The Hero's Journey: Essay Assignment

Assignment:

Choose a book or a movie and write an essay showing how the book or movie fits the structure of the Hero’s Journey.

This is a 1, 000  word essay. Each pages should have 250 words. The essay must be typed in 12 font, double-spaced, and have a minimum of six paragraphs. 

 The due date for this assignment is Wednesday, February 3^rd.

The first paragraph should briefly recount how and why the structure of the hero’s journey began. 

The second paragraph should briefly recount the structure of the hero’s journey.

The third paragraph (and perhaps, the fourth) should recount the Ordinary World of your book or movie. This should include a brief description of the “ordinary world”, and the protagonist’s life in the ordinary world. There should be the “Call to Adventure”, the protagonist’s first refusal, and her/his final acceptance. You should include the appearance of the “Mentor” and her/his relationship with the protagonist. Finally, the “Threshold Guardians” should be mentioned. These are the ones who block the hero’s transition into the special world and they must be overcome, tricked, or made into allies so that the hero or heroine can move into the special world and fulfill her or his destiny.

The next paragraph(s) should discuss the “Special or Magical World”. The special world comprises the largest part of the story and is considered the second act. This part of the story contains the most adventures, and should include the “Ordeal”, “the Forest or Sacred Grove”,  “the Belly of the Beast”, “the Sacrifice”, “the Hunt”, and “the Chase”.

The next paragraph(s) should comprise the “Hero’s Return”. This occurs after the hero is successful in his adventure and has the prize or is triumphant in accomplishing his destiny. There is a bridge, which joins the “Special World” with “the Return of the Hero”, which is often the hunt and the chase. The end of the chase ends in success but at a great cost to the hero, who may suffer a “death” or severe loss of some sort. After the death (real or metaphorical) the hero is resurrected and returns to the “Ordinary World”, but bearing the “elixir”, which may be a treasure of some sort, or knowledge, or wisdom.  The hero is changed in a very profound, fundamental way. 

The final paragraph should be a brief summing up of the main points of the essay and a conclusion. Remember, there should be no new information given in the final paragraph.