Joseph Campbell’s 1949 comparative study of mythology, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, presents a fascinating concept that can be applied to many of the great stories of modem times. He found that many hero stories 1 among time and cultures 2 clone a similar pattern, a 17-stage journey, in fact. The three major 3 boundaries of this journey are the hero’s departure, his initiation, and his return.4 In agreement with Campbell’s schema, every hero receives 5 a plea to adventure into the unknown, usually inspired by a 6 vision that changes the hero’s understanding of himself and his purpose in life.

In Star Wars, Luke 7 reasons out that his father was a Jedi knight and receives his father’s lightsaber from Obi-Wan Kenobi.After his foster parents are killed, Luke chooses to 8 jump head-first into an adven ture with Obi-Wan through distant galaxies. Similarly, in The Matrix, Neo is presen ted with the truth that he has not been living in the real world, which is actually a barren wasteland . He chooses to take “the red pill,” unplugs from the 9 earthly affairs he has known for his entire life, and ente rs a 10 discontented reality.

The initiation stage involves many trials, temptations, and failures. Luke Skywalker 11 endures dangerous battles, undergoes difficult training with Yoda, and eventually faces the evil Darth Vader, 12 as well as the truth that Vader is his father. In the process, he loses his hand and is nearly killed. Neo submits to intense training and self-questioning under 13 adverse conditions’, which culminates in a fight with Agent Smith.

After 14 hammering away through great suffering and adversity, the hero returns as a new person with greater power and self-understanding, in possession of some knowledge, ability, or token that 15 achieves his newfound mastery. Luke successfully faces Darth Vader and wins him back to the good side. Batman returns, and Neo rises from the dead with greater powers than before.