The Hero's Journey Defined Summary

In Joseph Campbell’s article, “The Hero’s Journey Defined”, the author describes the cycle of a hero’s journey. According to Joseph Campbell, an odyssey consists of three stages, departure, initiation, and return. Accordingly, the hero leaves his familiar world and gets tested to prove his character, later to return home to spread his experience to his society. Initiation is the beginning of the journey where the hero must prove that he is capable of the completing the journey. The article describes the second stage of the journey as the rising actions and climax of the story in which the hero will likely succeed in his quest. Initiation is essential to the hero's cycle, because it is the stage where the hero is put to the test. Departure

is where the hero leaves the comfort of his home and is called to his journey. Campbell writes that the first step a hero must take to begin his journey is to leave the society he has known since childhood to the vast unknown. Without shedding the skin of his upbringing and growing a new shell for the mysterious future, the hero will not be able to grow as a character.The hero's return to his home is the final process if the hero's journey where they must use the gained experience and knowledge to help others. In one way or another, the hero must return home or the journey will have no meaning. What is the purpose of a hero embarking on such a journey if he does not use his experience for the benefit to the community? Joseph Campbell wants readers to understand that every step a hero takes in his journey is essential for the completion of the quest. Each of the three parts rely on each other in order for the hero to accomplish what he set out to do.