The Hero’s Quest

• One of the most enduring and malleable narratives is the ‘hero’s quest’

• The hero’s quest can be found in the oldest of recorded literature, across time and space– Found in ancient Greek myths, Japanese anime,

war films, Medieval poems, news stories

Campbell’s “Monomyth”

• Most notably identified with Joseph Campbell, who studied comparative religion– Campbell began as a critical scholar of literature

and eventually became interested in the many myths found throughout the world

– Unlike most who studied the differences among myths, Campbell looked for the similarities among them

– Identified/constructed the ‘monomyth’

Joseph Campbell

• Campbell’s scholarship was controversial– Criticized as lacking scholarly rigor– Validity of the monomyth was questioned• Some argued that he ignored critical differences among

myths, mashed others together to fit his scheme

Campbell’s impact

• Campbell’s scholarship was embraced by some in academe

• He may have had his greatest impact through the adoption of his ideas in popular culture

• A number of writers and filmmakers applied his ideas to storytelling– Christopher Vogler wrote a memo at Disney that

applied Campbell’s ideas to storytelling, then went on to write a book and coach writers freelance

Hero’s quest

• The mythic narrative of the hero’s quest, though not Campbell’s only interest, was the one that gained the most popular attention– His short version of the narrative was:– “ A hero ventures forth from the world of common day

into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”

• The hero’s quest was a spiritual journey as well as a physical one– Left the seeker forever changed—for the better

• Mystical and transformative

– Leaving home was a symbolic representation of leaving childhood, becoming aware/adult—going through a transformation

– The life devoid of a spiritual quest was empty and meaningless• We all have our own quest to follow

Monomyth.org

• Campbell’s analysis applied Jung’s concept of archetype to a reading of a vast number of myths– He felt he had found a limited set of actions,

characters and plot points that made up a monomyth

– The monomyth represented a universal set of ideas and beliefs that were unconsciously held by all humans• The stuff of dreams

A short version

• The scene begins, as most narratives, with a stable (and usually happy) situation

• There is either a disturbance or a recognition that the situation is not as it seems– The disturbance may often be supplied by the act of

an evil force (villain)• The hero is called upon to act to make things

right– The source of the call varies, but is often another

traditional character, the mentor

Reaction to the call• The hero often will deny or refuse the call to

adventure– Fear, uncertainty

• The hero must ultimately accept the call– Becomes aware of the lack/danger or further

transgressions move him toward acceptance of the call

• In many cases, the hero must be prepared– Gain strength, wisdom, etc.– The hero may be provided with some form of magical

weapon or elixir

The hero chooses to leave his world and enter the world of wonder/danger• The ‘threshold crossing’ – The hero willingly crosses the threshold, often into

a very dark place

• The road of trials– The hero is tested in a number of ways, must

meet the challenge or die

• The Belly of the Whale– The hero faces ‘death’ or perhaps even dies

• Meeting with the goddess– The hero symbolically and/or physically becomes

one with a female (or, upon the rare case of a female hero, with a male)

– The female represents knowledge of life and of the earth

• Atonement with the father– The hero recognizes the dark side of himself and

discover the loving father

• Apotheosis– The hero transcends his former self and gains

greater awareness, melding the knowledge from the land of trials with that from his native land

• The hero is then able to gain the ‘boon’– Either a physical object that can provide humanity

with great benefits or wisdom, etc. that will allow the hero to guide those in his original world toward the good

Return

• The hero may refuse to return, finding the land of adventure far more suitable than the one he left

• Alternately, there may be evil forces or guardians of the passageway blocking his return

• There may be a pursuit, with the hero receiving magical aid

• It may be necessary for those in the other world to provide aid that can help the hero return

Master of Two Worlds

• The hero returns and bestows the boon upon humanity– He has been transformed and is now ‘master of

two worlds’

• Freedom to live– The hero has been transformed and is now able to

accept the fates of both worlds, perhaps to live in both with harmony

– He may be called upon to make a final sacrifice

Characters

• The hero• The mentor• The helper• The villain• The goddess• The trickster

Hero’s quest in popular culture

• Though the entire narrative is rarely found, portions of the hero’s quest show up in a great number of popular films, TV shows, videogames, music, etc.

Why are heroic journeys so appealing?

• Simple, stark contrasts easy to comprehend, powerful and compelling– Simple dialogue– Personalization/individuation

• Echo deeply-held feelings and beliefs that may not be conscious– Good and evil– Spirituality

• Exciting action, often violence• Emotion rather than reason drives the action

Sources of concern

• Teach people to think in terms of either-or approach to conflict/competition– Inability to thoughtfully consider context, ambiguity– Little consideration given to compromise

• Preach violence and brinkmanship as a strategy of dealing with conflict/competition– Demonization of other side leads to escalation

• Strengthens position of extremists– No actions are mutually beneficial

• Life as a ‘zero-sum game’

Sources for concern

• Portrayal of a world split into warring factions– Archetypal good and bad groups lead to a

portrayal of those who are different in extremely negative terms

– Archetypes applied in the real world can quickly lead to harsh stereotyping or demonization of groups or individuals

Sources of concern• Conflict based in religion, klan, nation– Can easily slide into some rather unpleasant

representations• Nazi use of Wagner’s epic heroic opera

• Teaches to make decisions, etc. based on tribal loyalties, heated passions rather than dispassionate, rational debate

• Can justify extreme, uncompromising actions– Brutality– War– Enslavement– Torture