Odyssey Hero's Journey

Words: 1542
Pages: 7

While the famous stories of Katniss Everdeen, Harry Potter, and Luke Skywalker appear to be vastly different, they are actually the same storylines substituted with different characters. Each film follows Joseph Campbell’s guidelines of a monomyth, which describes the hero’s journey in all successful plots. According to Campbell, a hero must first receive a call to adventure, refuse it initially, and then cross a threshold from his or her ordinary world into the special realm. There the protagonist faces several tests, encountering numerous allies and enemies along the way, as well as a mentor who personally guides them to success. Eventually, the hero receives a reward for conquering his or her final ordeal, and travels along the road back …show more content…
Odysseus’ incentive was to embrace his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus, who he had not seen for twenty years. If he was unsuccessful on his route home, the only consequences would be the island’s suitors “[taking his] house to plunder” and “[bidding] for [his] wife” (1108). There would be no severe consequences if Odysseus were to fail, only the sorrow to his wife and son that their beloved Odysseus had perished. Conversely, Rick’s actions could create a magnitude of problems, should he disappoint. It was up to him to “rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, and save the world.” The fate of the world was in Rick’s hands, which is enormous pressure for any one person. If he did not defeat Imhotep, seven billion lives would be lost, including that of his newfound love, Evy. These possible fatalities creates an absurd amount of stress. Rick being able to thrive under pressure reveals his great heroism. The relationship status of Odysseus’ wife is little to worry about, compared to the possible extinction of the human race. The best leaders thrive under pressure, and saving the world easily qualifies O’ Connell as a great leader. With added stress, Rick faced a more demanding task than Odysseus and is therefore the greater