🖋️ Special Guest Post

The Hero's Journey

Hi everyone,

It’s great to be back with you here at TPP! We’ve all had a busy few months and I’ve really been looking forward to getting back in the groove.

Today’s post will cover one of my favorite topics, but will be extra special because of who has agreed to join us.

This post has been compiled by one of our newest authors. However, I don’t want to reveal their identity until next week after you all have had a chance to read, enjoy, and digest.

They will undoubtedly have a lot more to say.

Without further ado, I give you a special essay on Joseph Campbell and his groundbreaking philosophy of the Universal Hero.

Joseph Campbell and The Hero with a Thousand Faces

Joseph Campbell was an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer who is best known for his work in comparative mythology and his concept of the "Hero's Journey." This concept has had a significant influence on modern storytelling, especially in the fields of literature, film, and television.

The Hero's Journey is a narrative pattern that describes the common experiences of heroes in various cultures and time periods. Campbell identified this pattern through his study of myths, folklore, and religious traditions from around the world. He found that many of these stories, despite their differences in setting and culture, shared similar structure and themes.

The Hero's Journey typically consists of several key stages, including:

• the call to adventure

• the departure from the familiar

• the meeting with the mentor

• the trials and tribulations of the hero

• the moment of supreme realization or enlightenment

• and the return to the ordinary world with newfound knowledge and power

The hero embarks on this journey to seek out something that they desire, whether it is a physical object, a person, or a state of being. Along the way, they face challenges and obstacles that force them to confront their own fears, doubts, and limitations.

One of the most significant contributions of Campbell's work is his assertion that this narrative pattern is not just a coincidence, but a reflection of a deep, universal human experience.

According to Campbell, the Hero's Journey is a manifestation of the collective unconscious, a shared psychological and spiritual experience that transcends culture and time. He believed that the stories of heroes were not just tales of fantasy, but were a way for people to explore the human condition and the mysteries of life.

The influence of Campbell's work on modern storytelling can be seen in the numerous films, books, and TV shows that have been inspired by the Hero's Journey.

George Lucas, for example, was heavily influenced by Campbell's work when he created the Star Wars franchise. The original Star Wars film follows the classic hero's journey narrative, with Luke Skywalker as the hero who is called to adventure, faces trials and obstacles, and ultimately becomes a Jedi Knight.

The success of Star Wars helped to popularize Campbell's work and inspired other filmmakers and writers to use the Hero's Journey as a template for their own stories.

Campbell's influence can also be seen in other popular franchises, such as The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Matrix.

These works also follow the classic hero's journey narrative, with the main characters embarking on a quest, facing challenges and obstacles, and ultimately triumphing over evil.

In each of these franchises, the hero's journey serves as a framework for exploring deeper themes and ideas about the human experience, such as courage, sacrifice, and the search for meaning.

In addition to film and literature, the Hero's Journey has also been applied in other fields, such as education and personal development.

The concept of the hero's journey has been used as a way to help people understand their own experiences and to guide them on their own personal journey of growth and discovery.

The idea is that each person's life can be seen as a hero's journey, with their own unique challenges and obstacles to overcome, and their own moments of realization and enlightenment.

In conclusion, Joseph Campbell's concept of the Hero's Journey has had a profound influence on modern storytelling and the way we think about the human experience. His work has shown that the stories of heroes are not just tales of fantasy, but are a reflection of a universal human experience that transcends culture and time.

The Hero's Journey continues to inspire new generations of filmmakers, writers, and creators, and has helped to shape the way we think about the role of stories in our lives. Whether it is in literature, film, or our own personal journey, Campbell is the elder we need now more than ever.

Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments, can you guess the identity of this week’s special guest writer?

PS, they also painted today’s image—an impressionist painting of Joseph Campbell.