Somewhat of a Foil

I think that one of the most evident characters to come of age is Neville. In the beginning he is a nerdy kid who can’t seem to keep track of his toad. Even his grandmother treats him like he isn’t worth much. By the end of the first novel he is already showing signs of growth when he tries to stop the trio from going to find the Sorceror’s stone. He is still picked on brutally in the series by Snape, but even gets a little relief from him when he envisions him in his grandmother’s clothes. Finally, in the 5th book (as well as the 7th—but I won’t say much about that so that I don’t spoil anything) Neville gets the recognition he finally deserves. He is still seen as a little bit of a nerd, but he can finally stand on his own two feet.

It isn’t until later in the series when we find out that Neville has had a rough childhood just like Harry, and lost his parents (essentially—their minds are gone). I think we start to feel empathy towards Neville, just as we had empathy for Harry when the series first started. Neville is treated just as bad, if not worse, by Snape and Malfoy. We already know that Harry is picked on by the two, but he at least has a fighting chance as compared with Neville. I think that Neville is used to portray the theme of empathy. Neville is a helpless character and when others attack him, the reader cannot feel anything but empathy for him. He is just like the elves and innocent muggles who are tortured in the books. When people are helpless, it is easier to feel empathy for them.

Harry and Neville have somewhat similar backgrounds (no parents, very close in age, raised by relatives), but they end up as two completely different people. Neville isn’t exactly a foil to Harry, but he does emphasize Harry’s characteristics by being a parallel character. Rowling uses the two to show how two similar people can become to completely different people. The characters go through a total coming of age.