Outstanding paper! I was especially impressed by your use of the Star Wars material. You have also written an excellent thesis statement and concluding paragraph. Lydia Fish December 09, 2008, at 05:36 PM
Word Count:1096
Joseph Campbell was a scholar and historian who dove deep into the realms of myth across the globe. Influenced by James Joyce and even psychoanalyst Carl Jung, Campbell developed his theory on the “Monomyth.” Campbell found that nearly all myths— regardless of geographical or chronological circumstances— fit a similar pattern of events, based upon the psychological need for heroism. In his non-fiction work, “The Hero With A Thousand Faces.” Joseph Campbell describes the adventure of the hero being separated into three parts, Departure, Initiation, and Return. Both the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Star Wars trilogy of episodes IV, V and VI represent Campbell’s monomythic synopsis. From The Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins takes on the role as hero, while Luke Skywalker of Star Wars fills the position.
In the Departure of the hero, there is a “Call to adventure,” as Campbell would word it. A herald, who announces the coming of evil or a threat to the peace, usually calls the hero to action. The herald himself is often a source of evil and crisis for the hero. In the Lord of the Rings, Frodo is called to action by the coming of the Black Riders. The nine Ringwraiths enter Frodo’s community in search of an evil ring Frodo unwittingly owns; the nine riders’ terrifying presence leads Frodo and several companions to leave their home and journey towards the elvish city of Rivendale. The plot is echoed in Star Wars, as our hero Luke Skywalker finds two robots that bring with them an encrypted message asking for help. Luke is stirred to action when he finds his home destroyed by invading forces of Stormtroopers from an evil empire. The Ringwraiths and the Stormtroopers serve as heralds who affirm a message of evil to the individual heroes.
As the heroes meet the call to adventure, they often come across a supernatural aid, typically represented by an elderly figure. Gandalf the wizard of Lord of the Rings offers Frodo advice and hope as well as companionship for a large part of Frodo’s journey to destroy the evil ring. While Star Wars offers Obi Wan Kenobi as Luke Skywalker’s supernatural mentor. Obi Wan Kenobi, a Jedi master equips Luke with a special tool and knowledge of the supernatural. Luke Skywalker enters the adventure ahead with a Lightsaber as a weapon and a basic understanding of the Force. In Star Wars however, Luke encounters two aids, Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda, another Jedi who trains Luke in the ways of the mystical Force.
The second part of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth structure is referred to as the “Initiation,” in which the hero must undergo a series of trials until he reaches the final boon or outcome in which he set out for. Frodo and his company encounter struggles and skirmishes until the group disbands partially and Frodo and his sidekick Samwise Gamgee embark to destroy the ring on their own. The duo befriends a corrupted creature Gollum, who acts as a guide but eventually betrays the two. Despite Campbell’s monomyth structure, The Lord of the Rings breaks rank and instead of the hero reaching an ultimate consciousness, or achieving a final conviction, in which the boon is obtained, Frodo’s ever changing attitude is dwindling into despair, so that his boon is achieved accidentally. Campbell’s hero finds himself with a changed perspective of reality, in which he discovers new abilities, however Frodo becomes limited by the immense evil of the ring. The goal to destroy the ring is achieved however, when the ring accidentally falls into the lava pits of Mount Doom as Gollum topples over the edge of a cliff while grasping for the ring.
Star Wars follows Joseph Campbell’s outline much closer as Luke Skywalker finds himself facing the obstacles of his own adventure to terminate the rule of the Galactic Empire. Luke’s understanding of the Force grows and gives him a final apotheosis in which Luke unlocks new abilities. During the journey, Luke confronts his father, the evil Darth Vader, and restores the mercy and peace to the tyrant. With the reconciliation of father and son, Luke has achieved his final boon and thus destroys the evil Empire.
Finally, Campbell envisioned “The Return,” in which our hero, after achieving his goal, must face his return home and to an ordinary world. Frodo, after the destruction of the ring, finds no hope in a return journey, however Gandalf and a force of Eagles come to his aid and whisk Frodo off the collapsing Mount Doom. Campbell felt in the Return, the hero would need to be rescued from forces of the ordinary world before he may bestow his boon upon the world. Frodo, before returning to the Shire, must vanquish a small army of men who have terrorized his home. The ordinary forces, represented by fellow hobbits come to Frodo’s aid and help fight off the invading men. Frodo then, according to monomyth plan, bestows peace upon the land and now has the freedom to travel between both the ordinary world of the Shire and the supernatural world of his adventures. Frodo however, seems caught in the supernatural world and finds no internal rest in the ordinary realm, and thus he sails into the Undying Lands.
Luke Skywalker, after bringing about the redemption of Darth Vader, and consequently bringing balance to the Force, must face his return to the ordinary world. However, Skywalker must flee the destruction of the Death Star, which poses as opposition to Luke’s return. Simultaneously, Luke receives help from the outside world as several fellow members of the Rebel Alliance help destroy the Death Star, and force Luke to return to the ordinary world. Upon his escape, Luke comes to terms with his father’s death and branches the gap between the supernatural world of the Force and the ordinary world in which he came from. Luke bestows his boon onto his fellow man by bringing about the destruction of the Dark Side of the Force and begins his new life as a Jedi.
Joseph Campbell brilliantly composed an analysis of myths throughout the ages and characterized the pattern of the hero’s adventures that appears throughout nearly all cultures and ages. The format of seeing a hero face adversity and triumph, even while being reluctant to do so, appears to be a psychological trait engrained in all humans throughout time. It is interesting to see mid century literature taking place in a Medieval setting, as well as modern space age fantasy reflect a similar guideline in order to complete their respective heroic epics.
Eligh Hanning October 02, 2008, at 12:54 PM
