1. THE MONOMYTH THE HERO’S JOURNEY: HOW EVERY STORY YOU’LL EVER READ IS RELATED

2. Carl Jung, Psychiatrist  Freud’s most famous student who influenced comparative mythology  Saw myths as active in ever day life (chicken/hawk analogy)  We all consider ourselves and others archetypes: heroes, villains, princesses, wise advisors, jokers, warriors, magicians, witches, monsters, etc.  Believed that psychological trouble could be solved by sorting out the archetypes: kings should embrace your inner joker; warriors should embrace their inner lovers; the feminine side should be reconciled to the masculine, etc.  Jung saw myths as expressions of common human problems  Popular tales and folklore had more to do with social/psychological worries and concerns than people suspected  Stories about heroes were really coded philosophies on how to think, act, and live  Jung was fascinated by finding the similarities in myths across the world  He felt that it proved that mythology was universal: the characters/setting were different, but the story was the same  Roman, Greek, Arabic, Hindu, Chinese, Jewish, Biblical, Norse, Celtic, Medieval, Christian mythology

3. Joseph Campbell, Mythologist  Comparative mythologist, writer, lecturer, anthropologist, Jungian scholar  Compared myths and religions and found common patterns  Devised the “monomyth” theory from Jung: a theory that sees all mythic narratives as variations of a single great story  Based on the observation that a common pattern exists beneath the narrative elements of most great myths, regardless of their origin or time of creation  The central pattern most studied by Campbell is often referred to as the hero's journey and was first described in The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949)The Hero with a Thousand Faces  Campbell also made heavy use of Carl Jung's theories on the structure of the human psyche, The Hero's Journey was the story of the man or woman who, through great suffering, reached an experience of the eternal source and returned with gifts powerful enough to set their society freeCarl Jung  As this story spread through space and evolved through time, it was broken down into various local forms (masks), depending on the social structures and environmental pressures that existed for the culture that interpreted it

4. The Purpose of the Monomyth  According to Campbell, mythology (stories) had four reasons:  Awakening a sense of awe before the mystery of being  Explaining the shape of the universe  Validate and support the existing social order  Guide the individual through the stages of life

5. The Hero’s Journey in 3 Acts (The Hero Leaves, is Initiated, & Returns)

6. Ordinary World vs. Special World  The whole point of a story is to send a character to a different world  They are then tried, tested, and challenged  The encounter should change them (for better or worse)  There is no story if a character doesn’t leave a normal world for a new one  Sometimes magical (Oz, Hogwarts, Wonderland)  Sometimes normal (Red Badge of Courage, Moby Dick, Huck Finn)  Always: a journey from normal to extraordinary and back (after challenge and change)

7. Step 1. Call to Action in the Ordinary World (Answering a Call to Greatness)  A person living in the ordinary world is summoned to leave their comfort zone  Somehow they are asked, seduced, forced, or lured into adventure  THE WIZARD OF OZ: Caught up by tornado  HARRY POTTER (& THE SORCERER’S STONE): Receives letter from Hogwarts  HUNGER GAMES: Volunteers as tribune  CINDERELLA: Hears that the prince is having a ball  LORD OF THE RINGS: Approached by Gandalf  DRACULA: Harker is summoned to Transylvania by Dracula  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Grandmother needs food/medicine  STAR WARS: Princess Leia asks for help

8. Step 2. Crossing the Threshold (Entering the Special World)  Transitions are made, and a literal or mental journey brings them  Somethings carries them to a different zone where they are challenged  THE WIZARD OF OZ: Carried to Oz by tornado  HARRY POTTER: Brought to Hogwarts by train (Platform 93)  HUNGER GAMES: Brought to the Capitol by train  CINDERELLA: Brought to ball in pumpkin coach  LORD OF THE RINGS: Getting to Rivendell  DRACULA: Carried to Dracula’s castle by haunted carriage  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Walks to grandma’s through scary woods  STAR WARS: Escape from Tatooine

9. Step 3. Encountering the Mentor, Allies (Finding a Spiritual Advisor and/or Friends)  Either another person or a part of themselves  This advisor teaches them to find their inner strength and helps them grow  THE WIZARD OF OZ: Scarecrow (advisor), plus Tinman and Lion  HARRY POTTER: Dumbledore (advisor), plus Hermione and Ron  HUNGER GAMES: Haymitch (advisor), Gale, Rue, Peeta  CINDERELLA: Fairy godmother (advisor), plus mice, birds, etc.  LORD OF THE RINGS: Gandalf (advisor), plus Sam, Legolas  DRACULA: Van Helsing (advisor), plus Seward, Mina, etc.  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Mother (advisor), plus huntsman  STAR WARS: Obi Wan (advisor), plus Han Solo, Leia, etc.

10. Step 4. First Challenge (A Bump in the Road Tests the Hero)  Things have been smooth so far, but now there is a major problem  Not as big as the climax, but this problem tests the hero and proves their strength  THE WIZARD OF OZ: Sleep-inducing poppy field  HARRY POTTER: Harry learns to fly a broom  HUNGER GAMES: Survives the first trials  CINDERELLA: Step mother refuses to let her go to the ball  LORD OF THE RINGS: Escaping from Boromir  DRACULA: Dracula kills Lucy  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Red gets lost in woods  STAR WARS: Disable the Death Star’s tractor beam

11. Step 5. Temptation (The Hero is Lured – their Weakness Tested)  Newly tested, the hero is now lured away from their mission  Usually one of the 7 Deadly Sins: rage, lust, sloth, gluttony, envy, greed, pride  THE WIZARD OF OZ: Dorothy is tempted to surrender to the witch, by her fear  HARRY POTTER: Harry is tempted to compromise integrity by the loss of his parents  HUNGER GAMES: Katniss is tempted to compromise her compassion to save her life  CINDERELLA: Cinderella loses track of time, tempted by her obsession with the prince  LORD OF THE RINGS: Frodo is drawn to the power of the Ring, tempted by greed  DRACULA: Mina is seduced by Dracula, tempted by lust  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Red is fooled by the Wolf, tempted by pride  STAR WARS: Luke is lured by the dark side, tempted by greed and rage

12. Step 6. Darkest Moment (Will they Make it Out? We aren’t Sure)  Most tense part: do they succumb to weakness and temptation?  There are so many problems, we have good reason to doubt their success  THE WIZARD OF OZ: Captured by the witch  HARRY POTTER: Ron seems to be killed in the chess game  HUNGER GAMES: Peeta is injured in the cave  CINDERELLA: Clock strikes 12; loses slipper  LORD OF THE RINGS: Frodo almost killed by Shelob  DRACULA: Mina becomes bit and is infected  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Wolf corners Red  STAR WARS: Obi Wan is killed

13. Step 7. Final Conflict {Symbolic Death} (The Greatest Challenge is Undertaken)  They meet their greatest fear head on (this is the boss battle)  Usually confronting the antagonist in the process  THE WIZARD OF OZ: The team become the witch’s prisoners  HARRY POTTER: Harry confronts Voldemort/Quirrell and is knocked out  HUNGER GAMES: Katniss must battle Peeta  CINDERELLA: Must pass the slipper challenge (not a hard one)  LORD OF THE RINGS: Destroying the Ring  DRACULA: Tracking Dracula back to Transylvania  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Eaten by the Wolf  STAR WARS: Attacking Death Star

14. Step 8. Resurrection, Restoration, Renewal (Exiting the Battle, they are Made a new Person)  Whether the win or lose, they are now a different person – resurrected  The journey has caused them to grow, and they now have unique gifts  THE WIZARD OF OZ: Freeing the witch’s slaves, who worship Dorothy  HARRY POTTER: Harry wakes up and learns that he has withstood Voldemort  HUNGER GAMES: Survives with Peeta  CINDERELLA: Recognized by the prince  LORD OF THE RINGS: Frodo awakens from his injuries  DRACULA: Dracula killed, Mina cured  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Cut free by the huntsman  STAR WARS: Death Star is destroyed

15. Step 9. The Return Home with New Gifts (Whether Victorious or Defeated, they Arrive Where they Started)  Whether they won or lost (or DIED), the hero has a new gift, and must share it  Skills, perspectives, attitudes, visualizations, magic abilities, lessons, learning, etc  THE WIZARD OF OZ: Now has witch’s broom  HARRY POTTER: Understands that he could defeat Voldemort  HUNGER GAMES: New sense of pride and defiance  CINDERELLA: Now has slippers; a princess  LORD OF THE RINGS: Has earned the respect and honor of Middle Earth  DRACULA: Have survived Dracula; new supernatural wisdom  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Has survived the wolf; new social wisdom  STAR WARS: Rewarded by Rebellion

16. Step 10. Introduce New Gift to the Old World (They are Different and can teach Others)  Whether they win or lose (or DIE) they now share their gift  People celebrate it, tell about it, remember it, ask about it, listen to it  THE WHOLE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM THE HERO’S JOURNEY  THE WIZARD OF OZ: Returns to Kansas with a new, magical perspective  HARRY POTTER: Wins House Cup; returns to Muggle world with new pride  HUNGER GAMES: Returns to Section 12 as the beloved Girl on Fire  CINDERELLA: Returns to her family newly respected/feared/appreciated  LORD OF THE RINGS: Frodo returns to the Shire and gives Sam his book  DRACULA: Returns to England empowered to defend against vampires  LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Returns to mother wiser and more mature  STAR WARS: Brings the power of the Force to the rebels

17. The Monomyth in Short Stories  Made for epics and novels  In short stories it is not always as broad, but it almost always includes these steps:  1. Call to action  2. The Threshold  3. Challenge, Temptation  4. Darkest Moment  5. Final Conflict  6. Return Home with a Gift (Victorious or Defeated)  Always: a journey from normal to extraordinary and back (after challenge and change)

18. Example 1.

19. Example 2.

20. Example 3.