- April 17, 2007
- Hero's Journey
The First Threshold
The First Threshold encompasses the Far Away, Entrance, Threshold Guardian, Belly of the Whale, Trials, Allies and Enemies, Escape and other elements. Thus writers who believe that the First Threshold is a simple affair are dead wrong.
The Herald
One interesting stage of the Hero's Journey is that of the Herald, not the Hero.
Meeting with the Goddess
The hero encounters a value that drives him to consciously and forcefully enters the world of the antagonism--something he has previously resisted on some level. This value is often outside the hero's present frame of reference or pattern of behavior.
Woman as Temptress
There are two simultaneous manifestations--the physical and the spiritual. Using the word spiritual can be dangerous as it is interpreted in many ways, but it must be remembered that the Hero's Journey is primarily about the Hero's path to another (not necessarily higher) level of consciousness.
Failure to Launch (2006) Deconstructed
At 35, Tripp has an interesting job, a hip car, a passion for sailing, and a great house - trouble is, he lives with his parents. They want him out, so they hire Paula, an "interventionist," who has a formula in these cases: chance encounter, get him to ask her out, involve him in a trauma, meet his friends and get their nod, delay sex, have him teach her something, then launch him. It's worked up to now, but this gets complicated when Tripp thinks she's getting too serious and one of his pals is attracted to Paula's deadpan, semi-alcoholic roommate, who's plagued by a mockingbird. Too many secrets may scrub the launch, and what if Paula really likes him? Who can intervene then?
In the monomyth, the hero starts in the ordinary world, and receives a call to enter an unusual world of strange powers and events. If the hero accepts the call to enter this strange world, the hero must face tasks and trials, and may have to face these trials alone, or may have assistance. At its most intense, the hero must survive a severe challenge, often with help earned along the journey. If the hero survives, the hero may achieve a great gift or "boon." The hero must then decide whether to return to the ordinary world with this boon. If the hero does decide to return, the hero often faces challenges on the return journey. If the hero is successful in returning, the boon or gift may be used to improve the world. The stories of Osiris, Prometheus, Moses, Buddha, and Christ, for example, follow this structure very closely.
Campbell describes some seventeen stages or steps along this journey. Very few myths contain all seventeen stages — some myths contain many of the stages, while others contain only a few; some myths may have as a focus only one of the stages, while other myths may deal with the stages in a somewhat different order. These seventeen stages may be organized in a number of ways, including division into three sections: Departure (sometimes called Separation), Initiation and Return. "Departure" deals with the hero venturing forth on the quest; "Initiation" deals with the hero's various adventures along the way; and "Return" deals with the hero's return home with knowledge and powers acquired on the journey.
The monomyth structure can be found in many popular books and films, such as the Star Wars and The Matrix movie series, and the Harry Potter series of novels.