PLOT POINT 1:

Harry Potter Hook

 

WARNING: Spoilers Below

Harry Potter

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Opening Scene(s) Refresher: Our first real interaction with Harry comes on Dudley’s birthday. Harry is awoken by his aunt and told to keep an eye on the breakfast. He watches Dudley open his presents and his aunt and uncle argue over what to do with him while they go to the zoo. In the end, he is allowed to come with them.

But how does her introduction accomplish the 8 important elements? Click on each of them below to find out!

Want

Harry wants a place where he belongs and people who care about him.

Normal World

Harry begins as an orphan in his aunt and uncle's house.

  • What makes this unique to Jane? Similar to Jane, Harry's situation is unique to him because he is an orphan living in an unloving environment. Our first view of him is his aunt ordering him to make breakfast and watch as their child is doted upon. With his aunt and uncle, he faces both emotional and physical abuse.

Ghost

Harry's Ghost is the death of his parents (which we learned about in the previous scene, though Harry himself is still ignorant to the facts).

Internal Conflict

The emotional abuse. Harry is made to watch as his aunt and uncle talk about him as though he isn't there and as though he is a nuisance.

External Conflict

Harry is put to work and an argument breaks out when his aunt and uncle must decide what to do with him. We also get flashbacks showing the physical abuse he has encountered from his cousin.

  • How does this introduce the Ghost? Harry's Ghost (his parents death), left him with his only living relatives who have fueled a great deal of external conflict, as well as his Want.

Character Traits

  1. Resilient - RELATABLE - We’ve all had hard things happen to us, but at some point we’ve been willing to get up and keep going.

  2. Self-worth - ADMIRABLE - Harry has had a hard life, but he has kept his self-worth through all of it. This shows in his interactions with his relatives. Despite their abuse, he doesn't bow down to them. He's cheeky and willing to stand up for himself. A lot of the series is built on this trait, and the fact that the first year of Harry's life created a strong sense of self-worth in him. This is compared to Voldemort, who was also an orphan, but Voldemort didn't have the love in his infancy that ended up shaping the rest of Harry's life and his entire world view.

  3. Funny - LIKABLE - Harry's cheekiness with Dudley and his aunt and uncle are funny. People like funny!

Theme

One of the story's (and series') main themes of sacrifice is introduced here. Harry is being forced to sacrifice for his aunt, uncle, and cousin.

This is a defining character trait of his, but he has a lot of journey in front of him before he learns the true meaning of selfless and willing sacrifice.

Stakes

Harry wants belonging. The opening scene threatens this by squashing even his tiny glimmer of hope of being invited along to the zoo when Vernon tells Harry how unwelcome he is.