Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: The Monomyth
Joseph Campbell was an American scholar who studied and wrote about mythology. While still a young boy, Campbell became interested in storytelling and world myths. He followed this interest all of his life, and his writings and ideas have influenced and shaped our understanding of traditional fantasy.
He is well known for defining the structure and storytelling patterns of the hero’s journey. This structure is found in some of the oldest literature and myths and in many of our contemporary stories: Batman, Superman, Katniss from The Hunger Games, and more.
In The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Campbell outlines the patterns of the hero’s journey, sometimes called monomyth. It is a staple in world literature.
This pattern can be found in fairy tales, myths, religious tales, and other stories. I find it interesting that the pattern shows up in all cultures, and often the same stories are told in many cultures. For examples: creation stories, flood stories, special birth stories, and death and resurrection stories.
Archetypes
Campbell was influenced buy Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of the school of analytical psychology, and his ideas of story archetypes. Jung saw universal archetypes in dreams, art, myths, and legends, and used archetype theories in his practice of psychology. Campbell applied archetypes to his study of myths and storytelling.
In myths, archetypes are a kind of shorthand, or stereotype characters: the hero, mentor, damsel in distress, villain, earth mother, fairy godmother, wicked stepmother, wicked witch, wise man, etc.
The Hero’s Journey
I’m going to use two stories to illustrate how the hero’s journey works: The Hobbit and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I chose these stories because they are popular, and even people who haven’t read the books have an idea of the plots.
Here’s a brief outline of the steps of the hero’s journey:
The Ordinary World
The story begins with the hero in the ordinary world. The hero is often an average, unexceptional person who doesn’t fit in or has problems.
Hobbit: Bilbo’s tranquil Shire world.
OZ: Dorthy isn’t happy and wants a different life, away from Kansas.
Call To Adventure
The ordinary world changes when an event, a person, or circumstances calls the hero to action.
Hobbit: Gandalf arrives and invites Bilbo on an adventure.
OZ: The tornado hits and carries Dorothy away.
Reluctant, Refuse, or Accept the Quest
Occasionally, the hero readily accepts the quest; most times, the hero is reluctant or refuses the quest. It doesn’t matter which kind of hero the story has, eventually, the hero goes on the quest and finds him or herself in a different and unknown world.
Hobbit: At first Bilbo refuses but reconsiders and follows Gandalf and the dwarfs.
OZ: Dorothy doesn’t have much choice; the tornado picks her up and drops her in OZ–a case of being careful what you wish for.
Mentor
The hero encounters a wise mentor or guide, who advises and helps the hero.
Hobbit: Gandalf.
OZ: Glinda, the good witch.
Crossing the Threshold
The journey begins as the hero leaves the normal world and enters into a new, strange, and dangerous world.
Hobbit: Middle Earth.
OZ: The land of OZ
The Talisman
Something special or magical that aids the hero.
Hobbit: The ring.
OZ: The red slippers.
Allies and Helpers
Friends and allies who help the hero on her journey.
Hobbit: The Dwarfs and Gandalf.
OZ: The Tin Man, the Lion, the Scarecrow.
Trials, Tests, and Supreme Ordeal
The obstacles, hardships, tests, and trials of the journey leading up to the supreme ordeal.
Hobbit: Obstacles and trials, which finally lead to defeating and killing Smaug.
OZ: Dorothy and company overcome setbacks, get to Oz, and finally defeat and kill the Wick Witch of the West.
Reward and Journey Home
After the supreme ordeal, the hero receives a reward and returns home; the road home may not be smooth.
Hobbit: His share of the gold; the Battle of Five Armies and then back to the Shire.
OZ: Rewards for Dorothy and her friends, but it’s not until Glinda tells her about the shoes that she is able to return home.
Master of Two World
The hero returns home a wiser person of two worlds. The hero has restored order and risen above and beyond what he or she was.
At their hearts, these stories are about the hero in each of us, about life’s journey as a hero’s journey. After all, we are each the hero of our individual lives. Hero’s journeys are popular because we can see ourselves reflected in the story.
Achetypes
Archetypes that emerge from the hero’s journey:
- The Hero: The central person of the story. Every person is the hero of his own life/myth.
- The Villain: The enemy, villain, or enemy within.
- The Mentor: The wise person who helps and guides the hero–often the mentor dies.
- The Herald: The person or event that calls the hero to action.
- Threshold Guardians: Those who stand in the way or hinder the hero. Could be jealous friend or enemy or the hero’s doubts and fears.
- Allies: people who support and help the hero.
- Tricksters: fools, jokers, people who create mischief.
- Shape-shifters: could be animals, strange characters, vampire/werewolves. (Hobbit: Gollum and OZ: Tin Man, Lion, Scarecrow)
- Temptress: a woman who tempts the hero.
- Shadow: Dark side of the world, or the dark side of the hero.
Importance
The hero’s journey has been a cornerstone of storytelling. The pattern is found in traditional fantasy and has continued in all literature right up to the present.
The hero’s journey as story structure is here to stay and influences all genres and storytelling media.
Here’s short a video, clips pieced together of Joseph Campbell discussing the message of the hero’s journey myth.
If you want to learn more about Joseph Campbell and his works, click here.
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Fantasy: A Brief History (What is Fantasy Part2)
Traditional Fantasy (What Is Fantasy Part 3)
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