This document lists common themes and elements found in myths, religious works, and modern literature such as facing challenges, entering unfamiliar places, confronting fears or death, and transforming after completing a journey. It then outlines the hero's journey monomyth pattern involving the hero leaving their environment, receiving training, facing tests, confronting their greatest fear, taking possession of a treasure or reward, and returning home transformed.

1. RL.8.9 – I can analyze how
modern works of literature draw
on themes from myths, traditional
stories, or religious works.

2. • The Hobbit • The Never Ending
• Harry Potter Story
• The Hunger Games • A Wrinkle in Time
• Alice in Wonderland • The Chronicles of
• The Golden Compass Narnia
• The Wizard of Oz • Star Wars
• Eragon • The Gladiator
• The Lion King • Spiderman
• The Odyssey • The Lord of the Rings
• Shrek
• Watership Down 2

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4. Hero’s environment, personal history, and something that is causing
stress
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5. The hero must face the beginnings of change
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6. Character may turn away (even briefly) or may express uncertainty
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7. Hero meets an experienced traveler who gives training, advice, etc., or
the character finds courage from within.
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8. Hero enters a new place with unfamiliar rules and values.
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9. Hero is tested and sort out allies and enemies.
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10. Hero prepares for major challenge.
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11. Hero confronts death or faces his greatest fear.
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12. Hero takes possession of the treasure by facing death. There may be a
celebration, but also danger of losing the treasure again
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13. The hero is severely tested once more, he or she is purified by one last
sacrifice, one more moment of death, but on a higher and more
complete level.
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14. The Hero must complete the journey to make sure the treasure is
brought home
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15. Hero returns home or continues the journey, carrying some part of the
treasure that has the power to transform the world.
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