Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces: Blog Post #1

In Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces, he explores how many hero stories follow a similar pattern: they all seem to go on a journey that presents them with challenges and eventually leads to them returning to their home, wiser and stronger. In this sense, the hero's journey is archetypal—it appears in stories across a myriad of cultures, times, and locations. 

However, this journey is not limited to mythology. Campbell argues that anyone could follow their own unique hero's journey, returning from it transformed. We as individuals are not separated from the heroic "Monomyth," just as the opposites of yin and yang are not. The two, myth and reality, must exist together in order to form a more "perfect" whole. 

In each hero's journey, there are defined steps or stages. Campbell breaks it down into three main "acts," each with multiple stages within them. The first leg of the heroes journey begins in the ordinary world, where the hero is introduced, then called to adventure. This adventure can be a personal journey or a mission. At first, the hero refuses, but later meets with a wise mentor who convinces them (or encourages them) to take the plunge. After that, the journey begins (crossing of the threshold into the "special" or "supernatural" world). 

Once the hero has crossed into this "new" world, their true journey begins. Throughout this journey, the hero faces enemies, obstacles, and meets some allies and new friends along the way. At last, the hero reaches his/her destination: where they must face the conflict. This "innermost cave" can be a literal location or facing inner doubt or fear. Then, they begin to conquer or face these challenges, reflecting on what the journey has taught him/her and how they arrived to be in the current situation. 

Upon completing or overcoming the challenge, the hero is rewarded with a reward of some sort. This reward can be an inner transformation, an important object, or even reuniting with someone he/she had lost contact with. The hero can now return home. 

However, the journey is not complete. While traveling back to the "normal" world, the hero may face additional challenges or difficulties. This is where the true climax of the story happens—the hero faces a final challenge, which he or she will likely succeed in, reemerging cleansed and as a "new self." At last, the hero returns home a changed person, full of knowledge and proof of his or her successes. 

To me, Campbell's description of the hero's journey is very closely tied to the basic principles of the "Monomyth." Throughout the journey, the hero faces many challenges and opposing forces. He or she is forced to go outside his or her comfort zone to realize the inner self. These opposite forces seem to have nothing to do with each other (in terms of them being entirely different), however they fight for balance, and the hero eventually achieves this balance through their journey. 

Not only do we see the hero facing these opposing forces, but we also see the "oneness" of tragedy and comedy in these stories. Comedy cannot exist without the tragedy of man and vice versa. The "Monomyth" goes beyond the ordinary world, allowing the two to not exist as opposites, but as something in balance. As mentioned in Dr. Hartley's video, comedy and tragedy transcend the basic fairytale. Life is tragedy and comedy, we rise and we fall, day in and day out. Much like the hero, we face both the dark and light parts of life, allowing comedy (in this case, I mean imagination or literal humor/happy endings) to pull us out of the tragedy when needed.