The Heroic Quest

Based on the work ofJoseph Campbell

andin preparation for reading

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451

Joseph Campbell

• 1904 – 1987• Mythologist: one who

studies myths and legends in different cultures

• Used archetypes to explain why patterns of stories appear in all cultures, regardless of time or place.

A heroic text structure

The Hero With a Thousand Faces (1949)

• Campbell studied hundreds of heroes from different times and cultures.

• During his study he recognized a common text structure for every hero.

• This text structure appears in Native American, ancient Greek, African, Norse, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Asian heroic tales.

• Campbell called this text structure the Heroic Quest

Three Parts of the Heroic Quest

• Part I: Departure—the hero’s journey begins

• Part II: Initiation—the hero is tested

• Part III: Return—the hero’s journey is complete

Part I: Departure—the hero’s journey

begins

The status quo (the current state of affairs)

• Society is in pretty bad shape.• As an audience, we get to see the hero

before he/she has done anything heroic.• Hero is typically an unlikely person

– Main clue: orphan or person of mysterious birth

Part I: Departure—the hero’s journey

begins

The call to adventure • Fate/providence/destiny reaches out to

the hero and offers him/her the quest– The hero may accept or refuse the quest.

• If the hero accepts, all is well.• If the the hero refuses, tragedy or

disaster strikes the hero personally so that he/she is forced into taking the quest.

Part I: Departure—the hero’s journey

begins

Advice and gifts from a mentor• The mentor may be a variety of people

or, as in fantasy, creatures.• Usually grants some gift or ability to hero• Mentor’s advice and gifts allows the hero to be successful during the first part of his/her challenges.

DEPARTURE

Part I Harry PotterLuke

SkywalkerPeter Parker

The status quo

Harry leads a boring life living with his aunt and uncle. Whereabouts of Voldemort unknown.

Luke leads a boring life living with his aunt and uncle. Galactic civil war.

Peter is a bit of a nerd, and has poor self esteem. Leads a boring life with aunt and uncle.

The call to adventure

Letters from Hogwarts arrive. Hagrid arrives and tells him he’s a wizard.

The droids arrive. R2-D2 plays Leia’s distress signal. Ben Kenobi invites Luke to join him.

A radioactive spider bites Peter, giving mysterious new powers. How will Peter use them?

Gifts from a mentor

invisibility cloak, Hedwig the owl

his father’s lightsaber, slight training in The Force

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

Simba

Simba is a young and naïve cub

who is living a boring life

on the African plain

Evil Uncle Scar kills his

father, leaving him an orphan with no home.

Hakuna Matata,

Realizing he is like his Dad

Part II: Initiation—the hero is tested

Minor challenges • Hero must go through several minor

challenges first.• Bring out the hero’s qualities, often

previously unknown, even to the hero.• Success proves to others (and the

hero) that he/she is capable of great

potential.

Part II: Initiation—the hero is tested

Mentors true and false • The hero will meet other mentors

during the course of the heroic quest.– Some will be true, honest, and helpful.– Others will see the hero’s potential and

try to use him/her as a tool in their own evil plans.

• One of the hero’s greatest struggles is in learning whom to trust and why.

Part II: Initiation—the hero is tested

Isolation of the hero• Just before the final fight, the hero is separated from his/her friends.• The heroic quest demands that the hero must complete the final challenge without any help.

Part II: Initiation—the hero is tested

The supreme ordeal• Ultimate fight with the villain, usually to

the death.– In narrative structure, this is typically the

climax of the story.

• Main difference from typical narrative structure:– This fight is not the end—it’s just a step that

must be done before the hero can finally finish the quest.

INITIATION

Part II Harry Potter Luke Skywalker

Peter Parker

minor challenges

quidditch, bullies

rescuing the princess

getting used to powers

mentors true/false

Malfoy, Snape, Ron, Dumbledore

Han Solo, Ben

Uncle Ben, Aunt Mae, Norman Osborn, Jonah Jameson

hero isolated

Harry leaves Hermione behind after the potions ordeal.

Luke’s allies are picked off until he alone must destroy the Death Star.

Peter isolates himself from his friends. The Green Goblin takes Peter away.

supreme ordeal(physical climax)

Harry faces Voldemort.

Luke attacks the Death Star.

Spider-man faces the Green Goblin.

Simba

Face his familyLeave

childhood behind

ScarRafikiNala

Faces Scar alone on Pride

Rock

Defeats Scar

Part III: Return—the hero’s journey is

complete

The last task• The final fight is not enough

– Hero must draw upon experience gained during the quest and change the status quo

• Hero at last shows personal and spiritual growth gained during the quest– A spiritual climax in addition to the physical climax

RETURN

Part III Harry Potter Luke Skywalker

Peter Parker

status quo changed

Voldemort known to have returned. Harry is more confident and leads an exciting life.

The Rebel Alliance achieves a major victory against the Empire. Luke living an exciting life.

Peter is more confident. He’s comfortable around Mary Jane and with his powers.

hero shows wisdom(spiritual climax)

Harry figures out Dumbledore’s puzzle of the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Luke puts aside the technology and trusts in The Force.

Peter dedicates himself to Uncle Ben’s philosophy.

Simba

Simba realizes that his family does not

blame him for his father’s death.

He returns Pride Rock

to it’s former

glory, and starts a

family of his own.

Recent texts that usedthe Heroic Quest as their text

structure:• The Star Wars series• The Matrix trilogy• The Lord of the Rings trilogy

– Who is the real hero, according to this pattern? It’s probably not who you think!

• Spider-Man• The Harry Potter series• The Lion King• Batman

"The adventure is its own reward - but it's necessarily dangerous, having both negative and positive possibilities, all of them beyond control."

—Joseph Campbell