The Hero's Journey

As I leaned out, I noticed the trees had turned into bookshelves around me. I was sitting cross-legged on the floor of my primary school library, surrounded by classmates.

I looked down to find myself sketching a magnificent dragon inside my exercise book. She was ferocious, with gnarly teeth, and fierce eyes, and expansive wings that spread across two pages. She floated there, staring down a courageous man with mighty muscles. He hoisted his sword in the air as his big, black Friesan horse reared and roared in defiant retaliation.

"Who can give me an example of a hero's story?" my teacher asked the class.

"Superman!" a boy yelled.

"Harry Potter!" another girl said.

"Hands up, please," my teacher instructed. "Yes, Stephen."

"Star Wars?" Stephen suggested.

"Yes. These are all hero's stories. Now, I want you to think about this question: what are all the common components that make up a hero's story? Hands up again."

"Well, there's a hero," Sarah said after she was called on to speak.

"Duh," Tim snickered.

"Tim! What did I tell you about interrupting? Sarah is still speaking. Go on, Sarah."

"Ummm... well, there is a hero, and then there is a villain. And usually, the hero has to overcome a lot of obstacles in the story. And then, towards the end of the story, the hero has to fight the villain. And then he wins some kind of prize, like a princess or some treasure, or he saves the world."

"Yes, that's great, Sarah," my teacher said. "Hero's stories tend to follow the same general plot structure. We call this the hero's journey, and that's what we'll be learning about over the next four weeks."

"Is a hero's journey kind of like a computer game?" Stephen asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know — like the Pokemon GameBoy game," he said. "You start with just one pokemon, like a Bulbasaur, and he is really weak. And then, throughout the journey, there are lots of different battles you have to fight to gain strength. And at the end of the game, you have to fight the boss, MewTwo, and win the championship."

"Then, yes," my teacher said. "That's a hero's journey. The hero embarks on an adventure, experiences growth by overcoming obstacles, and then uses everything he's learned to face the ultimate boss. Great work, Stephen. Now, let's look at the different phases of the hero's journey in a bit more detail."

My teacher pointed to the whiteboard, where she had already drawn a diagram. "The hero's journey starts in the ordinary world, where everything is normal. Then there is a call to adventure, where the hero is booted out of his comfort zone by something he can't ignore. Oftentimes, the hero refuses to undergo the quest he is being called to complete, usually out of fear or an unwillingness to exit his comfort zone. But eventually, he does commit and crosses the threshold into a new world of adventure. At this point, there is no turning back.

As the adventure continues, the hero faces all kinds of obstacles, trials, tests, and enemies. As he overcomes each challenge, his strength builds, and he learns something valuable that will eventually assist him in the final battle. In this phase, the hero also encounters helpers who support him on his journey. There are lots of ups and downs.

Eventually, the hero approaches the innermost cave, which doesn't have to be a physical cave at all. The inner cave represents the most dangerous part of the quest, where the ultimate goal and the main villain is located. In Harry Potter, this might be the Chamber of Secrets, or wherever Voldemort is hiding. In Star Wars, it's the death star.

The hero then has to confront his greatest fear. This is the darkest moment in the story so far, and it's sometimes called the Belly of the Whale. Everything the hero has learned in his journey has led to this moment.

Once he defeats his fear and passes through this test, he emerges on the other side as a transformed person and can claim the prize, or receive the knowledge he's been searching for. This is the point where the hero sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

But it's not over yet! Pretty soon, the hero realizes the light at the end of the tunnel is farther away than he thought. On the road back from the innermost cave, more dangers arrive. The hero must deal with the consequences of seizing the prize — for example, an angry dragon that comes searching for the treasure that was stolen from his lair. This is the true climax of the story, where the hero faces his final exam to see if he truly learned the lessons from his last big test.

Once the hero passes the final test, he returns home with his prize — which might be a princess, a treasure, or just newfound wisdom and knowledge. The hero is not the same person he was before starting the journey because he has been through so much. He must learn how to integrate his newfound knowledge into his ordinary life and share his wisdom with others. And that's the full hero's journey."

My teacher stopped talking. I looked around to see half the class doodling in their notebooks or yawning. The boy sitting in front of me, Rick, was writing the word 'Hero' in big blockish graffiti-style letters. I'd always been a little envious of how well he could draw. He was so creative.

I raised my hand.

"Yes, Nikki," my teacher said. The class turned to look at me. My cheeks flushed bright red. I didn't like people looking at me.

"I was just wondering if only men go on the hero's journey? Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Superman, Pokemon... all the heroes are men. Women are only ever in supporting roles. Can women go on a hero's journey, too?"

"Of course," she said.

"So, what stories can I read with female heroines that undergo a transformational journey?"

She paused for a moment. "Umm... I'll get back to you with a list."

I nodded and looked down at the drawing in my exercise book. The heroic man was sitting there on that majestic Friesian horse, being everything I was not: strong, courageous, audacious, determined, brave, bold. He'd sacrifice himself for a cause he believed in. He'd confront his fears for the ones he loved. He'd sink that sword into the dragon's chest. He'd slaughter that magnificent monster, even if it meant an almost-certain death for himself. He'd risk failure a thousand times on his quest to save the world.

I could never be like that. I was a shy and softly-spoken young girl. I wasn't strong or athletic or sporty like the popular boys. I wasn't pretty or social or cool like the popular girls. I liked sitting by myself and drawing, or reading books in the library at lunchtime. I didn't have many friends at that school. I was used to being invisible. None of the other kids seemed that interested in what I had to say, anyway. I was always a little odd.

"And now," my teacher continued, "I'm going to hand out an assignment. We've got twenty minutes left. You'll need to find yourself a hero's journey book to analyze for this project. There's a list of books on the handout."

Rick turned around and passed me a printed sheet. I already knew which book I wanted to do my project on: The Hobbit. The hero of the story was more of an anti-hero — a flawed, unassuming 'average Joe' named Bilbo Baggins who developed courage as he progressed through his journey.

The other kids stood up and began searching for their chosen book. I made my way over to an aqua-colored couch in the corner of the library and sat down to read.