Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (vol. III)

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is certainly a bildungsroman. The work focuses on the internal struggle within Harry during his adventures leading up to the final battle with Voldemort. Throughout the first half of the novel, Harry looks at the path which has led him to search for the Horcruxes and begins to ask serious questions. He questions whether the choices he has made in the past have been the right ones, whether the teachers he had in the past were the best, and whether his current path is the right. Harry’s doubt and disbelief render him nearly useless in the first section of the novel. However, the death of Dobby (485) becomes a catalyst for maturity for Harry. He formulates a plan, develops a sense of purpose, and proceeds with confidence in the path before and behind him. Harry’s greatest point of maturity occurs when he realizes he must die in order to stop Voldemort. Recognizing his own mortality and bravely facing his end (692), Harry boldly faces his challenges in a way which was impossible for him to do in the beginning of the work.