Mythologists study mythology by contrasting them by methods, looking at older ones. Joseph Campbell was a mythologist who did the opposite, by comparing how they were alike instead of contrasting differences. Through this he developed the concept of the heros journey. Authors use it to develop plot, and individuals use it to change their lives.
Though this system is a story structure, and a plotting element, it is much more than that. It is a great writing tool, but it is also used as a road map for a self-development journey. Though this is realized in the psychological field as a means of self-development, it is also a great way to use the same development principles to portray a protagonist to help them become real to the reader.
One of the steps for this journey is that of departure. The character, or the individual if it is not a story, is called to depart to the unknown. They leave the comfort of their familiar life and venture out, to a great adventure in the case of the story, or to what to a person is somewhat of an adventure because they are not sure of what the future holds.
Initiation is the stage when the hero faces all the trials and tribulations. They must face the dangers, monsters, or whatever their challenges are. The hero's skill and ability to handle conflict is tested. He may not always triumph, in fact he will not, but must persevere regardless to the outcome he faces.
During the stage named return, the hero must return home, no longer the same person. The trials he has withstood have matured him. He has a goal to achieve, and is now a mature person. This stage involves growth of the character as he matures. This is the ultimate goal of a story character, this change.
This system can be related to how the drama of a story unfolds. The thesis corresponds to the departure stage. This is the current world for the protagonist. The antithesis is the catastrophes that the character must face, and the antagonist they face. The synthesis stage is at the end, when they character has or has not set out what he wants, but has matured and is attempting to combine the old world he once knew with the one he now faces.
The stages in this process translates into ten steps as Campbell identified. The steps include the ordinary world, the adventure, crossing the first adventure (the point of no return), the trials and foes faced, rescue by a magical mentor, in the dragon's lair, the moment of despair when all seems lost, the ultimate treasure, homeward journey, and the maturity and home at last.
Each of the steps fit into the three stages. These same stages and steps can be seen in a person's personal development as well. Sometimes a character that is part of a series remains static, not maturing. Just as a character can be "stuck" in one or more steps, not showing maturity but remaining static, so too can a person's personal development get stuck. The whole process has been detailed in depth in several book length works, but the process can be seen in outline form to guide a writer's plot.
Though this system is a story structure, and a plotting element, it is much more than that. It is a great writing tool, but it is also used as a road map for a self-development journey. Though this is realized in the psychological field as a means of self-development, it is also a great way to use the same development principles to portray a protagonist to help them become real to the reader.
One of the steps for this journey is that of departure. The character, or the individual if it is not a story, is called to depart to the unknown. They leave the comfort of their familiar life and venture out, to a great adventure in the case of the story, or to what to a person is somewhat of an adventure because they are not sure of what the future holds.
Initiation is the stage when the hero faces all the trials and tribulations. They must face the dangers, monsters, or whatever their challenges are. The hero's skill and ability to handle conflict is tested. He may not always triumph, in fact he will not, but must persevere regardless to the outcome he faces.
During the stage named return, the hero must return home, no longer the same person. The trials he has withstood have matured him. He has a goal to achieve, and is now a mature person. This stage involves growth of the character as he matures. This is the ultimate goal of a story character, this change.
This system can be related to how the drama of a story unfolds. The thesis corresponds to the departure stage. This is the current world for the protagonist. The antithesis is the catastrophes that the character must face, and the antagonist they face. The synthesis stage is at the end, when they character has or has not set out what he wants, but has matured and is attempting to combine the old world he once knew with the one he now faces.
The stages in this process translates into ten steps as Campbell identified. The steps include the ordinary world, the adventure, crossing the first adventure (the point of no return), the trials and foes faced, rescue by a magical mentor, in the dragon's lair, the moment of despair when all seems lost, the ultimate treasure, homeward journey, and the maturity and home at last.
Each of the steps fit into the three stages. These same stages and steps can be seen in a person's personal development as well. Sometimes a character that is part of a series remains static, not maturing. Just as a character can be "stuck" in one or more steps, not showing maturity but remaining static, so too can a person's personal development get stuck. The whole process has been detailed in depth in several book length works, but the process can be seen in outline form to guide a writer's plot.
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