At their essence, all stories are the same; from George Lucas ' Star Wars and Grimm 's fairy tales to The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and Homer 's The Odyssey. Granted, at face value, there might seem little common ground between Luke Skywalker and Cinderella, or between Dorothy Gale and Odysseus. However, every story plays towards certain experiences-- a progression of trials, triumphs and occasional failures that allow the hero to develop and overcome adversity. This process, called the Hero 's Journey, is a necessary part of the human experience in both fiction and in day to day life. Through it, Cinderella finds love and escapes a life of hardship and Odysseus returns home from war. While the two characters journey different paths to
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For example, in The Kite Runner, Amir is offered the chance to embark on his Hero’s Journey while receiving a call from a close friend, Rahim Khan, inviting Amir to return to his home to Afghanistan. Rahim Khan clarifies the importance of taking a Hero’s Journey to Amir by advising, “Come. There is a way to be good again,” (Hosseini 192). That Rahim Khan tells Amir he can be good “again”, implies that Amir is a deteriorated individual. Amir is at a point in his life where he has lost part of himself and has moved away from the identity he desires. However, by going on a Hero’s Journey and returning to Afghanistan, Amir can act like the brave, virtuous person he wants to be and progresses towards the traits the journey demands of him as a result. In addition, Rahim Khan’s emphasis on Amir becoming “good” indicates that by embarking on a Hero’s Journey, Amir will not only become a different person, he will become a better person. Being “good” implies a state of moral certainty and integrity, however, being good is not equivalent to being perfect. While Amir may have committed mistakes in his past, he can still change to become a better person. Similarly, Amir may always carry faults that will cause him to make future errors. However, he can work to amend and come to terms with them through the Hero’s Journey. By accepting Rahim Khan’s call to begin his Hero’s Journey, Amir can …show more content…
In The Kite Runner, Amir faces the most trying part of his quest while fighting Assef, his childhood enemy. However, although battling Assef is difficult, the fight allows Amir to find a previously unknown sense of completion and contentment. He explains, “My body was broken- just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later- but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed.” (289). By describing himself as physically “broken”, Amir implies the strain facing a Hero’s Journey can place upon the hero. Amir has struggled, he has pushed himself to the absolute limit. However, feeling “broken” in body ultimately serves as a catharsis for Amir. It allows Amir to release his damaged conscience and emerge “healed” inwardly. Through the struggles imposed by the Hero’s Journey, Amir is able to atone for his mistakes. He makes peace with himself and finds a balance between former errors and the person he has
For example, in The Kite Runner, Amir is offered the chance to embark on his Hero’s Journey while receiving a call from a close friend, Rahim Khan, inviting Amir to return to his home to Afghanistan. Rahim Khan clarifies the importance of taking a Hero’s Journey to Amir by advising, “Come. There is a way to be good again,” (Hosseini 192). That Rahim Khan tells Amir he can be good “again”, implies that Amir is a deteriorated individual. Amir is at a point in his life where he has lost part of himself and has moved away from the identity he desires. However, by going on a Hero’s Journey and returning to Afghanistan, Amir can act like the brave, virtuous person he wants to be and progresses towards the traits the journey demands of him as a result. In addition, Rahim Khan’s emphasis on Amir becoming “good” indicates that by embarking on a Hero’s Journey, Amir will not only become a different person, he will become a better person. Being “good” implies a state of moral certainty and integrity, however, being good is not equivalent to being perfect. While Amir may have committed mistakes in his past, he can still change to become a better person. Similarly, Amir may always carry faults that will cause him to make future errors. However, he can work to amend and come to terms with them through the Hero’s Journey. By accepting Rahim Khan’s call to begin his Hero’s Journey, Amir can …show more content…
In The Kite Runner, Amir faces the most trying part of his quest while fighting Assef, his childhood enemy. However, although battling Assef is difficult, the fight allows Amir to find a previously unknown sense of completion and contentment. He explains, “My body was broken- just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later- but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed.” (289). By describing himself as physically “broken”, Amir implies the strain facing a Hero’s Journey can place upon the hero. Amir has struggled, he has pushed himself to the absolute limit. However, feeling “broken” in body ultimately serves as a catharsis for Amir. It allows Amir to release his damaged conscience and emerge “healed” inwardly. Through the struggles imposed by the Hero’s Journey, Amir is able to atone for his mistakes. He makes peace with himself and finds a balance between former errors and the person he has