I remember being exposed to Campbell's work in the late 90s. The documentary they played for us (in my art class in college!) included clips from Star Wars. Literally every kid was paying attention.
I did my grad school in the US and since I trained as a biologist, my introduction to Campbell was much later in life. And the hero’s journey narrative is gripping! In the book, his language is so lyrical and poetic, it had the effect of a grand proclamation!
So interesting! I was obsessed with Campbell's journey both as a lens to understand my own life and in structuring stories. Also glad to find Murdock, especially her challenge to (her mentor) Campbell's assertion that women don't have a journey; they are who the hero is journeying home to (yikes!). Thanks for the link to the 4 alternative narrative models - that's really cool. Matthew Salesses covers Kishōtenketsu in his book "Craft in the Real World." Found a post about it here: https://artofnarrative.com/2020/07/08/kishotenketsu-exploring-the-four-act-story-structure/
Thanks for the link, Julie! Murdock’s heroine journey steps especially both reconnecting with the feminine and healing the masculine were powerful. I’m curious if you have find yourself resonating with different steps from different journeys and not consecutive steps of one journey? Hope that made sense! 😀
Absolutely - the order is often different, which makes sense since life is so variable and circumstances change. I LOL'd when you wrote, "could it mean there was nothing wrong with me?" I have such a lifelong habit of thinking of my life exactly as you said - a problem to be solved. I savor those (few) moments of clarity when I see it all as a big adventure to engage with.
Hi Julie, Thanks for posting about Kishōtenketsu - it's fascinating! Perhaps this shows how our thinking and storytelling in the West is influenced by the Abrahamic religions which are more in line with a patriarchal Hero's Journey and good versus evil, whereas Eastern religions like Buddhism are more about gaining insight and awareness on the journey to Enlightenment, which is kind of reflected in the Kishōtenketsu structure.
My sense is that our conditioning from religions informs our way of thinking and telling stories far more than we may ever realize!
Wow, that makes so much sense. It helps me understand why, despite my fascination with other forms, like Kishōtenketsu, I always feels drawn to the 3-act “journey.” It’s pretty deeply coded in western culture (as I understand it).
Hi Priya, thank you for posting about looking beyond the Hero's Journey. One book you may also find interesting is The Heroine with 1001 Faces by Maria Tartar. I love this first paragraph of her Introduction:
"JOSEPH CAMPBELL wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces while teaching at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. His classes on comparative mythology at the then all-women’s school were in such high demand that he was soon obliged to limit enrollment to seniors. During his last year of teaching there, one of those seniors walked into his office, sat down, and said: “Well, Mr. Campbell, you’ve been talking about the hero. But what about the women?” The startled professor raised his eyebrows and replied, “The woman’s the mother of the hero; she’s the goal of the hero’s achieving; she’s the protectress of the hero; she is this, she is that. What more do you want?” “I want to be the hero,” she announced."
Tatar, Maria. The Heroine with 1001 Faces (p. xiii). Liveright. Kindle Edition.
I also love this:
"Heroism requires not just intelligence and courage, but also care and compassion: all the things it takes to be a true heroine." Perhaps also required is kindness, mindfulness, and generosity.
These days I often wonder if we need more conversation about how re-claiming the Divine Feminine is on the path of the Heroine's Journey.
Great quotes. That’s the same thing he said to Maureen Murdock, that she talks about in “Heroine’s Journey.” Which makes me think of the great Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ classic “Women Who Run With the Wolves.”
This was a great read. I remember when I first heard about the idea of the hero’s journey - I, like you, was excited by it. It’s seems to offer some sort of structure or explanation or meaning or something to what could otherwise appear to be just the random events of my life.
As time passed I somewhat forgot about the idea, but whenever it does float back into my awareness, it does make me think whether it has faults or not - again, like you said - if it gives people some sort of hope well then maybe that’s enough.
I discovered the hero’s journey in college circa 1990, and was excited by it less as a personal map but as a storytelling one. It led me to graduate studies in folklore (never completed) and informed my creative efforts for a decade or more. As time has passed, though, the less important it seems - and even detrimental, thanks to derivative work line Vogler, who is at least partly responsible for why so many Hollywood movies feel exactly the same. (If you give a manual of storytelling to a bunch of clueless execs, they’re going to use it not as a guide but as a checklist for “fixing” stories). It’s good to see the world is finally shaking off the idea that the hero’s journey is not the only way to tell a story. The journey is much more fascinating when there are many paths to choose from.
Hi Stace, I agree! I grew up mainly in India with its rich myth/ storytelling culture and I wasn't familiar with the 'one narrative' arc. The hero's journey has value but I totally agree its great to have the choice of many paths. Thank you for your comment!
I remember being exposed to Campbell's work in the late 90s. The documentary they played for us (in my art class in college!) included clips from Star Wars. Literally every kid was paying attention.
I did my grad school in the US and since I trained as a biologist, my introduction to Campbell was much later in life. And the hero’s journey narrative is gripping! In the book, his language is so lyrical and poetic, it had the effect of a grand proclamation!
So interesting! I was obsessed with Campbell's journey both as a lens to understand my own life and in structuring stories. Also glad to find Murdock, especially her challenge to (her mentor) Campbell's assertion that women don't have a journey; they are who the hero is journeying home to (yikes!). Thanks for the link to the 4 alternative narrative models - that's really cool. Matthew Salesses covers Kishōtenketsu in his book "Craft in the Real World." Found a post about it here: https://artofnarrative.com/2020/07/08/kishotenketsu-exploring-the-four-act-story-structure/
Thanks for the link, Julie! Murdock’s heroine journey steps especially both reconnecting with the feminine and healing the masculine were powerful. I’m curious if you have find yourself resonating with different steps from different journeys and not consecutive steps of one journey? Hope that made sense! 😀
Absolutely - the order is often different, which makes sense since life is so variable and circumstances change. I LOL'd when you wrote, "could it mean there was nothing wrong with me?" I have such a lifelong habit of thinking of my life exactly as you said - a problem to be solved. I savor those (few) moments of clarity when I see it all as a big adventure to engage with.
I think this is my favorite part of writing about journeys, finding community! Thanks, Julie!
Mine too!
Hi Julie, Thanks for posting about Kishōtenketsu - it's fascinating! Perhaps this shows how our thinking and storytelling in the West is influenced by the Abrahamic religions which are more in line with a patriarchal Hero's Journey and good versus evil, whereas Eastern religions like Buddhism are more about gaining insight and awareness on the journey to Enlightenment, which is kind of reflected in the Kishōtenketsu structure.
My sense is that our conditioning from religions informs our way of thinking and telling stories far more than we may ever realize!
Wow, that makes so much sense. It helps me understand why, despite my fascination with other forms, like Kishōtenketsu, I always feels drawn to the 3-act “journey.” It’s pretty deeply coded in western culture (as I understand it).
Hi Priya, thank you for posting about looking beyond the Hero's Journey. One book you may also find interesting is The Heroine with 1001 Faces by Maria Tartar. I love this first paragraph of her Introduction:
"JOSEPH CAMPBELL wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces while teaching at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. His classes on comparative mythology at the then all-women’s school were in such high demand that he was soon obliged to limit enrollment to seniors. During his last year of teaching there, one of those seniors walked into his office, sat down, and said: “Well, Mr. Campbell, you’ve been talking about the hero. But what about the women?” The startled professor raised his eyebrows and replied, “The woman’s the mother of the hero; she’s the goal of the hero’s achieving; she’s the protectress of the hero; she is this, she is that. What more do you want?” “I want to be the hero,” she announced."
Tatar, Maria. The Heroine with 1001 Faces (p. xiii). Liveright. Kindle Edition.
I also love this:
"Heroism requires not just intelligence and courage, but also care and compassion: all the things it takes to be a true heroine." Perhaps also required is kindness, mindfulness, and generosity.
These days I often wonder if we need more conversation about how re-claiming the Divine Feminine is on the path of the Heroine's Journey.
Hi Camilla, thank you for sharing! I remember hearing about Tatar’s book when it came out but I haven’t read it yet. Will do so!
I agree about adding kindness, mindfulness, and generosity.
Great quotes. That’s the same thing he said to Maureen Murdock, that she talks about in “Heroine’s Journey.” Which makes me think of the great Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ classic “Women Who Run With the Wolves.”
THANK YOU, Camilla, for Tatar's book suggestion! I'm just reading about it now - amazing! So timely. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/09/maria-tatar-heroine-1001-faces/619494/
This was a great read. I remember when I first heard about the idea of the hero’s journey - I, like you, was excited by it. It’s seems to offer some sort of structure or explanation or meaning or something to what could otherwise appear to be just the random events of my life.
As time passed I somewhat forgot about the idea, but whenever it does float back into my awareness, it does make me think whether it has faults or not - again, like you said - if it gives people some sort of hope well then maybe that’s enough.
Hi Michael, thank you for your comment! I appreciate it.
I discovered the hero’s journey in college circa 1990, and was excited by it less as a personal map but as a storytelling one. It led me to graduate studies in folklore (never completed) and informed my creative efforts for a decade or more. As time has passed, though, the less important it seems - and even detrimental, thanks to derivative work line Vogler, who is at least partly responsible for why so many Hollywood movies feel exactly the same. (If you give a manual of storytelling to a bunch of clueless execs, they’re going to use it not as a guide but as a checklist for “fixing” stories). It’s good to see the world is finally shaking off the idea that the hero’s journey is not the only way to tell a story. The journey is much more fascinating when there are many paths to choose from.
Hi Stace, I agree! I grew up mainly in India with its rich myth/ storytelling culture and I wasn't familiar with the 'one narrative' arc. The hero's journey has value but I totally agree its great to have the choice of many paths. Thank you for your comment!