We'll be looking at what is called the 'hero's journey' as seen in literature, movies, historical events (e.g. South Africa), and even teenage life.
For this post, please do the following:
First, think about your definition of what a hero is - who some of the heroes are that you have encountered, real and/or imaginary, from the past and/or present.
Next, watch the videos below that refer to the 'hero's journey.'
Then, submit your comments - your thoughts about what being a hero means AND what you now understand about 'the hero's journey.'
The person most often associated with discussions about what we call 'the hero's journey' is anthropologist Joseph Campbell. He studied myths and legends across cultures and noted several common patterns. Campbell's thoughts about the hero's journey had a strong influence on the telling of stories in popular culture, including movies such as 'Star Wars,' 'The Matrix' and even 'Shrek.' The narrator in this video is an author who explains Joseph Campbell's ideas about the hero's journey, using 'The Matrix' as an example.
High school students made this version of the hero's journey based on the movie, 'The Matrix.'
A high school animation tells a story, using details from the hero's journey.
This high school video also looks at 5 movies and elements of the hero's journey in each.
Here's a look at the movie 'Mulan' - explained by a student in connection with the hero's journey from a girl's perspective.
46 comments:
My definition of a hero is a person who comes unexpectedly and saves people who are in danger. When I was young, I dreamed of imaginary heroes being alive and saving me whenever I am in danger. The hero will be a man who is handsome, clever, and strong. I could not think of a woman being a hero because I always thought men were stronger than women were physically. However, I began to read books and watch movies that had women heroes. Now I think women can be heroes, too.
Heroes, I believe, also have to have altruism towards the people and passionate to help others. In the movies, heroes are always powerful, tough, courageous, and are secretive workers. People in the movies think being a hero will be so cool and easy, having all the admiration from everyone. However, I think it is a VERY challenging job to be a hero. Being a hero to me means to fight against the bad guys and protect the good ones. A hero’s journey needs a lot of courage and it has to go through many challenges. A hero might loose someone he loves, gets hurt, and might go against the death of HIMSELF. But, after all those hardships, a hero will get his/her rewards in return.
When I think of a hero, I don't think of a guy flying next to a plane wearing tights. Instead, I think of an ordinary person who does something for another person. Kind of like the main character in the music video "My Hero". In the musiic video, the man does something that is super dangerous just to make the people that he is helping happy.
Some other people that come to my mind when somebody says hero are my role models. Some of my heroes include my parents, my best Corey (in America), and Lionel Messi (my favorite soccer player). I have met all of my heroes because I have obviously met my parents and my best friend, and I also met Lionel Messi when Barcelona F.C. was on tour in America. All of these people are my heroes because of the choices that they make in life.
Maybe heroes aren't the kind of people that are in movies like Superman and Batman, but instead they are people who make smart decisions to keep their life on track. This is very similar to the meaning of the poem "The Road Not Taken". In the poem the man must take a path in a forest, but really the poem is metaphorically saying that in life, you have to make tough decisions that could change your life.
I liked the heroine “Mulan” and “Lord of the rings” videos the most. Most of the heroes I have known were all men and strong. For example, Hercules, Superman and Batman were neither female nor skinny. Mulan had to sacrifice herself in order to stop her dad from getting in the armies. First, Mulan receives a call which is to disguise herself into a man and join the army. It was very touching when she cuts off her long hair to look like a man. Second, because she is no different than an average girl, she was afraid to get in the army. However, she overcomes her fear and persists to continue the journey. Third, she finally arrives and gets help from her ancestors and the red dragon. She gets to experience things what men usually do. Fourth, she needed to overcome 3 trials; fear, temptation and strength. Mulan need to fight against the fear and control her temptation of fancying her commanding officer. Also, she had to prove that she is strong.
Next, Mulan gains reputation by winning the war. Her bravery and wisdom saved her soldiers and killed the enemies. Then she refuses to return to her hometown. However, she returns to her father at the end and have freedom to live without trying to be a perfect bride, but to be her.
I found that the movie, “Lord of the ring”, “Star Wars” and “Harry potter” share many similarities within the journey of Hero. There always is a person who sacrifices for the hero. There always have a traitor who seeks for power and confusion. And I found the weapons very interesting. For example, magic wand from Harry Potter and the light saber from Star Wars. Also, they have hooded or dark shaded creatures which usually stand for evil enemies. These are what I have learned and want to share my ideas with my class about the journey of hero.
My definition for a hero is a person, usually male, who saves the day. In almost every movie, TV shows, even cartoons, the heroes were usually male. Also, when I think about heroes, Superman, Spiderman, and other popular heroes usually come to mind. However, after watching the videos, the word ‘hero’, has a new definition in my mind. First, there was the Disney cartoon, Mulan. In the old times of China, girls and women’s jobs were to stay home and cook and take care of children. Yet Mulan disguised herself as a man and went to fight in a war. She later became a hero, or should I say heroine, to her fellow citizens. Then, after watching the video made by a high school student using a mixture of Lord of the Ring and Star Wars, another meaning for ‘hero’ came up. It was sacrifice. Both of the heroes in the movies sacrificed themselves to save the others. I think it’s something that normally people can’t do. What I think ‘hero’s journey’ meant, is that how the hero become a hero. Like in Mulan, she was just an ordinary woman before she changed her looks and joined the army. When everyone discovered she was a woman, they lost faith in her and were very disappointed. However, when they met the enemies again during a carnival, it was actually Mulan who fought them off. Therefore, not only males can be heroes. Women can be as strong as men!!!
People use the world hero a lot but don't really know what it truly means. To me a hero is someone you can always look up to as a role model. After watching the movie 'Gandhi' I really think that Gandhi is a true hero of both South Africa and India because of his big role in rights movements. He also does not use violence, but instead peaceful protest and demonstrations. Another big hero of many people is Martin Luther King Jr. He was also another peaceful protester inspired by Gandhi who fought for the rights of African Americans in the USA.
Heroes, who are they? They are people who give away something to help others and ask nothing in return. They are people who are there for others. Some of my own heroes: my parents, my grandmother, Shimon Peres. All these have given upon something, but really, asked for nothing back. I think that heroes are important because without them the world would look very different then what it is now, it will not be a place that good for humans without them.
Have you ever heard of superman, spiderman,wonder women,etc? All of these people are imaginary super heroes. But anybody can be a hero. A hero to me is someone who is selfless and wants to care for other people who wants to help someone or even save someone. You don't even need super powers. I know an everyday hero. This hero is my dad. ilitary to fight for freedom and defend America. He actually volunteerd to be in the military as part of his life and his career for a very long time. I admire this becasue this is a big sacrifice. I barely see my dad everyday and he has actually been to war twice. To me seeing your dad go is hard becasue you don't know what the future might hold. In the military there are people who volunteer, not forced. In my country, there is something called a draft which is where all the young men in the country have to serve at least three years in the military. I have a very hard time with that becasue it is forcing people to go to war who don't want to go versus the people who volunteered. It is most likely to be difficult with people who are forced to go becasue they think they don't really have a purpose to be there. They don't try hard to defend their country. Even George Washington believed that men who want to join his army to fight can join becasue theses are pople who want to be there, who want to fight and try their best. This is why a hero is selfless and brave. My goal in life is to save someone, to experience good versus evil. Unfortunately that did happen. There was one time where I was walking down the street in my neighborhood and there was this girl that had gotten beaten up by a bunch of seventeen year olds. I was very young at this time and I didn't know why this would happen. So I interfered with the fight trying to save the girl. But luckly, the mom wittnessed it and came out just in time to handle the fight. I was glad that day I tried to save someone. Even though I couldn't take them all down, I'm glad that I tried with a heroes heart.
When I was young, if people asked me what a hero is, I would probably say a hero is a strong and masculine being that saves lives of those in danger. I would think “normal” people like myself couldn’t comply with that reputation. I think I had that stereotype because in books and cartoons I’ve seen when I was young, they usually use men who appear tough and fearless to depict heroes. Those heroes would also always be able to save the day and would have the respect and admiration from everyone. Now, as I grew older and have broadened by knowledge from reading more books and watching movies, I’ve come to realize that heroes are not at all the image I had in mind as a child. Heroes can be both male and female, can come in many different appearances, and most importantly, heroes can be anyone. They don’t need to have special powers or inhuman characteristics, but a hero is just an ordinary person that is admired by others for their qualities or achievements.
The examples of heroes and heroines, and each of their stories shown in the videos helped be understand what ‘A Hero’s Journey’ is. To me, the ‘Hero’s Journey’ is the pattern of events in which one has to go through to become a hero. After watching the video of Christopher Vogler explaining the ‘Hero’s Journey’ using the movie, ‘The Matrix’ as an example, it made me recognize the trend in which almost every movie has in order to portray a hero to the audience. In the beginning, there is a call where they are given the choice for their departure. When they decide to accept the call, they have to overcome their fears, restrain temptations, and fight the obstacles that lie before them. Sometimes the hero gets help from others throughout the journey. Usually before the journey ends, the hero receives a great gift. It is what the hero went on the journey to get and when they receive the gift, they have to chose whether or not to return back to finish their journey. There is usually a chase that occurs when the hero nearly completes the journey and when they do, they are to share the wisdom and experience they got throughout their journey and share the gift they received to the rest of the world.
This made me think of numerous books I’ve read and movies I’ve watched that have the same exact concept of events. I have realized that in every story of a hero, there is another discrete story that is hidden behind it; the story of ‘A Hero’s Journey’.
My definition of a hero is a person who others admire and look to for advice. My favorite hero at this point in time is James Bond. I always love seeing him come to the rescue through the most abnormal ways. Though, when looking at the stages of a Hero’s Journey, I cannot see a strong connection with 007 movies and Joseph Campbell’s research. I believe that this is because there are many 007 movies and his character and personality has already been established, therefore the initial stages of Campbell’s proposal are not apparent in the movies. Another hero that I like is Hercules. Now that I know what the steps are of a Hero’s Journey, I can see a strong correlation between the movie and Joseph Campbell’s investigation.
Star Wars, The Matrix, Harry Potter, Batman, Lord of the Rings, Spiderman and other ‘hero’ movies all seem a bit predictable now because what makes these movies special is the suspense of not knowing what is going to happen next. Because all these movies follow the same sequence that Joseph Campbell suggested, we are now able to foresee the basic storyline of each movie and consequentially the progression of the plot.
By watching the videos at the blog, I now know the sequence of event that will take place in the ‘hero’ movies. Now that I know there is an outline for hero’s movies, I am beginning to wonder if there is a pattern or outline that other genres of movies follow.
When people think of a hero, superman or batman come to mind. A hero is normally perceived as a strong muscular man who has superpowers. Also when people think of superheros, they think of damsels in distress and that sometimes annoys me. People always think that girls are helpless and cant protect themselves. I find that absurd. I think that a girl is capable of protecting herself and doesn't need anyone even though that may not be true all the time. A hero is a person who is willing to help anyone at anytime without worrying about what will happen to them. A hero is someone who doesn't think twice before jumping into a fire if a child is trapped inside. That person could male or female. That is my definition of a hero.
I think a hero's journey is the things a person does to receives the title of hero. That person can be masculine or feminine. I think this because in Mulan, she was an normal woman who didn't have any special attributes to brag about and led a normal life. But she wanted to help people so she joined the army as a man. But when the people in the army discovered that she was a man, they lost hope in her> but she proved them wrong and fought the enemies by herself. That is a true hero! Anybody can earn the title hero by just doing the smallest of things. Eventually you might end up being better than those fictional comic book charters like Superman and Batman, by just being yourself.
i guess when people think of a hero they thing of some strong looking person with a cape, but i think that a hero that have to be that at all he can be small and weak and it could also be a girl, for example Gandhi who looked very weak was considered a hero for in India because he set India free. Another example would be Joan of arc who was a girl who served as one of the leaders of the French armies in the 100 hundred year war and she was considered a hero in her country. I think the best hero I've seen so far is Gandhi because he is the only person I've seen to be the complete opposite of what people might think is a hero, because he looked like a normal human being but he wasn't, he wasn't was of those heroes who killed the bad guys, no he actually cared for all human beings and thats why i consider him the best. I think the heroes journey is the path which the hero took in order to become a hero, all the hardships and battles he pr she had to take in order to be considered a hero.
Before I watched these videos my idea of a hero was someone who can be looked up to by others, is willing to sacrifice themselves so that other people can have a better life, and someone who has ‘strength’ to defy the enemy (whoever that might be). When I watched the video about the Hero’s Journey and Mulan it talked about the different stages of the Hero’s Journey, the stages that I myself have noticed in the books I read and movies I watch. I think that some of the main parts where the intro, where the hero or heroine goes off on a journey, the difficulty of the journey, and then the return. However, in the video there were much more parts although I think those three basically sum it all up. In the video that compares the heroes in movies to each other they show different aspects of the hero and the hero’s journey and compare them to each other. For example, in lots of stories the mentor of the hero is willing to sacrifice themselves so that the hero can continue of their quest, and there is often something supernatural in those types of stories also, such as wizards or magic weapons. Also, I think that another important part in that video was that it talks about how oftentimes in stories there is usually some sort of ‘enemy horde’ that tries to stop the hero.
My definition of a hero is anyone who has the courage to stand up for what they believe in or what is right. A hero is someone who strives to achieve goals and isn’t afraid to take risks or make sacrifices. In my eyes, the most important characteristics that any hero should have are courage and altruism. I don’t think it takes supernatural abilities, magical skills or supreme power to be a hero, because I believe that anyone can be hero, like Tess. A hero is simply someone who inspires others and is appreciated greatly for his/her achievements, whether big or small. However, I didn’t always think this way. Due to the things I saw or read in movies and books, when I was small, my rather narrow perception of a hero was a strong, masculine figure (e.g. superman, batman) that was capable of overpowering numerous enemies with superpowers and would eventually save the day for everyone. I would have laughed at the notion of a heroine. However, after watching movies such as Mulan, my perception broadened, as I could now see that women were as capable as men in any field. After watching the ‘Heroes’ television series and the latest 007 movies, I now also feel that heroes aren’t perfect or some very high, saintly beings. Heroes can make wrong decisions sometimes and they have problems of their own. In the end, they are only human like anyone else.
Not initially familiar with the term ‘hero’s journey’, the videos I saw gave me some insight into what it means. I think that the ‘hero’s journey’ is the steps and decisions one takes to earn the status of a hero. The videos have shown me how the ‘hero’s journey’ is behind the plot of many movies and stories such as The Matrix, James Bond, Superman, Spiderman, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. The video analyzing five different movies showed me the connection between all these stories, how the heroes share elements such as foes, special weapons, mentors that sacrifice for them, traitors etc. The video about the step-by-step presence of the ‘hero’s journey’ elements in Mulan gave me a clear idea of what this journey requires from the hero and the three essential steps: Departure, Initiation and, Return. It shows how the hero initially is hesitant about setting about on the journey, but after he/she goes through the hardships and is triumphant, reward in the form of apotheosis. What follows is the hero’s refusal to revert back to normal. I thought the animated video was quite a humorous representation of the ‘hero’s journey’.
I have now understood to some extent, what the ‘hero’s journey’ really is, and how it is present behind every hero and their transformation from the ordinary to the special.
My definition of Heroism is, someone who could secrifies themself to save a person. This has been the definition of heroism since the day I read an amazing artical about a university student who, sacrified himself inorder to save a child that ran into the train. But, the thing that made me even more supprizing was that, at the train station there was about 300 people and in that crowd the university student was only the person who tried to save the child. After reading this artical. I stared thinking about the question: 'what were the people around the man doing when he was started runing torwards the train?' I kept on thinkg about this question Also in the artical it says that, if there was just another person who could have helped the student the student could have been saved. I still couldn't understand why people didn't help the student. But, by reading this artcal I learnt that calling a person 'hero' is easy but being called 'hero' by people is a hard
When I was younger, I thought of a hero as a super strong male that would sweep in without notice and save people everyday. I liked the music video of the Foo Fighters and the Mulan video the best. After watching the video I found the lyrics of the video hoping it would show what the video meant. In the lyrics it says "There goes my hero, hes ordinary". That told me that a person does not have to be super strong or have special abilities to be a hero. Anybody can be a hero if they make other people's safety the first priority and their safety the second priority. The Mulan video showed the steps it took for Mulan to become a 'hero'. She was an ordinary person before she decided to join the army as a male. This video showed that a female could be a hero just as a male could. It also showed the steps a person takes to become a hero. The 'hero's journey' is the steps an ordinary person takes to have the title of a hero. It is not the steps a hero take after they have the title of a hero.
I believe a hero is someone that helps others at a time of need. When I was young I also thought that heroes were only men since at a young age many television shows and other influences show men heroes. I thought that heroes were men who had super powers and saved the world. I also thought that a hero had to be strong, brave and smart to save others. However I learnt that heroes do not have to be men. My understanding of ‘the hero’s journey’ is that is the typical path heroes take to become a 'true hero'. The pattern has been repeated in many movies and stories and they almost always have the same journey.
Every one can be a hero. They can be a man or a woman, a boy or a girl, weak or strong, and good-looking or not so good-looking. But heroes must have something in common; they must have done a 'good' thing. This 'good' thing can be as significant as saving a person's life, as normal as scoring the winning goal, or as insignificant as returning a lost pencil. I considered them all to be heroes. However, I have not always thought of them this way. I used to have them perception that a hero is someone that saves people lives. The hero would usually be male and strong. Heroes are always portrayed this way by the media whether in animations such as Hercules, in James Bond films, or in Superman comics. A hero in the media would be an elite few, or as one individual. I, for one, believe that anyone can be a hero. Everyone can be, and I am sure that everyone has been in at least one point of their lives.
As for hero's journey, I think it is how a hero became what he is. For example in the video of Joseph Campbell, a hero in movies such as 'The Matrix' begins his journey to heroism with the hero being in a situation that he knows that something is wrong. Then they are given a choice and they accept the choice that forces them to overcome what they are against. And in the end, they succeed. This is a trend that is showing more and more in movies.
In all, I think that the term a hero's journey means the path a hero has taken to his or her being a hero. Also, my definition of a hero is everyone and anyone. Anyone can be a hero and everyone will be a hero.
Since I was little, I have always thought of a hero to be someone a strong man with special power. But as I got older my idea of a hero changed, after reading novels and watching movies, I also got the idea of a female hero. Two summers ago, while I was at Choate Rosemary Hall, I took a course called “Who Are The Heroes”, from this I learnt that a hero can be imaginary, a real person or even a celebrity. From my perspective, heroes are someone who has strong integrity, optimistic, caring and determined to help someone even if it means losing something they have.
After watching the video “Mulan, A Hero With A Thousand Face”, I understand the there are three parts to a hero’s journey; departure, initiation, and return. In the first part of the hero’s journey, the hero leaves their house in order to help their family or someone who need help. The initiation is includes three aspects within it; fear, temptation, and strength. At first Mulan was afraid that the people in the army would find out that she was a girl. She was tempted when she had to work with the male character that she finds handsome. Mulan was determined to prove herself with her strength. In the end of the hero’s journey, the hero has to fight with the enemy in order to win the battle.
My definition of a hero is a person who benefits the society and who others try to become. Like many others, when I was young I believed that heroes are people who save others from danger and bring peace to the world. People who I consider as heroes when I was small are often imaginary characters from comics and cartoons. Most of the characters are masculine and they are all given the same characteristics, tough and strong with superpowers. As I grew older, my favorite basketball player, historical hero of my country, and other people in real life became my heroes. The meaning of hero to me is simply people who I admire.
After watching the video by Casey Poma, another element of hero appeared. The high school student mentioned in the video that heroes often sacrifice themselves for the general welfare. Both heroes in “Lord of the Ring” and “Star Wars” sacrificed themselves for others. I found this video very inspiring and meaningful. Another video that inspired me is the video on Mulan. The video gave a clear idea that women and men are equal and a woman can be a hero too. Although it is against her culture, Mulan went to war for her father. Mulan won the war for her army and saved her country. Mulan gained the respect from the citizens and became a heroine.
By watching the blog videos, I now know that heroes can be anyone. Heroes do not have to be a man and they do not have to have special powers. Heroes can be any ordinary people. I agree with Helen’s definition of what a “hero’s journey” is, it is the process that an ordinary person has to go through to become a hero.
As an average eighth grade student, I have experienced being saved by a hero. Before this event had taken place, my perception of a hero was influenced by comics, books, and movies. I used to think that heroes were big, huge men with the capability to be able to carry the whole city in his arms and save the world. Then an unexpected event occurred that changed my view on a hero.
My religion is Sikh, and following it I am not allowed to cut my hair. In summer school, as an upcoming first grader I had no idea what to expect from students in ISB. Looking at my hair, a boy was intrigued and always pulled and yanked whenever he had the chance. It also reached to the limit where he got a set of scissors ready but luckily another boy pushed him away and got cut instead.
From this incident, I learned that a hero does not need to be recognized, special, or even admired. The boy who "saved" my religious identity wasn't the most admired one in class. He was a troublemaker as well but just bullied in some different ways than the kid who tried to cut my hair.
People also have a false thinking that men are the only one who are heros. As Apurva mentioned, women are thought as a poor, helpless person with no strength. Mulan's journey is a story which proved us all wrong. According to me, a hero's journey is describes the success and downfall of becoming a hero. It is a journey to identify yourself through the community's eyes. Mulan's journey was not only an ascending set of stairs. THere were lots of ladders that proved as downfalls which included for her to prove her strength, capability, and mastering the two worlds (masculine and feminine). Before meeting up with this topic of a 'hero's journey', I only looked at movies to see success hero's received at the end. NOw by realizing the importance of this topic, the whole story of a movie will seem different because I will be looking for the struggle, not for the success.
But just keep one thing in mind. A hero is not a man with super power to save the world. A hero is a person who does his/her share of help through the heart and does it meaningfully.
If I was asked to define the word ‘hero,’ I will say hero is a person who inspires other ordinary people to contribute something good for the world. For example, Shriek in the movie ‘Shriek1’ teaches audience to overcome the hatred and discrimination against you and be optimistic and courageous. When he took off in order to save the princess everyone hated him because of his race, but he fights the fearsome dragon bravely and in the end wins, taking the girl.
I think I finally have a slight idea of what ‘hero’s journey’ means after watching few videos and reading a few comments. It is a trip that most heroes must or needs to take to have a happy ending that includes facing many obstacles and difficult problems, resisting temptations, and looking for assistance. For instance, in the movie ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Frodo and other characters take one long journey in the movie. Frodo, who is the little hobbit, confronted a lot of things; he had to fight couple of monstrous monsters climb rocky mountains and also resist the luring ring to the great power. As a result he found honor from many people and found peace in his country.
As Apruva said when people think of a hero they think of superman batman and other mascular people with super powers. When i think of a hero i think of a person that saved someone's life that is in danger or sopmeone that is willing to do what it takes to help others without having to think twice.
As i grow up i always thought that only men can be a hero. But now i know that anyone can be a hero, doesn't matter if they are women or men. "They don’t need to have special powers or inhuman but a hero is just an ordinary person that is admired by others for their qualities or achievements" said Tess . For me a hero is a person that is willing to help everyone at any time without thinking twice. "A person that is willing to jump into a fire if a child is trapped inside." An example of a hero even though it is a movie, the scene when Mulan sacrificed herself by going to the armies isntead of her dad. She even cut her hair so she could look like a men. She could get killed but she did not think twice becuase her dad was old and she wanted to protect him from going to the armies. That is what i consider a hero because she was willing to do anything to stop her dad from going to that armie that she went there herself. Not everyone in this world is willing to risk their lives to help others. Not everyone thinks of others before themselves.
So I think a hero has to be more than someone with super powers that becuase in this world no one has super powers. I hero has to be someone that helps, saves people and does good tnings in order to help other people. Someone that doesn't only think the themsleves, and of course someone that is willing to do anything to help others.
My definition of a hero is someone who does something positive to help the society without attracting public attention to be admired. Some of the "heroes" I've encountered in my life are Batman, Superman, Spiderman and etc. They are all imaginary. Most of the imaginary heroes a masculine that's why I thought at first, all heroes are men with strong muscles and a suit to disguise themselves. But now I realized that not all heroes are men. Some could be feminine. For example, Mulan, as shown in the videos that Mr. Kenney put on the website, is a hero in the movie because she helps the army by fighting in it.
I think "The Hero's Journey" means the journey someone has to take to be considered a hero. For instance, in the high school animation the main character was told to journey on a mission to obtain an elixir to save his master. In that journey, the main character was asked to perform tasks so increase his rank to "Hero".
I think that being a hero is not just like being a doctor, being a hero is something you choose to be so you could help others. It is about making the right choices, choices that could lead social action. Just like in the social Studies philosophy. I also understood that a hero's journey isn't just any journey, it is the journey that will determine whether a new person will help the world or whether it was a waste of time and money for the man.
As many others above me have stated, I too always thought of a hero as someone who was masculine above any other and had magic powers as well. Someone out of a movie, TV show, or even comics. They've all made us think of heroes as someone who'd save us from evil and have magical powers. However, now, when someone talks of a hero, I vision someone who helps and also, like Steven said, inspires other people in making the world a "better" place.
As for the Hero's Journey, I think that this kind of represents Lao Tze's quote in some ways. "The things learned along the way are more important than the destination. Everyone has to go through many obstacles and hardship to get to where we are right now. In Mulan, I think that that taught me that heroes did not have to be male; however, heroines were more brave than the heroes themselves. Mulan was a normal woman. She was willing to sacrifice her life to not let her father fight in war. She stood for what she believed in. Also, I think that Pocahontas was also a great heroine. Although she did not fight like crazy or have magical powers, she faught for what was right. She faught for her people, her village.
As I young boy I define a hero as spider man or super man, brave male cartoon characters that wears cool out fits and have special powers to save the world and strength to lift up a building. They can also be described as people that fight the bad and a model that kids look up to and wish to be like. But being an 8th grader that I am I think that heroes are people that contribute to other’s lives greatly. People that try to change the society and people that sacrifices their own lives to fight for what is right. Anybody can be a hero, they don’t have to be a male, they don’t need super powers, they can be weak or they can be strong. Movie and new knowledge had change my perceptions of heroes but what I define a hero now and when I was a kid have in common is that they are both brave. Brave to fight the evil creatures and brave to fight for what’s right.
Like Tess, ‘The hero’s journey’ is an order of events a person goes through to become a hero. This is represented greatly by the last video Mulan. This video showed the different scenes of the movie that Mulan perfected to be given the status of a hero. This includes departure, initiation and, return as the women in the video listed.
When the word 'hero' comes up anywhere, I used to think it was people who are strong and brave and never afraid of danger. It is basically the stereotype meaning of heroes that I got from movies, comics, and cartoons. Like Mindy, when I grew up I got the idea of a female hero after reading novels and my definition of hero changed. Now, when the word hero is mentioned, I think of many types of people, but I think the best way to explain them is this: heroes are people who fight for what they think is right and do everything for a good cause. They also sacrifice themselves for the welfare of other people. Not everyone may agree with this definition but I think that it fits the word because of what I've seen and experienced and learned.
After watching Heroine of a Thousand Faces, I’ve learned that heroes basically have to have 3 parts; departure, initiation, and return. They also have to face their fears and temptations. Her fear was the fear of getting found out that she was actually a girl, and not a boy. Her temptation was the general who she thought was good looking. Then in the end, all heroes have to have a fight where they win the enemy and get excepted by the people who used to disrespect them.
According to my perception of a hero, I think that a hero is someone who is selfless, and puts others before themselves for the benefit of the larger society. This relates to outcome statement # 2 and how a being can affect the gneral welfare of the larger society. Being a hero ties in with many units we have focused on in Humanities class. In the Humanities philosophy statement, it states that their goal is to have students think critically. Being a hero means to think critically and make the right choices at crucial moments. A hero is someone who fights for what is right without being afraid or taunted by the others who oppose the hero's judgement. For example, Mohandas Gandhi, fought for justice for Indians in South Africa even though the British had total control and disagreed 100 % with Gandhi. Gandhi kept fighting for what her percieved as right. Relating to everyone who stated that a hero does not be a strong male, a hero just needs to meet the criteria of fighting for what is right, and putting others first to benefit the larger society.
The hero's journey is the path someone takes to become a hero. The three elements of the hero's journey include Departure, Initiation, and Return. I now know that departure is the reluctance of the 'soon-to-be' hero to going on his/her mission. Initiation is the actual element in which he/she accepts the challenge and makes it their first priority. Return is when they have completed their challenge and is rewarded. Not all hero's journeys are exactly like this and sometimes their challenge ends with death. But as selflessness being a common trait between heros, while they nestle in heaven, they are grateful for the outcome and positive affect their actions have had on the larger society.
I know heroes. Lots of heroes. Everybody knows superman, Spiderman, or even wonder women. These are super heroes with special powers to help save people. When I was watching Mulan, I thought that it was very brave of her to take her dad’s place in the army and to cut all her hair off. Mulan is a girl that has a brave heart and has a purpose in her decision. I know that first she was afraid to take her dad’s place but then she never gave up. I really enjoyed watching the clip from Mulan but I don’t think it matches my definition of a hero. I know that Mulan saves the emperor at the end but the truth is, a hero may not be able to save people in real life but it takes courage and a heart to try. An everyday hero that I know is my dad. He is in the military and has been off to war twice. He is a hero because he volunteered to serve and protect his family, risking his life and making it a part of his job. He choose this, he wasn’t forced to join. One thing that really bugged me was well, in my country, there has been a draft where all the young men have to serve in the army for at least three years. You have to understand that these men were forced to fight meaning that they didn’t want to do it. I know that George Washington allowed men to join his army who volunteered and wanted to fight because people should fight in war should want to have a desire to protect their country, not being forced. It would be very difficult with people who didn’t want to be on the battle field because they don’t try their best, Instead, they have fear. I’ve always wanted to save someone’s life. I wanted to get that feeling of good. That unfortunately did happen. In my neighborhood there was a girl who was being attacked by a bunch of teenagers. I thought this was awful and was very sick to see and I didn’t know why they would do such a thing. I was young at this time. I wanted to stop the situation so I did. I went in there and fought as best as I can until luckily, the mom came and took care of it. Even though I didn’t take them all down. I tried my best. I wanted to save this girl. I had a purpose and most importantly, a hero’s heart. That is what most people don’t see. A hero doesn’t need to have super powers and save the day always. All it takes is trying. OSme people even risk their lives.
If I was asked what I thought a hero meant at the age of seven, I would have said a hero was a masculine and strong person who has many special superpowers. I would have thought a hero was someone like Batman, Superman, or Spiderman. However, that is a stereotype that is seen in movies, comic books and TV shows. Now, If I was asked what the definition of hero was right now, I would say that a hero is somebody who commits an act of bravery or who has shown an quality such as great courage or strength of character. I also know that a hero can be a boy or a girl. It could even be an animal or an imaginary friend!
I think that being a hero means that you have to overcome your fear of something or a person. I also think that when a hero is on its journey, they learn more about themselves and they become stronger as they learn more.
From watching 'Heroine With a Thousand Faces,' I learned more about the elements of a hero's journey. The three elements are departure, initiation and return. Departure is the stage before the hero becomes a hero. It is when the soon-to-be hero accepts the challenge to go on the journey. Initiation is when the hero focuses on the aim to becoming a hero. For example, in the movie Mulan, Mulan tries her hardest to get better at fighting and accomplishing the different tasks that she is supposed to accomplish. Return is when the hero has completed the challenge and is rewarded for her/his acts.
Now, whenever I watch movies about hero's, I will know how the story will go because I now know about the different elements of a hero's journey.
I have always thought that a hero is someone who flies around in tights and saves Townsville from evil green monkeys (e.g. the powerpuff girls). Now that I have known better, I think that a hero is simply someone who puts other people before themselves. Someone who would safe others before they safe themselves; someone who would help others before they help themselves; someone who would risk their own life for the life of someone else; someone who is never afraid of what they are going to face and someone who would never give up.
The videos didn’t work in my case, it wouldn’t play and had no volume so I couldn’t hear the narrations and see the content. However, by reading the comments of my fellow classmates, I think I may be able to vaguely make out what the ‘hero’s journey’ really means. I think the hero’s journey is the process in which an ordinary person would need to go through in order to become a true hero. Most people have said in their comment that the hero’s journey has three different parts to it, I believe it is Departure, Initiation, and Return. I can’t really elaborate much about them because I couldn’t watch the videos and I don’t want to copy other people’s work, but I guess I have learned a lot today about the true meaning of being a hero and the hero’s journey from reading other sources.
To me the definition of a hero is someone who is strong both in physical and spiritually. They are strong because they fight for injustice and save other people from difficulties. They have courage and are ready to take risk. Also they aren’t easily influenced by other people’s opinion. They know what is right or wrong and once they have made a decision they push ahead with the plan.
I tend to think hero as a man because all of the movies and books that I am aware of use a man as a hero. A strong looking man is the general hero that comes up in my head when I think of a hero. However the video of ‘Mulan’ has changed my perception about heroes. I realized that women are also capable to become heroes. It was especially impressive when she disguised herself to look like a man and how she tried to prevent from showing herself. I think she would have felt tired and a bit guilty because she had to pretend like a man and that’s not the real her. It’s impressive how she overcomes the difficulties and challenges and become a hero of her country.
I think the Hero’s Journey is the steps that the hero undergoes to become a true hero. The hero’s journey shows the departure, challenges, difficulties, and overcoming all these and finally becoming a hero. Though the stories and characters are different the outline of hero movies are similar.
The image that would pop into my head after hearing the word, "hero" would be someone big built and muscular. But after righting the essay on our 'hero', I understood that a hero is not only someone strong physically but someone strong emotionally who is there for you in times of need.The hero I had written about in that essay was Divya, one of my friends who had visited from London recently. To anyone who has seen her, she doesn't look like a stereotypical hero but to me she is a hero because she is always there for me when I need her. I think my friends and family are my main heroes who have personally helped me when I needed it. An artist that I look up to is Raza. When I look at his work I can really understand the message that he is trying to get across and I think he is heroic for not giving into 'commercial art.' Each of his paintings are different and each one reflects how much of himself he has put into it. After giving Raza's example I can also say that in my opinion hero's have a lot of determination. What I have understood of the hero's journey is that it is the process which a hero goes through to get to their struggle, achieve whatever they can. By this I don't only mean the obvious examples of people in movies or books and the journey they go through to beat the villain or the struggle. I also mean everyday heros' journeys. I think for all of us our life is a hero's journey. We start off when we are born ("The journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step") and continue through the stages as we grow older.
I think that being a hero isn't something you do I order to show every one else you courage and toughness. It is something you do to help others. It is something that takes away a lot but at the end it pays off. Heroes are people who sacrifice something for others. They could loose something very important for them, but sometimes they just manage to get over it and continue with the lives.
Every hero has to take a hero's journey. A journey that takes a lot of courage, toughness, the wish to sacrifice, and of course the wish to succeed at the end. Because after all every hero will get a reward for his or her helping.
When I was young and about few minutes ago before I watched the videos on the blog, my definition of the word “hero” was the MALE WHO HAS SUPERNATURAL POWER and comes suddenly and saves people who are in danger and fight for the peace of the world. But after I watched the videos on the blog, I realized that I had a stereotype of my perception and my definition of hero is male. When I was young I watched Disney movies, like “Lion King” a lot. In those kinds of movies, the heroes are all male and even now when I watched the movie, like batman and superman, the heroes of the movies are all male. I think these factors made me to think that the female can’t be the hero because they are not stronger than male in physical way.
The video about “Mulan” helps me to change my perception and stereotype about hero at most. In the video “Mulan,” Mulan is the female but she joins the army instead of her father. But in the army, every thing is really hard to overcome because she is just like as normal girl. There are three trials that Mulan has to overcome are fear, temptation, and strength. But she overcomes everything and shows everyone that the female can be stronger than the male and she becomes the hero.
This video also changed my perception and stereotype about that all the heroes have supernatural power or they have great ability and different with the normal people. In movie called “Mulan,” Mulan is just as same as normal girl but she overcomes everything with her efforts and her tenacity of being stronger as the others.
Being hero needs lots of courage and effort also it has need to overcome the challenges.
I think the definition of a hero is someone who is brave and saves other people from danger. Also heroes are someone you can look up to a role model and someone you hope would save you from bad situations. Some of the heroes I have encountered are Power Rangers because they always save the day from the evils and villains. Also, sports players can also be heroes. For example, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are heroes because they saved the Celtics from the danger. (Celtics was one of the worst team in NBA in 2006-2007 seasons) I think being a hero means being someone who can go through the dangers and obstacles and save the weak people from danger. Also being a hero means sacrificing themselves for others’ need. For example, a fire-fighter who jumped into the fire to save a baby is a hero because he sacrificed himself to help for others’ need. After watching the “My hero,” by Foo Fighters, I was again reminded that a true heroes sacrifices himself to save others. Just like the way the guy in the music video went to the burning house to save the baby and the animal.
In my perception at this point in my life, I define heroes or heroines as normal people who gain valuable achievements that are word of praise, admired and/or accepted, and beneficial among public or most people. Furthermore, the most important of all is that hero’s or heroine’s achievements must be done with honesty. For instance, the current King of Thailand provides hope and support to people when they are in need of help. In my life, my father is my hero, who has great performance and achievements in his career and lifestyle. As a result of his performance and achievements that I honor, it urges me to be like him, gaining achievements done with truthfulness.
After watching the videos at the class blog, they gave a clearer meaning to what ‘the hero’s journey’ meant. I concluded that the hero’s journey is the paths with obstacles that heroes and heroines must take in order to be accepted and honored in the perceptions of the society. In order to become a hero or heroine, they must have great courage and self-confidence to go through the unpredictable stages, such as proving their capability and struggling to get hold of the identity of being a hero. According to the movie ‘Mulan’, I could see that for Mulan to strive for success, she met with many obstacles in front of her, including sacrificing herself by attending the war to prove to her father that she could win. At last, she was the heroine of the citizens and the empire.
Therefore, normal people could be heroes or heroines, but is up to how they would create their identity for others to perceive them as being heroes or heroines. Achieving to be heroes or heroines is not an easy way because their must be honesty to achieve, and even bravery, to fight through obstacles that block the way leading to be the accepted ones in the views of society.
If I was still a young kid and if I were to answer the question, “what is the definition of heroes?” I would be answering like this: “A hero is a cool and strong man who can save people’s lives.” Like most of the other people, I would have considered spiderman, batman or superman as a hero.
By watching the videos on the blog, like “Mulan”, it gave me a clear idea of what a hero is. Now that I watched the video clip, I would define a hero like this: “Everyone is a hero and everyone can be a hero. A hero is a person who overcomes some kind of difficult walls that comes in front of them.”
I think a hero’s journey is a path (difficulties and challenges) that you have to take in order to become a real hero.
For me, the word hero is a savior who is really needed and helpful for people in crisis. When I was a kid, I thought Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and etc were only heroes in this world. Now I think that everyone can be a hero. For example, if my favorite football team is losing to away team and a player in my favorite team scores a goal, it means he saved the team and became the hero of all fans in that team.
I think becoming a hero is very hard thing. If you want to be a hero, you have to try very hard to be it. Like the video of Mulan, she was just a normal girl who lived peacefully, but goes into the army to help her dad even though she was a female. Because she was female in the army, everything was difficult for her. All the difficult trainings and everything made her hopeless, but she didn't give up and became the hero.
To become a hero, try your best to achieve.
This topic reminds me of when I was very young. I've also watched a lot of Disney movies such as batman, spiderman, and others including supernatural heroes(in cartoon.)Before watching videos in the blog, I just thought that the hero's journey is basically a male's helping or saving from a danger while his journey with just strong power. But after watching videos, I realized that how strong the hero is doesn't matter. It's how clever the hero is and how smart the hero is. Also, the hero doesn't mean it should be always a male, but there are a lot of female heroes too. So that's the most important idea of what I got from these videos. "Hero's journey is not just a person who fought against the enemies, but how to help people from the danger or in philosophical way.
Like a lot of people, I used to think that the only heroes in the world were those who wore capes and could fly. I now realize that ancient legends and modern-day tales alike have made the requirements of being a hero almost unrealistic. For example, heroes and heroines in movies always seem aided by the supernatural. Harry Potter has magical powers, and so does Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. Mulan enlists help from a dragon and her ghostly ancestors. The focus should mainly be on heroes in real life, who’ve managed to gain respect without the supernatural. Mother Teresa is an excellent example, as is Gandhi.
I think a hero is someone who manages to do great things without any selfish motives, and succeeding even through difficult times. For example, Gandhi managed to change a lot in the world even though he faced opposition from the authorities. Mother Teresa did what nobody else dared to do: show compassion for those considered the lowest of the low-class.
I watched three videos: Joseph Campbell (the second video), Elements of Hero’s Journey (fifth video) and Mulan (last video). Watching the videos, I remembered something that I learnt in church just this Sunday: a journey is more than a trip from one place to another, it’s an experience. Therefore, I think that hero’s journey refers to the process that the hero went through to become a hero in the first place. This process required many elements, like the initial refusal to accept the challenge and the hero’s eventual facing up to the challenge and overcoming it.
I have always thought that a hero is someone who flies around in tights and saves Townsville from evil green monkeys (e.g. the powerpuff girls). Now that I have known better, I think that a hero is simply someone who puts other people before themselves. Someone who would safe others before they safe themselves; someone who would help others before they help themselves; someone who would risk their own life for the life of someone else; someone who is never afraid of what they are going to face and someone who would never give up.
After watching the video on the blog ‘Heroine with a thousand faces - mulan’ I think I am now able to vaguely make out what the ‘hero’s journey’ really means. I think the hero’s journey is the process in which an ordinary person would need to go through in order to become a true hero. The video showed that the hero’s journey has three different parts to it, Departure, Initiation, and Return. Departure represents the time when an adventure is at hand but the hero is still not sure whether to take it or not but soon after realizing the importance of the adventure, he/she still takes it over with the belly of a whale. Initiation contains three parts, fear, temptation, and strength, it is the process in between departure and return, the process where the hero has to over come his/her fear, temptation and strength and do all the hard work needed to complete the hero’s journey. Return is includes a fight or a final exam that would determine whether the hero has the potential to become a true hero. Of course, in the end, there is always a successful conclusion, or not.
I learned that being a hero is not as easy as it seems. You have to go through departure, initiation and return. All three of those processes are very complicated and hard to accomplish. However a true hero will never think twice as they set off on their journey of a thousand miles with a single step.
For me, hero is someone who helps people without caring him/herself. Hero helps even though he/she injured or die by helping. To become a hero, you have to be very determined, and not selfish at all. Hero always think of other people first.
The hero in music video, could die by fire, but he went back many times to help some other people, even though it doesn't help him at all. Person like him is hero to me.
in the video where Chiristopher Vogier's talks Jseph Campbell's steps of Heroism. I now found out that inorder to become a hero, there must be certain steps (pattern) to follow. I agree with him in some part, there are some patterns to follow inorder to become a hero. The part that i agree with him is the part where he talks about fear. He says inorder to become a hero you first needs to feel the fear, than overcome the fear. The universal student had overcome the fear since he was runing towards the train this could mean he is a hero. But, in the other hand he also says that hero's overcome the fear and succeds. My hero, which is the universal student, didn't succed. He failed to succeded, he saved the child but, not himself. This is the part where I don't agree. People call him a hero, but based on what Joseph Campbell he is not a hero. So, I now learnt that my hero is a hero but also not a hero.
I think the definition of a hero is someone who is brave and saves other people from danger. Also heroes are someone you can look up to a role model and someone you hope would save you from bad situations. Some of the heroes I have encountered are Power Rangers because they always save the day from the evils and villains. Also, sports players can also be heroes. For example, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are heroes because they saved the Celtics from the danger. (Celtics was one of the worst team in NBA in 2006-2007 seasons) I think being a hero means being someone who can go through the dangers and obstacles and save the weak people from danger. Also being a hero means sacrificing themselves for others’ need. For example, a fire-fighter who jumped into the fire to save a baby is a hero because he sacrificed himself to help for others’ need. After watching the “My hero,” by Foo Fighters, I was again reminded that a true heroes sacrifices himself to save others. Just like the way the guy in the music video went to the burning house to save the baby and the animal. Also in the Mulan video, I learned that hero’s journey has three steps. First, Departure, initiation, returns. Then they are broken into, departure: call to adventure, refusal of the call, supernatural aid, grossing of first threshold, and the belly of the whale. Then initiation: road of trials, meeting with the goddess (even though there is no part for this in Mulan), woman/man as the temptress, atonement with father, apotheosis, and the ultimate boon. Finally return is broken into: refusal of return and the magic fight. Just like in Mulan, all the heroes’ journeys include these steps.
A hero to me is a brave person who helps and save people no matter how dangerous the situation is. I remembered the hero essay we did a few months ago, many people mentioned about the imaginary heroes from cartoons and comics such as Spiderman, Batman, Superman, and etc. These imaginary heroes do not want people to know who they are, so they wear costumes to disguise themselves. However, not all heroes are male; there are also females who are considered as a “hero” such as Mulan. To me, a “hero’s journey” is the challenges and difficulties that the heroes must face before being considered as a hero.
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