The Hero's Journey

There are several different ways to view typical story narratives. Here are a few.

The Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey can be boiled down to three stages:

• Departure: The Hero leaves the familiar world behind.
• Initiation: The Hero learns to navigate the unfamiliar world of adventure.
• Return: The Hero returns to the familiar world.

More elaborate taxonomies usually include the following stages, not all of which need to be present:

• Birth: Miraculous or unusual circumstances around the Hero's conception or birth. Bonus points if there was a prophecy. These are less common in modern stories, which tend to emphasize the role of personal choice in defining a hero, although there may still be a Prophecy Twist involved.
• Beginning: The journey begins in the ordinary world of the Hero's hometown, often in one of two flavors (save or restore) using one of these three scenarios:
  • Peaceful Kingdom: The Hero must save the world from impending doom.
  • The Wasteland: The Hero must restore his world.
  • Suburbia: Can be either, depending on where the story falls on the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism.
• Desire for adventure: The Hero may be dissatisfied with the ordinary and express a desire for adventure. In musicals this can be expressed through an "I Want" Song.
• Call to Adventure: The Herald brings a Call to Adventure. The Hero learns that s/he must leave the known world behind and travel into the land of adventure.
• Answer the Call: The Hero must then decide how to answer the Call:
  • Refusal of the Call: More common in classic stories.
  • Jumped at the Call: The hero accepts the call. The Hero may initially be found not worthy or s/he may reluctantly accept out of duty/destiny. More common in modern stories.
• Supernatural Aid: Frequently, the first step on the Journey is receiving some kind of magical item or other Supernatural Aid.
• Crossing the First Threshold: The Hero must make a conscious, willing decision to embark on the adventure and leave the known world behind. The Hero may have to defeat Threshold Guardians, who are not necessarily adversarial but do test the Hero's resolve.
• The Land of Adventure: the Hero enters a strange, dreamlike realm, where logic is topsy-turvy and the "rules" are markedly different from the ordinary world. The Hero may meet their Hero Partners here and rescue a Damsel in Distress.
• The Belly of the Whale: Represents a symbolic death for the Hero. The Hero is defeated and killed, his flesh scattered, ready to be reborn and emerge as a new person. Part of this step involves the Hero Losing The Guide.
• Road of Trials: the path out of the Belly of the Whale. Usually the meat of the story. The Writer's Journey calls it Tests, Allies, Enemies. Stops along the way might include:
  • The Shapeshifter: someone you don't trust but nonetheless need for his or her help/information.
  • The Goddess.
  • The Temptress.
  • Atonement With the Father: Variants include a final showdown with an Archnemesis Dad (sometimes still ending in atonement if Death Equals Redemption) and Calling the Old Man Out.
  • At least one "Leave Your Quest" Test, usually after meeting the Goddess or Temptress.
• Night Sea Voyage: the Hero must sneak into the Big Bad's Elaborate Underground Base and retrieve something or someone.
• Time out just before the big battle: the Heroes gather around a campfire and prepare for the battle, tell stories, confess their feelings, etc. It reminds them of what's at stake, and serves as a breather after all the action of the Road of Trials.
• Apotheosis / Fight against the Big Bad / Ultimate Boon (These are typically very closely related, often intertwined.)
  • Apotheosis: The Hero comes to view the world in a new and radically different way, either because of a critical breakthrough he's made or some crucial information he's uncovered. If it is something to do with himself then this is a good time for an I Am Who?.
  • The Hero confronts the Big Bad: Typically this plays out in a David Versus Goliath fashion. He is usually called upon to sacrifice himself or something/someone important to him. Choosing between a friend and a goal object is a common scenario. Note that asked is the key word here—it's usually enough that the Hero be willing to sacrifice something without actually having to do it. Someone else will sacrifice himself in the Hero's stead, or the Hero will prove to have outwitted the Big Bad somehow (so that the apparent sacrifice isn't really a sacrifice), or it was all a Secret Test of Character, or...
  • The Ultimate Boon: getting the reward the hero has been chasing all this time.
  • The Final Temptation is often involved in one or more of these three events: A hero originally motivated by a self-serving goal may receive their Ultimate Boon with the option to take it and run before saving the day. A hero on a Homeward Journey may find a way home, but turn back after their Apotheosis makes them realize their work isn't done. Another may be offered the Ultimate Boon or a tempting substitute by the Big Bad...in exchange for stepping aside. Still another may find that the Ultimate Boon is exactly the sacrifice they are required to make to defeat the Big Bad.
• Refusal of the Return: At this point in the story, the Hero has mastered the strange world s/he was thrust into and probably has earned a permanent place there, if s/he wants it. The Hero may even want to stay, but usually there are forces at work that propel him/her home.
• The Return: Also called the Magic Flight; the Hero now has the boon and high-tails it away, with the villain or his forces in hot pursuit; while they engage in a battle of wits and magic (especially shapeshifting) during the chase. The Hero's escape may not require actual magic, but will require all of the new skills s/he's learned and new allies s/he's made. Or alternately s/he could realize the Awful Truth that s/he can't return home because sometimes Failure Is the Only Option...
• Crossing the Return Threshold. Sometimes a fight against the forces of the Muggle world, which the Hero wins thanks to help from his Muggle allies. This is where the Post-Climax Confrontation happens, as the remaining antagonistic forces have followed the Hero beyond the threshold and attacked him/her at a time when the plot should be wrapping up. In the absence of any action, it may be a Boring Return Journey instead, a chance for the Hero to reflect on what has been gained or experienced through the journey.
• Freedom to Live: The Hero grants the boon to his/her people.
• Celebration: A Dance Party Ending is often in order.

Classic Mono-Myth Structure

Biblical Meta-Narrative Paradigm

A biblical meta-narrative model by Chester Branch

Morphology of the Tale

A man named Vladimir Propp analyzed perhaps 100 fairy tales and came up with what he termed the "Morphology of the Tale", which breaks stories down into 31 Naratemes (basic units of a story or narrative). Later, an initial step 0 was added. Not all stories will contain every element, but when they do appear, they will usually occur in the sequence given here. They may also be repeated.

1st Sphere: Introduction

Steps 0 to 7 introduce the situation and most of the main characters, setting the scene for subsequent adventure.

0. Initial situation
1. Absentation: Someone goes missing
2. Interdiction: Hero is warned
3. Violation of interdiction
4. Reconnaissance: Villain seeks something
5. Delivery: The villain gains information
6. Trickery: Villain attempts to deceive victim
7. Complicity: Unwitting helping of the enemy

2nd Sphere: The Body of the story

The main story starts here and extends to the departure of the hero on the main quest.

8. Villainy and lack: The need is identified
9. Mediation: Hero discovers the lack
10. Counteraction: Hero chooses positive action
11. Departure: Hero leave on mission

3rd Sphere: The Donor Sequence

In the third sphere, the hero goes in search of a method by which the solution may be reached, gaining the magical agent from the Donor. Note that this in itself may be a complete story.

12. Testing: Hero is challenged to prove heroic qualities
13. Reaction: Hero responds to test
14. Acquisition: Hero gains magical item
15. Guidance: Hero reaches destination
16. Struggle: Hero and villain do battle
17. Branding: Hero is branded
18. Victory: Villain is defeated
19. Resolution: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved

4th Sphere: The Hero’s return

In the final (and often optional) phase of the storyline, the hero returns home, hopefully uneventfully and to a hero's welcome, although this may not always be the case.

20. Return: Hero sets out for home
21. Pursuit: Hero is chased
22. Rescue: pursuit ends
23. Arrival: Hero arrives unrecognized
24. Claim: False hero makes unfounded claims
25. Task: Difficult task proposed to the hero
26. Solution: Task is resolved
27. Recognition: Hero is recognized
28. Exposure: False hero is exposed
29. Transfiguration: Hero is given a new appearance
30. Punishment: Villain is punished
31. Wedding: Hero marries and ascends the throne

Sources:
Story Structure Theories
The Hero's Journey
Vladimir Propp's Morphology of the Folk Tale