The Hero’s Journey

Have you taken care of your $4 class fee and
getting your syllabus and reading letter
signed?
 A character, object, or pattern of
events that occurs universally in
literature
 from the Greek arche (original) and
typos (form or model) = original model

The circle = an archetype for the unbroken
cycle that is life

Heroes, villains, protagonists, antagonists
= archetypes in literature

5 Stages of the Hero’s Journey = archetype
for the hero’s adventure
Stage of
Journey
Where Stage Appears in Short Story
Call to
Adventure
Helpers
Umbrella she uses as a cane
Crossing the
Threshold
Crossing the log bridge
Shadow
Presence
Tests
Supreme Test
Reward
Return
Stage of
Journey
Evidence from Story
Call to
Adventure
Helpers
“She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella, and with
this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her” (Welty 1).
Crossing the
Threshold
“ ‘Now comes the trial,’ said Phoenix” (Welty 1).
Shadow
Presence
Tests
Supreme Test
Reward
Return

Go back to the story and look for quotes that
support the 5 stages of the journey that
you’ve identified

Copy the words and phrases from the story
onto your handout
“…I go on another trip for the soothing
medicine.”
Analysis:

 She’s just a common woman without a lot of education,
but she continues to make this trip for her grandson sake.
 She’s unselfish.
Helpers:“She carried a thin, small cane made from an
umbrella.”
Analysis: Makes good use of her resources even though
she doesn’t have a lot of money.

“now comes the trial.”
Analysis:
 Her age is an issue.

Because this is not a trip she makes daily, this part is
dangerous.

Shadow Presence: Her age! “I wasn’t as old as I
thought.”
 Crossing the threshold gave her a sense of confidence

“there she had to creep and crawl, spreading her knees and
stretching her fingers like a baby trying to climb steps.”

“… And then he laughed and lifted his gun and pointed it at
Phoenix.”
Analysis: Author is stereotyping her because of her age.

Supreme Test: “It was my memory had left me. There I sat
forgot why I made my long trip”
Analysis: Her old age and the difficulty of the trip made her
forget why she came.

“the doctor said as long as you came to get it
you can have it”

Analysis: The trip was worth it because it
allowed Phoenix’s grandson to live



“Here’s a nickel”
“Then her slow step began on the stairs,
going down”
Allowing her grandson to live

As you watch the 20-minute movie, look for
the 5 stages of the hero’s journey

Add to your list of textual evidence if you see
anything you missed while reading
Click here to
watch video