The Hero's Journey

1. The Hobbit
The Hero’s Journey

2. What IS this book??
Trailer for An Unexpected Journey

3. Today’s Agenda
Character scavenger hunt
The hero’s journey
Reading schedule

4. Scavenger Hunt
Find the items or pictures from The Hobbit
around the room.
Copy the description onto your paper.
Return to your desk when you’re done!

5. Tolkien’s Work
Follows the pattern of many myths
Outlines the hero’s journey
Created his own fantasy world
Many modern fantasies based on Tolkien’s Lord
of the Rings novels
Was intended to be a children’s story

6. A Hero’s Journey
Part 1: A call to adventure
The hero is offered a quest/adventure.
The hero has to choice to accept or refuse; Bilbo
is given this choice.

7. A Hero’s Journey
Part 2: Supernatural aid
The hero receives help from someone with
mysterious powers

8. A Hero’s Journey
Part 3: Threshold
Hero reaches a place where transformation
begins
The world the hero has known is left behind

9. A Hero’s Journey
Part 4: Threats to the successful achievement of
the quest
The quest starts to go wrong—plans are ruined,
unexpected troubles arise
Hero usually has help of some sort of mentor or
helpder

10. A Hero’s Journey
Part 5: Abyss
The hero reaches a point of no return: her/his
identity is forever altered because of the journey.
This is a sort of death and rebirth.

11. A Hero’s Journey
Part 6: Transformation
The transformation of the hero continues as even
more challenges occur

12. A Hero’s Journey
Part 7: Atonement
The hero comes to accept her/his new identity
and the joys it brings—hero might become braver,
a better leader, more understanding of her/his
existence or that of mankind, etc.

13. A Hero’s Journey
Part 8: Transformed hero’s return to the old world
The hero returns to his/her old home, but it is not
what it used to be.
Hero might be treated as an outcast by old
friends.
Hero adjusts to ordinary life again, lives unhappily,
or goes off to a new adventure.

14. Reading Schedule
We WILL follow this! If you fall behind, catch up!
You are responsible for this reading, no matter
what! Even if you’re sick or we have a snow day!
You do not have a reading assignment over the
weekend, as the first speeches are Monday.