5.4 Application of hero's journey to various narratives
4 min read•july 31, 2024
The 's journey, a storytelling framework, appears in narratives across various media. From classic literature to modern films and video games, this structure guides character development and plot progression. Its stages, like the and , create engaging stories.
Analyzing narratives through the hero's journey lens reveals how different media adapt the structure. It allows for comparison of character growth, plot advancement, and themes across genres and settings. This versatile framework resonates with audiences by tapping into universal experiences and emotions.
Hero's Journey in Narrative Forms
Stages and Applications
Top images from around the web for Stages and Applications
Maak een spel van je les | ICTO bij FOO View original
Is this image relevant?
Hero's journey - Wikipedia View original
Is this image relevant?
Figure 17.3 - The New Hero's Journey | www.wtfbusiness.com | Brian Solis | Flickr View original
Is this image relevant?
Maak een spel van je les | ICTO bij FOO View original
Is this image relevant?
Hero's journey - Wikipedia View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 3
Top images from around the web for Stages and Applications
Maak een spel van je les | ICTO bij FOO View original
Is this image relevant?
Hero's journey - Wikipedia View original
Is this image relevant?
Figure 17.3 - The New Hero's Journey | www.wtfbusiness.com | Brian Solis | Flickr View original
Is this image relevant?
Maak een spel van je les | ICTO bij FOO View original
Is this image relevant?
Hero's journey - Wikipedia View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 3
- Hero's journey structure, outlined by , consists of distinct stages identifiable in narratives across different media
- Key stages include:
- Call to adventure
- Return with elixir
- Apply hero's journey to analyze classic literature (Homer's "") and modern novels (J.R.R. Tolkien's "")
- Use framework for film analysis in various genres:
- Science fiction ("")
- Coming-of-age stories ("")
- Video games incorporate hero's journey structure with player-controlled protagonists embarking on quests mirroring traditional stages
Analysis and Comparison
- Use hero's journey to analyze:
- Character development
- Plot progression
- Thematic elements
- Comparative analysis across media reveals adaptations to suit strengths and limitations of each medium
- Structure's flexibility enables adaptation to various:
- Genres (fantasy, romance, thriller)
- Settings (historical, futuristic, contemporary)
- Character types (reluctant hero, anti-hero, ensemble cast)
- Hero's journey enhances audience engagement by creating:
- Sense of anticipation
- Satisfaction as familiar story beats are encountered and resolved
Effectiveness of the Hero's Journey
Audience Engagement and Resonance
- Provides universal framework allowing audiences to connect with characters and storylines across cultural and temporal boundaries
- Evokes deep psychological responses by tapping into collective unconscious themes and symbols
- Creates emotionally resonant narratives through emphasis on character growth and transformation
- Resonates with audiences' personal experiences (overcoming obstacles, )
- In interactive media (video games), provides sense of purpose and progression motivating player engagement
- Measure effectiveness by analyzing:
- Audience reception
- Critical acclaim
- Enduring popularity of works employing this structure
Adaptability and Cultural Impact
- Flexibility allows creators to maintain familiar underlying pattern while adapting to various media
- Enhances storytelling across different formats:
- Literature (novels, short stories, poetry)
- Visual media (films, television series, graphic novels)
- Interactive experiences (video games, role-playing games)
- Influences popular culture and storytelling conventions
- Provides common language for discussing narrative structure in academic and creative fields
- Facilitates cross-cultural understanding through shared storytelling patterns
Limitations of the Hero's Journey
Critiques of Structure and Representation
- Potentially leads to formulaic storytelling lacking originality and surprise
- Western-centric perspective may overlook or misrepresent narrative structures from non-Western cultures
- Overemphasizes male-centric narratives, potentially inadequately representing female or non-binary experiences
- Focus on individual heroism may undermine importance of community and collective action in storytelling
- May not adequately address complex, morally ambiguous situations or anti-hero protagonists in contemporary narratives
- Rigid application can result in forced plot points or unnatural character development
Cultural and Psychological Concerns
- Prevalence in popular media may create unrealistic expectations for personal growth and life experiences among audiences
- Risk of reinforcing cultural stereotypes or oversimplifying complex social issues
- May perpetuate harmful myths about individualism and heroism at the expense of collaborative problem-solving
- Potential to glamorize violence or conflict as necessary components of personal growth
- Overreliance on hero's journey may limit exploration of alternative narrative structures or storytelling traditions
- Critics argue it may contribute to a homogenization of global storytelling, reducing cultural diversity in narratives
Crafting Narratives with the Hero's Journey
Core Elements and Character Development
- Understand core elements of hero's journey:
- 17 stages identified by
- Develop unique and compelling characters fulfilling archetypal roles:
- Hero
- Avoid stereotypes while maintaining archetypal functions
- Create character arcs aligning with journey stages (internal and external growth)
Adaptation and Innovation
- Adapt hero's journey to suit different genres and media:
- Literature (adjust pacing and description for written format)
- Film (utilize visual storytelling techniques)
- Video games (incorporate player agency and interactive elements)
- Subvert or reimagine traditional hero's journey elements for fresh narratives:
- Unexpected plot twists
- Role reversals
- Non-linear storytelling
- Incorporate cultural specificity and diverse perspectives to enhance universality and relevance
- Balance adherence to structure with creative innovation
- Use symbolism, motifs, and thematic elements to create multi-layered story:
- Recurring imagery
- Parallel storylines
- Exploration of universal themes (love, sacrifice, redemption)
Key Terms to Review (24)
Call to Adventure: The call to adventure is a crucial moment in storytelling where the hero is invited to embark on a journey that will change their life forever. This moment signifies the beginning of a transformative quest, often presenting a challenge or an opportunity that disrupts the hero's ordinary world, pushing them toward growth and discovery. It connects deeply with various narrative structures, influencing how heroes evolve throughout their journeys.
Catalyst: A catalyst is a person or event that provokes significant change or accelerates a process, often altering the course of events in a narrative. In storytelling, catalysts typically drive the hero's journey forward, prompting characters to take action or embark on their transformative quests. This essential role makes catalysts critical components in narratives, shaping character development and plot progression.
Character arc: A character arc is the transformation or inner journey of a character throughout a story, highlighting their growth, change, or evolution as they encounter various challenges. This development often reflects their response to events and relationships in the narrative, ultimately leading to a resolution of their internal conflicts and goals. Character arcs play a vital role in shaping the emotional core of narratives, making them relatable and engaging for the audience.
Christopher Vogler: Christopher Vogler is a screenwriter and story consultant best known for his work on the concept of the Hero's Journey, which he popularized through his book 'The Writer's Journey.' His insights on narrative structure have influenced many filmmakers and writers in crafting compelling stories by aligning characters' arcs with universal themes found in mythology and folklore.
Cross-cultural myths: Cross-cultural myths are narratives or stories that emerge from different cultures but share common themes, motifs, and archetypes, often reflecting universal human experiences. These myths reveal how diverse societies understand fundamental concepts such as creation, morality, and heroism, allowing for comparisons and connections between various cultures' storytelling traditions.
Crossing the threshold: Crossing the threshold is a pivotal moment in the hero's journey when the protagonist leaves their ordinary world and enters a new, often dangerous realm of adventure. This moment signifies a commitment to the journey ahead and typically involves facing new challenges, allies, and enemies. It marks the point of no return, where the hero must embrace their destiny and begin the transformation process.
Hero: A hero is a central character in a narrative who embodies noble qualities and often faces challenges that require courage, strength, and moral integrity. Heroes can inspire others, undergo personal transformation, and play crucial roles in driving the plot and developing relationships with other characters.
Heroic sacrifice: Heroic sacrifice refers to the act of giving up one's life or well-being for a greater cause, often involving selflessness and bravery. This concept is crucial in various narratives as it illustrates the lengths to which a hero will go to protect others, uphold ideals, or ensure a better future. Through this act, characters often experience transformation and growth, and their journeys embody themes of courage, honor, and the struggle between good and evil.
Joseph Campbell: Joseph Campbell was an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer best known for his work in comparative mythology and the concept of the hero's journey. He explored the universal patterns found in narratives across cultures, emphasizing common archetypes that help shape storytelling and character development.
Mentor: A mentor is a wise and trusted advisor who guides a less experienced individual, often in the context of personal growth, skill development, or navigating challenges. Mentors typically provide support, encouragement, and knowledge that help the mentee along their journey, which can be seen in various plot structures and character dynamics.
Modern retellings: Modern retellings refer to contemporary adaptations or reinterpretations of classic narratives, often infusing them with current themes, perspectives, and cultural contexts. These retellings can reshape traditional story arcs and characters, making them relevant to modern audiences while preserving the core essence of the original tales. Such adaptations often explore the hero's journey in new ways and influence ongoing epic traditions by demonstrating how timeless stories can be reimagined.
Monomyth: Monomyth, also known as the hero's journey, is a narrative framework identified by Joseph Campbell that outlines a universal pattern found in many myths and stories across cultures. This framework highlights the stages of a hero's adventure, emphasizing themes of transformation and self-discovery. The monomyth connects various storytelling traditions, showcasing how heroes from different backgrounds embark on similar journeys filled with challenges, mentors, and ultimate triumphs.
Odyssey: The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer, detailing the adventurous journey of Odysseus as he attempts to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. This tale connects to themes of heroism, perseverance, and the struggle against divine and natural obstacles, reflecting the historical context of its time, including the Trojan War's significance and its influence on storytelling traditions.
Return with Elixir: Return with elixir refers to the final stage of the hero's journey, where the hero returns to their ordinary world after completing their quest, bringing back a treasure, knowledge, or healing that benefits others. This elixir symbolizes the hero's transformation and the lessons learned during their journey, allowing them to share newfound wisdom or abilities with their community, which often leads to growth and renewal.
Self-discovery: Self-discovery is the process of gaining insight into one’s own character, feelings, motivations, and desires. This journey often plays a crucial role in narratives, where characters undergo transformations that reveal their true selves, driving their personal growth and development.
Shadow: In the context of storytelling, the 'shadow' represents the darker, repressed aspects of the hero's personality or the antagonist's traits that are often hidden or denied. It plays a crucial role in character development and conflict, as the hero must confront these elements to achieve personal growth and transformation. The shadow is significant in understanding the journey of the hero, the dynamics of conflict, and the overall narrative structure.
Shapeshifter: A shapeshifter is a character archetype often found in myths and narratives who has the ability to change their physical form or identity. This transformation can serve various purposes, such as deception, disguise, or personal growth, often reflecting deeper themes within the story. Shapeshifters can embody both positive and negative traits, playing crucial roles in the development of the hero's journey by challenging the protagonist's understanding of self and reality.
Star Wars: Star Wars is a highly influential science fiction franchise created by George Lucas, first released in 1977, that combines elements of space opera, fantasy, and mythology. The narrative follows the battle between good and evil through epic storytelling, complex characters, and a rich universe, making it a prime example of modern epic storytelling and hero's journey archetypes.
Supreme ordeal: The supreme ordeal is a pivotal moment in the hero's journey where the hero faces their greatest challenge, often resulting in significant transformation. This part of the journey is essential, as it tests the hero's resolve and skills, leading to a climactic confrontation that determines their fate and the resolution of their quest. It is during this ordeal that heroes may confront their deepest fears or adversaries, ultimately emerging with newfound strength or wisdom.
The Hobbit: The Hobbit is a fantasy novel written by J.R.R. Tolkien, published in 1937, which follows the journey of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins as he embarks on an adventure with a group of dwarves to reclaim their homeland from the dragon Smaug. This story serves as a prelude to Tolkien's more extensive work, The Lord of the Rings, and encapsulates the hero's journey, illustrating key stages such as the call to adventure, crossing thresholds, and returning home transformed.
The Lion King: The Lion King is an animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, released in 1994. It tells the story of a young lion named Simba who embarks on a journey of self-discovery, facing various challenges and ultimately reclaiming his rightful place as king. This narrative structure aligns with the hero's journey, showcasing themes of loss, redemption, and the cycle of life.
Three-act structure: The three-act structure is a narrative framework that divides a story into three distinct sections: setup, confrontation, and resolution. This structure is commonly used in storytelling to create a cohesive flow and maintain audience engagement by establishing characters and conflicts, building tension, and delivering a satisfying conclusion.
Threshold guardian: A threshold guardian is a character or obstacle that stands in the way of a hero's journey, testing their resolve and readiness to embark on the adventure. These guardians serve an essential role in the narrative, acting as a catalyst for growth and change, as they often force the hero to confront their fears or doubts before progressing into unknown territory. This concept is deeply connected to the structure of the hero's journey, highlighting the significance of trials in the transformative process.
Trials and tribulations: Trials and tribulations refer to the challenges, obstacles, and hardships that a hero faces during their journey. These experiences are crucial as they test the hero's character, resolve, and ability to grow, ultimately leading to transformation and growth. In narratives, such struggles often serve as a pivotal point that catalyzes the hero's development and propels the story forward.