have followed him on his hero’s journey for more than a decade, through 7 books, 8 films and now an online game, as well as several fan fiction sites. Is there any true literary value to the series? Is it merely a passing literary phase? Is there one book in the series that can fit as a literary classic? If we look at Harry Potter through the eyes of an archetypal hero on his journey of self discovery we see there is a character, or event that fits neatly into all of those classic archetypes. Start with Harry, our young protagonist. He was born under unusual circumstances, a prophesy foretold of his birth, and he the antagonist tried to kill him, leaving him an orphan… all key elements for the archetypal hero. He has an old, white haired mentor who directs him and hints at what he must learn and confront on this journey. He has an evil enemy he must fight on this journey. He has companions who help him on his journey. He encounters many trials and even some mythological creatures… what could get more archetypal than that? But as far as pop culture… what classifies something as purely pop culture? A trend that comes to an end? Well the Harry Potter fan base has yet to come to an end, but even some classic literature still has a fan base.