Heros Journey Essay

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Over the course of history the definition of what makes a hero has made many changes. Beowulf, Superman, and firefighters are all examples of heroes, but they are very different when broken down. Today’s society defines a hero by his values, his strength, and his journey.
How a society describes its heroes says a lot about its values. In Anglo-Saxon times, men aspired to be like Beowulf. Raffel describes Beowulf as “the strongest of the Geats—greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in the world” (2007, p 26). Anglo-Saxons admired a daring and powerful leader. Beowulf was these things; for example, he killed Grendel with his bare hands and fearlessly led the charge against Grendel 's mother. Beowulf is the praised and long-sought after …show more content…

The hero’s journey is a straightforward, easy to follow and predictable path that many male protagonists follow. Ever since Joseph Campbell discovered the concept, it has been the building block for almost every movie. Joseph Campbell’s student, Maureen Murdock, once asked him about the Heroine’s Journey, and Joseph Campbell replied, “Women don’t need to make the journey” (Soloway, 2011, p. 2). Whether this was intended as put down or not, the statement is correct. Males and females are different and society has put them on separate journeys. While females do not make the journey, they still make a journey. Unlike male heroes, who have an arched type structure to their adventures, females have a slinky affect. One structure is not better than the other, but simply reflect how the respective gender’s role is viewed in society. For many centuries, women were expected to stay in the house to bear and raise children. As times changed and women gained more freedoms, the storylines also changed. A male hero’s story line mostly focuses on saving others, while a female’s is more likely to better herself. In the process of creating a stronger self, a woman changes others around her. In the movie Juno, the female protagonist who is the title’s namesake, has sex, and becomes impregnated by her boyfriend. She makes the sacrifice to carry the baby and give it to a couple who could not have one. While it may seem like Juno doesn’t adventure anywhere, she is on the heroine’s journey. Traveling up and down the spiral ladder, she learns about herself and her body and betters the world by making the best of what she considers a “bad situation” and gives her baby

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