I open with a review of what is meant by the umbrella term 'myth', its purposes within a society, and the heroic myth as detailed by scholars such as Rank, Raglan, and Campbell. No longer applying solely to myth and dreams, the inherent appeal of the hero's initiation in relation to children's literature stresses the importance of studying such work as a way of studying ourselves. Detailing the similarities in these works firmly establishes Rowling's work in a historical context. Related to this is the concept of Jung's archetypes such as the Wise Old Man, Mother, Anima, Trickster, and Shadow which appear throughout the series in a number of ways. The complexity indicates a change in story-telling that doesn't diminish our familiarity with those characters or their importance.

With Harry Potter, the doors to a number of thematic opportunities and pedagogical approaches hailed by leading educators such as Art Young and Ira Shor are opened. Writing Across the Curriculum practices and interdisciplinary endeavors seem natural, as evidenced by my students'work. The educative qualities apply even outside the classroom, as fans demonstrate good student practice. I further explore societal interaction by utilizing prominent cultural scholars Donna Haraway, N.Katherine Hayles, and Douglas Kellner. As a post human or cyborg, Harry reflects our dread of fragmentation and our technological exhilaration and is an excellent way of exploring our relationship to technology, celebrity, and the media and how that relationship, in turn, enhances our love of the books themselves.

The recurring theme of the Harry Potter books and phenomenon is the crossing of traditional boundaries in order to shake up the statusquo, reinvent educational practice, bring us closer to ourunconscious, and provide a critical lens to study ourselves and our world.