No Place Like the Dursleys': The Effect of Harry's Harsh Childhood in 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' Shrabonti Bhowmik College

In the Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone by J.K. Rowling, the protagonist, Harry Potter, lives through a terrible childhood where he is constantly bullied and insulted by the Dursleys. Even though Harry has an extended family, the Dursleys only provide him with the bare minimum. They are very selfish and treat Harry as a servant instead of a relative. However, due to Harry's horrible circumstances, he slowly develops a trait that helps him become a hero. This trait is called being humble. He shows humility when he sacrifices and risks his own life to save others since he knows what it feels like to be bullied by Dudley. He is not ignorant about his parents’ fame. Lastly. he appreciates little things where other people think it is normal. In the story of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, having to deal with a terrible upbringing helps Harry develop a heroic trait, humility, which saves the wizarding world.

Because of the Dursleys’ torment towards Harry, he gets into risky situations that involve sacrificing himself to accomplish his tasks; this shows his humbleness. He does not think twice about the consequences of his actions. He does what he believes is the right choice without thinking of the safer option. For...