Joseph Campbell

American writers tend to ply their trade in one of many genres; murder mystery, biography, and true crime are some of the most popular. Mythologists, on the other hand, are far rarer. Joseph Campbell represents one of the best examples of an American mythologist to ever have written. Particularly prominent among Campbell’s many works was the idea of the hero’s journey. Author Campbell believed that many hero’s go through similar stages before they reach their ultimate outcome. The most interesting part about Joseph Campbell’s journey of a hero is that it so accurately describes many of the journeys taken by mortal heroes whether fictional or true. There are twelve distinct stages of the hero’s journey according to Joseph Campbell, and each holds a unique and significant importance both by themselves and in the context of the others. This hero’s journey is a fascinating path for Campbell’s characters to follow, and makes for entertaining as well as enlightening reading.

In his last book, Hero with a Thousand Faces, author Campbell specifically spells out the nature of each of his twelve steps. The first step relates to the rather ordinary environment surrounding the hero which tends to be boring, and contains not a small amount of suffering. (Campbell, 2008) Described in “Hero with a Thousand Faces”, this initial step is present in many works of fiction both in the past and more recently. One good example which comes to mind is “the Patriot” starring Mel Gibson. Prior to his becoming the fictional leader of a larger part of the Continental Army, Gibson’s character Benjamin Martin is shown engaging in a variety of rather boring farming activities that precede his heroic actions later in the film. This modern day adapt...

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...his thoughts and experiences to younger people around him. During this stage, the hero becomes a wise old sage, who is afforded great respect and dignity for the trials he endured, and the wisdom which he is now able to dispense. This stage completes Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey.

In conclusion, the hero’s journey described by Joseph Campbell does an excellent job of recognizing the trials that a mortal hero endures. He realizes that fear, angst, nervousness, and uncertainty are a part of even the most stoic hero, which is why his journey incorporates these feelings. In addition, Campbell is unafraid to recognize that the hero will often question his core being, which is done at the seventh and eighth stages. At the end of the day, Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey is a gritty look at what real hero’s often endure in both literature and in the real world.