Timed Writing...

Over the course of the semester in Analytic and Persuasive writing we have devoted a great deal of time examining the components of a hero’s journey as presented by Joseph Campbell. These steps were clearly defined in Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Specifically, the hero’s journey can be divided into three steps: departure, initiation, and return. In his departure phase, the hero first undergoes a call to adventure. Here a blunder occurs by the merest chance and launches the hero into his journey. Initially, the hero may refuse the call. However, with the assistance of supernatural aid, the hero’s reluctance is often subdued. After crossing the first threshold, or the unknown, the hero is then faced with a road of trials in which he must accomplish a series of difficult tasks. Fortunately, the hero still has the supernatural aid on his side and is able to make it through. After a brief meeting with the goddess and atonement with the father, in which the hero comes to terms with his journey, he experiences an “aha” moment. This moment of clarity triggers the hero’s realization of the ultimate boon. He is now ready to take his newfound knowledge and share it with others. While the structure of the hero’s journey is presented in Campbell’s piece, it was necessary to explore works by other authors in order to perceive the journey in fiction.
In Zafron’s novel The Shadow of the Wind, for example, we were able to dissect each stage of the journey. In the novel, Daniel experiences a call to adventure when his father leads him to the cemetery of forgotten books and allowed his son to choose one novel out of thousands. After carefully choosing a work by Julian Carax, Daniel is immediately engaged in the story as soon as he begins to read its pages. Once he reads the entire novel from cover to cover, he wishes to know more about this mysterious author. However, no one seems to know anything about him, including Daniel’s father. The shady character Barcelo is the only one with knowledge on the author. Barcelo is the guardian of the threshold and Daniel must decide whether to enter into the unknown with him or not. The crossing of the first threshold is also a major aspect of the film “Titanic.” This occurs when Jack, Rose, and the rest of the characters cross the literal threshold onto the vessel. Tests, allies, and enemies are constantly being thrown at the heroes Jack and Rose as they become allies much to the dismay of their enemies. However, even outside of the world of fiction, the steps of a journey can be found in day to day life.
For example, I took a journey of my own in my creation of project three. The assignment itself was a call to adventure that I did not necessarily have the option of refusing. Professor Robinson served as my supernatural aid, however, in helping me through the trials that lay ahead of me. Since my topic was a bit too heavy for a class of fifth graders, I faced the trial of trying to create an activity that related to a theme of my topic. I reached my apotheosis when the idea stuck me to revolve my activity around the importance of keeping a promise. Needless to say, as humans we are constantly confronted with journeys, both in the real world and in the world of fiction. Although we are provided with Campbell’s aid related in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, it is up to us to decipher the meaning of each journey as well as how to proceed.