Chosen One, Christ Figure...Either way He's special

When dealing with Christ figures in literature, the parallels can be fairly obvious, or may take a little bit of digging. For this application, however, I will go with an obvious, hidden character to show as a Christ figure. Harry Potter seems like an excellent character for these purposes. I know, I know, the whole, "Only one can live" bit does mimic Christianity a great deal (God or Satan, only one), but there are many features that are shared by both Christ and Potter. Feel free to chuckle at the irony of using Harry Potter (often attacked by religious authorities) as a Christ figure.

1. Wounds in the head and hands- Everyone knows that Harry has a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, marking him forever as "The Boy Who Lived", basically becoming wizarding "royalty" in the process. Christ had wounds on his head from the crown of thorns placed on his head by the Roman soldiers-their way of marking him as "royalty" and king of the Jews. Those wounds were very uncommon in the times that each of our figures lived and gave them a distinctive appearance that others could distinguish easily. Christ received wounds in his hands by being nailed to a cross and crucified because he was telling the truth to everyone around him, and the religious leaders at the time, either terrified by what he said or angry at him for saying it, reacted to destroy him and put him on their level. Harry received wounds on his hands for telling the truth about Voldemort at Hogwarts and was punished by Umbridge (a high Ministry official) to keep the truth from being heard, as the news would cause panic and unrest. Coincidence? I think not.


2. In agony- Before he was crucified, Christ was beaten, whipped, and forced to carry the cross he would be crucified on to hill where the Crucifixion would take place. And then he was crucified. While not as extreme as this agony or as physical, Harry underwent severe agony. His parents murdered in front of him, horrifying visions of Voldemort's actions, friends and family coming to his aid and protecting him, only to be cut down in cold blood...a childhood with these events as highlights sounds like agony for the mind and the emotions.


3. Self-sacrificing- Christ came to Earth from Heaven and died for us so we would not have to die for our sins. He took our place when he was perfect and we were nothing. Harry went into the Forbidden Forest alone to allow Voldemort to kill him, in order to make him vulnerable and weakened so his friends could survive. Any time dying for someone else comes into play, the action can be considered self-sacrificing.


4. Known to have spent time alone in the wilderness- Christ often went to the woods or a secluded location such as this to pray and have quiet time with God. One of the final times was just before Christ was arrested, and was taken to be crucified and murdered. Harry went into the Forest on several occasions, most notably as he went to confront Voldemort as part of his plan to weaken and push Voldemort to defeat. As Christ talked to his father (God) shortly before he was arrested, Harry talked to his parents through the Resurrection Stone before confronting Voldemort.


5. Good with children- Christ was well known for loving children and able to teach them and love them as a good father would to his children, but Harry also was in a way. Harry taught many of his friends- who could be considered children- during their fifth year at Hogwarts, and also was able to inspire his friends, perhaps unwittingly into helping him defeat Voldemort. So, while Christ knew he was good with children and tried to help them, Harry unknowingly was good with them and inspired them and taught them, as Christ did.

Harry Potter as a Christ figure. There you have it- an analysis of the qualities that embody not only our Savior, but also one of our favorite characters in literature. Everyone needs a Christ figure. Otherwise, what would literature be like without them?