THE CHALLENGE OF
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
WARM-UP:
Define stereotype. Think about the culture
here at Strayer and list stereotypes that you
see exist. Record these in your spiral
notebook.
THE CHALLENGE OF
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
What is an archetype?
It is a character, symbol, story pattern, or
other element that is common to human
experience across cultures. It is something
seen in literature for thousands of years,
regardless of area, culture, or language.
THE CHALLENGE OF
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
Examples of archetypes:
underdog
hero
damsel in distress
stepmother
fairy godmother
trickster
scapegoat
happy ending
villain
giant monster
THE CHALLENGE OF
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
•According to Joseph Campbell a hero’s journey is
archetypal because all heroes’ journeys follow a
similar pattern.
•Campbell describes the journey in three stages with
various steps in each stage.
•Campbell’s journey can be applied to many heroes in
movies/books that you are familiar with .
3 Stages of Hero’s
Journey
Stage 1 = Departure
Stage 2 = Initiation
Stage 3 = Return
Stage 1 = Departure
Step
In my own words…
The Call to Adventure
An ordinary person finds out
that his/her life is about to
change.
Refusal of the Call
He/she refuses to accept the
adventure.
The Beginning of the
Adventure
The hero’s adventure begins in
his/her new role.
Stage 2 = Initiation
Steps
In my own words…
The Road of Trials
The hero is faced with
challenges and tests as the
hero makes the
transformation.
The Experience with
Unconditional Love
The hero has the love and
support from a friend, mentor
or family member. It helps the
hero survive the journey.
The Ultimate Boon
The hero’s training is
complete; the hero tackles the
biggest challenge.
Stage 3 = Return
Refusal of the Return
After the goal has been accomplished, the
hero may refuse to return with the gift
either because he doesn’t think anything
will change or the hero wants to stay
where he is (in a better place).
The Magic Flight
The hero experiences adventure/danger as
he returns to life before his adventure.
Rescue from Without
The hero needs guides and rescuers to
bring him back to everyday life, especially if
the hero has been wounded or weakened.
The Crossing, or Return Threshold:
The hero must remember and integrate his
newly-found wisdom into his previous life
and figure out how to share this wisdom
with the rest of the world.
An example….
The Call to Adventure
Bruce Wayne’s parents are
murdered when he is a young
boy. Soon after, he falls into a
well with thousands of bats
and is filled with fear.
Refusal of the Call
Instead of following in his
parent’s footsteps and seeking
positive solutions to the
problems of Gotham City, he
disappears and ends up in a
foreign prison.
The Beginning of the
Adventure
After leaving prison, Bruce
Wayne is invited to the top of
the mountain to find what
he’s looking for.
An example….
The Call to Adventure
Homer watches Sputnik and is
inspired
Refusal of the Call
Homer hesitates because his
family is not supportive.
The Beginning of the
Adventure
Homer and his friends begin
to build rockets.
An example….
The Road of Trials
Meeting Quentin (nerd)
Getting information and
supplies
Lack of support from friends
and family
Failed launches (fence)
The Experience with
Unconditional Love
Miss. Riley
Mom
The Ultimate Boon
First successful launch
An example….
Refusal of the Return
Drops out of school
Goes to work in the mine
The Magic Flight
Working in the mines
Being arrested
Rescue From Without
Quentin and Homer proving they
didn’t start the fire.
Mom and Dad sending help for
Science Fair
The Crossing , or Return Threshold
Won the award
Dad coming to the launch
Working for NASA
THE CHALLENGE OF
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
TASK:
•Select a hero. Work with a group or
partnership to map and record this
hero’s journey. Fill these steps in
your SpringBoard text. BE PREPARED
to share with the rest of the class.
THE CHALLENGE OF THE HERO’S JOURNEY
See SB text (page 19)
Superman
Batman
Shrek
Mulan
Harry Potter
Star Wars
Spiderman
Rocky
Possible Movies:
Hunger Games
Tangled
Brave
Lord of the Rings
THE CHALLENGE OF THE HERO’S JOURNEY
THE CHALLENGE OF THE HERO’S JOURNEY
Hero’s Journey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
YkhNBJUQRzI
Warm - Up
Select an archetype that you are familiar
with or that was discussed in class
yesterday. In your spiral notebook
describe the archetype and list three
books, movies, stories, poems, etc.. that
represent the archetype you selected.
You may not choose the “hero”
archetype.
Warm - Up
Select an archetype that you are familiar
with or that was discussed in class
yesterday. In your spiral notebook
describe the archetype and list three
books, movies, stories, poems, etc.. that
represent the archetype you selected.
You may not choose the “hero”
archetype.
Warm-up: 9/22
Which indicates the order of the stages that a hero goes through
in his/her journey as described by Joseph Campbell?
A. Initiation, Return, Departure
B. Departure, Return, Initiation
C. Departure, Initiation, Return
D.Initiation, Departure, Return
Which of the following is NOT TRUE about an
archetype?
A. It is typically a character, symbol, or element of a
story.
B. It is a judgment that is made based on someone’s
characteristics.
C. It can be understood across cultures.
D. It can be understood across generations by both
young and old.