The Stages of a Hero’s

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The Stages of a Hero’s Journey in Campbell’s Self as a Hero

Introduction

If asked what traits the heroes in one’s life possess, what would you say? Most people are likely to describe their heroes as having a kind heart, undeniable strength, and a chiseled jaw. Unfortunately, not all people with these characteristics are true heroes. To know the true heroes, we must identify the true traits of a hero. Published in 2004, Joseph Campbell’s The Self as Hero is an enlightening adult speech describing a hero’s journey. Campbell uses examples from various movies, texts, and folklores to define the necessary steps to declare a hero. Heroes exist all around us, in movies, books, and shows we love to watch. Heroes also exist in real life; they show up, serve others and do their best each day. Bronzite (32) notes that “a hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” In the book, Campbell argues that all heroes go through the same if not similar stages in their quest to complete their journeys. To support his claims about the stages of a hero’s journey, Campbell cites evidence from tales such as “When the Two Came to their Father.” The purpose of this text is to expound on Campbell’s definition of a hero as a person who puts other people’s interests before his and embarks on a daunting journey. Additionally, the text analyzes the call to adventure and return stages as some of the steps of the hero’s journey in the text “Where the Two Came to their Father.”

Campbell & his Process of the “Hero’s Journey”

According to Campbell, a hero’s journey comprises three processes: departure, initiation, and return. In turn, the three processes can be broken down into four main stages, including a call to adventure, crossing the threshold, road of trails and the return. The first stage known as call to adventure stage represents an interruption in the hero’s daily life. The interruption occurs in the form of a threat to the hero’s livelihood, his community, or his loved one. Although it can occur in many forms, the hero cannot say no to no matter how much he tries. It is a disruption in the hero’s ordinary world presenting a challenge that should be accepted. In the second stage of crossing the threshold, it is the moment that the hero embarks on their journey. It is a time when the hero must travel worlds and step into a new and different world from the one they know. In this step, the hero’s journey invites danger and the fear of the unknown. Road of trails is the first step in the initiation stage, where the hero goes through a series of tests and challenges to trigger his transformation into becoming the hero they were meant to be. In this step, it is common for the hero to fail the tests a couple of times before ultimately overcoming all challenges. This step is imperative as it builds the hero’s character, strengthens him and boots his self-confidence. In the return stage, the hero has accomplished their journey and is often reluctant to go back to the life they once knew. The journey tends to change them. Although they have completed their quest, alternate powers continue to chase them. They have a chance to evade them and go back to the life they once lived.

The Story that Supports Campbell’s Journey of a Hero

“Where the Two came to their Father” is a work that richly depicts the creation of the rich symbolic legend of the Navaho people. It described how they held a ceremony to bless the members of the tribe as they were about to head for battle. Ethnologists Maud Oakes observed the rite during the Second World War when Native Americans were incorporated into the U.S. military for the first time in history. He recorded the entire event of the legend and reproduced the beautiful ceremonial paintings given to her by Jeff King, a medicine man of the time. It is worth noting that Joseph Campbell comments about the book in the commentary and gives insights into Navajo Myth and relates it with other aspects of stories from other traditions. This helps the readers better understand the myth across cultures and times. Worth noting, the text “Where the Two Came to their Father” is a war ceremonial that tells the tale of two young men who are heroes. They two go to the Sun, the Hogan of their father and after a while, they come back bearing strength to destroy the monsters disrupting the peace of their people.

Analysis of Call to Adventure and the Return as the Two Stages of Heros in “Where the Two Came to their Father”

The Navaho legend in “Where the Two Came to their Father” passed through all the stages that Campbell defines as his steps of a hero’s journey. Particularly, they encountered the call to adventure and the return stage. The Navaho people are plagued by monsters in their community. The first step, namely call to adventure is depicted in how the hero notices an interruption in the lives of the community people. The problem is dire and they cannot ignore it because the security of the people is at stake. At this point, they decide to act upon it by going to war with the enemies to resolve the matter once and for all. They hold a two-day ceremony before the Navajo legend sets out to war. The ceremony includes elaborate sand paintings and songs meant to keep the souls of the soldiers healthy as they go away from their land and their loved ones to new territories to fight. Williams (72) writes, “it is the nature of monsterdom to mistake the reflection for the thing. Displaced emphasis is the very sense of the monster’s life.” This points to the existence of evil that poses a challenge to the people. It ignites a spark in the heroes to want to leave and fix the problem so that people can feel safe. This is what Campbell refers to as a monster. The other stage, the return is marked with how the legend comes back home from the war bearing extreme power to destroy the monsters that have been terrorizing the people. The goal of the legend’s return was the pilgrimage to the house of strength.

Conclusion

In closing, Campbell demonstrates the stages of a hero’s journey in “Where the Two Came to their Father” in various ways. As highlighted in this text, the Navaho legend goes through the call of adventure after they realize that their community is not safe from attack by monsters. This pushes the legend to want to do something about it. A blessing ceremony is held before they head into battle. The purpose of the ceremony is to protect their souls from harm during war. Upon their return, they come with renewed strength to destroy the monsters plaguing the lives of the Navaho people.

References

Bronzite, Dan. “The hero’s journey–Mythic structure of Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth.” Retrieved on February 1 (2018).

Williams, Clive. “The hero’s journey: a mudmap to wellbeing.” Heroism and Wellbeing in the 21st Century. Routledge, 2018. 72-85.