Adversity Marks Greatness

                Before even reading the first word of this chapter (but having read the chapter’s title), I immediately thought of harry potter. He was “marked for greatness” in a number of ways. First and most obviously, he had the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. There were other signs of his future greatness too, though. Mr. Potter was sort of the black sheep of his family, not really having a place where he truly fit in. His parents having died when he was a baby, he was forced to live with his unaccepting and hateful aunt and uncle. All of the signs that he was an underdog were there. Harry is treated terribly by his so-called family members until he is finally able to escape to a better place when he discovers his wizarding abilities and is sent to Hogwarts. Other than being a sign of his future greatness, Harry’s scar itself can symbolize the tragedies he’d faced in his life before leaving to Hogwarts, beginning with the death of his parents and continuing into his life of neglect with his aunt and uncle. As for the shape of the scar, it could symbolize hope for Harry, that he’s destined to “light up” the world with his future prominence, or that he is to one day be as powerful as a lightning bolt (or any other symbolism that can be derived from light or a lightning bolt).

                Foster makes a good point in saying “it’s easier to introduce characters without imperfections.” After considering this statement, it is much easier to tell when that potential greatness is present. If J.K. Rowling hadn’t given Harry the scar, the death of his parents, and all the hardship he faced, it would have been significantly easier to get to the point where Harry is at Hogwarts and becomes a wizard. Eliminating his hardship would diminish his greatness though, not to mention make the story much less interesting, so J.K. Rowling clearly had a purpose in detailing Harry’s unfortunate past.

                It seems that in a great number of cases the “mark” for greatness originates from something negative, such as a troubled past, a physical disability, or some other hardship. To achieve greatness, the characters must overcome the hardship. This form of “marking” for future success is very relatable to reality. In the real world, people are admired for overcoming adversity. In literature, there are the other cases of “marked for greatness” in which the “mark” is some trait that did not derive from past adversity, such as a girl with purple hair (I couldn’t think of a better example) or someone being great just because they were born that way. It’s obvious which stories of greatness we prefer, however. Who wants to hear about someone who already has a great life who then, for no reason at all, becomes even more endowed than before? I think that the general consensus is that people like to hear about underdogs who beat the odds and become something wonderful. After all, that’s exactly what people strive to do in the real world; beat the odds of finding success in such a cut-throat and competitive society. The achievement of greatness we see in literature inspires people, particularly because we are all working towards the happy endings that exist in the stories about those “marked for greatness.”