A Hero's Journey: the Incredibles

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

Two books can seem completely different from each other when judged by characteristics such as genre, plot, and theme. However, if people were to look at the books together and as a whole, they might notice one striking similarity between the two. That striking similarity is known as the hero’s journey. First observed and documented by Joseph Campbell, the hero’s journey is a concept in which heroes, or people who commit actions for the greater good, follow a three-step cycle known as departure, fulfillment, and return. At the first stage of the hero’s journey, the hero receives a call to an adventure that takes him from the comforts of his home. Next, at the most important stage of the hero’s journey, the hero begins to experience life

In the late 1940’s a man named Joseph Campbell shared his Mythic principal with the world. He explains that there is a three-stage formula that he calls a Hero Journey which is the structure of every story. Though most stories are completely different on the outside, the stories are almost structured around these three stages. Stage 1 is the hero leaves the everyday world and enters another world. While Stage 2 the hero is challenged by opposing forces and must pass a series a test throughout the movie. That will then determine who will be victorious, either the hero or the opposing forces. Stage 3 is tied into Stage 2 because if the hero is victorious, they will return to the ordinary world with a gift for the world.

The hero’s journey is an ongoing concept used in many tales which involves a hero who goes on an adventure, wins a victory, and then comes home changed or transformed. In the society that we live in, the hero becomes a hero by attaining in what they believe in for the good of others. Among the numerous tales which the hero’s journey is utilized there are some that stand out more compared to others. Star Wars which is an extremely popular film known by many which clearly demonstrates the hero’s journey. The hero in this film is known as Luke Skywalker whom goes through all the ordeals and comes out as a hero.

Taking the time to pick apart the hero’s actions and thoughts can make the journey much more interesting and easier to understand. By understanding the basic characteristics and the stages of the hero’s journey we can not only understand the story more but we can also understand ourselves more. We can learn new ways to relate to heroes and our peers we did not know of before. In conclusion, the hero’s journey is a great way to learn a new lesson or two, learn more about yourself, and be entertained at the same

A hero’s journey is a format or a template, that most heroic stories include. It has key stages and archetypes. The story of The Adventures of Ulysses, written by Bernard Evslin chronicles the journey of Ulysses trying to return to his home, Ithaca, after the Trojan War. He unknowingly angered the God of the Sea who then started plaguing Ulysses and his crew to keep them for ever reaching home. This novel is a good example of the hero’s journey because it exhibits the main stages of the hero’s journey, has a departure to the “special world” and it has necessary archetypes.

Small or big, everything we do in life is part of our journey. Reg Harris’ “The Hero’s Journey” describes the voyage one takes throughout life to grow and change as a person. He breaks the journey down into eight steps leading to the return. It starts out as a goal that isn’t always easy to reach, one goes through hardship and personal doubts only to succeed and become a better person. An example of this journey can be found in the movie, Troy through the character Achilles. Achilles is a strong fearless warrior in the movie, Troy who goes through “The Hero’s Journey” and ends up with a change of heart.

The “hero’s journey”, coined by Joseph Campbell, is a pattern in the plot structure of literature, myths, and oral tradition in which the hero is consistently faced with similar obstacles and achieves many of the same goals. The first part of the hero’s journey is “The Call.” The hero is usually living a very comfortable and easy life, unaware of the journey ahead. The hero is then faced with a situation or dilemma which eventually causes them to seek change. The hero, at this point, tends to refuse the call to adventure in fear of the unknown. Once the hero has been given the strength to push past the unknown, they have entered the threshold. The hero will experience many challenges and temptations where the hero is tested, eventually reaching “The Abyss,” the most difficult challenge. The hero is then transformed by these trials and returns home to every-day life and begins to contribute to their society. The novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the protagonist, Janie, experiences the hero’s journey first-hand through overcoming obstacles and transforming herself. In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the heroine Janie overcomes many obstacles and is therefore transformed into a self reliant woman.

The “Hero’s Journey” is a common template in stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, wins a victory in a decisive crisis, and then comes home changed or transformed. This template has been used in tales throughout history to convey the journey that a protagonist goes on. The universality of the struggles and conflicts these heroes overcome allows this template to become as popular as it is today. Many of the stages that exist within the “Hero’s Journey” can be applied to my journey as well as yours. The stage of my grandfather’s death in my journey is comparable to “The Ordeal” in the “Hero’s Journey.”

The movie, “Frozen” is an accurate example of ‘The Hero’s Journey’. Joseph Campbell defines this term as, “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 main character/s follow an occurring pattern that most characters develop and experience. This analysis will portray and examine the term ‘Hero’s Journey’ in the movie “Frozen”.

However, since the hero is part of society, the journey is also one of personal development. On a more psychological level, one could suggest that the hero’s quest is symbolic of all personal conflict. Conflict begins when a problem arises that must be dealt with. Most people, at first, refuse to come to terms with whatever this problem may be, and attempt to ignore it. With enough mental determination and/or aid from an outside source, however, one can bring themselves to cross the first threshold, and begin their journey into the heart of the problem. For example, victims of rape or other types of abuse must face what is haunting them in order for it to be exorcised properly.

hero's journey is not solely “applicable to fiction but also to the journeys that everyone goes

Early on in The Incredibles, superheroes are viewed as a negative idea by the public and must become solely their secret identity as an ordinary person, though that does not keep each of them from working undercover, which leads to the government having to intervene with special programs to help. One of the programs mentioned in the movie is one that pays off civilians to keep quiet about certain superhero instances, such as when Mr. Incredible made a scene at his office. This is an act of the government subsidizing the people with payments of money in order to keep them quiet, as represented in Graph (a), where the shift from S1 to S2 is the subsidy. In order for the government to subsidize people as such, they must have a way of getting the

From a Christian perspective, the concept of sin suggests that all humans are tainted by their wrongdoing as well as the wrongdoings of other people (McMinn et al., 2006). The story of Adam and Eve, which is perceived by many Christians to be the original sin, is often seen as the marker that tainted humanity with sin (McMinn et al., 2006). McMinn et al. suggest that the real conception of sin may not leave one in a state of despair, at last from a Christian theology perspective, but instead it may lead one toward a God that offers forgiveness of sins (2006). Out of a sample of 200 Southern Baptist pastors, 26 pastors responded to an optional question that asked, “What do you wish every psychologist knew about the nature of sin? (McMinn et al., 2006, p. 3-4). Responses revealed that sin is seen as both an act and a state, at least from a Christian perspective (McMinn et al., 2006). Sin as a state holds the idea that all humans are born into a state of sin, and that the problem of sin is bigger than the act of sin because sin relates back to creation whereas sin as an act holds the idea that certain attitudes and actions are sinful (McMinn et al., 2006). In addition, McMinn et al. suggests that sin as an act is seen as a violation to the moral will of God while sin as state takes away from personal responsibility

The remedy when we sin as a believer is to simply confess our sin (1 John 1:9). “Confess” literally means to “agree with” God about that sin. If we still defend the sinful thought or act in any way, we have not confessed. True confession produces a desire to change. But even if we sin the same way again, the solution is again confession. Confessing sin is a major truth of the Christian’s life. Confession brings the cleansing Christ provided (1 John 1:7). All sin is