Joseph Campbell Hero Monomyth

The archetype of the Hero’s Journey holds a prevalent pattern in the works of “Initiation” by Sylvia Plath, “A & P” by John Updike, and “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker. These works all follow the 17 stages of Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth which are separated in three stages; separation, initiation, and return. The main characters have different characterizations; however, they all follow the basic structure of the Hero’s journey archetype. There are many similarities and differences between the stages that are shown through many context clues and literary devices in each work. The Hero’s Journey archetype expressed in these literary works follow a similar and direct narrative pattern.

Since long ago, people carried an image of what it means to be a hero. It is evident in some great books one might even say. As in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Antigone, and The Iliad, heroism is displayed and exalted, but what does being a hero mean? Overarchingly, in regards to these works, the heroes earn their titles as heroes by notably doing what is right when the time is right, with humane purpose, and an everlasting message. However, Gilgamesh, Antigone, and Akhilleus, being different in their purposes, everlasting messages, type of heroism as whole, can not compare in regards to heroic status.

Countless cultures and religions gather around campfires and even hold ceremonies to hear a good hero story. But little do they know that these traditional stories that they are oh so eager to listen to, are all alike someway, somehow. All heroes in all cultures, dating from the earliest hero-story written, miraculously follow a sequence of events called a mononmyth/heroes Journey. The ineffable spectacle of the mononmyth is that despite the thousands of miles between ancient civilizations it was subconsciously present in the psychology of all the hero-writers. Joseph Campbell, an established psychologist stated his identification of the monomyth in his book, A Hero with a Thousand Faces. But, Campbell not only explained the monomyth in great detail, but he also elaborated into the psychology of humans. He did this by elucidating the exact steps in every hero’s journey, and providing factual proof. The initial belief is that no matter what the circumstance is, No matter past or present, man or woman, the heroes all have the same initiation. Here Campbell states that, “Whether hero ridiculous or sublime, Greek

Edward Johnson wrote a bibliography on Joseph Campbell and included Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Edward Johnson explained that the monomyth is, “the underlying uniform structure of the adventure of the hero (which can be mapped on all people attempting to make their way through life).” Think about all the different movies, books, or stories that have been created. Most of them always have a hero, and he or she has to go on a journey. However, each journey has a different path. This journey is called the monomyth or the hero’s journey. The monomyth explains the course every hero takes to be changed and made new. This course is exemplified in more stories then people realize. For example, in the movie Osmosis Jones a

Winston Churchill once stated “The price of greatness is responsibility.” In any epic story, achieving greatness is an enormous entitlement for any hero,however by having so much responsibility in life and dealing with responsibility very successfully will bring greatness. Beowulf is well-known story, which many readers would say it give tremendous journey of many epic battles with dreadful beasts and also teaches about pride and honor. However, Beowulf encounter many obstacles throughout the story but conquers the challenges in the end, giving this word “epic hero” it's true meaning.

According to the last two chapters, I have gained knowledge related to the unconscious mind and theories of the social construction of self. I also have a further understanding of the concepts of symbols, archetypes and myth as well as the Hero’s Journey of Joseph Campbell’s. Moreover, these two chapters remind me a lot of Consumer Psychology and the power of Media. However, I have found some similarities and differences between the two chapters and my previous readings. At the beginning, I have some new and deeper understanding of the conscious mind and the unconscious mind.

A Closer Look A tale of a hero is truly thrilling. They take on the risk of their unseen journey, with challenges, and transformations, in hopes of return. The life of a hero is exhilarating. Each story provides different incite, meaning, and purpose, but yet every hero’s journey manages to apply the same concepts.

The Monomyth The hero's journey (or the monomyth) is a pattern that all myths around the world have. This pattern was developed by Joseph Campbell. This "monomyth" is divided in three parts, the departure, initiation and return. This three parts have different events (like the call to adventure, the road of trial, refusal of the return, etc). The original monomyth was developed by campbell, but other persons have made their own versions of the monomyth, some of these people are David Adams Leeming, Phil Cousineau and Christopher Vogler.

Does every story truly follow the common stages of monomyth? Joseph Campbell first describes the monomyth in his book “The Hero With a Thousand Faces” written in 1949. In William Faulkner’s story “Barn Burning” one can look close enough and see the stages of monomyth. In “Barn Burning” the loyalty to family versus loyalty to the law is tested. The basic structure of a hero’s journey, in this case Sarty, is shown through the three stages Campbell explains. Campbell’s monomyth starts with a departure, initiation, and return. Sarty is faced with all three.

The monomyth of Joseph Campbell associates with Sylvia Plath’s Mirror, T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Love and Isabel Allende’s The House of Spirits. The monomyth states 17-stages that the hero/heroines must undergo in order to fulfill their journey. All three of these literary devices challenge Campbell’s monomyth by failing or not completing the sojourney. Failure of their chosen or predestined fate results in the characters reaching a “wasteland”, a depressing, unbearable state of living in a dead place. The goal is for them to reach the “holy grail” or celestial heaven where there is illuminating reflection, enlightenment. The characters seek this either physically or spiritually or both. Campbell explains the spiritual

The monomyth is a story plot that grabs the attention of viewers or readers. It is still studied because it reveals things about culture and has many things to offer. We read and watch the same story over and over again because the audience is attracted to heroic stories about how the hero saved the world and killed the bad guy.

Who knew a young lad obsessed with legends and folklore, would one day grow up to achieve a master’s degree in medieval literature at Columbia University? Then go on to write a collection of legends and folklore called The Hero With Thousand Faces. Joseph Campbell the composer of collage, outlined the term monomyth in this literature. I also remember a wise man once stressed the term monomyth, when reading the classical literatures The Rime of Ancient Mariner, Oedipus Rex, and The Epic of Gilgamesh in English class in the beginning of school year. The sage in my english class furthermore formulated the sequence(or dumbed it down for common man) monomyth: “The hero journeys forth from the light of common day into a world of supernatural wonder…

Civilizations, since the dawn of time, has relied on storytelling to pass down morals and teachings- stories of great heroes and beasts, of damsels and beautiful kingdoms. These tales captured the audience, leaving these souls in various forms of distinct emotion: happiness, sadness, awe. The larger-than-life creatures in these stories defined the belief of each society, their heroes and monsters told a wondrous tale of its golden age. An American mythologist by the name of Joseph Campbell changed the perception of myths, as well as literature, forever when he published one of the most enthralling and influential works of the 20th century, Hero with a Thousand Faces which discusses a concept known as the Hero’s Journey. This analysis of

Campbell starts with an description of the pervasiveness of myth in all societies and cultures, recording its responsibility as a method of fabricating the world around primitive man more comprehensible. His investigation into the nature of myth guides him to the realization that, though every group has its own discrete tales regarding heroes, the tales from such diverse places such as China,India, North America, and Mexico participate in certain similarities. What Campbell observes is a strikingly inflexible pattern underneath the variety of aspects. This he calls the Adventure of the Hero, a carefully constructed series of phenomenons that ushers the selected one from a state of normalcy inside society to a situation set apart from his fellow

The issue of defining a hero stems from the different educated branches studying the work. A Christian Theologian’s definition will be the opposite of Satan’s character. That being said the working definition of an epic hero for this paper will be the seven most common traits found among claimed epic heroes. The first is noble birth, followed by capable of deeds of great strength and courage, great warrior, travels over a vast setting, national heroism, a perceived fall from grace, and faces supernatural and internal struggles. Not all of these requirements must be met, but most would agree that a majority can