Note:  the following discussion spoils certain aspects of the entire Harry Potter series.  Please don’t keep reading if you don’t already know what happens, unless you don’t mind having it spoiled.

There is a chapter in How to Read Literature Like a Professor called “Marked for Greatness” that discusses how heroic, important characters are literally marked for greatness.  Several examples are given, but at the end the author asks why does Harry Potter have a scar?  What does this scar represent beyond the fact that Voldemort tried to kill Harry after murdering his parents?  I’ve thought about this over the last week and I have some ideas I’d like to share.

There is, of course, the obvious meaning evident upon a surface reading – the scar is the physical reminder of Voldemort’s failed attempt to murder Harry.  Beyond that, at a slightly deeper level, the mark also reveals the connection between Voldemort and Harry.  We eventually learn that this connection is so strong that Voldemort is literally a part of Harry.

All of this makes sense, and is fairly evident in the text itself.  However, the question of why Harry Potter has a scar is still not really answered.  After all, any mark could have been meant to represent these things – Harry’s hair could have turned white as a result of his early battle with Voldemort, or maybe he could speak parsletongue just like Voldemort.  Oh wait..

So why a scar?  What is it about a scar specifically that holds meaning beyond these other marks?  I think the difference centers on how we get scars.  A scar is, always, the result of some action.  There is a direct cause and effect relationship when it comes to scars:  This scar is from when I fell out of a tree;  this one is from when I was stabbed during a visit to Philadelphia.  Though these acts cannot always be avoided or controlled, they can be clearly identified, and quite often are the direct result of some choice.  Thus, I think it is this idea that “choices and actions lead to consequences”  is central to Rowling’s choice of a scar.

If that’s the case, then we should expect to see this theme carried throughout the text, which I believe we do.  For example, Voldemort hears part of the prophecy and chooses Harry (rather than Neville) as the one who will fulfill it.  His choice leads to consequences – Harry’s parents are killed, Harry is forced into a life fighting to overcome Voldemort and, ultimately, Harry succeeds in defeating him.

Another – Harry chooses Gryffindor over Slytherin while under the sorting hat because he doesn’t seek power and control over others.  Among other things this leads to a long-lasting relationship with Ron and Hermione that is absolutely critical to the defeat of Voldemort.    Or the idea that Rowling introduces early on, and repeats throughout the text, that the wand chooses the wizard.  And these are just examples from the first book.  I could go on and on, without even resorting to examples that consist of minor choices/consequences.

What makes this even more interesting is the fact that Rowling is often criticized for implying that actions (mainly Harry’s rebellious, rule-breaking actions) do not have consequences.  In reality, I think the exact opposite is true – Rowling has placed a scar on the face of her protagonist for the sole purpose of reminding us, constantly, that actions have very serious, long-lasting consequences.

So there you have it, a relatively quick analysis on why I think Harry Potter has a scar.  If you made it this far, let me know if you have your own theories as well as what you think about this type of post.