Humility and Self-Sacrifice Theme Analysis

In contrast to the ideas of power, greed, and desire held up as forces for evil, humility and self-sacrifice become the cornerstones of good character in The Sorcerer’s Stone. While antagonistic characters like Voldemort, Quirrell, and Dudley tend to focus on their own desires and needs, characters like Harry, Ron, and Hermione often think about others before themselves. In associating her protagonists—and Harry in particular—with these virtues, Rowling emphasizes the idea that humility and self-sacrifice are key indicators of goodness and are virtues worth striving for.

Throughout the novel, Harry is the primary example of how characters are shown to be good by exhibiting selflessness and humility. After Harry’s parents are tragically killed and Dumbledore is figuring out the best course of action to take regarding the newly orphaned one-year-old Harry, he comes to the conclusion that it is best to leave him with the Dursleys in the Muggle world. Otherwise, he reasons, Harry’s ego will swell considerably, as he is soon to become famous in the wizarding world as “the boy who lived,” and the boy who was able to defeat Voldemort. In fact, Snape’s instant dislike of Harry stems from the idea that he thinks Harry is arrogant due to his fame. This could not be further from the truth, however: Harry spends the first eleven years of his life essentially as a servant to his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, with no knowledge of the wizarding world, and thus he has no conception of the fame surrounding him (and little conception of his own self-worth, as Petunia and Vernon constantly belittle him).

When Harry discovers that he is one of the most famous people in the wizarding world, he still remains humble. Instead of letting the fame go to his head, he actually becomes worried because he doesn’t think that he can live up to people’s expectations. Thus, Harry sets out to try and prove himself through hard work rather than relying on his reputation. He works hard in school and earns good grades, even though he does sometimes get into trouble. He also becomes the youngest Quidditch player for a Hogwarts team in a century after Professor McGonagall sees his knack for flying. But again, rather than let this get to his head, he works harder and harder at practice. When he wins a match for his team in under five minutes, which is an astonishing feat, he is hardly phased by the adoration his classmates heap upon him—he is simply happy that he is no longer just a famous name, and that he has an accomplishment to be proud of. This humility fuels Harry’s self-sacrificing tendencies, putting his own desires and sometimes his well-being aside in order to please others or to do good deeds. When Harry thinks that Professor Snape is out to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone (a powerful object that gives its owner eternal life), Harry is adamant that he should find the Stone before Snape does—not because he wants its power, but simply because he wants to protect the Stone from those with evil or selfish intentions. He risks his life completing the obstacles that are guarding the Stone, all in service of the good of the school—and the wider magical world. These actions make him the hero of the book, and associate his core qualities of humility and selflessness with his goodness.

Hermione and Ron, the two other protagonists, also follow Harry’s lead, learning to putting others’ needs above their own. This reinforces the importance of striving toward humility and selflessness as a means to be a genuinely good person. When Ron, Harry, and Hermione discover that Hagrid is trying to keep a dragon illegally, Ron offers to give the dragon to friends of his brother Charlie (who works with dragons for his job) so that Hagrid will not get into trouble for keeping it. At another point in the novel, Harry and Ron try to save Hermione from a troll that is loose in Hogwarts and they get in trouble for not leaving it to the teachers to handle. Uncharacteristically, Hermione lies to the teachers so that only she will get in trouble instead of the two boys, thus sacrificing herself for her friends. This moment is a key turning point in Hermione’s character, as she sheds her towering self-importance and instead begins to be more selfless and humbler. Ron and Hermione also accompany Harry on his quest to protect the Sorcerer’s Stone, and when facing the challenges that guard the stone, each of them stays behind so that Harry can advance closer and closer. Ron deliberately allows himself to be hurt playing a game of wizard’s chess (in which the pieces are alive and violently break each other when the pieces are taken) so that Harry and Hermione can move forward to the next task. Then, when Hermione figures out a logic puzzle that will only allow her or Harry forward, she argues that Harry should go ahead; she’ll return to Ron and send an owl to Dumbledore. Thus, each of them retains humility and understands that the greater good is more important than achieving some kind of personal glory.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s humility sets them apart from the other characters in the book. In contrast with characters like Voldemort and even Draco Malfoy and Dudley, the novel’s three kid protagonists care about others more than they care about themselves. In making these traits key to getting the Sorcerer’s Stone, Rowling emphasizes how humility and self-sacrifice are necessary qualities to being the heroes of the book and achieving success in their mission.