A very well-thought-out paper! You need to have someone proofread your papers — you have some spelling and punctuation errors. You also have a tendency to change verb tense for no discernible reason and occasionally have trouble with agreement of subject verb. Lydia Fish
Word Count = 1285
Joseph Campbell is a believer and advocator of the idea that all myths from all parts of the world are built from the same fundamental ideas and principles. He also believed that all people have the same basic idea of what a hero, mentor, and quest are. This is why stories can be understood and enjoyed on the same level by all people. Campbell drew out general fundamental structures within religion and myth in his book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.” In this book, Campbell shows that all stories contain the same “Hero’s Journey” or “Monomyth” basis. Campbell believes that hero’s follow a basic sequence of events. First they depart then fulfill some task or mission that needed to be taken care of, and then return. Within this process it is said that part of the hero dies and becomes more independent. When the hero returns, they arrive different, developed, and matured in some ways. This hero journey can be seen in the Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and The Matrix.
In “Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth” Campbell discusses the departure, initiation, and return of the hero. Within the departure, Campbell says the hero is called to adventure. This is evident in the Lord of the Rings when Frodo is given the ring and told to get it out of Bag End. The call also occurs when Frodo feel the need to volunteer himself to bring the ring to Mordor to be destroyed. In Stars Wars, Luke Skywalker’s call to adventure is Princess Leia’s distress message that he accidentally sees. After seeing this message, Luke feels the need to risk his life to save this person he doesn’t even know. In The Matrix, Neo gets the call to adventure when Morpheus tells him to “Follow the white rabbit.” Neo does not exactly know what this veiled message is implying but soon realizes that he must follow the women with a white rabbit tattoo if he wants to continue with his journey and see where the next step of the quest unfolds.
Campbell also discusses the refusal of the call. This is evident in the Lord of the Rings when Frodo tries to give Gandalf the ring back after learning about its horrible power. In Star Wars this can be seen when Luke’s aunt and uncle will not let him leave because he has to help them with the harvest. If he does not stay to help, he will put his family at a disadvantage and may even bring unnecessary harm to them. Lastly, this is apparent in the Matrix when Neo is told to climb out of a skyscraper window to avoid the agents but cannot complete this task out of fear of death.
Within the departure phase, Campbell discusses the supernatural aid that occurs. In the Lord of the Rings, this is evident by the Fellowship of the Ring; a collection of the best people from all major races coming together to support and aid in Frodo’s cause. This can also be seen in Star Wars when Obi-wan saves Luke from the sand people which ultimately allows Luke to continue his journey. In the Matrix, the aid occurs when Trinity removes the tracking device from Neo’s body. This action allows Neo to make the decision if he would like to continue with the journey and see where it takes him or if he would rather wake up as if the occurrence were a dream.
Crossing the first threshold is also a part of the departure as Campbell discusses. In the Lord of the Rings this occurs when Frodo and Sam leave the Shire. It can also be seen when Sam claims he has never been this far form home before. In Star Wars, Luke crosses the threshold when he leaves his home planet of Tatooine. In the Matrix, Neo crosses the threshold when he is taken out and released from the matrix for the first time and sees the real world. Once the hero’s cross the threshold, essentially there is no going back. They must embark on their quest and not hesitate or falter.
The initiation part of the quest is comprised of: the road of trials, the meeting with the goddess, temptation away from the true path, and the ultimate gain. In the Lord of the Rings, the road of trials occurs when Frodo and Sam split from the main fellowship. This is the point where they need to prove themselves and show that they can take on this huge task. In Star Wars, this takes place when Luke learns how to use the light saber. If he is unable to learn how to use this weapon, his hope of becoming a Jedi and defeating Darth Vader is lost. In the Matrix, the road of trials occurs when Neo seriously spars with Morpheus for the first time. This is Neo’s time to prove to himself and to the others that he is capable of being the One and freeing man from machine.
In the Lord of the Rings, the temptation away from the true path occurs when Frodo is tempted to give up and let himself die. Ultimately, Frodo feels that death is better than the torture caused by the exhaustion of carrying the ring. In Star Wars, Luke is tempted by the Dark Side when Darth Vader tries to get Luke to join his cause. In the Matrix, Cypher is tempted by his lust for power and the return to “normalcy” and material comforts. Cypher is tempted by the agents and betrays his comrades.
In the Lord of the Rings, the ultimate gain or achievement is the destruction of the ring. That is the basis and main goal of the characters in the story. In Star Wars, the ultimate gain can be seen as the destruction of the Death Star. Since this is the main base of the Empire, destroying this location is a great achievement. In the Matrix, the ultimate achievement is the salvation of the human race and its ultimate detachment from the machines.
The return part of the quest is comprised of the rescue from without and the freedom to live. In the Lord of the Rings, the rescue from without occurs when Sam saves Frodo from the fires of Mordor. Sam pulls Frodo to his feet and takes him away from danger until they are rescued by Gandalf. In Star Wars, this can be seen when Luke is saved from Darth Vader by Han Solo. In the Matrix, when Neo is dead, Trinity is able to bring him back to life from outside the matrix, in the real world.
In the Lord of the Rings the freedom to live part of the return occurs when the hobbits and all other habitants of Middle Earth are able to live free, peaceful live once again. Freedom to live can also be interpreted as the choice to live or not. It can be interpreted that Frodo does not with to live anymore by his leaving to the Undying Lands. In Star Wars, the freedom to live is depicted by the victory of the Rebellion over the Empire. The Rebellion was fighting for freedom and democratic, not empirical rule over their worlds. In the Matrix, the freedom to live is demonstrated by the humans’ victory over the machines.
Joseph Campbell proposed that all hero stories contain the same elements. The hero goes through three main phases on his journey: the departure, the initiation, and the return. Within these three main phases are developmental steps that are overcome or encountered. Three stories that demonstrate this hero journey well are the Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and the Matrix.
Works Cited
Steven Wilser? October 01, 2008, at 11:35 PM
