"The Hero's Journey has been criticized as an embodiment of a male-dominated warrior culture. . .a myth that glorifies death and foolish self-sacrifice. . .The warrior is only one of the faces of the hero, who can also be pacifist, mother, pilgrim, fool, wanderer, hermit, inventor, nurse, savior, artist, lunatic, lover, clown, king, victim, slave, worker, rebel, adventurer, tragic failure, coward, saint, monster, etc. The many creative possibilities of the form far outweigh its potential for abuse." (Vogler, p. xvii)
Explanation: Many people who have read Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces have found not only a model with which to analyze their own stories and the stories of others, but also have found a model on which to base their lives. Vogler says that perhaps the Hero's Journey "exists somewhere, somehow, as an eternal reality, a Platonic ideal form, a divine model. . .[F]rom this model, infinite and highly varied copies can be produced, each resonating with the essential spirit of the form." Rather than viewing all of our stories as simply copies of the one true Divine Model, why not see them as facets of the same story, each one concentrating on a unique aspect of the perfect form. Going out from this place then, we can learn not only from each culture's similarities but also from our uniqueness.
Discussion: Is it up to the writer to explore these creative possibilities? How do you use these possibilities in your writing with your heroes?
