Heros Journey In Joseph Campbell's The Self As Hero

Joseph Campbell, in his book chapter “The Self as Hero,” argues how all heroes go through similar, if not the same, stages on the way to complete their journey. He supports his claim by citing evidence from classic literary tales like “The Princess and the Frog” and “When the Two Came to their Father” and appealing to pathos and logos. Campbell’s purpose is to educate readers on how most hero stories follow the same path and can influence and be influenced by the public, who can learn from the hero 's journey. The author writes in an academic tone for his audience, the readers of “The Self as Hero” and for people who enjoy the arts, heroism, and thrilling stories. In this essay, I will be comparing 3 stories different stories about heroes, …show more content…
To begin with, the Grinch is in no sense a typical hero. Instead, he is seen by all in his town as a mean outsider. The average hero is beloved by the reader and the reader wants the hero to succeed. This is not the case with the Grinch due to the fact that he comes across as the evil that should be defeated. This challenge Campbell’s claim on the hero 's journey because the grinch isn’t even a hero and the reader doesn’t want the main character to succeed, which is essential in most stories. The Grinch hates everything that is beloved by the people in his town and means to destroy everyone 's happiness. The Grinch hated the town, its people, and it’s traditions because he’s different and wasn’t accepted into society due to his differences. So he sought to destroy that which they loved. The Grinch’s “call to adventure” came in the way of an idea, “An awful idea! The Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea!”(12) which was that he was done with all the nonsense of Whoville and their love of Christmas. The Grinch then started to prepare for his adventure by gathering the things he needed to destroy the hopes and dreams of the people of Whoville. He got his magical aid from his dog max. They suited up and continued their journey pretending to be Santa Claus and taking away everything christmas. The Grinch never had a meeting with his perfect beloved or with his father. He completely skips this step in the hero 's journey which challenges Campbell’s theory on the hero 's journey. The Grinch had nearly no obstacles on his journey to steal all things christmas from the citizens from Whoville. There was only one bump along his journey. Cindy-Lou Who caught him stealing the tree when she came down to get a glass of water. The Grinch told one little lie that the girl easily believed and he continued on his way. The Grinch made it to his home,