Joseph Campbell

• American Mythologist and Writer

• His theory: “All mythic narratives follow a common pattern regardless of their time of creation.”

• “The Hero with A Thousand Faces”

According to Campbell, there are 17 stages in the Hero’s Journey. These stages revolve around 3 primary phases.

Departure

1) Call to Adventure: The Hero is presented with an adventure.

2) Refusal of the Call: The Hero refuses the adventure.

3) Supernatural Aid: A magical being serves as a guide or gives the hero a magical power.

4) Crossing the First Threshold: The hero crosses the first step of the adventure.

5) The Belly of the Whale: The realization that life is changing.

Initiation 6) The Road of Trials: The hero faces a series of tasks

and tests that must be completed to continue.

7) Apotheosis: A period of rest, peace, and fulfillment before the hero begins his or her return.

8) The Ultimate Boon: The hero achieves the goal of the quest.

The Return 9) The Magical Flight: The hero must escape with the

boon.

10) The Crossing of the Return Threshold: Hero takes the wisdom learned on the journey and uses it in everyday life.

11) Master of the Two Worlds: The hero learns to balance between his old and new life.

12) Freedom to Live: The hero no longer fears death and is able to live in the moment.

Departure in Finding Nemo Call to Adventure: Nemo is caught by

the men in the boat. Refusal of the Call: Marlin (Nemo’s

dad) is afraid to swim in the open ocean. Supernatural Aid: Marlin meets Dory.

She teaches Marlin to not be afraid. Crossing the First Threshold: Dory

convinces Marlin to leave the safe part of the ocean to save Nemo. They pass Bruce & the sharks.

The Belly of the Whale: Marlin and Dory are in the belly of the whale. They realize they need help to find Nemo.

Initiation The Road of Trials: Marlin and

Dory must navigate through a series of tasks to get to Australia.

Apotheosis: Marlin and Dory rest with Crush and Squirt in the current.

The Ultimate Boon: Marlin and Dory reach Sydney Harbor and save Nemo.

The Return The Magical Flight: Marlin

must return to his coral reef with Nemo and Dory.

Crossing the Return Threshold: Marlin and Dory follow the path they learned to return to the reef.

Master of Two Worlds: Marlin learns to allow Nemo to explore and grow up while still being a protective and loving father.

Freedom to Live: Marlin is no longer afraid of the open ocean.

The Hero’s Journey in Pop Culture • Star Wars

• Finding Nemo

• The Matrix

• Harry Potter

• Lord of the Rings

• The Hunger Games

• Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises

As a group… Select a modern hero’s tale and create an illustration that details that hero’s journey through at least 10 of the stages. The stages that you depict must cover all 3 phases of the journey. Your illustration should both SHOW the event and EXPLAIN the event. Make sure that your explanation shows the relevance to that particular stage.