A Thousand Plateaus

Everything in the world follow some sort of format whether it's building a rocketship or writing a story. The author Joseph Campbell studied the myth and made the famous claim that nearly all stories have similar ideas and the heroes' adventures are almost identical in their format. It describes the adventures and experiences that an archetypal hero would go through. The story of Pi on the boat also follows the format found in the hero’s journey of departure, initiation, and then return. During…

On the surface, “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and “One Tree Hill” could not be more different. One takes place in the oppressive, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and the other takes place in a typical American small town. However, one huge similarity is found. The most common theme found in the novel and the television show is the theme of Identity, Family, and Connections. The theme of fathers leaving their families is found in both. Every child needs a father in his or her life, so once the…

One of the biggest examples being Star Wars, in fact George Lucas himself has admitted to being inspired by Joseph Campbell's book “The Hero With a Thousand Faces” and a comparison to the plot of his movies and Campbell's monomyth easily reflect that. The comparisons however don't end there and several other modern stories showing the archetypal hero's journey include The Matrix, Batman Begins, and the…

In the story The Kite Runner and In The Crucible, there are some things that are alike about the characters and the whole plot and how their personalities are the same and actions. In the stories The Crucible and The Kite runner they both have betrayal and guilt in and love in the two stories. The betrayal for the crucible was because John and other betrayed the Salem village and their religion and for betrayal in The Kite runner how Reham notice Baba’s betrayal of Ali. The guilt in both the…

Nobody would ever guess that a mere kite flying competition would lead into an epic tale of betrayal and redemption. The Kite Runner, a historical fiction novel written by Khaled Hosseini, is a story that follows Amir, a Pashtun, who struggles to find his place in society due to a series of traumatic childhood events. The conflict of the story starts during the winter of 1975, after a Kite flying competition. Amir betrayed his servant, Hassan, whom Amir later learns is his half-brother. Hassan…

In the Name of the Greater Good Heroes are often thought to be these god-like people who always save the day and get the girl. Most stories concerning heroes and their deeds seem to follow Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces by heart; however, not all heroic tales follow it step by step. There are the instances where steps have been skipped or are out of order. In Dragon Age: Origins, the protagonist follows the steps to becoming an enlightened individual; however, it doesn’t end…

Grandfather’s Passion In the story “The Leader of the People,” written by John Steinbeck, Grandfather tells stories to his grandson about how he crossed the plains and how he was an important leader. Although everyone in the family does not appreciate his stories, Grandfather values his past leadership role in leading a wagon train across the plains. As soon as Grandfather gets to the Tiflin residence, Jody immediately asks him if he wants to help him kill the mice in the barn. Once Joey sees…

“Martyrdom of Andy” was written to portray the devastating consequences of group think. In this story, the author looks back upon his childhood where he and his friends were members of a special group. Andy longed so badly to be accepted and fit in that he endured their ridicule and harassment. The author seemed to go along with the group’s notions that they were superior to Andy. However, because Andy was different from them, he had to endure their cruelty if he wanted to be a part of their…

The roots of the past can become the unbreakable chains of the future. Finding the light he grows towards is unreachable until he disconnects himself, the narrator in “Sonny’s Blues” realizes Harlem will forever hold him captive. Unwilling to leave his brother behind in the darkness of drug addiction and dangerous streets, his hope of a better life seems unobtainable. Accepting him and his brother, Sonny, are trapped, the narrator settles for distance twinkles of salvation. Baldwin uses light…

Among some of the more controversial topics regarding high school and middle school academics is the issue of including explicit and potentially inappropriate content in course curriculums, and amidst these discussions sits The Kite Runner, one of the most commonly challenged books in the past decade. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, was published in 2003 and tells the story of Amir’s coming-of-age in Kabul, Afghanistan starting in the late 1970’s. Amir lived with his father, Baba, and their…