Campbell's Definition Of A Hero Essay

806 Words 4 Pages
1. The hero is an age old archetype that stands for a person who sets out to right some wrongs, save the village, stop a villain, and so on. Obviously, this is not the only definition of a hero and what constitutes as a hero to one may not for someone else. This is why so many stories about heroes exist. The stories all attempt to resonate with a large body of people while still fixating on a particular journey. Hero’s stand for universal beings to look up to or learn from? Campbell says that heroes are what is worth writing about because they endure some type of trial or challenge beyond the average person's range of achievement.

2. Based on Campbell’s definition of a hero, it is someone who has given up his or her life for something bigger
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A mother’s body is essentially a vessel for around nine months while this baby is born and then for however many years until the child becomes an adult they must be cared for. Childbirth is a heroic act because the mother gives up her free will to teach and provide for the baby. Campbell also points out that everyone is a hero at birth when he or she undergoes a psychological transformation from a fetus to a baby with a conscious. Hans solo is one of Campbell's examples of a hero, as his act of sacrificing himself for skywalker was a dramatic and transformative shift in his character. Campbell also mentions the types of heroes that don’t specifically choose a journey and are instead forced into their role by an outside force. In this instance, a hero is someone who puts the needs of society before their own. This can be shown in more modern examples, like being drafted into the army. Those heroes will take on the responsibility of protecting their own and honor their uniform but may not have intended to take on such serious …show more content…
Campbell believes in having as much bliss as possible while still alive. If you do follow your bliss then you put yourself in the life you were meant to live. The experiences that shape a person's life happen when the individual stops worrying about all of the negative possibilities and what ifs that may come out of a particular experience. When this occurs, the individual is free of constant nagging thoughts and can finally start enjoying life. After this, the individual begins to meet new people that are too living the life that was intended for them. I take this to mean that you should not be afraid to do what you love. Campbell tells his students to do this because it is how a person experiences new cultures and meanings to life. It can be a way to express yourself through lifes experiences as they help shape a person into a more knowledgeable and independent version of themself. The things that individuals enjoy in life are what brings meaning to their life. For example, when I was younger, I followed my bliss by playing the violin. The joy and excitement brought about by music is how I expressed myself and I too found others that enjoyed this

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