Hero’s Journey Final Paper Presentation by Lauren Chapin Greek Mythology & Religion Dr. Sfekas C. S. Lewis’s View On Heroes - Throughout this book & movie you will find heroes being fashioned from children. The children will begin as immature and lacking confidence but by the end the children will reign as confident Kings and Queens. - The story brings myth, magic and maturity into Campbell’s cycle of a hero’s journey. - This was a concept that C. S. Lewis put direct thought into. The reason he chose children to be the heroes of the story was to as he said, make children's futures brighter. - “Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.” C.S. Lewis The Hero’s Journey - This literal journey showcases what Campbell concluded about the path the hero of a story will take throughout their journey towards their own heroism. - The hero’s journey that Campbell developed can also be looked at as a reusable cycle that can fit into nearly any story and be used repeatedly. Heroes of Narnia: The Siblings - Peter (13), Susan (12), Edmund (10) & Lucy (8) Pevensie - All children are living in London, England during the 1940’s - Their father was a pilot and was killed by the Germans at war. - Survived by their mother Helen who after the night of the Blitz will evacuate her children to live with a Professor far outside of the city. Ordinary World - The heroes begin their journey in the ordinary world in the era in which their country is at war. - The video ultimately shows the world they will leave behind as they began their journey. - Also the dynamic of the siblings in general becomes apparent. Peter looks after Edmund but Edmund resents him for being older, while Susan looks after Lucy until Lucy matures more. Call to Adventure - Though the siblings are experiencing a lot of emotions leaving their home and mother what they do not yet know is their departure in Campbell’s theory has already begun and adventure awaits. - You can also see here the siblings serious need to begin to trust and rely on one another completely. - Trust towards one another allows their journey as heroes to continue. Refusal of Call - The siblings have been evacuated and sent to live in lavish mansion owned by a Professor. It is here that the siblings were instructed by the grounds keeper of the estate that they must be quiet daily and almost make their presence at their new home unknown so as to not disturb the professor. - However, since the children have been at the professor's home they have grown increasingly bored and restless. - Their call which they refuse is to be just like every other child evacuated from their their area, to simply go to a new home stay there until the war is over and then simply go back home. - It is through the discovery of the Wardrobe however which helps the siblings refuse this call to live just a normal life while war wages on. Refusal of Call Continued Refusal of Call Continued: - After Lucy finds the magical land of Narnia in the wardrobe she goes back to tell her siblings about what she found and none of them believe her. - Even after Edmund her older brother saw the wondrous land with his own eyes he went back to the real world and lied about what he saw. Even saying, “Some little children just don’t know when to stop pretending” to his own sister. - This is the first example of Edmund refusing the call as well. He refused to support his sister and convince his siblings about what he and Lucy had both witnessed because of selfish motives. - This call refusal from Edmund will be the first step for a continued disconnect between his siblings and him until much later. Meeting the Mentor - After the siblings exclude Lucy because of her desperation for her brothers and sister to believe her about Narnia she runs off crying and quite literally runs into the professor. - It is here that the two parental figures of the children, the oldest siblings are met with the professor where he teaches them a lesson that will carry the siblings on throughout the series. The lesson being, trust each other and support each other. Crossing the Threshold - Once Peter and Susan decide to no longer exclude Lucy from daily life because of her supposed made up stories, the siblings all decide to play a game of cricket. - One thing leads to another and during the game the children break a stained glass window in the mansion & to avoid the wrath of the grounds keeper they make a run for it and end up in the wardrobe, in the world of Narnia. Here the siblings outside of Edmund begin to trust and support one another as the Professor suggested. Tests, Allies, Enemies - Once into Narnia the first test that the siblings face is trusting the first Narnian creature they all meet, Mr. Beaver. They decide that since he knew Lucy that they would trust him and his wife Mrs. Beaver. - It is here that an ally is formed with the Beavers. The siblings learn of the prophecy which speaks of them as being Daughters of Eve and Sons of Adam. That once humans return to Narnia and take the throne that the evil reign of the White Witch will be over and Aslan the true King of Narnia will return to power. - However, in the same moment Peter, Susan and Lucy trust and gain knowledge from their new found ally, their own brother Edmund becomes their enemy. - Edmund deserts his siblings to go randevu with the White Witch who gave him empty promises of glory if he were to sell out his siblings. Edmund leaves his family. Tests, Allies, Enemies Continued Approach the Innermost Cave - After Edmund's betrayal he is captured by the White Witch and made a prisoner. While Edmund is a prisoner his siblings began to train as soldiers for the army of Aslan as well as taking their places as King and Queens of Narnia. - Yet Peter, Susan and Lucy have a duty as they learned previously to trust and support one another even if it is hard so they decide to break Edmund out of captivity. - They are successful in breaking him out of captivity from the White Witch. - However, it is not as easy as it seems. Edmund is now a traitor to Narnia and Aslan, his blood is property of the White Witch and he must be sacrificed on the Stone Table...but Aslan makes a wager with White Witch instead. Approach the Innermost Cave Continued The Ordeal (Death & Rebirth) - Aslan made a wager with the White Witch that he would sacrifice himself in the place of Edmund because of Edmund’s betrayal. - The death of Aslan would signify the end of Narnia and the forever Winter reign of the White Witch. - However, Aslan unlike the White Witch, is all-knowing and all powerful he knew that if he would give his innocent life in place of Edmund that not only would Edmund be spared but also Narnia would be saved. - As well, the rebirth of Aslan is moreso a resurrection. Aslan as part of his condition with the White Witch was to be sacrificed on the stone table which allowed him to come back from the dead. The Ordeal (Death & Rebirth) Continued The Ordeal (Death & Rebirth) Continued - The rebirth within the hero’s journey is seen here with Aslan's return from the dead which allows the siblings to fight alongside him in the battle for Narnia. - Aslan’s sacrifice was the first step in Lucy and Susan's ability to see for themselves the defeat of the White Witch so Peter and Edmund could help defeat her during the battle. The Reward (Seizing the Force) - The reward that the siblings receive for their heroism is a free Narnia ridden of the White Witch but not without a price. - Though the White Witch is gone forever and her forces are no more, Edmund still was mortally wounded during the battle. His heroism came with a price which was his life. - Also Aslan returned to slay the White Witch and to provide freedom to Narnia. The Resurrection - Though Edmund was mortally wounded by the White Witch during the battle. The heroism is now on the part of Lucy where she uses her talent to be able to heal wounds that even are an inch from death. - Edmund then survives to be seen as no longer a traitor to the kingdom of Narnia but instead one of its rulers. - This is an example of the concept of a true hero does not need to be the biggest, simply the bravest. The Road Back (to the Ordinary World) - For the hero siblings before they can actually go back to the ordinary world they must be first recognized throughout the kingdom of Narnia as the heroes they are. - Peter is named Magnificent, Susan is named Gentle, Edmund is named Just, and Lucy is named Valiant. All of which are traits of heroes. The Kings and Queens of Narnia. The Return With the Elixir - The finale is that the heroes spent many more years in Narnia reigning as High Kings and Queens. - However, their true journey is awaiting them back in their world. They must take back with them all they have learned and not only be the heroes for a kingdom but be the heroes in their own reality. - The elixir they bring back with them is confidence and knowledge. Conclusion - Campbell's a hero’s journey is clearly showcased throughout this story by C.S. Lewis. - The aspects of all the different parts of the journey are present and it allows the audience the ability to determine for themselves precisely what Campbell spoke of. - “The first work of the hero is to retreat from the world scene of secondary effects to those casual zones of the psyche where the difficulties really reside, and there to clarify the difficulties, eradicate them in his own case (i. E., give battle to the nursery demons of his local culture) and break through to the undistorted, direct experience and assimilation of what [Carl] Jung called “the archetypal images.” Works Cited CS Lewis Quotes
What Makes a Hero: Joseph Campbell’s Seminal Monomyth Model for the Eleven Stages of the Hero’s Journey,
The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe