J.K. Rowling explores many
different themes within the Harry Potter novels: racism, abuse, love, good vs.
evil, etc. The theme that I think she
focuses the most on, though, is dealing with traumatic experiences. Harry’s beginnings as a “hero” are because of
a giant traumatic experience, and it can be argued that his entire life is
really one traumatic event. From losing
his parents, to being raised by his abusive aunt and uncle, going up against
his parents’ murderer not just once, but four times by the sixth book, and on
top of all of that, watching the closest thing he has to a father die … Harry
has dealt with more trauma than 100 people will face in their lifetimes.
What I love about the series is
that Rowling can get us to feel the full emotional impact of the trauma, but we
never doubt Harry’s ability to do anything.
Like in the part in the fifth book where Dumbledore’s Army meets for the
first time in the Hog’s Head, Harry’s trying really hard to downplay all of the
great things he’s done, but none of the other students are having any of
it. And it was the same with me – I
remember thinking, “Harry, you’re awesome, stop it.” Harry is the hero that rises from the ashes of
his trauma, kind of like Dumbledore’s phoenix.
There’s a completely other side to
the trauma theme, though, when we get to know Neville more. Neville’s history is remarkably similar to
Harry’s (a parallel I’m sure isn’t coincidence), but we haven’t been privy to
this similarity up until now because we haven’t known enough about Neville. Neville has always just been the awkward kid
who tries really hard, but who can never quite get there. We learn at the end of the fifth book,
though, that we could very easily have been reading a book series titled
“Neville Longbottom,” rather than “Harry Potter.”
Even though Voldemort didn’t pick
Neville to mark as his equal, Neville still ended up growing up very similarly
to Harry – parents that aren’t there because of a dark wizard, a (verbally)
abusive guardian, and he might as well have not known about magic like Harry
since he couldn’t do it yet.
I love that Rowling not only shows
us the main protagonist’s response to trauma, but also Neville’s. Neville might not have started out as famous
as Harry, and he might have taken longer to get to achievement, but he
eventually gets there all the same. It
really shows the reader that trauma affects everyone in different ways, even if
the trauma is remarkably similar. Neville
might not be the most likely to accomplish great things in the earlier books,
but he’s been put in Gryffindor for a reason.
By the end of book five, he’s proven himself as an extremely loyal and
capable wizard that his grandmother can be proud of.
I really like the reference you made to the Hog’s Head about Harry trying to downplay what he has done throughout the books. I agree while thinking I could have never done or faced what he has and still be psychologically solid. Comparing Harry to Dumbledore’s phoenix and him rising from the ashes was very true. He is an unlikely hero, being so young, and is born into his fate and accepts it. I also had never thought about the parallels between Harry and Neville. After pointing them out, I can see the similarities in their lives. Saying Neville was put into Gryffindor house for a reason is so true. He has proven his strength going to the Ministry of Magic with Harry and helping fight the Death Eaters. I believe there are great things to come for Neville in the last two books.
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