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The Heroic Journey In Joseph Campbell's The Neverending Story

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Everyone has heard a good hero story, because they are everywhere, in the media, in history, and in even with each other. Tales of action and adventures have been around since humans have known how to tell stories, but every story has a similar journey that they embark on. The tale of the hero has many variations, but they each follow the same basic pattern that Joseph Campbell describes in his book A Hero with a Thousand Faces. Some stories only follow the basic outline of a hero, and others can be traced along the route exactly. An example that follows the outline exactly is The NeverEnding Story (1984) which is a movie based on a German book by Michael Ende. The tale is very interesting because it does not follow the path of only one …show more content…

Every good departure starts with a call to action, and in this story, there is two. It starts with Bastian, a 12-year-old boy that lives with his widower father, and Atreyu, who was summoned to save the dying Childlike Empress of a fantasy world called Fantasia. The story actually begins when Bastian takes an interest in The NeverEnding Story when he runs into a book shop after being chased by bullies and decides to take the book after the bookkeeper guards the threshold it and tells him not to. When he starts reading the book, it starts with the summoning of Atreyu. After the summoner disrespects him, he decides to refuse the call. Until the summoner describes how dire the situation actually is, so he answers the call. The summoner tells him to go on his journey he must not take and weapons or receive any help. The only thing he is allowed to take with him is a talisman in the form of a necklace called The Auryn and his horse named Atrax that serves as his companion, until his untimely death in the Swamp of Sadness. After this, Atreyu sets off to find Morla The Ancient one, an old grumpy turtle that acts as a guardian to try and stop Atreyu from completing his journey. But because Atreyu is a determined warrior, he pushes through but the sadness of the swamp over takes him and it seems as if all is lost until Falkor the flying luck dragon comes to his rescue by scooping him for the depths of the

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Joseph Campbell’s, The Hero’s Journey, appears in the foundation of modern hero tales, such as drama, storytelling, myth, and religious rituals. The first step in The Hero’s Journey is the Departure phase, it’s where the hero has an unusual birth or early childhood and is forced to leave their everyday life to face the challenges that await them. Next, is the initiation phase, it’s where the real challenges and trials occur. The hero has a mentor or guide who gives them a special weapon or advice so that when the hero faces the darkest part, the temptation to give up or quit, they will transform and achieve their goal. Lastly, the return phase is when the hero returns home and is able to recognize the experiences the hero had in the other world.

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