WEBVTT 00:00:14.185 --> 00:00:15.435 What do Harry Potter, 00:00:15.435 --> 00:00:16.561 Katniss Everdeen, 00:00:16.561 --> 00:00:17.578 and Frodo 00:00:17.578 --> 00:00:21.621 all have in common with the heroes of ancient myths? 00:00:21.621 --> 00:00:25.609 What if I told you they are all variants of the same hero? 00:00:25.609 --> 00:00:27.401 Do you believe that? 00:00:27.401 --> 00:00:28.982 Joseph Campbell did. 00:00:28.982 --> 00:00:31.044 He studied myths from all over the world 00:00:31.044 --> 00:00:32.537 and published a book called, 00:00:32.537 --> 00:00:34.658 "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," 00:00:34.658 --> 00:00:36.320 retelling dozens of stories 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:39.079 and explaining how each represents the mono-myth, 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:40.904 or hero's journey. 00:00:42.120 --> 00:00:44.750 So, what is the "hero's journey"? 00:00:44.750 --> 00:00:46.850 Think of it as a cycle. 00:00:46.850 --> 00:00:50.537 The journey begins and ends in a hero's ordinary world, 00:00:50.537 --> 00:00:55.220 but the quest passes through an unfamiliar, special world. 00:00:55.220 --> 00:00:57.602 Along the way, there are some key events. 00:00:57.602 --> 00:01:00.213 Think about your favorite book or movie. 00:01:00.213 --> 00:01:02.725 Does it follow this pattern? 00:01:03.464 --> 00:01:05.950 Status quo, that's where we start. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:06.751 --> 00:01:09.555 1:00: Call to Adventure. 00:01:09.555 --> 00:01:12.105 The hero receives a mysterious message, 00:01:12.105 --> 00:01:13.187 an invitation? 00:01:13.187 --> 00:01:14.572 A challenge? 00:01:14.572 --> 00:01:16.421 2:00: Assistance 00:01:16.421 --> 00:01:17.840 The hero needs some help, 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:21.122 probably from someone older, wiser. 00:01:21.122 --> 00:01:22.706 3:00: Departure 00:01:22.706 --> 00:01:26.087 The hero crosses the threshold from his normal, safe home, 00:01:26.087 --> 00:01:29.078 and enters the special world and adventure. 00:01:29.078 --> 00:01:30.895 We're not in Kansas anymore. 00:01:30.895 --> 00:01:32.799 4:00: Trials 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:34.048 Being a hero is hard work: 00:01:34.048 --> 00:01:35.355 our hero solves a riddle, 00:01:35.355 --> 00:01:36.598 slays a monster, 00:01:36.598 --> 00:01:38.433 escapes from a trap. 00:01:39.296 --> 00:01:41.548 5:00: Approach 00:01:41.548 --> 00:01:43.848 It's time to face the biggest ordeal, 00:01:43.848 --> 00:01:45.871 the hero's worst fear. 00:01:48.318 --> 00:01:50.843 6:00: Crisis 00:01:50.843 --> 00:01:52.801 This is the hero's darkest hour. 00:01:52.801 --> 00:01:55.674 He faces death and possibly even dies 00:01:55.674 --> 00:01:57.456 only to be reborn. 00:01:58.764 --> 00:02:00.980 7:00: Treasure 00:02:02.196 --> 00:02:05.866 As a result, the hero claims some treasure, 00:02:05.866 --> 00:02:08.251 special recognition, or power. 00:02:08.251 --> 00:02:09.977 8:00: Result NOTE Paragraph 00:02:09.977 --> 00:02:12.221 This can vary between stories. 00:02:12.221 --> 00:02:14.416 Do the monsters bow down before the hero, 00:02:14.416 --> 00:02:18.347 or do they chase him as he flees from the special world? 00:02:18.347 --> 00:02:20.663 9:00: Return 00:02:20.663 --> 00:02:25.120 After all that adventure, the hero returns to his ordinary world. 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:27.169 10:00: New Life 00:02:27.169 --> 00:02:29.478 This quest has changed the hero; 00:02:29.478 --> 00:02:32.318 he has outgrown his old life. 00:02:32.318 --> 00:02:34.620 11:00: Resolution NOTE Paragraph 00:02:34.620 --> 00:02:38.284 All the tangled plot lines get straightened out. 00:02:38.284 --> 00:02:40.593 12:00: Status Quo, 00:02:40.593 --> 00:02:42.780 but upgraded to a new level. 00:02:42.780 --> 00:02:45.784 Nothing is quite the same once you are a hero. 00:02:45.784 --> 00:02:47.469 Many popular books and movies 00:02:47.469 --> 00:02:50.177 follow this ancient formula pretty closely. 00:02:50.177 --> 00:02:53.911 But let's see how well "The Hunger Games" fits the hero's journey template. 00:02:53.911 --> 00:02:55.968 When does Katniss Everdeen hear her call to adventure 00:02:55.968 --> 00:02:57.926 that gets the story moving? 00:02:57.926 --> 00:03:01.459 When her sister's name is called from the lottery. 00:03:01.459 --> 00:03:03.098 How about assistance? 00:03:03.098 --> 00:03:05.462 Is anyone going to help her on her adventure? 00:03:05.462 --> 00:03:06.735 Haymitch. 00:03:06.735 --> 00:03:08.307 What about departure? 00:03:08.307 --> 00:03:10.428 Does she leave her ordinary world? 00:03:10.428 --> 00:03:12.645 She gets on a train to the capital. 00:03:12.645 --> 00:03:14.094 OK, so you get the idea. 00:03:14.094 --> 00:03:15.609 What do you have in common 00:03:15.609 --> 00:03:16.546 with Harry Potter, 00:03:16.546 --> 00:03:17.391 Katniss Everdeen, 00:03:17.391 --> 00:03:18.522 and Frodo? 00:03:18.522 --> 00:03:21.981 Well, you're human, just like them. 00:03:21.981 --> 00:03:24.897 The hero's journey myth exists in all human cultures 00:03:24.897 --> 00:03:26.606 and keeps getting updated 00:03:26.606 --> 00:03:28.891 because we humans reflect on our world 00:03:28.892 --> 00:03:33.082 through symbolic stories of our own lives. 00:03:33.082 --> 00:03:35.079 You leave your comfort zone, 00:03:35.079 --> 00:03:37.558 have an experience that transforms you, 00:03:37.558 --> 00:03:40.459 and then you recover and do it again. 00:03:40.459 --> 00:03:43.464 You don't literally slay dragons or fight Voldemort, 00:03:43.464 --> 00:03:46.026 but you face problems just as scary. 00:03:46.026 --> 00:03:47.243 Joseph Campbell said, 00:03:47.243 --> 00:03:52.143 "in the cave you fear to enter lies the treasure you seek." 00:03:52.143 --> 00:03:55.111 What is the symbolic cave you fear to enter? 00:03:55.111 --> 00:03:57.522 Auditions for the school play? 00:03:57.522 --> 00:03:59.266 Baseball tryouts? 00:03:59.266 --> 00:04:00.813 Love? 00:04:00.813 --> 00:04:04.664 Watch for this formula in books, movies, and TV shows you come across. 00:04:04.664 --> 00:04:06.409 You will certainly see it again. 00:04:06.409 --> 00:04:09.616 But also be sensitive to it in your own life. 00:04:09.616 --> 00:04:12.083 Listen for your call to adventure. 00:04:12.083 --> 00:04:13.665 Accept the challenge. 00:04:13.665 --> 00:04:14.936 Conquer your fear 00:04:14.936 --> 00:04:17.293 and claim the treasure you seek. 00:04:17.293 --> 00:04:18.593 And then, 00:04:18.593 --> 00:04:20.439 do it all over again.