Joseph Campbell's Hero Cycle is an idea that anyone can relate to and be able to recognize. There are many stories throughout time that use this in their composition. Stories such as "Little Red Riding Hood" and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz format their structure around it. George Lucas' Star Wars Trilogy also uses it as the basis of its story. The hero cycle is something that we not only read about, but we experience it in our everyday lives as well. In fiction it is expressed more unrealistically then in reality but both topics still share a common bond. We will discuss the elements of the cycle, how they appear in dozens of stories and tales, and how it finds its way into our everyday lives.
[...] Dorothy faces a death like experience too when she goes into the Poppy Fields, falls asleep, and almost dies. But in the end, Dorothy returns back to her home in Kansas and has learned the importance of hope and love. Lastly, an example of a film that uses the hero cycle would be “Star Wars: A New Hope.” Luke Skywalker starts off in Tatooine living with his Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen. He soon learns that his father was a great Jedi and that he can go with the famous Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi to train as one. [...]
[...] The emotions the character goes through is explained well in this quote, blunder- apparently the merest chance-reveals an unsuspected world, and the individual is drawn into a relationship with forces that are not rightly understood” (Campbell 51). A few parts of the cycle towards the end are meeting a goddess, receiving an award from their father, stealing or winning something to their advantage, and then a final confrontation with the antagonist. In the end, the character returns to their home, changed and forever a new person. [...]
[...] He soon leaves once he's called out to Hogwarts to become a wizard. Whilst in this land of adventure Potter meets many helpers along the way including Hagrid, and his two friends Ron Weesley and Hermione Grange. There are many tests he faces in the course of the book. One major one is when Potter meets Draco Malfoy who becomes his arch nemesis through the story. This leads into the idea of whether or not Harry is strong enough to overcome bullying and being singled out. [...]
[...] Some of the obstacles may be meeting new people, getting used to being away from home, and keeping up satisfactory grades so they do not get kicked out. Along the way we will meet teachers and friends that will help us overcome our fears. The Hero Cycle can be a metaphor for self-discovery, but in real life they can be called rite of passages. For example, getting married and graduating college are ways someone is brought into a new place and has to adapt. Once a person enters the real world after college there are nothing but obstacles and tasks they must achieve. [...]
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