The Hero’s Journey

Joseph Campbell is an American mythologist who is famous for his study in ancient stories around the world. He discovered that all famous stories, no matter which part of the world it originates, share a very similar structure. Campbell also found that all characters in those stories fall into comparable archetypes which tend to repeat and again. In 1949, he published his masterpiece, Hero of a Thousand Faces, to disclose his findings, and many believe this to be one of the most influential books in the century.

In the book, he outlined a story structure called the Hero’s Journey. It is a pattern of narrative which appears in drama, novels and motion pictures.  It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as the Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of his group or tribe. It has the following stages:

1. THE ORDINARY WORLD. The story introduces an uneasy, uncomfortable or unaware hero sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma. He has a history or background that is somehow pulling the character in different directions and causing stress.

2. THE CALL TO ADVENTURE. Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or desires within, so that the hero must face the beginnings of change. 

3. THE REFUSAL. The protagonist feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly. Alternately, another character may express the uncertainty and danger ahead.

4. THE MENTOR. The hero comes across a seasoned teacher who gives him or her training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey.  Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage and wisdom.

5. THE OTHER WORLD. The character commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values. 

6. TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES. The hero comes under tests and has to sorts out allegiances in the Special World.

7. THE INNERMOST CAVE. The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special world.

8. THE ORDEAL. Near the middle of the story, the hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear. Out of the moment of death comes a new life. 

9. THE REWARD. The hero takes possession of the treasure. There may be some celebration, but there is also a danger of losing the prize again.

10. THE ROAD BACK. About three-fourths of the way through the story, the hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure comes home. Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission.

11. THE RESURRECTION. At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold.  He calls for the last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level. By the hero’s action, he finally resolves the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning.

12. RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR. The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has changed himself.

The Hero’s Journey can find its place in the simplest folklore to the most complex drama. However, one shall remember that it is more like a guideline than a scientific formula. Following the guidelines of myth too rigidly can lead to an unnatural structure and make it seem odd.  The writer can delete or reorder each of the stages as long as the story remains compelling. In any case, he shall cover it with the details of the tale, and the skeleton should not call attention to itself.  

Some may wonder why the Hero’s Journey is so profound. One possible explanation is that we are all heroes in our personal lives. Even though we may not have to kill monsters or scale mountains, we seek our own Holy Grails and have to overcome different obstacles to achieve it. The Hero’s Journey gives us a chance to get in touch with our subconscious desire to get out of our Ordinary World and go after what we want in life.

REFERENCE: Campbell, J. (1949). The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.