UnderstandingLeadershipThroughTheHero/Heroine’sJourney
Thewholesenseoftheubiquitousmythofthehero'spassageisthatitshallserveasageneral
patternformenandwomen...Theindividualhasonlytodiscoverhis(orher)ownposition
withreferencetothisgeneralhumanformula,andletitthenassisthimpasthisrestricting
walls... JosephCampbell,HeroWithAThousandFaces
Instructor: Melinda L. Yeomans, Ph.D., MFA
Course: M 3:30-6:00PM
Room: Morris 610A
Office hours: Morris 610A After Class & Rm. 318 By Appointment.
Office: CIE Student Center, Rm 318
Office Phone: (618) 521-5621
Email: myeomans1@siu.edu
CourseDescription:JosephCampbell’sHeroWithAThousandFaces,ThePowerofMyth
andhislaterworkMythstoLiveByhaveinfluencedourcollectiveunderstandingofart,
storytelling,filmandmythologyoverthepasthalf‐century.Vogler,whohasadapted
Campbell’sworkforfilmwriters,hascalledHeroWithAThousandFaces“themost
importantbookofthe20thCentury”(Forward2).Inthiscoursewewillconsiderthe
importanceofCampbell’swork,andespeciallythearchetypalhero/heroines’journeysas
theyhavebeenretoldincountlessmyths,folktales,storiesandworksofliteraturearound
theworld.FromclassictalessuchasTheEpicofGilgamesh,TheGreenKnight,Antigone,
RobinHoodandTheOdyssey,tomodernnarrativesandfilmssuchasTheHungerGames,The
Matrix,StarWars,TheColorPurple,Gladiator,CrouchingTiger‐HiddenDragon,Lordofthe
Rings,SpiderMan,wewillstudythearchetypalstagesandthemesofthethesejourneys.We
willreflectuponthesearchetypalstagesandthemesastheyrelatetothedevelopmentof
leadershipskillsandmodernadaptationsofCampbell’sworkasitisappearingin
leadershipeducationmaterialssuchasFredrickEnglish’sTheArtofEducationalLeadership,
TomiW.Bryan’sModernizingTheHero’sJourney:MaximizingLeadershipPresenceand
NancyBlair’sconceptof“ServantLeadership”.Studyingtheseheroicjourneyswillhelpus
understandhowmythsconstituteculturebyprovidingnarrativesthatsustainandteacha
culture’sethicalideals.Wewillinvestigatethetimelinessofcertainkindsofleadersand
heroictalesatspecificmomentsinhistory.Expressionsofleadershipexamplesacrossart,
politics,business,scienceandsocialmovementswillbetakenintoaccount,aswellasour
ongoingcriticallyreflectuponallcoursematerialsfromacritical‐multiculturalandfeminist
perspective.Thesecriticalperspectivesquestionclassprivilege,culturalbiasandhistorical
contextsfordefiningwhatisconsideredheroic.Forinstance,Campbellhasbeencritiqued
forhisWestern,malebiasandalternativevisionshavebeendevelopedfromhisworksuch
asMaureenMurdock’sTheHeroine’sJourney.Inthislight,wewillconsidertheheroine’s
journeyasithasbeenportrayedbothassimilaranddifferentfromthehero’sjourney.In
addition,weeklyreflectivewritingswillsupportourpersonaldevelopmentprocessaswe
considerwhatleadership‐pioneerFredrickEnglishdefinesasour“leadershiplifejourney”
(8).English,drawingonCampbell,presentsthisjourneyasonethatisbothpersonaland
universal:
Therootsofleadershipandfollowershipareconnectedintheuniversaljourneyset
withinthecontextofcultureandtime,whichprovidesthebridgesof
communication,symbols,andimagerynecessaryforthedynamicconnection
betweenleadersandfollowerstoexist.(English8)
Objectives
 UnderstandJosephCampbell’slegacyandphilosophicinfluences.
 Gainanunderstandingofarchetypesandthearchetypalstagesofhuman
developmentespeciallyastheyrelatetoleadership.
 Considerthequalitiesandhumanattributesthatareconsideredheroic.
 Studyworldliterature,stories,folktalesandfilmtogainknowledgeofhowthis
journeyisrepeatedlyexpressedinartandliterature.
 Applythisanalysisandunderstandingofliteraturetothelifeofalivingand/or
modernhumanbeingwhomthestudentconsidersheroic.
 CritiqueandquestionJosephCampbell’sworkfromafeministandcritical
multiculturalperspective.
BigQuestions
 Whatarethecharacteristicsofgreatleaders?
 Whydogreatleaderssooftendemonstratethequalitiesweconsiderheroic?
 Whatdoesitmeantobeaheroorheroine?Isthisthesameasbeingaleader?
 Howdodifferentculturesand/orperiodsofhumanhistorydefinewhatisheroic?
 Whomightweconsidermodernheroesorheroines?
 Whatmightwegainfromstudyingthearchetypalhero/heroine'sjourneyas
expressedinmyth,fairytale,literature,culturalhistoryandfilm?
 Howmightwomenandmenexperienceand/ordemonstratethedevelopmentof
heroicleadershipdifferently?
 Whereinourownlivescanweidentifystagesofthehero/heroine'sjourney?
Grading
10%Attendance&ClassParticipation:Preparationforengagementisessentialforourworkin
thiscourse.Specificsoftextsandfilmsshouldbecitedinclassdiscussions.
20%JournalReflections:Ineachclassthemeswillbereflecteduponastheyrelatetocourse
materialsandourownjourneys.Citationsfromtexts/filmswillbeessentialforqualityreflections.
20%GroupPresentations:Outsidefilms/bookswillbechosenforanalysis&presentation.
30%Essay:Journalreflectionswillculminateinapolished8‐10reflective,themepaper.
20%IndividualPresentations/Performances:Themepaperswillbepresentedthroughcreative
projects,performancesand/orartisticexpressionsinfinalclassperiods.
*PleaseNote:Thisisaliteraturecoursethatrequirestheclosereadingandanalysisofallassignedtexts,
andthecloseconsiderationofallassignedfilmsasliterature.
RequiredBooks
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 3rd ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1968.
Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth. 2nd ed. NY, NY: Random House. 1991.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008.
Hesse, Hermann. Siddartha. 2005 ed. N.p.: Suhrkamp Veriag, 1950.
Articles/Chapters/TextsProvided
Bryan,TomiW..“ModernizingtheHero’sJourney:MaximizingLeadershipPresence,”
LeadershipWorx,2012.
English,FenwickW.TheArtofEducationalLeadership:BalancingPerformanceand
Accountability.LosAngeles:SAGEPublications,2008.Print.
Murdock,Maureen.TheHeroine'sJourney.Boston,MA:Shambhala,1990.Print.
Pressfield,Steven.TheWarriorEthos.LosAngeles:BlackIrishEntertainment,2011.
Stech,Ernst.“ATrans‐culturalPerspectiveonLeadershipandLeadershipDevelopment”,
LeadershipReview,KravisLeadershipInstitute,ClaremontMcKennaCollege,9:2009.
ExcerptsfromClassicTexts:EpicofGilgamesh,KingLear,VasalisatheWise
Films
AnalyzedinClass
TheMatrix.Prod.JoelSilver.Dir.AndyWachowskiandLarryWachowski.ByAndy
WachowskiandLarryWachowski.Perf.KeanuReeves,LaurenceFishburne, CarrieAnne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1999.
Wonder Women! The Untold Story of America’s Superheroines. Gloria Steinem, Linda Carter,
Lindsay Wagner, etc.. Independent Lens, PBS, 2013.
TheColorPurple.Dir.StevenSpielberg.Prod.StevenSpielberg,KathleenKennedy,Frank
Marshall,andQuincyJones.ByMennoMeyjes.Perf.DannyGlover,AdolphCaesar,
MargaretAvery,OprahWinfrey,WillardPugh,WhoopiGoldberg,andAkosuaBusia.
WarnerBros.,1985.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Dir. Shekhar Kapur. Prod. Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Jonathan
Cavendish. By William Nicholso and Michael Hirst. Perf. Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush,
Clive Owen, and Rhys Ifans. Universal Pictures, 2008.
Avatar.Prod.JamesCameron.ByJamesCameron.Perf.StephenLang,MichelleRodriguez,
JoelDavidMoore,GiovanniRibisiandSigourneyWeave.20thCenturyFox,2009.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo Hu Cang Long). Dir. An Li. Prod. Hsu Li Li-Kong,
William Kong, and An Li. Perf. Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang
Chen. Sony Picture Classics, 2000.
The Hunger Games. Dir. Gary Ross. Prod. Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik. Perf. Jennifer Lawrence,
Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson. Lionsgate, 2012.
Gladiator. Dir. Ridley Scott. Prod. Douglas Wick, David Franzoni, and Branko Lustig. Perf.
Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, and Oliver Reed. Dreamworks L.L.C
and Universal Studios, 2000.
TheLordoftheRingstheFellowshipoftheRing.Dir.PeterJackson.Prod.PeterJackson,
BarrieM.Osborne,TimSanders,andFranWalsh.Perf.ElijahWood,IanMcKellen,
LivTyler,andViggoMortensen.NewLineCinema,2001.
*Andpotentiallyotherfilmssuggestedbystudents.
CourseSchedule
Week1:
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
JosephCampbell’slegacydebttoSigmundFreudandCarlJung
ThePowerofMythFilmDocumentary‐TheHero’sAdventure
Generaloverviewofallthestagesofthehero/heroine’sjourneyw/handouts
Groupprojectsassignedforstageofthejourney:examplegivenw/TheCall
Assignments:POMIntro,1‐44,114‐151.TAELHandout.JourneyHandout
Week2:
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Discussreadings&handout
Generaloverviewofallthestagesofthehero/heroine’sjourneycont.
TheCall&RefusingtheCall
WatchTheMatrix
Questionsfordiscussionandwrittenreflection.
Assignments: Campbell, Hero With A Thousand Faces (HWATF), p. vii‐60, 387‐390, English,
ArchetypesofLeadershipinHumanExperienceCh.4,BegintowatchTheMatrixTrilogyover
thenextthreeweeksonefilmaweek. Week3:



DiscussReadings:SupernaturalAid,CrossingtheFirstThreshold,BellyoftheWhale
TheRoadofTrials,MeetingtheGoddess/God
TheMatrixfinish,discussandjournalreflection.
Assignments:HWATFp.60‐125,TheWarriorEthosp.1‐40,TheMatrixTrilogy.
Week4:
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DiscussReadings:Temptation,Aptheosis,TheUltimateBoon
RefusaloftheReturn&TheMagicFlight
TheWarriorEthosdiscussandapply
Watch in class Wonder Women! The Untold Story of America’s Superheroines
Assignments:HWATFp.120‐140.POMp.207‐231.HGp.1‐70.
Week5:
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PlotoutlineforHungerGames
Group1Presentation
Assignments:HWATF140‐200.HGp.70‐140.WatchHG
Week6:
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Discussreadings&film
SelflessnessandSacrifice
Group2Presentation
Assignments:HGfinish.POMp.113‐151.English,“AmericanMonomyth”p.42‐48.
Week7:
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
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DiscussReadings
CourageandPerseverance
Group3Presentation
Assignments:“ModernizingtheHero’sJourney:MaximizingLeadershipPresence”p.1‐20.
Week8:
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WatchTheColorPurple
AlternativeVisionsoftheHero/Heroine’sJourney
Group4Presentation
Assignments:TheHeroine’sJourneyHandout
Week9:
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ContinueTheColorPurple
DiscusstheTheHeroine’sJourney
Group5Presentation
Assignments:“ATrans‐culturalPerspectiveonLeadershipDevelopment”.WatchCTHD
Week10:
 ScenesfromMalcomX
 DiscussReadingandculturaldifferencesinCrouchingTiger,HiddenDragon.
 Finalpaperandprojectsdiscussion.
Assignments:Startfinalpapersandprojects. Week11:
Assignments:Workonpresentations.POMp.44‐86 


ScenesformMissRepresentation
WatchscenesfromElizabeth:
StartElizabeth:TheGoldenAge
Week12:
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
DiscussElizabethandthechangingheroine.
DiscussThePowerofMyth&IntroduceSiddhartha
Assignments:ReadSiddhartha
Week13:
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
DiscussSiddhartha
Watchexcerptsoffilm
Week14:
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FinishSiddhartha
Essaysdue
Performances&presentations
StartAvatar
Week15:
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FinishwatchingandanalyzingAvatar
NancyBlair’s“TheServantLeader”PowerPoint
Wrap‐up
Pleaserecognizethatslightchangesinthiscourseoutlineareuptotheinstructor.Allchanges
willbecommunicatedwellinadvance.
Notes: