Monomyth (hero's quest or journey)
The monomyth, often referred to as the hero's journey, is a narrative framework identified by Joseph Campbell that outlines the common stages found in many heroic tales across cultures. Introduced in his seminal work, *The Hero with a Thousand Faces*, published in 1949, the monomyth describes a series of events that typically include a hero's call to adventure, initial trials and tests, the climax of the quest, and ultimately, the hero's return home with an elixir that benefits their community.
This structure is prevalent in both ancient mythologies and contemporary stories, influencing a wide range of literature and film. Notable examples include *The Hobbit* by J.R.R. Tolkien, where Bilbo Baggins embarks on a quest alongside dwarves, and *The Hunger Games* by Suzanne Collins, where Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister’s place in a deadly competition, thus setting her journey into motion.
The monomyth serves as a tool for writers to craft compelling narratives that resonate with audiences, showcasing the hero's growth and the lessons learned through their experiences. It emphasizes the importance of self-sacrifice and service to others as hallmarks of true heroism.
Monomyth (hero's quest or journey)
The concept of the monomyth was developed and explained by Joseph Campbell. An author and educator, Campbell was also a skilled translator who explored a wide variety of cultures through his work. He became fascinated by the commonalities of world mythology, in particular the hero's quest.
In his The Hero with a Thousand Faces, which was published in 1949, Campbell proposes the monomyth and explains its significance. The monomyth is a structure that is common in many heroic stories, an outline that has existed for millennia. Many ancient tales (composed in both prosaic and poetic forms) and modern stories and films largely follow this outline. Campbell pared the stories down to readily identified elements and actions and showed the formula's endurance and success throughout recorded history.
Structure
Campbell defines the monomyth as a series of stages or events.
Birth: The journey begins at the hero's home, among his or her fellows. The hero is preordained or somehow singled out for future greatness.
Call to adventure: An event or individual prompts the hero to act; the hero may or may not be willing to do so but ultimately embarks upon the quest.
Helper/Amulet: A hero frequently is assisted early in the journey by a powerful figure. This could be a fairy godmother, wizard, or other helper, who may provide a weapon or an amulet as protection for the quest.
Crossing the threshold: An initial trial or experience separates the hero's ordinary world of light and understanding from the stage of the adventure, a place of uncertainty and possibly darkness. This may be a simple step, such as entering a forbidding forest, or a threatening encounter that suddenly snatches the hero away.
Tests: The trials the hero faces are likely to be violent, but each provides insight into the hero's character and brings him or her closer to the goal.
Helpers: A sidekick may provide advice and assistance in overcoming tests. The hero may also receive magical aid.
Climax/final battle: This is the goal of the quest. The big faceoff with the villain or monster provides the opportunity for the hero's mettle to be truly tested.
Flight: The flight may simply be the anticlimactic journey home. If the hero has swiped an object or somehow the foe has been angered but not eliminated, this could be a true flight with a foe in hot pursuit.
Return: The hero leaves the darkness—the world of the adventure—and crosses back into the light of the everyday world.
Elixir: This refers to the object of the quest, whether it is an item, information, or some benefit that the hero claims.
Home: Finally, the hero returns home—to his own kind—to aid and impart knowledge. He or she uses the elixir to benefit others, not simply to wield power gained through the quest.
The true mark of a hero, according to Campbell, is the willingness to serve others with what has been gained through the quest.
Examples and Application
In 1985, Hollywood heavyweight George Lucas credited Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces with making the Star Wars films possible. Without that formula, he said, he might never have finished writing the stories. Christopher Vogler, a movie industry executive, wrote "A Practical Guide to The Hero with a Thousand Faces" as a way to help other writers. His Storytech Literary Consulting advises writers to follow the format, which he further explains in his screenwriter's guide, The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.
Before and since The Hero with a Thousand Faces, many screenwriters and authors have used the structure to create popular works of fiction.
J.R.R. Tolkien's master works, The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955), are epic questing tales of heroes. In the former, Bilbo Baggins reluctantly agrees to help thirteen dwarves recover a sacred stone from their ancestral home. The city is held by a fearsome dragon. The company is assisted by a wizard and other allies. After overcoming many obstacles, Bilbo returns to his home and friends. The struggles have made him stronger and more independent.
The Hunger Games (2008) by Suzanne Collins follows a monomythic progression as well. Teenager Katniss Everdeen is at the center of this first title of a trilogy, which is grounded in ancient mythology. Her mother and little sister, Prim, and best friend, Gale, live in poverty in District 12 of Panem. Katniss's heroic status is foreshadowed in her actions keeping her family alive following the death of her father.
The call to adventure for Katniss is the reaping ceremony, when Prim's name is drawn. Instead of allowing her sister to be sent to a fight to the death, Katniss volunteers to take Prim's place in the arena as a tribute, though she expects to die. The male tribute is Peeta, a classmate of Katniss's.
They cross a visible threshold during the train journey, when they exit a dark tunnel and first view the Capitol. They cross another threshold into the arena itself when they rise on platforms.
Katniss has a symbolic amulet, a mockingjay pin from her home district. She also has the assistance of Haymitch, a former victor in the Hunger Games, who advises Katniss and Peeta on strategy.
Tests come quickly, both during training and in the arena. Katniss escapes death several times. She also gains a helper when she forms an alliance with a younger tribute, and achieves another amulet, a bow and arrows.
The climax and final battle find Katniss and Peeta standing together. They defeat their foes in the arena and challenge the leadership of Panem when they refuse to kill each other. Both are allowed to live.
The victors return to District 12 by train. Katniss is relieved to be alive and uses her elixir—an abundance of food, money, and celebrity status—to assist her struggling family and neighbors.
Bibliography
"About Joseph Campbell." Joseph Campbell Foundation. Joseph Campbell Foundation. 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.jcf.org/new/index.php?categoryid=11>
Campbell, Joseph, and Bill Moyers. Introduction. The Power of Myth. New York: Anchor Books. 1988. Print.
Hiebert, Paul. "Are All Movie Heroes the Same Person?." Pacific Standard. Pacific Standard. 20 Jun. 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.psmag.com/navigation/books-and-culture/movie-heroes-person-joseph-campbell-monomyth-83796/>
"Monomyth Home." Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS). University of California, Berkeley. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://orias.berkeley.edu/hero/index.htm>
"Plot Overview." The Hunger Games. SparkNotes LLC. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/the-hunger-games/summary.html>
Shippey, Thomas. "The Hobbit: What Has Made the Book Such an Enduring Success?." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. 20 Sep. 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/9555838/The-Hobbit-What-has-made-the-book-such-an-enduring-success.html>