A hero is an individual trusted and admired by many for their bravery, selfless acts, bold attitude, and chivalry. From the time we are children we are told stories about heroes and their fight with the villain. In almost all cases, the hero wins. What we often are not told, however, is the journey the hero must go through to overcome the villain. The journey all heroes must endure is described perfectly in Joseph Campbell’s book, Hero With a Thousand Faces, and portrayed in George Lucas’ film Star Wars, through three specific steps: Departure, Initiation, and Return.
As laid out in Joseph Campbell’s Hero With a Thousand Faces, the “Departure” is the first, and arguably the most important, stage in the hero’s journey. This is the stage …show more content…
This starts the first part of the “Initiation” known as “The Road of Trials.” During this stage of the journey, you are able to notice Luke becoming more like a hero, especially through all of the trails the group faces. As they approach the Death Star, they begin being attacked by TIE fighters. Luke battles the fighters and ultimately defeats them. Once arriving on the Death Star, they are faced with even bigger trials; how to get off the ship unnoticed and save Leia. Han Solo and Luke end up killing two stormtroopers and using their uniforms as a disguise to get to Leia. Meanwhile, C3PO and R2D2 are in a control center gathering information from the Death Star computer system to bring back to the rebel base. In the second step in the “initiation,” called the “apotheosis,” the hero enters a new state of knowledge. In this step, Luke uses the Force for the first time in an important situation. He is able to let go of his doubts about it and puts all of his trust in his abilities. “The Ultimate Boon”, the third and final step in the “Initiation,” happens when the hero finally accomplishes the goal he set out to do. In the film Star Wars, “The Ultimate Boon” happens when Luke and Han Solo are finally able to rescue Leia from the imprisonment in the Death Star. By rescuing Leia, hope is restored for the rebellion. R2D2 is able to finish gathering data from the computer system, which will aid in making unknown information about the Death Star known. Throughout the “Initiation” Luke is faced with many trials, but it is through these trials you are able to see the real hero come out in
As laid out in Joseph Campbell’s Hero With a Thousand Faces, the “Departure” is the first, and arguably the most important, stage in the hero’s journey. This is the stage …show more content…
This starts the first part of the “Initiation” known as “The Road of Trials.” During this stage of the journey, you are able to notice Luke becoming more like a hero, especially through all of the trails the group faces. As they approach the Death Star, they begin being attacked by TIE fighters. Luke battles the fighters and ultimately defeats them. Once arriving on the Death Star, they are faced with even bigger trials; how to get off the ship unnoticed and save Leia. Han Solo and Luke end up killing two stormtroopers and using their uniforms as a disguise to get to Leia. Meanwhile, C3PO and R2D2 are in a control center gathering information from the Death Star computer system to bring back to the rebel base. In the second step in the “initiation,” called the “apotheosis,” the hero enters a new state of knowledge. In this step, Luke uses the Force for the first time in an important situation. He is able to let go of his doubts about it and puts all of his trust in his abilities. “The Ultimate Boon”, the third and final step in the “Initiation,” happens when the hero finally accomplishes the goal he set out to do. In the film Star Wars, “The Ultimate Boon” happens when Luke and Han Solo are finally able to rescue Leia from the imprisonment in the Death Star. By rescuing Leia, hope is restored for the rebellion. R2D2 is able to finish gathering data from the computer system, which will aid in making unknown information about the Death Star known. Throughout the “Initiation” Luke is faced with many trials, but it is through these trials you are able to see the real hero come out in