MAKING THE COMPLEX SIMPLE:
THE HERO’S JOURNEY IN FILM
2das Jornadas Internacionales
Literatura y Medios Audiovisuales
en Lenguas Extranjeras
Universidad Nacional de San Martín
lES en Lenguas Vivas “J.R. Fernández”
19, 20 y 21 septiembre 2013

Bárbara Paola García
www.madaboutelt.com
SOMEONE WHO DID SOMETHING GREAT
A PERSON WITH SPECIAL POWERS

SOMEONE WHO HELPS OTHERS
AN ADVENTURER
SOMEONE WHO IS NEVER AFRAID
OTHERS

62% 35%

3%

Kids 11 to 14 years old
JOSEPH CAMPBELL
AMERICAN MYTHOLOGIST
(1904-1987)

THE ARCHETYPAL HERO
(FOLLOWING JUNG)

THE MONOMYTH
(HERO’S JOURNEY)
AN ARQUETYPE
A recurring pattern of character or situation found in
mythology, religion and stories from all cultures

Universal, the product of the collective unconscious
and Inherited from our ancestors
We don’t “invent” arquetypes; they are part of
our ancestral memory and they simply appear
In religion and our production of art
The archetypal hero is not out there in the world;
he/she is a deeply rooted part of us
ARQUETYPAL HEROES
SHARE CERTAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
UNUSUAL BIRTH

SPECIAL WEAPON
SUPERNATURAL HELP

GREAT OBSTACLES

SEE THE PATTERN?
THE MONOMYTH
An archetypal plot
An ancient story pattern found
In texts from hundreds of years
ago as well as in new Hollywood
blockbusters
An internal journey - the
transformation from ordinary
Into extraordinary
THE MONOMYTH
“lt will always be the one,
shape-shifting yet marvelously
constant story that we find,
together with a challenging
persistent suggestion of more
remaining to be experienced
that will ever be known or told.”
Joseph Campbell

The Hero with the Thousand Faces
THE MONOMYTH
HARRY POTTER AND THE
SOURCERER’S STONE
THE NARNIA CHRONICLES – THE LION,
THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
THE WIZARD OF OZ
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Following Christopher Vogler

The Writer’s Journey
DEPARTURE

1

THE HERO IS INTRODUCED IN
HIS/HER ORDINARY WORLD
DEPARTURE

2

CALL TO ADVENTURE
DEPARTURE

3

REFUSAL OF THE CALL
DEPARTURE

4

MEETING WITH THE MENTOR
DEPARTURE

5

CROSSING THE FIRST THRESHOLD
DEPARTURE

6

TESTS, ALLIES, ENEMIES
DEPARTURE

7

APPROACHING THE INMOST CAVE
INITIATION

8

ORDEAL (CENTRAL CRISIS)
INITIATION

9

REWARD
RETURN

10

THE ROAD BACK
RETURN

11

RESURRECTION
“Only birth can conquer death –
not of the old thing again
but of something new.”
Joseph Campbell

The Hero with a Thousand Faces
RETURN

12

RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR

There’s
no place
like
home!
“HEROES TAKE UP JOURNEYS,
CONFRONT DRAGONS,
AND DISCOVER THE TREASURE
OF THEIR TRUE SELVES.”
Carol Pearson
The Hero Within
WE ALL FIGHT
OUR JABBERWOCKIES
FROM TIME TO TIME.

RELAX AND
ENJOY THE JOURNEY!
IN THE CLASSROOM

http://www.readwritethink.org
IN THE CLASSROOM

http://www.readwritethink.org
IN THE CLASSROOM

http://marvel.com/games/play/31/create_your_own_superhero
IN THE CLASSROOM

www.comiclife.com
IN THE CLASSROOM

http://whatwouldyoulook.com/
Thank you!

Find this presentation at www.madaboutelt.com

@madaboutelt
REFERENCES
Campbell, J. (1949) The Hero with a
Thousand Faces. New Jersey: Princeton
University Press.
Pearson, C. (1944) The Hero Within:
Six Archetypes We Live By. New York:
Harper & Row.
Vogler, C. (1998) The Writer’s Journey:
Mythic Structure for Writers. California:
Michael Wiese Prod.

The hero's journey for ESL teachers