Many study myths by studying the different methods used by each writer. Joseph Campbell, however, instead of contrasting the methods studies how they compare them as being the same. This method of study led to the system named the heros journey. Both authors use it to plan their plots and individuals use it to direct their lives.
This idea is much more than just a story structure. It is much more than a plotting element, though it is valuable as that in and of itself. It is a road map for self-development, however. Though it is recognized in psychological perspectives, it is a strong way to plan a story using the same principles to make the protagonist in a story become real to the reader.
Departure is one of the steps of this journey. The character or person has to depart to the unknown, leaving the safety of the familiar and venture out to adventures, whether it be a character in a story or a person on a personal journey that must leave the familiar into a future they do not know about.
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.
This idea is much more than just a story structure. It is much more than a plotting element, though it is valuable as that in and of itself. It is a road map for self-development, however. Though it is recognized in psychological perspectives, it is a strong way to plan a story using the same principles to make the protagonist in a story become real to the reader.
Departure is one of the steps of this journey. The character or person has to depart to the unknown, leaving the safety of the familiar and venture out to adventures, whether it be a character in a story or a person on a personal journey that must leave the familiar into a future they do not know about.
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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