The Hero’s Journey

1. The Hero’s Journey Available online @ http://msbeenen.wikispaces.com

2. What is it? • Created by Joseph Campbell, he argues that most heroes from classical narratives follow this basic pattern. • Also known as “monomyth” • Starts with the ordinary world where our hero lives an ordinary life

3. The Call to Adventure • Hero leads an ordinary life but receives something that acts as a call to the unknown.

4. Refusal of the Call • Often when the call is given, the future hero first refuses to answer it. This can be for multiple reasons such as fear, insecurity, or a sense of inadequacy.

5. Supernatural Aid • Once the hero has decided tocomplete the quest, his guide and/or magical helper appears, or becomes known. The helper often provides the hero with tools that will help him on his journey.

6. Crossing the First Threshold • This is the point where the hero actually crosses into the field of adventure, drifting into his own “world” where the rules of the outside world don’t always exist.

7. Belly of the Whale • The belly of the whale is the stage where the hero finally separates from the “known world”. What he knows he has to do might not make sense in the known world so he must separate himself from it. By entering this stage, the person shows willingness to undergo a metamorphosis or change.

8. The Road of Trials • The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. The hero often fails at one of these trials but still perseveres.

9. The Meeting of the Goddess • The hero will experience an all encompassing love. This is a very important step in the process and is often represented by the person finding the other person that he or she loves most completely.

10. Woman as Temptress • Even though the hero is in love and on a quest, they face temptations. These temptations do not need to be a woman but it is something that would try to take their attention away from their quest. • Example: Sirens would sing to Sailors in the sea, the sailors would be trapped under their spell and run their ship into the rocks.

11. Atonement with Father • The person must confront the one person or thing that has the most power in his life. It does not have to be the father. This is the center point of the journey. All the previous steps have been moving in to this place, all that follow will move out from it.

12. Apotheosis • this step is a period of rest, peace and fulfillment before the hero begins the return.

13. The Ultimate Boon • The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the quest.

14. Refusal of the Return • Having achieved the goal and found the meaning behind the quest the hero does not always want to return to the world he came from.

15. The Magic Flight • If the hero has to bring the prize of his quest back to the ordinary world, sometimes the return can be just as challenging as the quest.

16. Rescue from Without • At this stage, the hero may need help returning to the ordinary world. This help can be magical or even just friends.

17. The Crossing Return of the Threshold • The hero has to remember the lessons he learned on his quest and figure out how to spread his wisdom with the rest of the world.

18. Master of Two Worlds • The hero has to achieve a balance between the material and spiritual world. Or the ordinary world and the knowledge and world that existed during the quest.

19. Freedom to Live • Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This is sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past.

20. TASKS FOR THE CLASS • Document the Hero’s Journey with Ed as the Hero. Each stage should include a quote from your quotesodics, and a paragraph of writing to explain the stage. • Today: Stages 1-4 Due Monday • Textbook work: Questions 1-3 • CLASS READING