Harry's darkest times in Goblet of Fire all come when he's alone. When Ron isn't speaking to Harry and the whole school has turned against him before the first Triwizard task, it seems as though nothing can go right. Later, when Harry must face Voldemort alone at the end of the novel, he's absolutely sure that he's going to be killed. There's a clear message in the Harry Potter series that being alone makes everything worse. Whenever Harry is isolated – or when he isolates himself by trying to withhold things like his curse scar pain – all of his burdens seem a hundred times more dire.
Questions About Isolation
- What are some of the ways that characters become socially isolated in this novel? What do these isolated characters share in common?
- How does Harry cope with his periods of isolation during Goblet of Fire? What differences are there in Harry's characterization when he's with his friends and when he's alone?
- Which characters in the novel (besides Harry himself) seem to suffer most from isolation? What does isolation make them do? What are some problems J.K. Rowling identifies with being left alone?