#vogler

They introduced this rich a hole and everyone hated him, and presumably they wanted his money, but they never really touched on actually needing it for anything.

Supposedly they spent it on new equipment and presumably new clinical trial research, but generally nothing seemed to show that there were upgrades happening around them (tho tbh idk if I’d notice if the machines in the background changed… but that’s my point! They should bring it up!)

1. Cameron "quit"

2. Wilson saving his bf and risking his job

3. Vogler cannot be gone soon enough

4. Chase needs to take a walk (derogatory)

5. This show is a fantasy because they actually put effort into diagnosing rare and invisible illnesses

6. They all hate each other. Toxic workplace

7. The yaoi is doomed. Shit the yaoi is doomed. THE YAOI IS DOOMED

And you know what? House is right to not bow down to this guy who claims to be interested in healing people, but he's really just a businessman that wants his companies to make more money.

He enters with this whole power-struggle of 'you need my money so i get to tell you how to be a doctor', which is BS.

It's interesting that the show paints House as both in the wrong and in the right, but as much as House is an asshole, I don't think standing up for his morals (loose as they are) is wrong.

He sized Vogler up and knew that he didn't care about healing anyone and Vogler hated it, which is why he wanted rid of him.

I’m looking for recommendations on Carl Jung.

I have thought a  lot about psychology lately. The one person I am drawn to more than any other is Carl Jung. Can anybody recommend a book about him and about his basic theories that a reasonably intelligent but definitely not brilliant person like me can understand? I tend to agree with at least several of his points about the universal (I always get this confused) consciousness or is that the…

“‘It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities,’” (Rowling 333). J.K. Rowling’s novel entitled Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a novel shaped by the choices that its characters make. Do they choose to give into their fear of what is foreign and unknown, or do they take the time to explore it and understand it better? Do they choose to stand idly as their fellows are terrorized, or do they choose to try and stop it? Do they choose to fight for what is right, for good, or do they give into their own ambitions and fight for the forces of darkness? As each of Rowling’s characters follow their own paths, their archetypes emerge, further defining them. Perhaps most importantly, as Harry faces the obstacles presented to a novel’s hero, readers get the chance to experience his journey alongside him. As they develop a fondness for him because of his relatability, they can only hope that he makes the right choices and triumphs over evil at the end of the novel.

           Harry Potter embodies the Hero archetype in Rowling’s novel because his status as an individual “distinct from” the rest of the story’s characters makes him easy for readers to relate to, (Vogler 29). At the onset of the novel, Harry is depicted as being different from the Dursleys because of his past—he was adopted by his aunt and uncle. Harry’s status as an outsider is accentuated by the fact that he is a wizard and the Dursleys are Muggles who fear his power, especially when he makes empty threats. At school, Harry stands apart from the other students because of the fame he gained after defeating Voldemort and his ability to talk to snakes. As several of Hogwarts’ students begin to fear that he is the Heir of Slytherin on account of his being a Parselmouth, he is ostracized and even feared by more and more of the student body. As Harry begins to feel increasingly unwelcome at school, readers find it easier to relate to the boy wizard. Their ease stems from the fact that they’ve all been in Harry’s position before—they’ve all been unwelcome in social situations; they’ve all been outsiders.

           Harry is also the novel’s hero because he is “the most active person in the script,” (Vogler 31).  He is present in every chapter and every major event. Furthermore, the novel surrounds his experience during his second year at Hogwarts; it is driven by “his will and desire,” without him, the novel simply could not exist, (Vogler 31). Harry is also the individual “who learns or grows the most in the course of the story,” (Vogler 31). His instructors continue to teach him magic, his allies teach him about wizard culture—the meaning of words like “Mudblood” and “Squib,” the ingredients necessary to produce Polyjuice Potion and its use, etc. At the end of the novel, Harry sacrifices his own safety and well-being in order to ensure that no one else is attacked by the basilisk and that Ginny’s life doesn’t end prematurely. As he descends into the Chamber of Secrets, readers notice that Harry is riddled with both unease and self-doubt. Rowling writes “every nerve in Harry’s body was tingling unpleasantly. He wanted the tunnel to end, yet dreaded what he’d find when he did,” (304). His fears aren’t unfounded—without the help of Fawkes the phoenix and Gryffindor’s sword, Harry would have succumbed to the chamber’s horrors. With the basilisk blinded by Fawkes’ talons and the sword to replace his lost wand, Harry managed to defeat the basilisk, but it cost him. The basilisk bit him and its blood was poisonous. Slowly, his life ebbed away from him—he had sacrificed himself for his best friend’s sister. “Thick, pearly tears were trickling down [Fawkes’] glossy feathers,” falling into the wound the snake had inflicted, (Rowling 321). Knowing of the great lengths that Harry would go to protect his friends, that his heart was pure, Fawkes used the curative properties of his tears to resurrect Potter. He rewarded him for his sacrifice and Harry was born again, a newer, stronger wizard who would finish the task of bringing Ginny home.

           Three Mentors arise to help Harry on his quest. The first is his best friend Ronald Weasley, who continues “teaching [and] training” Harry in various aspects of wizard culture, (Vogler 40). For example, Ron shows Harry how to “de-gnome” a garden, explains that “Mudblood” is a derisive term, that a Squib “‘is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn’t got any magic powers,’” etc. (Rowling 145). Hermione Granger is the second of Harry’s Mentors. Hermione can be classified as a Mentor as well because she crafts a Polyjuice Potion and explains its use. She also realizes what monster lurks in the Chamber of Secrets before anyone else. Although she had been petrified and couldn’t tell Harry directly, she had torn a page out of a book and scrawled “pipes” beneath the entry on basilisks, (Rowling 290). As a result, she was able to express her thoughts to her friends upon their discovery of the paper she clutched in her hands. Finally, Dumbledore is the third of Harry’s three Mentors and he certainly looks the part. He is an elderly wizard with a long white beard and half-moon spectacles, but it is not his appearance alone that makes him a Mentor. Dumbledore may be classified as a mentor because he teaches Harry a valuable lesson—that it is one’s choices that define who they are. At the end of the novel, when Harry struggles to view himself as a Gryffindor because of his similarities to Salazar Slytherin, Dumbledore explains what differentiates them. Although Dumbledore admits that they do in fact possess some similarities like “‘his own very rare gift, Parseltongue — resourcefulness—determination — a certain disregard for rules,’” he also expresses the idea that Harry’s choice to ask the Sorting Hat not to be placed in Slytherin made him a different person, (Rowling 333). Harry’s decision to voice his desires is what separates him from Slytherin and Voldemort, who chose very different paths for themselves. Thus, Dumbledore satisfies another aspect of the Mentor archetype because “giving gifts is… an important function of this archetype,” (Vogler 40). Dumbledore provides Harry with peace of mind because he explained what made Harry a Hero and Voldemort a villain. By extension, he also explains how Ron and Hermione’s continued support made them both friends and Mentors.

           Threshold Guardians provide the hero with “obstacles,” which they must overcome in order to continue on their quest, (Vogler 49). Thus, “testing of the hero is the primary dramatic function” of this archetype, (Vogler 50). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets contains two Threshold Guardians. The first is Dobby, the house elf. Upon their initial meeting, Dobby says “‘Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts,’” (Rowling 16). In order to make it easier to convince Harry to stay home, Dobby withholds Harry’s mail so that he will think that no one cares about him and the Special World will seem less inviting. By expressing his wishes and alluding to the reasons behind them, Dobby challenges Harry by forcing him to uncover the truth about why he hadn’t been receiving letters. He also forces Harry to find a way to defy his will. When Harry refuses to give in, Dobby bolsters the gateway leading to the Special World by making it more difficult for Harry to continue his journey. He accomplishes this feat by magically dropping Aunt Petunia’s pudding onto the floor, causing Harry to get into trouble with the Ministry of Magic for what they assumed was the underage use of magic outside of school. This put Harry at risk of expulsion. Dobby’s actions spur Vernon Dursley, Harry’s second Threshold Guardian, to tighten his grip. In addition to having all of his magical supplies locked away, Vernon “paid a man to fit bars on Harry’s window... [he] let Harry out to use the bathroom… Otherwise, he was locked in his room around the clock,” (Rowling 22). Thus, Vernon issued his challenge: if Harry could find a way out of his room, then he could go back to Hogwarts. To a Muggle, this was an impossible task, since Harry couldn’t use magic and had no way to communicate with the outside world. So, Vernon relaxed, knowing that Harry had no way of returning to the “accursed” school he and his family hated so much. Unfortunately, Ron sensed that something was wrong and came to the rescue with his two older brothers Fred and George, freeing Harry from his prison so that he could continue his journey.

           Dobby also serves another important function in Rowling’s story; he fills the Herald archetype. “Herald characters issue challenges and announce the coming of significant change,” (Vogler 55). When Dobby insists that Harry should not return to Hogwarts, he issues a challenge. He forces Harry to defy him in order to obtain what he wants—the chance to return to the Special World. When Dobby begins to betray his master, explaining why Harry should remain with the Dursleys, he carries out the latter portion of the Herald’s description. Dobby states that there is ‘“a plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts… this year,’” (Rowling 16). He alludes to the danger that awaits in the Special World, suggesting that what Harry will find at Hogwarts is anything but peaceful. Although life isn’t pleasant for Harry at the Dursleys, readers can expect that his life will be just as unpleasant at school. Furthermore, they can expect a shift from a relatively safe world devoid of magic, to one filled with magic and mayhem. It is obvious that Harry’s life is about to change.

           Shapeshifters are “shifting and unstable… [making them] difficult for the hero and the audience to pin down,” (Vogler 59). Ginny Weasley wears this archetypal mask in Rowling’s novel because her personality is constantly changing before both Harry’s and reader’s eyes. When we are first reintroduced to her character at the Burrow, Ginny appears to be a shy individual who is infatuated with Harry. She constantly blushes around him and has a tendency to make a fool of herself in his presence. For example, during breakfast one morning, she “put her elbow in the butter dish,” after Harry asked her a question, (Rowling 44). At Flourish and Blotts, Ginny appears courageous when she defends Harry from Malfoy’s ridicule. After the basilisk’s first attack on Hogwarts, Mrs. Norris, Filch’s cat, is petrified. Most of the student body doesn’t care because they associate her with Filch and detention. However, Ginny’s softer side is expressed by her being “disturbed by Mrs. Norris’s fate” because it demonstrates her ability to sympathize and empathize with others, (Rowling 146). When the school begins to suspect Harry of being the Heir of Slytherin, Ginny’s brothers Fred and George begin to crack jokes about Harry’s affairs with his “fanged servant,” (Rowling 210). Ginny doesn’t find the jokes funny, suggesting that she is deeply upset by them and how Harry is viewed. Since she doesn’t want anyone she cares about to be viewed negatively, she can be described as both loyal and protective. On Valentine’s Day, Ginny reverts to the reader’s initial view of her—that of an adolescent girl infatuated with a boy she hardly knows, when she gives Harry a valentine. When Ginny tries to tell Harry and Ron about Riddle’s diary and the Chamber of Secrets, she appears both craven and uneasy. When she tried to talk, “no sound came out,” and when Percy appeared, she “jumped up as though her chair had just been electrified,” (Rowling 286).

Finally, when Ginny lies unconscious in the Chamber of Secrets, Tom Riddle explains how he fed on her secrets in order to grow stronger. When he reveals that Ginny stole the diary back in order to protect her secrets from being divulged, Ginny is humanized as she grows more and more relatable. Our ability to relate to Ginny is enhanced by the types of things she revealed to Tom: ‘“how her brothers tease her, how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books… [and] how she didn’t think [the] famous… Harry Potter would ever like her…’” (Rowling 309). Ginny’s secrets make her more relatable because everyone has been teased or ridiculed, everyone has gone out in clothes that embarrass them, many people struggle with poverty, and many people have had fears that those they love don’t love them back. Thus, Ginny’s character and her secrets prove to be extremely profound because she speaks directly to Rowling’s target audience: children and adolescents, who are struggling with all of the same things as the young witch. With her last shift, she becomes “one of us,” an individual riddled with self-doubt and social problems. By having her act as the Shapeshifter, Rowling ensures that Ginny can speak to everyone, guaranteeing that they all feel as though they “belong” in her readership.

The Shadow archetype “challenge[s] the hero and give[s] her a worthy opponent in the struggle,” (Vogler 66). The Shadows in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets are Tom Riddle and the basilisk. The basilisk is a Shadow because it petrified several students with its gaze. One of these individuals was Hermione Granger, the intellectual in Harry’s trio. Without her help and guidance, Harry and Ron struggled in their classes, trying to uncover the truth about the Chamber of Secrets, etc. If it hadn’t been for the page they discovered clutched in her hand, they may not have realized what was going on and Harry may not have satisfied his role as the novel’s Hero. The basilisk also proved to be a physical threat when Harry was fighting it in the Chamber of Secrets. This is in part because of its size and brute strength, in part because of the powers of its gaze, and the poisonous properties of its blood. Although Harry managed to slay the beast with Gryffindor’s sword, the basilisk had bitten him, causing “white-hot pain [to] sprea[d] slowly and steadily from the wound,” (Rowling 320). It made his vision “foggy,” (Rowling 320). If Fawkes had not been present to heal Harry with his tears, then Harry would have died in the Chamber of Secrets.

Tom Riddle fills the Shadow archetype as well because he was the individual who orchestrated the attacks on Hogwarts. He was the individual who first opened the Chamber of Secrets, unleashing the basilisk, which killed Moaning Myrtle. He also led to Hagrid’s expulsion from school, because the attacks were blamed on Hagrid’s pet spider, Aragog. His second wave of attacks, which occurred fifty years later while Harry attended school, caused several more students to be petrified. Riddle also provided Harry with a mental and emotional challenge because he used Ginny Weasley, his best friend’s sister, to gain power and obtain a corporeal form. With Ginny as his unwilling puppet, Riddle managed to minimize the threats posed to the basilisk and his power because “‘she strangled the school roosters,’” whose crow has the capacity to kill it, (Rowling 310). As Riddle gained more and more control over Ginny, her own power waned, causing Harry to realize that Riddle held her life in his hands. Thus, Harry knew that he had to tread lightly because Ginny’s life hung in the balance—if he made one false step, each of them could die. Thus, he had to devise a way to stop Riddle quickly and without magic, not only because he wanted to live, but because he didn’t want Ron and his family, whom he considered friends, to suffer the pain of Ginny’s demise. Finally, Riddle writes “I am Lord Voldemort,” forcing Harry to push aside the pain of their past history together in order to triumph, (Rowling 314). Since Voldemort killed Harry’s parents and harmed several of the people he loved, this proved to be a challenge because Harry knew firsthand what Voldemort was capable of.

Allies are often “friendly figures who fight [at the hero’s] sid[e], advise and warn them, and sometimes challenge them,” (Vogler 71). Hermione Granger is one of Harry’s two allies. She may be characterized as an ally because she is Harry’s friend who often advises him on how to proceed. For example, when Harry begins to suspect that his rival, Draco Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, she devises a way to question him. She explains that Polyjuice Potion “‘transforms you into somebody else,’” which would allow them to turn into Draco’s closest friends, (Rowling 159). As a result, they would be able to convince Draco to confide in them, which in turn, would allow them to stop him from harming anyone else. Furthermore, Hermione realizes that a basilisk is the creature terrorizing the school. She also assumes that the beast is living in the pipes. When Harry and Ron discover her theory by uncovering a note she held when she was petrified, they become more capable of stopping Lord Voldemort.

Ronald Weasley is Harry’s second ally because he is a loyal friend who fights at Harry’s side. Ron demonstrates his loyalty when he chooses to put aside his fear of spiders and follow Harry into the Forbidden Forest. After following the trail of young spiders, they encounter Aragog, who explains what transpired fifty years prior when the Chamber of Secrets was first opened. When Aragog’s children attack them, Harry manages to escape with Ron’s help and Mr. Weasley’s enchanted car. Ronald Weasley proves his loyalty again at the end of the novel when he follows Harry into the Chamber of Secrets to rescue Ginny and destroy the basilisk. Following a cave-in, he becomes trapped behind a rock wall and cannot support Harry with his presence anymore. However, he agrees to “‘try and shift some of this rock…so [that Harry] can get back through,’” (Rowling 304). His words lend Harry strength—they demonstrate that Ron knows that Harry can succeed in rescuing Ginny and defeating the basilisk. They also demonstrate Ron’s willingness to help despite his limitations because they show that he will still be there for Harry when he returns and help ensure their return home.

The final archetype is the Trickster, which “embodies the energies of mischief and desire for change,” (Vogler 77). Often, the archetype provides “comic relief,” (Vogler 78). Peeves is one of the story’s Tricksters because he is always wreaking havoc. For example, he dropped a “vanishing cabinet… from a great height,” destroying the expensive piece of furniture and giving Filch more to clean up, (Rowling 128-129). He also calls attention to the individuals who had been petrified by screaming “‘ATTACK! ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!’” (Rowling 203). Since Harry had been alone in the corridor, people began to suspect him of foul play. Thus, Peeves accomplished what he set out to do—he changed the calm atmosphere to one filled with fear and panic simply because he appreciated mischief. The Weasley Twins are also Tricksters because they do their level best to break rules and provide comic relief. An example of their comic interludes includes the time that Fred “bewitched [Percy’s] prefect badge so that it now read ‘Pinhead,’” (Rowling 212). An example of their mischief-making would be the time they fed fireworks to a salamander, causing a “spectacular display of tangerine stars [to] show[er] from [its] mouth,” (Rowling 131). As a result of their actions, readers can surmise that they strive to change dull or unpleasant moods to lighter and happier ones. Alternatively, when they make mischief, it would appear as though they strive to create a sense of unease because they derive pleasure from other’s discomfort.

The Ordinary World is the first stage of the Hero’s Journey. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Ordinary World is the Dursley’s home. It sets “a baseline for comparison” to the Special World, which allows readers to view it as the author intended—as being special, (Vogler 87). The Dursley’s residence contrasts sharply with the Special World presented at Hogwarts for several reasons. First, Harry’s school supplies are locked up so that he has no access to magic. Second, Hedwig is locked in her cage for the entirety of the summer, so he has no contact with the outside world. Third, the Dursleys don’t appreciate Harry for several reasons, including the fact that he is a wizard. As a result, they treat him harshly and make his life as unpleasant as possible. Finally, being that Vernon Dursley “paid a man to fit bars on Harry’s window,” the boy wizard experienced limited mobility and a lack of freedom, which kept him from doing the things he wanted, (Rowling 22). By describing all of the things that make Harry’s life at the Dursley’s unbearable, Rowling establishes what the Hero “[is] lacking,” (Vogler 91). As a result, readers can surmise that Harry will find all of the things he is lacking in the Special World—the ability to perform magic and to communicate with others, a sense of love and acceptance, and freedom.

The Call to Adventure is designed “to get a story rolling,” (Vogler 99). This stage suggests “that it’s time for change,” (Vogler 100). In Rowling’s novel, this stage of the Hero’s Journey occurs when Dobby comes to warn Harry not to return to Hogwarts. When the house elf reveals “‘there is a plot… a plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts,’” the plot begins to pick up and readers sense that the story’s mood will become even darker, (Rowling 16). Despite Dobby’s insistence that Harry should stay home, the Call is issued because Dobby’s words allude to both the horrors and the adventure that await Harry at Hogwarts. In addition, it clearly states that the safety he experiences at the Dursleys will not be found at Hogwarts. As a result, readers come to the conclusion that Harry’s life is about to change drastically.

The third stage of the Hero’s Journey is Refusal of the Call, which involves the Hero “trying to dodge the adventure,” (Vogler 108). This stage was not present in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets because Harry was eager to return to the Special World. He says, “‘but I’ve got to go back… It’s all that’s keeping me going. You don’t know what it’s like here. I don’t belong here. I belong in your world — at Hogwarts,’” (Rowling 16). He refuses to give in to Dobby’s wishes and insists on returning to the Special World for another adventure because he recognizes that the Ordinary World is no place for him and that it’s slowly stifling him. Furthermore, Harry wishes to return to the Special World in order to protect the individuals that may be imperiled by the insidious plot that is unfolding. In sum: this stage of the journey isn’t present in Rowling’s novel because Harry feels obligated to use the information Dobby provided him. He needs to play the role of the Hero again in order to protect the Special World, to keep it from becoming as dark and as miserable as the Ordinary World he longs to leave behind.

Sometimes, characters “refuse a Call until [they’ve] had time to prepare” for what lies ahead, (Vogler 117). Often, this involves meeting with their Mentor who may give them advice or some other form of assistance. This stage occurred when Ron and his twin brothers Fred and George came to rescue Harry from the Dursleys. Although Harry accepted the Call by insisting that he return to Hogwarts, he had no way of returning to the Special World because he had been locked in his room. As a result, he needed to devise a way to escape in order to continue on his quest. Although he could not communicate with Ron, Ron sensed that something was wrong when he failed to receive any owls from Harry. When he arrived at the Dursleys and realized what had transpired, Ron “pulled [the bars] clean out of the window” with the help of his older brothers and his father’s magical car, (Rowling 25). As a result, Harry was set free. Harry also gained the ability to prepare for the journey ahead because he gained access to both Hedwig and his school supplies. As a result, he could arm himself with magic and communicate with Hedwig’s assistance. Finally, he regained access to one of his three mentors: Ronald Weasley, who would continue to coach him in wizard culture.

The next stage in the Hero’s Journey, Crossing the First Threshold, “is an act of the will in which the hero commits wholeheartedly to the adventure,” (Vogler 127). It is the point at which Harry cannot turn back. This portion of his quest transpires when he and Ron take Mr. Weasley’s flying car to school because they missed the train. As “the Hogwarts Express… streak[ed] along below them,” the boys managed to follow until they arrived at Hogwarts, (Rowling 71). Upon their arrival, the boys finish Crossing the First Threshold because they’ve arrived in the Special World. With little chance of escape, both boys are now immersed in the world of adventure and the danger that Dobby promised. As a result, readers come to the conclusion that Harry’s next venture is about to begin.

Tests, Allies, Enemies is the next stage of the Hero’s Journey. It is a “period of adjustment to the Special World” known for “testing” the Hero, (Vogler 136). During this time lines are drawn as both friends and enemies reveal themselves. This step on Harry’s journey transpires while he is at Hogwarts. This is due to the fact that he is tested in many ways. First, he is tested by his teachers in various subjects as they help to prepare him for the upcoming Ordeal. Harry also strengthens his friendship with both Ron and Hermione, who help him to uncover information pertaining to the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione helps by suggesting that they use a Polyjuice Potion in order to question Draco Malfoy about the Heir of Slytherin. She explains that the recipe can be found ‘“in a book called Moste Potente Potions… in the Restricted Section of the library,’” (Rowling 160). After devising a plan to acquire a copy, she brews the potion, allowing their plan to gain information to unfold. Ron assists Harry by questioning Malfoy under the guise of the Polyjuice Potion. He also helps by following Harry into the Forbidden Forest so that they can question Aragog about the first time the Chamber was opened. As a result, the group’s ties are tested as they put themselves at risk of discovery and their lives on the line. The Hero and his Allies are also forced to race against time—they have to discover who the Shadows are and stop them before more people are hurt and the school is closed.

During this stage readers begin to see signs of the Shadow as well because the basilisk has begun to attack the people of Hogwarts, petrifying several individuals. Draco Malfoy, Harry’s rival and “competition in love, sports, business, or some other enterprise” reasserts himself during this stage of Harry’s journey, (Vogler 138). First, he challenges Harry in sports because he was named Slytherin’s “new Seeker,” (Rowling 111). As a result, he will be in direct competition with Harry, who is the Seeker for Gryffindor’s Quidditch team. Furthermore, Draco’s access to the latest model broomstick, the “Nimbus Two Thousand and One,” gives him an advantage over Harry who uses a slower model, (Rowling 111). As a result, Harry’s skill will be tested as he is forced to make up for the difference in speed between the two brooms. Second, Draco’s view on who should be able to attend Hogwarts differs from Harry’s. Harry wants the school to be a safe place where everyone can learn magic, while Malfoy wishes it was populated with only pureblood witches and wizards. As a result, when the basilisk begins its attacks on the school, Malfoy cheers it on and hopes that it kills Hermione. Malfoy’s support of the Shadow’s actions adds another degree of depth to Harry’s problem—if Draco discovers the Shadow’s identity, Harry will be forced to contest Draco in the dark arts as well.

The Approach to the Inmost Cave lies at the “heart” of the Special World. It is an “intermediate region between the border and the very center of the Hero’s Journey,” (Vogler 143). This stage transpires when Harry, Lockhart, and Ron open the Chamber of Secrets and make their way inside. I have made this characterization because the Chamber lies “miles under the school,” (Rowling 302). The Chamber’s physical location suggests that it rests at Hogwarts’ core, making it the school’s heart. Furthermore, the Chamber rests at the edge of the Special World and leads into a subset, where Harry will face his Ordeal. He is willingly leaving the relative safety of Hogwarts’ familiar halls behind in order to challenge the Shadow in a place that is both novel and unfamiliar to him.

The Ordeal involves “facing the greatest challenge and the most fearsome opponent yet,” (Vogler 155). This event transpires when Harry reaches the end of the Chamber of Secrets and encounters Tom Riddle because Riddle is Lord Voldemort’s living memory. He was the Shadow that arose in Harry’s first year at Hogwarts, and he is the Shadow that haunts him now. Furthermore, since Harry initially failed to realize the danger Tom posed, he lost his wand and his ability to use magic. As a result, Harry is forced to find another way to defeat him. In addition, Tom is the individual who controls the basilisk, which presents another set of dangers because the beast possesses brute strength and “a murderous stare… all who are fixed with the beam of its eye… suffer instant death,” (Rowling 290). Therefore, Harry is forced to fight a battle on two fronts—a physical battle with the basilisk and a mental battle with Riddle, who will not cease to taunt him. Eventually, Harry manages to slay the basilisk with Gryffindor’s sword and Fawkes’ help, but “one long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm,” (Rowling 320). As Harry’s life begins to ebb away, he carries out the latter portion of this stage: “heroes must die so that they can be reborn,” (Vogler 155). In Harry’s case, he is reborn in the Resurrection stage of his journey.

           Following the defeat of both Tom Riddle and the basilisk he controlled, Harry “lay[s] claim to [his] Reward” in the next leg of his journey, the Reward stage, (Vogler 175). Being that Harry walked away from the Ordeal with his life, he earned three rewards. Harry’s second reward was Ginny, who “stirr[ed]” following Riddle’s demise, (Rowling 322). As “they stepped over the motionless coils of the dead basilisk” and retraced their steps through the Chamber of Secrets, they returned to both Ron and Lockhart, leaving the horrors of the Ordeal behind, (Rowling 323). They had both survived and Harry was able to give the Weasleys a gift: the life of their family member. Harry’s final reward arose when the Weasleys discovered what Harry had done—they were beside themselves with appreciation. “‘You saved her! You saved her!’” Molly Weasley exclaimed, awarding Harry with the knowledge that he had brought peace and happiness to a distraught family, (Rowling 327).

           The tenth stage of the Hero’s Journey is the Road Back. It involves “returning to the starting point or continuing on the journey to a totally new locale or ultimate destination,” (Vogler 187). This leg of Harry’s journey transpires directly after he receives his reward for overcoming his Ordeal. It involves his return to the entrance of the tunnel with his rewards in hand and his escape from the Chamber of Secrets with both Professor Lockhart and the Weasleys. “In a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe… [then] it was over — all four of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom,” (Rowling 325). The Road Back occurs during this time because Harry returns to two starting points. First, he returns to Ron and Lockhart, who were trapped by a cave-in at the onset of his Ordeal. Then, he finds his way back to the Special World where his adventure first began.

           The Resurrection “is the climax… the last and most dangerous meeting with death,” (Vogler 197). Since Tom Riddle stole his wand from him, Harry was forced to fight the basilisk with the help of Fawkes and the sword of Gryffindor. Despite the odds that were stacked against him, Harry managed to slay the Heir of Slytherin’s monster, but in so doing, acquired a fatal wound as the basilisk’s poisonous fang sank into his flesh. He could feel the poison burning him, “his vision went foggy,” but Fawkes saved Harry because he recognized him for what he was: a hero who was willing to sacrifice his own life for another, (Rowling 320). Fawkes cried into Harry’s wound, “thick, pearly tears” that reversed the adverse effects of the basilisk’s poison, (Rowling 321). Thus, Harry was “cleans[ed]… of the smell of death… and retain[ed] the lessons of the ordeal,” (Vogler 198). He cheated death and was purified by Fawkes’ tears as they washed the basilisk’s poison away. As he was resurrected, Harry was reborn into a new life where he possessed all of the knowledge he had learned on his journey—that phoenix tears had restorative properties, Ginny’s secrets, the events that transpired each time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, etc.

           The final stage of the Hero’s Journey is the Return with the Elixir, in which the hero “return[s] to their starting place, go[es] home, or continue[s] the journey,” (Vogler 215). At the end of the novel, Harry “walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world,” leaving the Special World behind, (Rowling 341). By choosing to go back to the Dursleys, Harry returned to the place where his journey began. He returned home, completing the cycle of his Hero’s Journey. He also set the stage for the onset of his next adventure in the third novel within Rowling’s series.

           Light vs. Darkness is the only symbolic archetype, “a representation of a specific person, act, deed, place, or conflict,” present within Rowling’s novel, (“Symbolic Archetypes”). This archetype manifests itself through the actions of the story’s Hero and its two Shadows. Harry represents the “light” aspect of this archetype because he fights against the forces of evil. He sets it upon himself to discover what is attacking the school and the significance of the Chamber of Secrets. He fights to find a way to keep the attacks from happening so that Hogwarts can remain open and everyone can feel safe. When Ginny is stolen, he descends into the Chamber and confronts the novel’s Shadows so that he can rescue her. He thrust Gryffindor’s sword “into the roof of the serpent’s mouth” and “plunged [the basilisk’s fang] straight into the heart of [Riddle’s diary],” destroying both Shadows, (Rowling 320 & 322). The novel’s Shadows—Tom Riddle, Heir of Slytherin, and the basilisk, represent the “darkness.” They are the embodiment of evil because Tom uses the basilisk in order to further his agenda. He uses the beast to petrify the students who lack pure blood, so that Hogwarts can be made to reflect the image of what Salazar Slytherin felt Hogwarts should be. The basilisk is evil because he is a tool: he inflicts harm upon the people of Hogwarts because he petrified several individuals and struck fear into their hearts; no one felt safe. Thus, within the context of Rowling’s novel, the “light vs. darkness” archetype can be viewed as the classic fight between good and evil, in which good always triumphs.

           The inclusion of the “light vs. darkness” symbolic archetype within J.K. Rowling’s novel entitled Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets enhanced the story by providing it with something that Rowling’s audience would find both familiar and easily recognizable. Being that the archetype embodied the fight between good and evil, it alluded to a comfortable pattern of occurrences and the story’s outcome where the “good guys” save the day. As a result, readers knew from the novel’s onset that they would not be disappointed or depressed by its ending because the darkness simply could not win.

I appreciated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for its nostalgic value, but didn’t enjoy it as much as the first novel in the series for a few reasons. First, this novel included a large amount of recap, which I don’t enjoy. Second, I wasn’t particularly fond of the new characters who were introduced into the story—individuals like Moaning Myrtle and Lucius Malfoy. Third, while I liked the idea behind Rowling’s story, I didn’t feel as though it was executed particularly well in part because of her writing style and poor use of grammar, and in part because there was too much going on. There were too many subplots detracting from the heart of the story. With that being said, I felt as though it was a good novel to analyze for archetypes because it possessed a strong representation of each of the eight archetypes described in Vogler’s book The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.

In conclusion, J.K. Rowling’s novel entitled Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets contains at least one example of each of the major archetypes. Harry is the Hero because of his growth and the sacrifices he makes, Dobby and Vernon Dursley are Threshold Guardians because they try and keep Harry from returning to the Special World, Dumbledore, Ron, and Hermione are Mentors because they each teach Harry valuable lessons, Dobby is the Herald because he hints at impending change, Ginny is the Shapeshifter because our impression of her character is constantly changing, Tom Riddle and the basilisk are the Shadows because they embody evil, Ron and Hermione are allies because they help Harry on his journey, and the Weasley Twins and Peeves are the Tricksters because they provided mischievous energy and comic relief. Harry’s Hero’s Journey begins in the Ordinary World, where he is living with the Dursleys. It culminates in the Special World where he defeats the Heir of Slytherin and his monster before returning home.

Works Cited

Jamerson, Joyce. “Symbolic Archetypes.”

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. N.p.: Scholastic, 1999.