Hero’s Journey Project

VS.

Danielle McIntyre 7

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Period

Departure

In order to unleash the unknown within himself, the hero must leave his familiar beginnings…

The Call to Adventure

“Whether dream or myth, in these adventures there is an atmosphere of irresistible fascination about the figure that appears suddenly as guide, marking a new period, a new stage, in the biography” (Campbell 46).

Some of Mr. Darling’s items of clothing have been mistreated by his sons who were acting from a scene of their big sister’s stories. He stomps away, angrily, on his way to a dinner party, only to inform Wendy on the way that she is to grow up immediately the next day. She sighs because she does not want to grow up, she was still a great believer in these wondrous tales. Right when the parents disappeared, Peter and Tinker Bell appeared in the room! Wendy was ecstatic and told Peter of her troubles. He had a solution, Never Land, a place where there was no such thing as growing up. At first she was hesitant, but was eventually intrigued by the magic happening around her! Just “think of a wonderful thought,” add a little pixie dust, and you’d be on your way, Peter insisted (Barrie). Pulled in by all their individual imaginations, they all were off the ground in no time, shouting “we can fly, we can fly, we can fly!” (Barrie).

Initiation

On the testing ground, the hero is tested on every level…

After surviving his first major test, the hero is presented with a series of challenges comprising the major weight of his journey…

The Road of Trials

Upon arriving, the first thing Wendy wanted to witness was the mermaid Lagoon, but they weren’t so inviting, and “only tried to drown her” (Barrie)! She had enough self defense to get them to stop, which was good because Peter was just as immature, laughing along! She also helped rescue Tiger Lilly from the evil Captain Hook and return her back to the Indians. When she arrived at the campsite, they all sang in unison and let the lost boys go. This is when Wendy finally started to show the true aspects of a hero, deciding to go home. Michael and John complained because they never wanted to grow up! Wendy insisted though, stating “you need a mother, we all do,” in which they all really did (Barrie). Whether they liked it or not, they needed a motherly figure to guide them and show them right from wrong in the world. At this point, it was truly Wendy, and this was her major test. Their taste of a dream, better than even imagined, had been lived and now it was time to snap back to reality. Wendy saved them from living something too good to be true. When all of them were captured by Hook, Wendy had to stay strong for the rest of them and believe that Peter would come. Her bravery amongst everyone else’s showed attributes of a hero, even when the air was filled with doubt.

Return

Even after succeeding in his primary task, the hero’s journey is far from over…

The Crossing of the Return Threshold

Even though Wendy is nowhere close to being a full blown woman, she exemplified a motherly figure when it was needed. When she returned back to the nursery, she tricked herself from these experiences to think that she was now “ready to grow up” after all (Barrie). Her father was just overreacting earlier, but from her trip to Never Land, she now knows of her capabilities to lead the way. As she slowly matures, she will continue to teach Michael and John some of the wisdom she gained from Never Land. Even though her time was much enjoyed there, she won’t ever go back because of what she has learned. She has experienced all that she needs to, and will always inside believe first hand, but will progress into adulthood with the help from her parents on this wonderful journey. Though the hero returns, the man that left can never cross back over – marked by his knowledge, the hero is forever a different figure…

At the very beginning, before this huge epic journey starts, Odysseus is put face to face with a beautiful goddess, Calypso. One can only imagine how breath-taking that sight could be, but Odysseus seemed to show no interest at all. The only woman he ever thought to stay loyal to is his “quiet Penelope” (Book 5, 82). Sure, she was aging and one day would die mortal, none of the ability of a great goddess, but he “longed for home, longed for the sight of home…” (Book 5, 86). That was his great motivation/ fascination and one day, even after all the troubles he would soon face, he would reach it.

Departure Call of Adventure

At the beginning of the quest, the hero is drawn forward onto a new and terrifying path…

Initiation Road of Trials

“Once having traversed the threshold, the hero moves in a dream landscape of curiously fluid, ambiguous forms, where he must survive a succession of trials” (Campbell 81).

Odysseus had just defeated the giant Cyclops, screaming his name was Nohbody, hiding his identity. But, he went back to rub the victory in his face and revealed himself. Too bad for him, because the Cyclops was furious enough to shout out to Poseidon for a curse. Boy, did Odysseus have it coming! Instead of a journey that could have been long, but peaceful, he would have to endure almost the impossible as Cyclops said “should destiny intend that he shall see his roof again among his family in his father land, far be that day, and dark the years between. Let him loose all companions and return under strange sail to bitter days at home” (Book 9, 447-452).

If the hero has been so marked by his journey that he is incapable of self extraction, other agents of the story can come to his rescue… Return Rescue From Without

Odysseus is finally united with his son! At this point in the journey, he is unaware of the dilemma they are about to face. Still teary from this heart-wrenching scene, Telemachus has to warn him of the future, that “they face more than 100 suitors” (Book 16). Then, he, as another agent in the story, helps him fight them off. Odysseus will be disguised as an old man and Telemachus will act as if he does not know him.

Works Cited

Allen, Janet. "The Odyssey." Holt McDougal Literature: Texas Grade 1185-1288. Print. 9. Texas ed. Evanston, Ill.: Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. Peter Pan (Special Edition). Dir. Clyde Geronimi. Perf. Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried. Walt Disney Video, 1953. VHS. "Peter Pan - Full Movie Script - Disney Link Found on Fanpop." Fanpop - Fan clubs for everything. What are you a fan of?. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2011.

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