Holy Flying Broomsticks Batman! Harry Potter And The Exemplification Of The Superhero

Rovnyak, 1 Angela M. Rovnyak Professor Jennifer Feather USSO 279 December 13, 2007 Holy Flying Broomsticks Batman! Harry Potter and the Exemplification of the Superhero Archetype “It’s a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then… he shoots fire from the skies and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. How fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him.” – Batman Reflecting upon his friend Clark Kent, better known as Superman, Batman speaks about the dual natures of the superhero: the extraordinary power and abilities, and the weaknesses and shortcomings inherent in the human condition. In other words, a “superman” is an ideal man. Friedrich Nietzsche saw the “Superman” or “Overman” as an ideal, perfect human being who would replace God: “What is the ape to men? A laughing stock or a painful embarrassment. And just so shall man be to the Superman: a laughing stock or a painful embarrassment” (Hayes). In contrast to Nietzsche’s vision, the superhero in Western folklore, rather than subjugating man, has become mankind’s hero and savior: The American monomyth [the story of the Superhero] derives from tales of redemption. It secularizes the Judaeo-Christian (sic) dramas of community redemption that have arisen on American soil, combining

Rovnyak, 2 elements of the selfless servant who impassively gives his life for others and the zealous crusader who destroys evil (Lawrence and Jewett, 6).

One can apply this idea of a superhero- a super-powered individual who uses these abilities to protect mankind, while being a part of mankind himself- to British author J.K. Rowling’s character Harry Potter. Throughout the course of the series, his powers, personality and experiences, compared to those of established superheroes, define Harry Potter as a superhero. While not required to fit the Superman archetype, conventional superheroes often do possess powers that exceed those of normal humans. Fitting with this convention, Harry Potter, being a Wizard, wields powerful magic. Even within the Wizarding world, he is especially talented- in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, he discovers that he is naturally adept at flying upon a broom (Rowling, 148-149). In the second novel in the series, Rowling reveals that Harry is a parselmouth; he has the ability to communicate with snakes and other reptiles (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 195). In addition, a common superhero convention is that the hero does not receive powers until young adulthood- Superman did not find out his true identity until he was eighteen and began to exhibit Kryptonian powers such as super strength and flight (“Superman Biography, History”), and Spider-Man developed his powers including super strength and wall crawling while a high school student (Koepp). Similarly, Harry is eleven years old when he is accepted to Britain’s school for magically-powered individuals, Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 50).

Rovnyak, 3 In addition to having superhuman abilities, a superhero usually experiences a stereotyped plot. The superheroic life story …always begins with a threat arising against Eden’s [the harmonious city or town in which the hero lives] calm… paradise is depicted as repeatedly under siege, its citizens pressed down by alien forces too powerful for democratic institutions to quell. When evil is ascendant, Eden becomes a wilderness in which only a superhero can redeem the captives (Lawrence and Jewett, 26). The utopia is presented as an idyllic haven for the hero, but is constantly being attacked by the villain, who wishes to destroy peace, or enslave the citizens. Therefore, the hero must protect this haven at all costs. An example of the beloved utopia of the Superhero is the dual utopias of Smallville, Kansas and Metropolis, Illinois in Superman’s universe. Superman describes the perfection inherent in his utopia: Metropolis. This is the part of the job I like best. High above the city I can see the horizon. Odd as it sounds, it reminds me of [Smallville,] Kansas. The way the wheat would cut across the north field as if it were going to roll on forever. The stillness, except for the wind. And… my Dad would gently remind me… it was time to go to work. (Loeb and Guinness, Part 1: World’s Finest) Harry Potter also has a utopia similar to Metropolis: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Rowling presents the Hogwarts not as a Paradise, but as freedom from the Muggle (non-magical) world, saying that being away from Hogwarts is like “like having a constant stomachache” (3). When Harry is not

Rovnyak, 4 at Hogwarts, he lives with his aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley, who force him to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs, (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 19) and speak about Harry as if he did not exist “or, rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn’t understand them, like a slug” (22). This description of Harry’s home life emphasizes how much better Harry perceives his life at Hogwarts. Much of the evil befalling the hero’s utopia is caused by his arch nemesis, an evil person to whom the hero has a special connection. In the1989 Tim Burton film Batman, the hero and his arch nemesis, the Joker, are revealed to have “created” each other. Mafioso Jack Napier pulled a hit on Thomas and Martha Wayne when he was a young man, scarring young Bruce for life and causing him to become the Batman. Years later, Batman pushed Napier into a vat of hazardous waste, bleaching his skin, dying his hair green, and driving him completely insane, causing him to become the Joker (Hamm and Skaaren). Harry Potter’s arch nemesis is megalomaniacal villain Voldemort, referred to throughout the books as “He who must not be named” or “You-Know-Who” because of his extreme evil. Once known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, Voldemort was a student at Hogwarts, who committed his first murder at the age of sixteen and went on to terrorize the wizarding and Muggle worlds. Two of his victims were Lily and James Potter, Harry’s parents. When attempting to murder Harry, a piece of Voldemort’s soul was trapped in Harry’s body (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 709), consequently, Voldemort’s existence is based upon Harry’s survival. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Voldemort uses Harry’s blood to bring himself into true physical form, therefore; he and Harry are even more intrinsically connected (642). Harry and Voldemort’s wands are also brothers; they each contain a tail feather from the same

Rovnyak, 5 phoenix (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 85). Harry’s drive to defeat Voldemort stems greatly from this connection. The conventional superhero also often experiences personal tragedy, which inspires heroic actions. An example in established superhero lore is the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents: The nightmare always begins the same. My parents… Thomas and Martha Wayne take my hands as we leave the theater. I can only imagine the fear that gripped them when the gunman stepped out of the shadows… never knowing that these were their last moments alive. I will never forget the sound of the gun firing. Tiny pieces of metal ripping through the only two people I ever loved. The blood, the acrid smell of gunpowder. My future going black before my eyes. My parents lay in the street, bleeding to death. It seemed like hours before anyone came to help… Unexpectedly, in the nightmare, I can see myself—alone—as I watch my Mother and Father leave me forever. At that moment, my childhood ended. (Loeb and Guinness, Introduction of Part 1: World’s Finest) Harry Potter lost his parents in a similar manner: Lord Voldemort murdered Lily and James Potter in front of his intended target: the infant Harry (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 328). Although he was much younger than Batman had been when his parents died, he can recall their deaths just as vividly when in the presence of their murderer: “Lily, take Harry and go! It’s him! Go! Run! I’ll hold him off!”… “Avada Kedavera!”

Rovnyak, 6 The green light filled the cramped hallway… [and] James Potter fell like a marionette whose strings were cut… “Not Harry, please. No, take me! Kill me instead!”… “The green light flashed around the room and she dropped like her husband (343-344). Tragedy is not limited to the death of parents: Harry witnesses his godfather’s murder by Voldemort’s minion Bellatrix LeStrange in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (805-806), his friendly rival Cedric Diggory’s murder by Wormtail in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (638), and his mentor Albus Dumbledore’s apparent murder by Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (596). He also witnesses the murder of the vindicated Snape, again by Voldemort’s hand, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (656). Instead of crushing the superhero’s spirit, tragic life experiences inspire greatness; for example, the death of Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben inspires Peter to take on the persona of Spiderman (Koepp). Likewise, when Harry is reunited with his dead friends and relatives in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, he gains the courage to finally face Voldemort and accept his fate (Rowling, 704). Romantic relationships are also a hallmark of the superhero’s life. However he must not pursue them, else risking the life of his companion. In Spider-Man, Peter lies to Mary Jane, telling her that he does not love her, in order to protect her from being hurt or killed by another villain, since she had already been threatened by the Green Goblin (Koepp). Superman cannot reveal his relationship with Lois Lane or tell her his secret identity because of similar fears (Capizzi and Timm). In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood

Rovnyak, 7 Prince, Harry breaks up with his girlfriend Ginny Weasley because of the role he would have to play in eventually permanently defeating Voldemort: Ginny, listen… I can’t be involved with you anymore. We’ve got to stop seeing each other. We can’t be together… Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to… Think how much danger you’ll be in if we keep this up. He’ll know, he’ll find out. He’ll try and get to me through you (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 646). This is, in fact, a common tactic of the hero’s arch nemesis. In an episode of Batman: The Animated Series, the Joker kidnaps Batman’s girlfriend Catwoman. The Joker’s lover and partner in crime Harley Quinn then keeps Catwoman hostage in a cat-food factory (Dini, “Almost Got ‘Im”). By fighting the villain, the hero demonstrates his superior morality which, ironically, may require that he break the law. In the hero mythos, “the vigilante has become a saint, not merely through superior virtue, but also through superhuman power” (Lawrence and Jewett, 40). Harry Potter has little trouble breaking rules. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry uses his Invisibility Cloak to sneak into the Restricted section of the school library (Rowling, 205-206), and fights another student after hours (155); in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he uses the Marauder’s map to sneak off school grounds (194), among other infractions. Some circumvention of established order must be committed because the establishment itself is evil or works against good. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry forms a group called Dumbledore’s Army, out of respect for Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and in opposition to Ministry of Magic import High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge (389-393). By Harry Potter

Rovnyak, 8 and the Deathly Hallows, Harry is a fugitive from Voldemort’s minions, who are the current power in the Wizarding world: “The Ministry [of Magic] has fallen! [Minister] Scrimgeour is dead. [Voldemort’s minions, The Death Eaters] are coming” (159). In comparison, both Batman and Superman have been fugitives from the latter’s arch rival, Lex Luthor, who is the current President of the United States. (Loeb and Guiness, Part 1:World’s Finest) The virtue of the superhero is such to the extent that he not only fights against evil, but would give up his own life for those around him. In Superman: Doomsday, Superman realizes that he and Doomsday, a powerful alien warrior, cannot both live. Therefore, in order that the people of Metropolis would be free from harm, Superman dies in the battle that also kills Doomsday. (Capizzi and Timm) Around the time of Harry’s birth, Sybil Trelawney prophesied that neither Harry nor Voldemort could “live while the other survives” (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 856), and in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry agrees to die by Voldemort’s hand in order to save the world from Voldemort’s evil (704). Superheroes have seemingly always been popular in Western civilization. According to a spokesperson from UCI cinemas, “Superheroes have often been favorite characters in movies” (“Superman is ‘Greatest Superhero’”). Harry Potter has taken not only the wizarding world by storm, but ours as well. As of July 16, 2005 Harry Potter books 1-5 had sold over 265 million copies in 200 countries, and had been translated into 62 languages. 10 million copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince were sold within the first 24 hours of release (“Potter Fans Snap Up Latest Book”). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was the best-selling item on Amazon.com for fourteen weeks prior

Rovnyak, 9 to its release in 2000 (Blake, 1). In fact, these kinds of books have always been popular objects of American idolization: Thousands of images of heroes and heroines larger than life, with powers every bit as magical as those exercised in classical mythology, were floating about in the American entertainment system, yet they appear to have been unrecognizable to sophisticated minds (Lawrence and Jewett). Co-owner of Fish Combo Productions Bernard Schmalzried observed such characters as “Fat Superman” and “Ugly Power Girl” waiting for a chance to see a favorite artist, or view the preview for Dark Knight at WizardWorld 2007 in Chicago. He says that these fans often dress as their favorite character, one that they idolize and wish to emulate. Harry Potter is also an object of idolization by adults. Each midnight release of the newest Harry Potter book has seen not only children, but also adults dressed as their favorite characters, the characters that they idolize and admire most. This popularity and idolization is due to several different factors, including the excitement of epic battles and the hero’s humanity, which foster both reader and viewer identification with the superhero protagonist. Epic battles often play a major role in established superhero lore as well as the lore of Harry Potter. Superman: Doomsday shows Superman fighting a clone of himself in the sky above Metropolis (Capizzi and Timm); Spider-Man features a special effectsladen battle in Times Square between the hero and the Green Goblin (Koepp). During the Triwizard tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the champions must retrieve a golden egg from a dragon’s nest. To achieve this end, Harry swoops down on

Rovnyak, 10 his Firebolt broom to the cheers of the audience, dizzying and confusing the dragon, snagging the prized golden egg: He began to fly, first this way, then the other, not near enough to make her breathe fire to stave him off, but still posing a sufficient threat to ensure she kept her eyes on him… He flew higher. The Horntail’s head rose with him, her neck now stretched to its fullest extent… And then she reared, spreading her great, black, leathery wings at last… Before the dragon knew what he had done, or where he had disappeared to, he was speeding toward the ground as fast as he could go… he had seized the egg (Rowling, 355-356). In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry performed a similar heroic feat, albeit without an audience. During an attempt to save Ron’s sister Ginny, Harry is attacked by the same basilisk that had been terrorizing the school throughout the book and kills it with the legendary Sword of Gryffindor (320). According to film scholar Noel Carroll, highly charged film scenes, like a battle against a monstrous figure in a horror film, elicit strong emotions from audience members. These emotions run parallel to the protagonist, since they are experiencing the same emotions from the same object (Smith, 68). These parallel emotions allow the viewer or reader to experience an emotional connection with the main character. Another reason for the popularity of superheroes is their inherent humanity. For example, Spiderman works as a freelance newspaper photographer, struggles to pass college courses, and never has enough money to pay the rent in his run-down apartment (Raimi, et al). Superman is actually a newspaper reporter named Clark Kent, who

Rovnyak, 11 struggles through everyday life and is too shy to talk to his attractive coworker Lois (Capizzi and Timm). Harry Potter is a normal teenager who has awkward first dates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 557-563), crams for standardized tests (310311), and worries about his Astronomy homework (295). Also, in the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowling reveals that Harry eventually works for the Ministry of Magic and lives a normal adult life with his wife, Ginny, and their children (754). Average Americans are able to identify with superheroes because of these normal human vulnerabilities. Also accounting for the popularity of superheroes is their ability to reflect the times and culture in which they exist. Jerry Seigel and Joe Schuster, a writer and artist respectively, created the heroic Superman in response to Nazi Germany’s treatment of Jews to exemplify what were considered American values. Drawing upon their Jewish background, Seigel and Schuster wrote Superman to do good for its own sake, fight the enemies of America abroad, and fight un-American evil at home; for example, Superman saves women from abusive husbands (Kramer). Reflecting the American hatred of Fascism and Communism and America’s perceived role as a global enforcer of justice, Superman single-handedly defeats Adolf Hitler, tells him he’d “like to land a strictly nonAryan sock on your skull!” while holding him by the throat, and drags him and Josef Stalin to jail. (Seigel and Schuster) Also during the Second World War, Timely Comics (later Marvel Comics) introduced Captain America, who in his first appearance is shown punching Adolf Hitler across the jaw (Simon and Kirby, Cover). After the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, Marvel Comics published several books with heroes such as Captain America and Spider-Man assisting in the rescue efforts, but

Rovnyak, 12 crumbling emotionally while New York City firefighters and police officers stand strong (Nyman). Harry Potter, despite being the brainchild of a British author, still exemplifies American values: What is it about contemporary American popular culture that makes Harry Potter fit in so well? First, Harry Potter affirms what America has always most believed in. It affirms our story, our values and our truths. Americans have always loved the innocent hero who faces a dangerous challenge with integrity and overcomes it. This is the American story. It is the story that starts with the pilgrims and runs right up to the present war against terrorism. And, as always, it has a happy ending (Blanchard). Harry also fights against un-American enemies. Rowling has admitted that Lord Voldemort is modeled after Hitler; he aims to cleanse the world of Muggles (non-magical people) and Mudbloods (magical people of Muggle parentage), echoing the Third Reich’s treatment of Jews during the Holocaust (Deshpande). Harry’s defeat of Voldemort is essentially the same as Superman or Captain America’s defeat of Hitler. Besides reflecting American culture and ideals, superheroes are meant to influence individuals. According to Justin F. Martin, evidence strongly suggests that children learn moral values from watching superheroes, and associate their own morals with those of superheroes. The effect of superheroes upon people’s thoughts has not gone unnoticed: In 1940, Nazi propaganda magazine Das schwertze Korps published a scathing commentary of Superman’s influence on American children:

Rovnyak, 13 Jerry Siegel…is the inventor of a colorful figure with an impressive appearance, a powerful body, and a red swim suit who enjoys the ability to fly through the ether… The inventive Israelite named this pleasant guy with an overdeveloped body and underdeveloped mind "Superman." He advertised widely Superman's sense of justice, wellsuited for imitation by the American youth… He [Superman] cries "Strength! Courage! Justice!" to the noble yearnings of American children. Instead of using the chance to encourage really useful virtues, he sows hate, suspicion, evil, laziness, and criminality in their young hearts. (“Jerry Seigel Attacks!”) Also, superheroes have been used in propaganda to support causes. For example, Spiderman has been used to teach children and teenagers about birth control and to support Planned Parenthood of America (Robinson and Andreu). In addition, an upcoming Batman graphic novel, a piece which is admittedly propaganda, will depict Batman battling al Quaeda and Osama bin Laden (Robinson). The Harry Potter novels have also influenced children’s morality, with many children saying that Harry Potter’s love and protectiveness of his friends, courage, and willingness to save lives are qualities which they would like to emulate. (Vozzola) However, some American Christian groups condemn Harry Potter because of fears that it will lead children to Witchcraft and away from Jesus. They insist that Harry Potter is not harmless fantasy: Children identify with their favorite characters and learn to see wizards and witches from a popular peer perspective rather than from God's perspective. Those who sense that the occult world is evil face a

Rovnyak, 14 choice: Resist peer pressure or rationalize their imagined participation in Harry's supernatural adventures. The second choice may quiet the nagging doubts, but rationalizing evil and justifying sin will sear the conscience and shift the child's perception of values from God's perspective to a more "comfortable" cultural adaptation. Even Christian children can easily learn to conform truth to multicultural ideals and turn God's values upside down - just as did God's people in Old Testament days (Kjos). Additionally, reading Harry Potter has made British children increasingly enroll in boarding school, and American children enroll in summer camps in a phenomenon the Boarding School community terms the “Harry Potter Effect” (Boarding Schools Info). In reference to superheroes, Batman and 300 graphic novelist Frank Miller once said, “The Greeks had their gods and heroes… We have ours. What are they here for?” (Robinson) Superman, Batman, Captain America, Spiderman, and other comic book superheroes serve as both role models and mirrors for the time and culture in which they are written. A far cry from the Superman of Nietzschean philosophy, the superhero of American literature is a moral, self-sacrificing protector of humankind, while still sharing man’s weaknesses and faults. Through their personality, morals, and experiences, superheroes display an ideal version of manhood. Because of his shared characteristics with other superheroes, Harry Potter also exemplifies this idealized version of manhood. Harry, Superman, Batman, and other superheroes have been popular through most of the twentieth century, and, if the first decade of the twenty-first is any indication, they will continue to be popular for years to come.

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