THE HERO’S JOURNEY ESSAY
LAUREN RADOVAN
MR RACITI 9.3
WORD COUNT:
The Hero’s Journey is the pattern that many fantasy narratives follow. Lian Hearn’s book Across the Nightingale Floor and Christopher Columbus’ movie Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone have compared against the Hero’s Journey. The stages of the Hero’s Journey that are in both studied fantasies are the call to adventure, crossing the threshold and freedom to live.
The call to adventure is received differently in the book and movie. In most Hero’s Journey guides, the call to adventure is in the hero’s departure. In Across the Nightingale Floor, Tomasu (later changes to Takeo) receives the call to adventure when Otori Shigeru rescues him from Iida’s men
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In Harry Potter’s case, crossing the threshold happens when Hagrid takes Harry through the Leaky Cauldron (where there is slight apotheosis) into Diagon Alley. The threshold is shown when Hagrid uses magic to separate the brick wall (computer generated image to show brick wall moving) to show the alley. There is a mid shot of Harry’s awestruck expression which then pans to an establishing shot of a busy Diagon Alley. The crossing is complete when Hagrid says “Welcome Harry, to Diagon Alley”. In Takeo’s case, the crossing of the threshold happens when he and Otori cross the bridge in order to enter the Otori clan. When half-way crossing the bridge, Otori Shigeru reads the boulder aloud for Taeko, “The Otori clan welcomes….disloyal beware” (pg. 31). Below the writing is the sign of the Otori clan, which links to the Hogwarts crest being on the envelope addressed to Harry. The Otori clan’s symbol of the heron means they are willing to be patient and wait for what they desire, no matter how long. Herons are also very good at standing still until they get what they need, just like Otori Shigeru’s patience is constant and he is not giving up. Also, in both crossings, the word welcome has been spoken by the accompanying ally of the …show more content…
In both Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Across the Nightingale Floor, the freedom to live is in the form of peace and harmony. This is achieved through the completion of the heroes’ original quests of defeating the enemies, for Takeo is was to kill Iida while for Harry it was to defeat Voldemort. The book and the movie are different in the sense that Harry completes his mission while Takeo doesn’t, but still takes credit. In Across the Nightingale Floor, Kaede is argued to be an equal hero as Takeo as she completes the original quest of killing Iida, while Takeo is being held by the Tribe. Takeo reflected on what he had found, “Iida was dead, but I had not killed him” (pg.314). This quote is not spoken, it is a soliquey of Takeo’s perspective while he accepts the fact that he did complete his quest, but Kaede did. Takeo however takes credit for defeating Iida, in order to protect Kaede. If it was known that Kaede defeated Iida, many people would be after her, but Takeo saves that by taking the credit. Makoto asks Takeo if he can see Iida’s head, and then shows it to the people, saying “Now see what Lord Otori has done” (pg. 325). This quote suggests that Makoto is proud of Takeo for ‘killing’ Iida and shows it happily to everyone. It is assumed that the quote is yelled in praise of Takeo. In Harry Potter’s case, he defeats Quirrell and supposedly defeats Voldemort, creating peace among the
Joseph Campbell calls the initial phase of a hero’s development the “Call to Adventure.” The call is the in...
Tens of thousands of stories fit into the hero’s journey archetype created by Christopher Volger. Out of these, a large number of them are stories with remakes that share notable resemblances to their heroes’ journeys. However, none of these quite match those very strong similarities found between Homer’s The Odyssey and Joel Coens ’s O
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.
Before one can be considered a true hero, they must complete a series of eleven steps that put them up to the test. More simply, they must start with departure, then initiation, and finally return home. Harry Potter in Harry Potter the Sorcerer's Stone, courageously completes all of these steps and is therefore considered a hero. He strong-willingly embarks on a journey that challenges his limits and tests his bravery. Without any support from his family, and being the despised child, he defeats his enemy, Voldemort. To push through the worst challenges, and starting from nothing is what makes a true hero. As Joseph Campbell stated, “You enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path. Where there is a way or path, it is someone
The human need to be relatable is unquenchable. We love to be able to see parts of ourselves in others, and to be able to feel like our idols are not untouchable. The Hero’s Journey format is one that can be found in almost any story, even in real life. Overall, it is the perfect recipe for keeping readers engrossed. Another place the journey has shown up is in Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and Odyssey by Homer. These two stories—one a biography, the other, an epic poem—are so effective in their storytelling, it is easy to see how authors today continue to use the same method to make stories that grab the readers’ attention. What makes them most alike, however, is the emotions and thoughts they have the power to provoke.
The hero’s journey is a useful tool in analyzing narratives of all kinds, from myths to movies to everyday life. One of the most iconic stages in the Hero’s Journey is the ordeal, otherwise known as the belly of the whale or the cave, in which the protagonist has reached their darkest and most hopeless point – things cannot get worse. Once the hero gets through the main ordeal, their journey home is much more sedated. This can be paralleled to the encompassing plot structure, in which there is a climax, and then the intensity of the story winds down again. This stage is one of the most universal in the hero’s journey, because without conflict and climax, there is no drive or reward within the story. Popular movies such as The Hunger Games,
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
“The Hero’s Journey.” Ariane Publications, 1997. Course handout. AS English I. Dept. of English, Woodside High School. 26 October 2013.
The second concept of the Hero’s journey shows us that all stories are the same. They all follow the same pattern or algorithm of separation, initiation, and return. An example from the movie is the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy is removed from her natural environment by a tornado, initiated with a lion, scarecrow, and tin man, and the group embarks on a journey to see the wizard. In the end, she is able to return home by clicking her heels. She realizes she has had the ability the whole time, but she needed to test herself. We are just like the characters we see in our favoritie movies, books, and shows – they are a metaphor for us as normal human beings. The last concept I learned is “Follow your bliss”. This concept of bliss is defined in many ways. One definition is serenity. Another definition is the thing you cannot not do. It is what makes a person feel alive. In order to answer the question of what is your bliss, you must ask yourself difficult questions like: What am I passionate about? What makes hours seem like minutes? What made me different as a child? After answering these tough questions, a person can find their
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 embarkation of the hero’s journey is more than a call, it is taking control of your life and discovering the hero who dwells inside you. Each hero who enters the journey is tested to the very end of the cycle, where the hero must choose rebirth or death. Othello is man of many fortunes, but he does not have what it takes to complete the Hero’s Journey.
Holmes, Thomas. “The hero’s journey: an inquiry-research model. Jun 2007, vol 34 issue 5, p19-22.4p. 1 Diagram
The overarching stages of these steps defines the important trilogy of the departure, the initiation, and the return of the hero in the spiritual, physical, and emotional changes that are experienced in this mythic cycle. Campbell’s insightful evaluation of the ten stages of the hero’s journey define the initial reluctance of the hero to follow his destiny, yet he or she slowly walks through the various obstacles and the awakening of consciousness through the death and rebirth of their identity. Finally, the return of hero to “home” reveals the liberation from previous prejudices and limitations of the mind, soul, and body that were present before they partook in the adventure. Surely, Campbell’s’ heroic cycle defines the overarching challenges of selfhood that the hero must endure to raise his or her consciousness to a higher level of understanding and realization. These are the important aspects of the ten stages of Campbell’s heroic journey that define the transformative nature of the journey and the hero’s initiation into the mysteries of life in this mythic theory of the heroic
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.
Myths have been a great example of the hero’s journey. Many heroes have journeys and trials to face throughout their life. Most of their journeys start out with their origin and end with the return. However, the hero’s role remains identical to every other hero. Most heroes like Gilgamesh has heroic traits because of the stages in the hero's journey. Gilgamesh is a man who can turn into a hero by changing himself, even when he has unusual circumstances surrounding his birth. Gilgamesh is viewed as a hero due to the stages of the hero's journey.