The Hero's Journey

Edward Blooms experiences the Call to Adventure when he is eighteen years old. He is the small town hero of Ashton; excelling in sports and academics. When a giant begins terrorizing the town, Edward volunteers to talk to him. During their conversation, Edward convinces the giant that they are both “too big” for the town of Ashton. The pair agree to travel to “the big city” in order for them to be in a place that better suits their ambitions. This moment changes Edward’s life forever because it is when he travels outside of Ashton that he begins his new life.

In the "Departure" stage, Atalanta's story does indeed follow the hero's journey. This stage can be summed up with a hero who "ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder" (Document A). Atalanta's "Call to Action" stage was shown when her father "decided that she was not worth bringing up and had [Atalanta] left on a wild mountainside to die of cold and hunger" (Document B). A

This conflict further develops through the hero’s journey archetype and later reveals the theme as the problem is solved. In addition, Richard Connell conveys Rainsford’s initial refusal to confront the problem during the Refusal of the Call, instead telling the general, “ ‘I wish to leave this island at once’ ”(10) and “I will not hunt”(10). Rainsford’s refusal to take part in the general’s sick practice is a natural reaction, and humanizes the character for the reader. The Refusal of the Call is an important aspect of the exposition, because it allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the character and make it easier later on to learn the same lesson Rainsford would. Even as Rainsford refuses the call, General Zaroff gives him encouragements and tries to coax him into participating in his hunt, foreshadowing that Zaroff himself would be Rainsford’s Experience with Unconditional Love in the Initiation Stage. Furthermore, in the final third of the Departure Stage, the Beginning of the Adventure, Mr. Connell reveals that the hunt had begun, and that “Rainsford had fought his way through the bush for two hours” (11). The Beginning of the Adventure marks the first event in the rising action of the story, when Rainsford accepted the call and ventured into the unknown wilderness. This section of the archetype is the reason for every other action in the archetype—Rainsford attempting to achieve his goal of not being hunted, overcoming his conflict

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.

The separation is the first stage a hero must go through in his or her journey. This stage consists of “a blunder -apparently the merest chance- reveals an unsuspected world, and the individual is drawn into a relationship with forces that are not rightly

On the return journey the hero sometimes has to be rescued from “death or a state of helplessness” (Heroes). When Tayo finally makes it onto the right path to returning he is now willing to accept help from animals and people regularly. The mountain lion’s tracks show him the way to his lost cattle. The woman helped Tayo by at first showing him the direction to find his cattle and then again when she corrals the sheep for him. This brings on the realization that he is ready to come back to the living figuratively.

Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem, and the author of Beowulf is unknown. Beowulf is the The setting of Beowulf is in Sweden and Denmark(the book 1231). Beowulf is divided into three parts in which Beowulf fights a dragon, a monster named Grendel, and Grendel’s mother. The Anglo-Saxon people have many values. There are many Anglo-Saxon values throughout Beowulf such as loyalty, strength, bravery, generosity, honor, and glory.

The theme of flight starts early on in the epigraph which suggests how children are abandoned by their fathers left with only their names to keep memory. The idea of flight as freedom is clearly evident in the beginning with Mr. Smiths attempted departure from the roof of Mercy

The first stage of the monomyth is the departure. In this stage, the hero first receives “call to adventure,” either directly or sometimes unwittingly. In a real life example, this would be taking on a task, one that is assigned by someone else or one that is chosen by oneself. This could be an assignment at a job, or it could be the desire to pursue a new hobby. Campbell mentions the “refusal of the call,” or the turning away from the journey. In life, when taking on a task, it can seem too difficult or frightening, and the natural desire may be to turn away. Campbell warns that this “converts the adventure into its negative… [and] the subject loses the power of affirmative action and becomes a victim to be saved” (59). Though an adventure may be difficult, the hero will usually gain the assist of a supernatural aid. Many

It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or civilization.” The 12 stages of this are ‘the ordinary world’, ‘the call to adventure’, ‘refusal of the call’, ‘meeting with the mentor’, ‘crossing the threshold’, ‘tests, allies and enemies’, ‘approach’, ‘the ordeal’, ‘the reward’, ‘the road back’, ‘the resurrection’ and finally ‘return with the

The Hero’s journey, or in its more correct terminology the Monomyth is an object from the area of comparative mythology. Its definition in the most basic of forms, it is a pattern or outline that is used in storytelling, usually the myth. This pattern is found in many famous pieces from all around the world. In the book The Hero with a Thousand Faces from 1949 by author Joseph Campbell, this pattern is described in detail. Campbell describes that numerous myths from different times and areas of the world seem to share an identical structure in their storytelling. He summarized this with a well-known quote found at the intro of his book:

Away explores the concept of self-discovery and transformation through the characters as they change. By encountering a physical journey, it provides the character with new perspective on life and an understanding attitude away from the strenuous and monotonous activities.

People have always been fascinated with the tragedy and death of others. Tragedy is the realizing of the ultimate truth of life, and comedy is finding the joys of life. Mythology can stem from both tragedy and comedy.

Superman or Superwoman; Equality For All, Joseph Campbell “The Hero With A Thousand Faces” and The Movie “Alien”

According to Joseph Campbell, “The first stage of the mythological journey--which we have designated the “call to adventure”-- signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown” (Campbell 53). As Gawain prepares for the departure from Camelot to find the Green Knight and complete his quest, the citizens of Camelot found “much sorrow and weeping was there in the hall to think that so worthy a knight as Gawain should wend his way to seek a deadly blow, and should no more wield his sword in a fight” (Weston 11).