The Hero’s Journey is a theory that crops up in many academic disciplines, from literature and psychology to film studies and tourism. With both practical and philosophical applications, Joseph Campbell’s writing on the Hero’s Journey is widely referenced – but what does it mean? This article explains the theory in simple terms, with examples, and looks at how it applies to travel and tourism.
- What is The Hero’s Journey?
- Where does The Hero’s Journey theory come from?
- Criticisms of The Hero’s Journey theory
- The Hero’s Journey theory itself
- The Call to Adventure
- Refusal of the Call
- Supernatural Aid
- The Crossing of the First Threshold
- Belly of the Whale
- The Road of Trials
- The Meeting with the Goddess
- Woman as the Temptress
- Atonement with the Father/Abyss
- Apotheosis
- The Ultimate Boon
- Refusal of the Return
- The Magic Flight
- Rescue from Without
- The Crossing of the Return Threshold
- Master of the Two Worlds
- Freedom to Live
- The Hero’s Journey: Conclusion
What is The Hero’s Journey?
This is a theory within narratology and comparative mythology. It is also known as the monomyth. The hero’s journey is a common template, used in stories which involve a hero going off on an adventure. The hero is victorious in a decisive crisis, and then comes home ‘changed or transformed’. A classic – and very famous – example of this would be The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Where does The Hero’s Journey theory come from?
The hero’s journey theory was popularised by Joseph Campbell. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. He worked primarily in the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religion. The Hero with a Thousand Faces, published in 1949, is his most famous work. This is where he discusses The Hero’s Journey theory, or the monomyth.
He wasn’t the first to recognise this pattern, however. Otto Rank, an Austrian psychoanalyst, philosopher and writer, discussed the hero narrative – as did Lord Raglan. Both did so in the context of Freudian psychoanalysis and ritualism.
Campbell was certainly influenced by this, as well as Carl Jung’s ‘analytical psychology’. The Swiss psychiatrist coined this term in order to describe the research into his new empirical science – that of the psyche. Campbell built on all of this, and used the idea of the monomyth to both deconstruct and compare religions. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he described the narrative pattern as this:
“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”
Criticisms of The Hero’s Journey theory
Campbell’s work and theories have been criticised extensively. It is said to be non-scholarly, and to also be suffering from ‘source-selection bias’ – as in, Campbell is said to have been biased when choosing his sources, to make them reflect his hypothesis. Much criticism comes from those who study folklore. Barre Toelken, an American folklorist, said of Campbell that he ‘could construct a monomyth of the hero only by citing those stories that fit his preconceived mold, and leaving out equally valid stories…which did not fit the pattern’.
Other critics of The Hero’s Journey theory say that it is vague and risks lumping all myths together in terms of their narrative. Alan Dundes, another American folklorist, said that ‘there is no single idea promulgated by amateurs that have done more harm to serious folklore study than the notion of archetype’. He has been outspoken in his criticism of Campbell and the monomyth theory.
And of course, there have been valid criticisms made in terms of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey theory focusing on the masculine and disregarding the female or feminine hero. Two books have shifted the focus onto a feminine hero. These are The Heroine’s Journey by Maureen Murdock, and Valerie Estelle Frankel’s From Girl to Goddess: The Heroine’s Journey through Myth and Legend. These both examine the journeys of female heroes, and how they differ from Campbell’s monomyth.
The Hero’s Journey theory itself
Campbell’s theory is explained below. Campbell says there are three ‘acts’ or sections. These are as follows…
- Departure
- Initiation
- Return
These three sections are broken down into a further 17 subsections or steps. The 17 steps are:
- The Call to Adventure
- Refusal of the Call
- Supernatural Aid
- The Crossing of the First Threshold
- Belly of the Whale
- The Road of Trials
- The Meeting with the Goddess
- Women as the Temptress
- Atonement with the Father/Abyss
- Apotheosis
- The Ultimate Boon
- Refusal of the Return
- The Magic Flight
- Rescue from Without
- The Crossing of the Return Threshold
- Master of the Two Worlds
- Freedom to Live
Campbell suggests that every hero’s journey within mythology can be fit into this narrative structure. And many philosophers and academics today will utilise this theory as a means to understanding different aspects of life and human behaviour. Each stage of the journey is briefly examined below, with examples from contemporary fiction to illustrate each step.
The Call to Adventure
This is part of the departure act of the hero’s journey. It is the beginning of the story, in the protagonist’s ‘ordinary’ or home setting. They are just living their life when someone or something provides new information which acts as a call to venture into the unknown. An example of this can be found in the Star Wars saga. Luke lives a simple life on a farm on Tatooine with his aunt and uncle, when he receives a ‘call to adventure’ from R2-D2. This is a message of distress from Princess Leia, needing someone to transport the droid to Alderaan…
Refusal of the Call
Stage two is where the protagonist and would-be hero refuses to go, or needs convincing. This could be for any number of reasons, such as being scared or not wanting to leave behind their current responsibilities. In the first part of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo is called to adventure but is unsure about leaving his home (the Shire) as he has no previous experience of the outside world.
Supernatural Aid
By this point, the hero has decided that they will go on the adventure after all. A supernatural aid, as the name of this step suggests, appears in order to guide them and offer advice/support. Usually they give the hero something to aid them in their quest. To go back to the Star Wars example, Obi-Wan Kenobi is the supernatural aid and he presents Luke with his father’s lightsaber.
The Crossing of the First Threshold
This is still part of the departure section of The Hero’s Journey. It is when the actual adventure starts, and the hero sets off. Using another contemporary story as an example to illustrate Campbell’s theory here, we can look at The Matrix. This stage is when Neo chooses the red pill and sees what the Matrix is.
Belly of the Whale
This is the final separation, and the last stage of the departure. The hero is now completely separated from their own world, and showing that they are going to (and are willing to) undergo some change. Usually there is some danger at this point, like Jonah himself being swallowed by a whale…
The Road of Trials
We are now in the initiation stage. The road of trials is part of the hero’s journey that sees him undergo a series of tests in order to begin his eventual transformation. There tends to be three tests, though this isn’t set in stone. The hero will often fail and then succeed. An example is the three tasks Venus sets for Psyche in the ancient Roman novel Metamorphoses.
The Meeting with the Goddess
In this stage, the hero experiences a powerful, unconditional love, often represented by a goddess-like figure, which can be seen as winning the ‘boon of love’. The hero will also gain items to help him on his journey. An example would be Frodo in The Lord of the Rings meeting the high elf Galadriel. She shows him a possible future and gives him a token.
Woman as the Temptress
The woman here is a metaphor for something that tempts the hero, and may lead him astray from his quest. For example – Luke in Star Wars meeting Leia, before he knows they are siblings…
Atonement with the Father/Abyss
This tends to be where the hero meets whatever it is that holds the ultimate power within his life, and this tends to be the central point of the hero’s journey. This turning point can be seen in The Lion King, when Scar admits to killing Mufasa – this causes Simba to undergo a transformation.
Apotheosis
This is the very next part of the hero’s journey theory – when the protagonist has passed the halfway point – the point of no return. They are changed and can’t turn back. This is the ‘aha’ moment of every Sherlock Holmes story, for example.
The Ultimate Boon
This is the last stage of the initiation act. The hero achieves their goal, and everything is worth it – like when Luke destroys the Death Star in the Star Wars saga. Every hero’s journey has one, as this is ultimately the point of the story. All previous parts of the story were leading up to this moment, Campbell theorises.
Refusal of the Return
We are now in the return act of the hero’s journey theory. The first part is, however, the refusal of the return – the hero may not want to go back to normal life. It is almost a ‘comedown’ of sorts, after the goal has been achieved – like when Frodo and his party stay in Gondor for a while after completing their quest in LOTR.
The Magic Flight
This is when the hero must make a sudden return home. Sometimes this is supported by their supernatural aid, and sometimes it is obstructed by gods, demons and so on. An example is when Neo is seen to ‘jack in’ to the Matrix.
Rescue from Without
One of the latter stages of the hero’s journey, this is almost a second half of The Magic Flight – it sees the hero being rescued or brought back home, like Sam and Frodo being rescued by eagles from Mount Doom… Linked to the Refusal to Return, Campbell explains that ‘in so far as one is alive, life will call. Society is jealous of those who remain away from it and will come knocking at the door’.
The Crossing of the Return Threshold
This examines the hero’s return to his normal world, and how he must try to hold onto what he has learned on his journey. It is a symbolic rebirth, like when Sherlock Holmes finds himself and returns after eventually defeating Moriarty.
Master of the Two Worlds
This is the 16th and penultimate stage of the hero’s journey. It describes when the hero has achieved a balance between his normal life and that which he had on his quest in the ‘other world’. Another Star Wars example – this is when Luke finally becomes a jedi knight!
Freedom to Live
The final step. The hero has defeated their enemy, achieved greatness and can now live as he pleases. For example, in Nicolas Cage’s film National Treasure, he is seen running off into his grand mansion at the end, laughing and smiling with his new girlfriend. He is settled down, and his story has come to an end.
The Hero’s Journey and tourism
The Hero’s Journey is often used to understand the tourist experience. Like the hero, a traveller leaves their everyday world (departure), enters an unfamiliar place where they face new experiences and challenges (initiation), and returns home changed in some way (return). This links to anthropologist Nelson Graburn’s idea of tourism as a ‘sacred journey’, and to the concept of liminality – the ‘in-between’ state that travellers experience while away from home. It is particularly relevant to forms of tourism that are seen as transformational, such as adventure tourism, volunteer tourism, pilgrimage and long-term backpacking.
The Hero’s Journey is also used in tourism marketing and storytelling, where destinations and travel brands present the tourist as the ‘hero’ of their own adventure, and in film tourism, where visitors travel to places associated with famous hero narratives, such as the Lord of the Rings filming locations in New Zealand.
The Hero’s Journey: Conclusion
The Hero’s Journey is an old theory, but at the same time it remains current. Utilised throughout the world as a means of understanding life and human behaviour, Campbell’s theory is often applied to a wide range of scenarios and situations, including those that may take place in the context of travel and tourism!
The Hero’s Journey: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about the Hero’s Journey.
What is the Hero’s Journey?
The Hero’s Journey, or monomyth, is a common narrative pattern identified by Joseph Campbell, in which a hero leaves home, goes on an adventure, faces trials and a decisive crisis, and returns home transformed.
Who created the Hero’s Journey?
The Hero’s Journey was popularised by American writer Joseph Campbell in his 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, drawing on earlier work by thinkers such as Otto Rank, Lord Raglan and Carl Jung.
What are the three stages of the Hero’s Journey?
The three main stages, or acts, are Departure, Initiation and Return, which Campbell divides into 17 steps.
What are the criticisms of the Hero’s Journey?
Critics argue that Campbell selected stories that fitted his theory, that the model is too vague and generalised, and that it focuses on male heroes – leading to alternatives such as Maureen Murdock’s The Heroine’s Journey.
How does the Hero’s Journey relate to tourism?
Travel can be seen as a Hero’s Journey, as tourists leave their everyday lives, experience new and challenging situations and return home changed. The idea is also used in tourism marketing and storytelling.
The Hero’s Journey: Further reading
If you found this article on the Hero’s Journey useful, these articles may also be of interest:
- Cohen’s tourist typology
- What is film tourism and why does it matter?
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- Plog’s model of allocentricity and psychocentricity
- What is experiential travel?
