“Monomyth” is the original term for a “hero’s journey.” Joseph Campbell coined the term, and defines the hero’s journey as a situation in which:
“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder; fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won; the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons upon his fellow man.” (Campbell 23)
One can see the hero’s journey structure in a multitude of movies and literature from both the past and present. In George Lucas’s Star Wars, young Anakin leaves his mother behind to join the Jedi forces, later turns on them to join the Dark Side; Luke Skywalker goes on a journey, joining the Rebel Alliance, destroying the corrupted Republic (Vogler). Simba from Disney’s The Lion King loses his father, the king, is exiled, and must regain the throne from his evil uncle, Scar—much like Shakespeare’s Hamlet must. Young Frodo must go on a journey throughout Middle Earth to destroy the one ring in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In both the Odyssey and the Beowulf, two men go on adventures in strange lands, learning more about themselves while saving innocents (Taylor). While the characters are different, and the goals may vary slightly, all have a very similar structure. There are seventeen stages in a hero’s journey, divided into three groups, which consist of the Departure, the Initiation, and the Return.
As a whole, the Harry Potter series can be seen as a complete hero’s journey. Each book, however, can bee seen as a single journey within the whole. Take, for example, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbiDWYuMDU8]
The first stage is Departure ...
... middle of paper ...
...demort is alive because, as it is revealed in Order of the Phoenix, the prophecy says, "neither [Harry nor Voldemort] can live while the other survives" (Rowling 841) Though many die to help defeat Voldemort in Deathly Hallows, it is a time to rejoice because no one has to live in fear any longer. Harry goes on with his life, marrying and having children, as mentioned above.
The Hero’s Journey is a common structure used in everything from novels to movies; it creates connections between real life and fantasy. As Ryan Weber says, “Ironically, the heroes that teach us to plunge into our unconscious are the very archetypes birthed from it, and we seem to need them as a source of courage to face our own shadow.” The hero’s journey draws the audience in, and inspires those who read the series to live their lives courageously, and not be afraid to live for the moment.
Watching a film, one can easily recognize plot, theme, characterization, etc., but not many realize what basic principle lies behind nearly every story conceived: the hero’s journey. This concept allows for a comprehensive, logical flow throughout a movie. Once the hero’s journey is thoroughly understood, anyone can pick out the elements in nearly every piece. The hero’s journey follows a simple outline. First the hero in question must have a disadvantaged childhood. Next the hero will find a mentor who wisely lays out his/her prophecy. Third the hero will go on a journey, either literal or figurative, to find him/herself. On this journey the hero will be discouraged and nearly quit his/her quest. Finally, the hero will fulfill the prophecy and find his/herself, realizing his/her full potential. This rubric may be easy to spot in epic action films, but if upon close inspection is found in a wide array of genres, some of which are fully surprising.
... not a hero journey, lacking of foes and partners is an incomplete adventure. They provide the obstacles and support for the protagonist to complete the journey they are on. By having the hero journey cycle composed by Joseph Campbell, it demonstrates the complexity of how a hero's defined. It's about the growth of the character by separation from his comfort zone and venturing into the unknown. By successfully passing the stages, then one is called a hero.
The Hero’s Journey is a basic template utilized by writers everywhere. Joseph Campbell, an American scholar, analyzed an abundance of myths and literature and decided that almost all of them followed a template that has around twelve steps. He would call these steps the Hero’s Journey. The steps to the Hero’s Journey are a hero is born into ordinary circumstances, call to adventure/action, refusal of call, a push to go on the journey, aid by mentor, a crossing of the threshold, the hero is tested, defeat of a villain, possible prize, hero goes home. The Hero’s Journey is more or less the same journey every time. It is a circular pattern used in stories or myths.
The Hero’s Journey is an ancient archetype that we find throughout our modern life and also, in the world of literature.Whether metaphorical or real, the journey that a character goes on shows not only the incredible transformation of the hero but it also gives them their life meaning. It is the ultimate human experience and it reflects on every aspect of life. Take Logan, also known as Wolverine, from the X-Men movie as an example. His adventure starts with “The Call,” which is the first step of the Hero’s Journey. This step happens due to the realization of imbalance and injustice that the character has in their life. Logan steps into the first stage of the pattern but is hesitant to start his adventure because he does not know what and
The hero’s journey can be seen as a set of laws or challenges that every hero faces through their own journey(Christopher Vogler). The hero’s journey is used as a general term such as all
In Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, he talks about the “Monomyth,” otherwise better known as, the “Hero’s Journey”. This is the major theme throughout this book as well as the majority of Joseph Campbell’s studies. Campbell’s idea of the hero’s journey can be seen in many books, movies, television series, etc. That is an idea I will discuss at a later date. For this paper I would like to discuss and explain the hero’s journey, as well as give my opinions on the idea. This is a very interesting and eye opening idea that Campbell has presented us with and has made The Hero With A Thousand Faces one of the most important books of the past one hundred years.
Joseph Campbell defines a hero as “someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself ” (Moyers 1). The Hero’s Journey consists of three major parts: the separation, the initiation and the return. Throughout a character’s journey, they must complete a physical or spiritual deed. A physical deed involves performing a daunting and courageous act that preserves the well-being of another person. A spiritual deed calls for action that improves another individual’s state of mind. While fulfilling their journey, a hero must undergo a psychological change that involves experiencing a transformation from immaturity into independence and sophistication.Campbell states that these events are what ultimately guides a hero into completing
From the beginning of time, mythology has appeared to be one key method of understanding life’s confusions and battles. Within these myths lies a hero. From myth to myth and story to story, heroes experience what may be called a struggle or a journey, which lays down their plot line. Bearing tremendous strength, talent, and significant admiration, a hero holds what is precious to their audience, heroism. Over time however, no matter the hero, the hero’s role remains indistinguishable and identical to the position of every other hero.
In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell argues that most of the world’s mythologies and stories that feature a protagonist, or “hero,” going on a journey share an eerily similar structure. Campbell dubs this structure the “monomyth,” which he describes as follows: “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man” (30). What is most important, however, is the purpose behind this journey. Campbell writes that the “modern hero-deed must be that of questing...
I went years without knowing that the hero 's journey is involved in most of my life. We read it in books, see it in movies and can even apply it in our own lives! Some examples of this journey would be a high school graduation, getting a indian name, or even Ariel 's journey to human land in The Little Mermaid. In these big events otherwise known as the hero 's journey we experience a,"process of separation, initiation,and return...each stage must be completed successfully if the initiate is to become a hero"(Harris and Thompson 50). This process has been around for years and will be around for years to come but have you noticed it? Mattie Ross a young girl from Arkansas goes on a hero
Joseph Campbell was a well known mythology teacher who spent his whole life trying to understand the different types of stories that are told. To Campbell “all humans are involved in a struggle to accomplish the adventure of the hero in their own lives.” He made a list of stages that every hero goes through, and sums it up to three sections: separation (the departure), the initiation, and the return.
In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the protagonist Harry Potter experiences wonderful and dangerous things in the wizarding world. From watching the famous quidditch world cup, to meeting wizards from all over the world as well as fighting dangerous dragons, Harry’s experiences help to shape and prepare him as a wizard for things in the future. Harry Potter becomes more mature and confident in his abilities as well as his friends throughout the story’s progression.
One well-known example of “The Hero’s Journey” from popular culture is the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling. In the novel, Harry Potter, the main character, is the chosen one and “The Hero’s Journey” applies to his life from the moment he is attacked by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a baby. Joseph Campbell calls the initial phase of a hero’s development the “Call to Adventure.” The call is the in... ...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was written by J. K. Rowling and is the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series. The book is about a seventeen-year-old wizard, named Harry Potter, who has to travel all over England to find things that will help him defeat the evil wizard, Lord Voldomort. The main theme/moral of the entire series is good will always triumphs over evil. In every book, even when it looks like evil is going to win, good always triumphs in the end.
One of the most read series in all literature is Harry Potter. The seven-book succession has sold over 400 million copies and has been translated into over sixty languages. What is it that makes this series so wildly famous? What is it about the boy who lived that makes frenzied readers flock to their local bookstore at midnight on the day of the release to buy the latest installment? How is a story set in a world that doesn’t exist about wizards, witches, magic, and mystical creatures so popular? The series has been able to earn its spot on the New York Times Bestseller list and has granted author J.K. Rowling multiple awards because it is relatable. It is not the setting or the events in the plot of the story that we relate to. We relate to what Harry, his friends, mentors, teachers, caretakers, and even enemies feel. Harry is in a lot of ways exactly like us. He represents some of the good characteristics that all of us have as well as the bad. The series as a whole, is about one thing that is stressed over and over again in the novels, love. The Harry Potter series is one of the most read sequences of novels because the central theme is love and self-sacrifice, and readers are looking for a novel that shows them just that.