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Hero's Journey In As I Lay Dying

I believe that William Faulkner's non-linear storytelling from the perspective of multiple characters in As I Lay Dying does still fit a framework where the Hero’s Journey is applicable. However, there are some key differences in the way that it is applied. For one, there is the question of who the actual hero is. We never get a clear answer to this, and at times the family unit as a whole could be pictured as the hero. Furthermore, this new form of storytelling changes how each character's personal struggles are interpreted. It could also be argued that each character’s development through these struggles and their ultimate boon is hindered by this format. Indeed, although the overall family unit does end up achieving its goal, many of the personal goals are not achieved. So while Faulkner's story can still be read as a hero’s journey, all of these aspects make it far from traditional, and indeed change how the novel is interpreted significantly. If we look at the goal th...
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Helga Crane: The Tragic Heroine

  Under Victoria Lynn Schmidtt’s template of the heroine’s journey, the Death and Rebirth stage is supposed to be the peak of a character's journey. After many failures, the heroine has finally come to the understanding she has been seeking. Typically, she is able to use this newfound understanding to better her life. But what happens when she cannot? This is the case for Nella Larsen's protagonist in the book Quicksand . Despite coming to her definitive and final conclusion about the world around her, and what her role in it should be, Helga Crane cannot do anything to chase this goal. Helga’s situation by the end of the book is a message by Larson, that a fulfilling journey of development was often not possible for many women of color during the 1920’s.      By examining Helga’s life before her epiphany, we can see the many social factors that Larson implies lead Helga down this path. The pressure for marriage is one such example. In Helga’s social circle, many o...
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Mulan's Journey

  The support phase under Victoria Lynn Schmidtt’s template of the heroine's journey is the first step towards the protagonist finding and embracing her true self. In the 1998 Disney movie “Mulan” this step occurs after the main character, Mulan, is exposed for being a woman in the army. Upon this discovery, she gets kicked out of the military, despite having single-handedly saved the entire army from an enemy attack. This discovery not only brings shame to her but dishonors her family as well. At this point in the film, Mulan is truly at her lowest, the only characters still standing by her are her horse, a small dragon named Mushu, and a “lucky” cricket. In order to console a crying Mulan, it is at this point that Mushu confesses something to her. He had lied to her about being sent by the ancestors, and rather, had gone with her because he had been disgraced, and needed a way to get his job back. The cricket also chimes in, confessing that he is not in fact a lucky cricket. Th...
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Kamala: Goddess or Temptress

Kamala is a crucial cog in Siddhartha’s hero’s journey, however, there can be two very different interpretations of her role within Joseph Campbell's 17-step hero’s journey. The first is at the goddess, in whose presence the hero is supposed to experience unconditional love. Additionally, the goddess is supposed to drive the hero’s journey forward, usually by giving him something. The second possibility is that Kamala’s role is that of the temptress. The temptress is meant to distract the hero and lead him astray from his goals, usually through physical pleasures. Convincing arguments can be made for either of these roles, but on closer examination, it seems to be the case that she is both the Goddess and the Temptress. Kamala’s position as the goddess may not seem very convincing on the surface, but upon examination and taking what Siddhartha is trying to achieve into account, she actually seems to push him towards his goals rather than pull him away. Siddhartha aims to understa...
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