Archetypes and Heroes: The Introduction (Continued) Feraco Myth to Science Fiction 15 September 2009

Journey Onward  Plots are about journeys – descents and ascents, quests and returns, adventures both physical and emotional  A story without movement – without development of either plot or character – is fairly pointless  A book is a static medium, but its content must be dynamic!  Your college essays must also be about journeys – demonstrating both personal growth and your potential for further development

Archetypal Journeys  These may not be college-essay fodder – but you may also be surprised!  The quest for identity  The epic journey to find the promised land  A common variant is the quest to found the “good city” – a land where our characters and values can prosper  The quest for vengeance  The warrior’s journey to save his people  The search for love / to rescue one’s love

Archetypal Journeys Continued  The journey in search of knowledge  The tragic quest (penance, self-denial, redemption)  The fool’s errand  The quest to defend the land, or to rid the land from danger  The search for home  The “grail quest” (i.e., the search for human perfection)

The Hero’s Journey  Campbell identified five major stages of the typical Hero’s Journey  Regardless of the archetypal nature of said journey, legend after legend incorporates the following stages  Campbell also established certain characteristics of a hero’s journey; while it’s impossible to find every characteristic in every legend, most of these appear with startling frequency

Stage One: Departure  The hero is called to adventure  This can be something he/she discovers independently, but it’s usually an imperative from someone else – sometimes from a divine source, other times for a national leader, and even from a familial dictate  Interestingly, this call to adventure is met with resistance nearly as frequently as it’s enthusiastically met  Many heroes are reluctant to leave what they know, even when the necessity of their departure is clear

Stage Two: Initiation  The hero, having left behind the familiar, must cross the threshold of adventure  This usually requires entrance into a new, somewhat dangerous realm  This entrance is also often accompanied by a more mature perspective  Also something of a planning stage; most reluctant heroes also abandon their trepidation once they’ve departed home

Stage Three: The Road of Trials  Usually the longest stage of any heroic plot – the “adventure segment”  The hero often undergoes tests of strength, and these tests are not always immediately recognized or understood  Other tests include trials of endurance and resourcefulness – combinations of physical and psychological prowess  The tests themselves often require creative solutions – it’s rarely as simple as it should be!  The hero sometimes enjoys supernatural or divine aid along the way; in other instances, the hero is accompanied by mortal help (sidekicks, loyal backers, friends, family, warriors, etc.)

Stage Four: The Innermost Cave  Also called the “descent” because our heroes almost always fall or stumble along the way  It’s highly unusual for a heroic journey to consist of an endless series of triumphs  Heroes suffer setbacks, particularly during the third stage, and these setbacks lead them to the Cave – an underworld or place of great trial, sometimes within the hero’s own mind  This trial results in the hero’s rebirth, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual  Most importantly, the hero undergoes an internal transformation  It is the lowest point of the journey, but its presence is necessary for true triumph

Stage Five: Return/Reintegration  At the end of the journey – assuming he isn’t killed and doesn’t sacrifice himself along the way – the hero must return home  This can be a dicey proposition; reintegration in particular often proves difficult  However, patience often proves a virtue during heroic journeys, and this stage is no exception  Ideally, the hero uses the lessons he’s learned/wisdom he’s gained through his adventure to benefit his home – to restore the land to former glory, for example