Heroes are a constant topic in any language course, given the fact that there are many different types of heroes. These include the classical, tragic and epic hero. Each type referring to a different era, writing style, authors and even characteristics of these heroes. However, when referred to, these different types all blend into one when thinking about what a hero is. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay It often happens that the title is falsely revealed or the expectations are unreasonable when it comes to the heroes. This is the case of JK Rowling's Harry Potter, who is commonly considered the "classic hero", described as a normal person with some kind of talent that made them different or special. He's just an ordinary boy taken from his life and thrust into a world filled with witchcraft and wizardry. Harry Potter seems like the "classic" example of what a hero is, but in reality Harry is trying to live up to the expectations of what we think a hero is rather than actually being one and , as such, those who are heroes are considered heroes. There is no doubt that there are many different classifications of what heroes are and what qualifies them as such. But ultimately the question is what a hero is. Dictionaries will say that a hero is “a person admired or idealized for courage, exceptional achievements, or noble qualities.” Stories like those of King Arthur or even the Avengers will affirm that a hero is someone who has faced all obstacles and accomplished what is considered the impossible. However, the CEO of The AllHumanity Group, an organization that aims to improve everyone's lives, Robert Cipriano put into words what others could not and explained that "there are different types of heroes...[ who] show us that anything is possible, [heroes] who... demonstrate unusual... courage... heroes who find the strength to overcome adversity and thrive. Taking what Cipriano said and applying it to Harry Potter, the number of candidates for who is a hero increases dramatically. Each character has shown courage in the face of the many challenges that life has thrown at them. Snape had the courage to kill his boss, his friend and teacher to prevent Malfoy from getting that blood on his hand. Dumbledore, the one who always remained standing and wise, let himself be killed so as not to blow Snape's cover. Professor McGonogall and all her fellow teachers who stood against the Dark Lord to save what they love. Hermione had the courage and strength to be a witch when everyone around her doubted her abilities. Ron saved the day in the very first book, during the fatal chess game and without Ron knowing, Harry would never have succeeded. Since neither of them ever realized that their actions could be considered heroic, they did what they had to, even though the odds were against them. And that's what a hero is, they don't need the title of hero to be one, they just are one. As proven previously, everyone already has a pre-existing notion of what a hero is which often leads to unconscious bias. And with prejudice comes a stereotype about what to expect. In a recent article on stereotypes and their effects, psychologist Noam Spancer argued that “expectations based on stereotypes... impede individual freedom and achievement.” This is evident from Harry's first introductions to the wizarding worldwhen Hagrid, the giant gardener charged with helping Harry, takes him to the Leaky Cauldron. Everyone acts differently towards Harry when his name is mentioned, the customers all go silent, some even approaching Harry honored and impressed by his presence. Moments after entering this new and magical world, Harry is treated like a celebrity, because he "killed" Lord Voldemort, He Who Shall Not Be Named. A twelve year old boy who grew up thinking he was never important goes from that to becoming a celebrity, it's quite a change. Especially since he's young and impressionable, this might as well set a precedent in his head for how he should be treated in this new world. These witches and wizards consider him a hero, his classmates are impressed by his presence and want him to be their friend. Young Malfoy wanted Harry to be his friend, warning him about families he shouldn't be friends with. Hero status, popularity, all of it was attributed to Harry because of what he did when he was fifteen months old. Having this in your life would certainly prevent Harry from his own freedom and since everyone expects him to be a hero, he must live up to that expectation. From the moment he became a wizard, his destiny was predetermined, who he was to be was written for him. All he had to do was try to fit in and stay in the shadow of what people believed about him. One of the reasons Harry is often considered a hero is because he undertook the "hero's journey." This idea is inspired by the journey of Joseph's Campbell, American literature professor, in 12 stages which are as follows: "ordinary world, call to adventure, refusal of the call, meeting with the mentor, crossing the threshold, trials , allies and enemies, approach the innermost cave, the test, the reward, the resurrection and the return with the elixir. Following this pattern, it would seem pretty obvious that Harry was the hero since he went through everything said here, but the same can be said for his friends Hermoine and Ronald who were there with him every step of the way . Especially Hermoine, she came from a muggle family with no prior knowledge of the existence of magic, she lived a normal human life, her parents were dentists and hard working muggles (those who did not possess the ability to use magic). And just like Harry, on her twelfth birthday, she received a letter that would change her life forever. Dumbledore may not have been an active part of Hermoine's life, he still trusted her and eventually lent her the Time Turner. It was a magical device that allowed the user to go back in time and she used it to complete more classes and to save Buckbeak, Hagrid's hippogriff, from the jaws of death. Although Hermoine never died and came back to life, she often stood by Harry's side throughout his and her struggles. She may not have given her life, but she allowed her parents' minds to be erased from her so they wouldn't be in danger. It may be the cost of war, but it is still a huge sacrifice that Hermoine had to make for the common good. Not to mention Ron, who has a deep fear of spiders but still accompanied him to the Forbidden Forest as they tried to understand the attacks on their school. When the trio was trying to figure out and destroy the horcruxes, Ron managed to destroy the locket, although it made those wearing it quite upset and sad. He also remembered that the basilisk's fangs could destroy them and that with Hermione's help, they were able to.