Nirmala Hero's Journey

Having completed the Road of Trials and gaining the ultimate boon, the hero returns triumphant full of new profound knowledge and changes to their character. This marks the beginning of the return, the final part of the Hero’s Journey. Unfortunately, it is not always an easy accomplishment for every character as demonstrated in The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami. Nirmala at the loss of Nandana decides that she will not return to her normal life of pacifism and submissiveness. She challenges Sripathi’s authority by going to Munnuswamy for help in finding her daughter. Despite Sripathi’s protests, Nirmala is “fed up with always listening to [Sripathi’s] nonsense.” Moreover, she “will ask [her] neighbour for help.” Nirmala’s change in behavior and attitude demonstrated in those quotes surprises both the reader and Sripathi who has “never seen her like this before …show more content…
Even heroes fail at times and must get help from an external source. The “Rescue From Without” or supernatural aid shows Nirmala’s desperation to find her granddaughter and her complete refusal of the caste system. By requesting aid from Munnuswamy, someone who used to be at the bottom of the societal hierarchy, Nandana is able to demonstrate her realization that the enmity towards her neighbor was formed by a flawed system. The reader can create a better bond with the heroine, and is reminded that she is still an ordinary person by having Nirmala fail in addition to showing her character development over time as she asks for help. Once Nandana is found, Nirmala crosses the return threshold, which provides closure to the tribulations she has endured. Through her journey, Nirmala has gained important insight and experience with both her familiar world and the unknown. This spiritual growth is shown by her visit to the Munnuswamys. At the sight of their house, “Envy pinched at Nirmala, and resentment