How is it that one incomplete series, produced by a single unrenowned author has awakened a reading revolution world-wide and redefined our twenty-first century notion of a best-seller? Was the world awaiting its literary hero in despair, or are Harry's character and adventures so associated with our own, that he has unconsciously forced us to look deeper into everyday realities seeking the fundamental truths? Whether the world was on the look out or taken by storm, the fact is that Harry is here and if book sales are anything to go by, he's here to stay!
This paper seeks to accomplish two things. Firstly, it will use a narratological approach to outline the structural similarities that the Harry Potter series shares with its ancestor, the traditional wonder tale. The structural analysis will show how this retelling of the traditional tales constitutes what is now known as a high fantasy sub-genre, in which a form of quest or adventure is present. Juxtaposing Harry to the likes of Frodo, Ged, Lyra and others, shows that their journeys are not made to find and keep a treasure, but to return to the source and destroy great menace whilst restoring peace and serenity to worlds wrought with anguish and despair. Ultimately, the modern-day quest is shown to redefine both the journey, as well as the grail that the heroes, by implication children or young adults, must seek and find to save themselves and their worlds.
This done, the paper will go on to place the series within the twenty-first century global cultural milieu. Comparative study shows that the high fantasy sub-genre is typified by a coming-of-age pattern, reflective of contemporary problems as well as the individual's hunt for identity. The significance of these concerns is considered to be the main reason behind the genre's huge cultural relevance and commercial success, for which the Harry Potter series is partially, if not mostly, responsible.