Before Harry even arrives at Hogwarts to begin his fourth year, he is faced with challenges that require him to rely on himself more than ever before. Being the Chosen One comes with its own set of individual burdens, as does being fourteen years old, and Harry finds himself somewhat alone in his struggles, despite being surrounded by many people who have both age and magical ability in common with him. In order to demonstrate how Harry must overcome these stressors, both to mature as an individual and to contribute to the fight to save the wizarding world from evil, Rowling grounds the story in points along Campbell's model of the hero's journey, as well as elements of the Gothic. These details clue the reader in to what the nature of Harry's journey will be throughout the story - one that tests his bravery and endurance - and mirror what he struggles with personally as a young boy becoming a young man, which will require him to call up some of the same traits that he will need to battle the evils of the world.
The writing and narrative structures in the beginning of Goblet are key to setting up Harry's journey of maturation. His nightmarish vision of Voldemort at the Riddle House is reminiscent of Gothic themes of entrapment and foreboding visions, as well as the hero's Call to Action. This dual existence of Harry's responsibility - both as an internal vision he must contend with as part of his fate, and as an external force that propels him into action, regardless of his feelings on the former - is proof of how the plot delivery supports the notion that Harry's transition into a more adult-like maturity is a complex one, and made even more tedious by the stakes of his fantastical world. Rowling's approach illustrates that Harry faces a layered set of tribulations: his duties as a hero, his uncharted path as the Chosen One, and his personal anxieties towards both, which are fueled by the insecurities of his delicate position between childhood and adulthood.Â
In consideration of what Harry is tasked to deal with both internally and externally within Goblet of Fire, it becomes evident that no amount of maturity could ever fully equip a single person to shoulder so much weight. In fact, the writing itself, with its influence from the Gothic genre and the hero's journey, acknowledges through the use of these techniques that isolation and personal burden create make-or-break moments in a protagonist's journey. Harry's maturation is not contingent on his eventual ability to overcome every personal and societal obstacle; rather, his path to maturity relies on his persistence to carry on in the midst of every sort of battle.
By Jordan Glunt