The Hero With A Thousand Faces By Cheryl Strayed

What is a hero? In Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he proposes a theory about someone who goes through a series of events typically experienced by a mythic hero. These events are known as the Hero’s Journey. Cheryl Strayed’s journey on the PCT can be closely related to that of the Hero’s Journey. As strayed sets out on the PCT, she unknowingly is following these steps and is on her way to a new life. It’s no doubt that the tragedies and misfortunes Strayed has endured influenced her decision to go on her journey. Beginning in her teenage years, she has faced many family and relationship issues. She has gone through her parent’s divorce, living without electricity or running water, separation from her siblings, and divorce.

Strayed began to lose hope. As she seeks for self-discovery and a resolution for her grief, she embarks on a journey otherwise known as the Hero’s Journey.
In order for her journey to begin, Strayed must be pulled away from her ordinary world. Strayed enters her local store to pick up one thing, yet came home with another. She did not intend on leaving with a ton of materials needed to go on a three month hike. She had never seen or heard of any of these items before. Her sudden urge to explore was her call to adventure. “It seemed like years ago now----as I stood barefoot on that mountain in California---in a different lifetime, really, when I’d made the arguably unreasonable decision to take a long walk alone on the PCT in order to save myself (Strayed 5)”. Strayed knew her decision was irrational but she accepted the call anyways. She saw this as an opportunity to clear her mind and see what was actually happening right in from of her. She also came to the realization of how unprepared she was; not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Strayed was devastated at the age of 22 when her mother, Barbara Anne, died. Her mother was like the glue holding her already broken family together. Her step-father disengaged and her two siblings became distant soon thereafter. Not having a family to run to, Strayed became involved with heroin use. She began to use sex as a way of covering up her feelings. There was no other way she could gain that sense of control. Her life began to head downhill and spiraled out of control.
The Hero’s Journey states “The [heroes] progress through a series of tests, a set of obstacles that make them stronger, preparing them for their final showdown”.

Trials and tribulations can make or break a person. As Strayed sets out alone, she realizes how troublesome it really is to hike to Pacific Coast Trail. Her inexperience not only made the hike miserable, but it left her questioning herself. Strayed was skeptical and this quote showed that, “There, I’d leave my troubles behind, I thought. Instead, I only found more (37)”. From the two sizes too small boots, encountering dangerous animals, and coming close to dying of dehydration, Strayed had not seen a good day. Towards the beginning of the book, her feet began to ache so she decided to take of one boot. Mistakenly kicking it off the side of the mountain, she was left with one shoe. It can be said that Strayed is the boot and her life is represented by her kicking the boot. She has plunged into a world of the unknown. She does not know where she will end up or see on the way down. To make it through, Strayed used the sole of her shoe to create a shoe for the opposite foot to prevent herself from forming horrendous blisters that would make her incapable of

walking.
After walking all summer long, Strayed had finally reached the end.

It felt as if she finally accomplished something in her life. She did not know where this road would take her; she simply used walking as a coping mechanism. ”There’s no way to know what makes one thing happen and not the other. What leads to what. What destroys what. What causes what to flourish or die or take another course (304)”. This quote simply gives life to the fact that you cannot control everything that happens. Strayed has come to the realization of how much Eddie has helped her throughout her journey. He was the one who taught her how to build a fire, paddle a canoe, and skip rocks on the lake. A new life was created and for that Strayed is forever grateful to the PCT. It gave her a chance for a new beginning and to start fresh. The outcome of this journey was a remarkable one. The new world the hero is forced into is much different than the old one. Campbell describes this new world as a “fateful region of both treasure and danger…a distant land, a forest, a kingdom underground, beneath the waves, or above the sky, a secret island, lofty mountaintop, or profound dream state…a place of strangely fluid and polymorphous beings, unimaginable torments, superhuman deeds, and impossible

delight”.
In conclusion, Cheryl Strayed was the hero of her journey. Her life was in turmoil and she had no choice but to save herself. She risked her life and found a sense of fulfillment. The trials she faced were meant to break her down but she endeavored. Each one played a specific role and shaped her life in a certain way. Throughout the entire experience, Strayed was determined to make it to the end. Even when she was at her lowest point, she never gave up. She wanted to prove she could survive. At that moment where she reached the end of the trail, it was like a breath of fresh air. She had found her happy place. Every time I set foot on the trail it feels like going home (Strayed)”.