Upon opening Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, we find Harry Potter, newly 14, caught between two narratives: one of murder, mystery, and looming danger, and another of holiday, friendship, and excitement. Indeed, between visions of Voldemort and tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, our hero is once again trapped between immense responsibility and the joys of childhood; however, in this particular installment, the period of maturation that he must undergo is more significant than ever before. This is developed and supported by elements of the text — most particularly, the inclusion of Gothic elements and an adherence to the arc of the hero's journey. In the following blogs, we will explore how these details function in the story and why they are crucial to setting up this year in Harry Potter's life. Jordan dissects the Gothic elements of the text and explores the correlation between the influences of the Gothic genre and themes of maturity. Skylar looks at the hero's journey, how the narrative of Goblet begins to mimic that structure, and why it is vital to Harry's development as he leaves childhood behind. In the conclusion, we explain how these elements of the story work together to set Goblet of Fire apart as a marked period of maturation for Harry Potter.
By Jordan Glunt