Blog #64 - Winnie Zhong - Period 1- 6/13/2020

June 13, 2020

Winnie Zhong period 1

Aim: How can our examination of Joseph Campbell's "The Hero's Journey" expose Odysseus as an archetypal hero?  

Do Now: Interpret the following quote and apply it to Odysseus.

“A hero ventures forth from the world

of common day into a region of

supernatural wonder. Fabulous forces

are there encountered and a decisive

victory is won.”

― Joseph Campbell

Notes: After we had a class discussion about the Do Now, someone read the information about him. 

Joseph Campbell, an American psychologist and mythological researcher, wrote a famous book entitled The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 

In his lifelong research, Campbell discovered many common patterns running through hero myths and stories from around the world. These years of research lead Campbell to discover several basic stages that almost every hero-quest goes through (no matter what culture the myth is a part of).

He calls this common structure “the monomyth.” 

It is commonly referred to as "The Hero's Journey." 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=Hhk4N9A0oCA

Then we watched a youtube video explaining the qualities that make up a  hero. Ms. Peterson asked the class if we can think of any books we’ve read or movies we watched that seem to follow the structure of the hero’s journey. We had a class discussion and an answer mentioned was the Percy Jackson series. 

Next, we went over the definition of Archetypes.

Archetypes

What is an Archetype? An original model or pattern from which other later copies are made, especially a character, an action, or situation that seems to represent common patterns of human life. Often, archetypes include a symbol, a theme, a setting, or a character that have a common meaning in an entire culture, or even the entire human race. Some examples of archetypal characters are “the evil genius”, “the hero”, or “the damsel in distress”

An archetype is “a very typical example of a certain person or thing.”Below are archetypes in a hero’s journey.

ARCHETYPES APPEARING IN THE HERO’S JOURNEY  Joseph Campbell was heavily influenced by the Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung whose theories of involved archetypes—recurring images, patterns, and ideas from dreams and myths across various cultures. HEROES: Central figures in stories. Everyone is the hero of his or her own myth. SHADOWS: Villains, enemies, or perhaps the enemy within. This could be the repressed  possibilities of the hero, his or her potential for evil. MENTORS: The hero’s guide or guiding principles. HERALD: The one who brings the Call to Adventure. This could be a person or an event. THRESHOLD GUARDIANS: The forces that stand in the way at important turning  points, including jealous enemies, professional gatekeepers, or even the hero’s own fears and doubts. TRICKSTERS: Clowns and mischief-makers. ALLIES: Characters who help the hero throughout the quest. WOMAN/MAN AS TEMPTRESS: Sometimes a character offers danger to the hero by  attempting to lure them from their quest.

The class spirit read examples of archetypes and watched a video explaining the hero’s journey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwnxYXOTy94&feature=share

This video also explained the hero’s journey present in Star Wars.

Then we spirit read this chart with examples of archetypes. We were told to identify at least 2-3 examples of archetypes, as seen in The Odyssey. Some answers were:

hero: Odysseus 

sage : Athena

Sage and magician: Penelope

Penelope is considered a sage and magician because she was able to trick her suitors to stall her marriage with them. 

Sage and Rebel: Eurylochus

Eurylochus is considered a sage and rebel because he is cautious and rational about everything he does excluding the part when he rebels against Odysseus. 

Magician: Circe 

Circe is considered a magician because she lured in Odysseus’ men and turned them into pigs. 

Lastly, we watched a short youtube video of a hero’s journey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siulX5JkIwI&feature=share

Reflection: 

I learned that some movies and books follow the hero’s journey which is the journey each hero goes through. Below is a picture of a hero’s journey. I also learned what archetypes are and the types of archetypes present in a hero’s journey. 

I learned this so that I can apply it to a book I’m reading or a movie I’m watching. I’ll be able to expect the plot and outline of it. Next time, when I’m reading something or watching a movie, I’ll use the information I learned from this lesson to analyze it. 

My experiences:

I enjoy working at home. I don’t have to wake up as early and I get to interact more with my friends through video games. 

Right now, the coronavirus cases have decreased but might increase due to the BLM protests. I believe that this movement is very important, but these protesters should try to stay away from each other as much as possible since the coronavirus is contagious.