The Hero’s Journey Or There and Back Again

Who is Joseph Campbell? An American Mythologist Found similarities in several mythological stories (themes, tone, and the Hero’s Journey) –For example, The Great Flood can be found in Mesopotamian, Japanese, Norse, and even Native American Myths Believed that the similarities are a result of the Collective Unconscious as proposed by Carl Jung The stories and myths that we read and watch are actually just metaphors that describe us as a people and our cultures –As a result, myths are not lies; they are metaphors

The Hero’s Journey

The Call to Adventure Hero lives in Ordinary World, but is uneasy He is given notice that his or her life is going to change Examples: –Star Wars: Luke is told of the Force by Obi-Wan Kenobi –The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins reluctantly accepts a group of dwarves as house guests who proceed to tell the tale of Erebor, the Lonely Mountain –FFVII: Cloud is hired by AVALANCHE to fight SHINRA

Refusal of the Call At first, the hero may be reluctant to accept the change, perhaps due to second thoughts, personal doubt, a sense of duty, or a prior obligation This can humanize the hero for the reader Examples –Star Wars: Luke refuses to join Obi-Wan, insisting that he has to get back to his chores –The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins refuses to go on an adventure with the dwarves, insisting on staying in his Ordinary World: The Shire –Spider-Man: Peter Parker decides it would be better to wrestle than to use his powers responsibly

The Adventure Begins The hero finally accepts the call and begins a physical, spiritual, and/or emotional journey to achieve a boon The hero leaves the known limits of his or her world to venture into the unknown Examples: –Star Wars: Luke decides to join Obi-Wan on his quest to save the princess –The Hobbit: Bilbo’s Took side overtakes him and he decides to join the dwarves on their quest to recapture Erebor –FFVII: Cloud and his friends decide to travel away from Midgar to find and defeat Sephiroth

The Road of Trials The hero experiences and is transformed by a series of tests, tasks, or challenges –He usually fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes This is the story’s rising action with each test becoming increasingly difficult as the story unfolds Examples: –Star Wars: Luke and Han must navigate through the Death Star, all while fighting off Stormtroopers –The Hobbit: Bilbo and the dwarves face challenges that include a trio of hungry dwarves, giant spiders, and the wrath of a dragon

Experience with Unconditional Love During the Road of Trials, the hero experiences support (physical and/or mental) from a friend, family member, mentor, etc. This love often drives the hero to continue on the journey, even when the hero doubts him/herself Examples: –Star Wars: Throughout the story, Luke is aided by his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi –The Hobbit: Bilbo and the dwarves are aided on their quest by Gandalf the Gray –FFVII: Cloud has the support of his friends, particularly Tifa who helps him out of his coma –Spider-Man: Peter Parker has the love and support of Aunt May and Mary Jane, both of whom help him continue on his quest to become a hero

The Ultimate Boon The story reaches its climax as the hero gains what he or she set out to achieve –The boon can be a physical object or an intangible item such as knowledge, courage, or love Examples: –Star Wars: Luke and Han escape the Death Star with Princess Leia –The Hobbit: Bilbo and the dwarves reclaimed Erebor and retrieved the Arkenstone –FFVII: Cloud and his friends defeat Sephiroth in the crater to the north, the barrier blocking them from releasing the power of Holy that will destroy the oncoming Meteor

Refusal of the Return When the goal of the adventure is accomplished, the hero may refuse to return with the boon or gift, either because the hero doubts the return will bring change, or because the hero prefers to stay in a better place rather than return to a normal life of pain and trouble Examples: –Star Wars: Luke has to be dragged out of the Death Star when he sees his mentor die –The Hobbit: Instead of going home, Bilbo decides to stay with the dwarves (mostly out of a sense of obligation) –FFVII: Cloud stays in the crater because he senses the presence of Sephiroth

The Magic Flight The hero experiences adventure and perhaps danger as he or she returns to life as it was before the Call to Adventure –This step is similar to the Road of Trials Examples: –Star Wars: Luke and the Rebel Alliance must defeat the Death Star near the planet Yavin –The Hobbit: Bilbo must take part in the Battle of Five Armies –FFVII: Cloud faces off against Sephiroth one last time

Rescue from Without Just as it looks like the hero will not make it home with the boon, the hero is “rescued” –The rescuer is sometimes the same person who provided love or support throughout the journey Examples –Star Wars: Luke hears the voice of Obi-Wan as he flies his X-Wing through the Death Star –The Hobbit: Bilbo and his friends are saved by the sudden appearance of the eagles during the Battle of Five Armies –FFVII: Just as it looks like Meteor is about to hit the planet, Holy is released with the implied aid of Aeris

The Crossing or Return Threshold At this final point, the hero must retain the wisdom gained on the quest, integrate that wisdom into his or her previous life, and perhaps decide how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world Examples: –Star Wars: Luke defeats the Death Star, is rewarded with a ceremony, and has obtained knowledge of the Force –The Hobbit: Bilbo returns home with not only treasure (and a certain magic ring in particular), but also with newfound respect for adventure –Spider-Man: Peter Parker has obtained the knowledge of what it takes to be a hero, and must use that to protect New York City

Why is the Monomyth so Important? The Monomyth is not just the story of heroes, it is the story of us. Our dragons/monsters are the challenges we face. On a regular basis, we must let our old selves die so that we can be reborn as better, wiser individuals. You are the hero of your own story.

Follow Your Bliss