Christopher Reeve: The Hero's Journey

Christopher Reeve, an American actor, is well known for his role in the 1st through 4th Superman movies. He played the well-known role of the main character Clark Kent, an ordinary boy sent from his destroyed planet to Earth. Whilst on Earth he discovers that he is different and learns about his superpowers and fights evil in the Metropolis. Because of his role Reeve learnt a lot about heroes and their lives. Knowing this he said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Many people think of a hero as someone like the character Reeve played, but in reality not all heroes have superpowers. In J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings the books talk about a hero who is a

It is described as the place where the hero feels comfortable and the place that the hero lives and feels normal. For Samwise Gamgee or Sam the ordinary world is the Shire. The Shire is located in Eriador in Middle Earth where the free people live. The inhabitants of the Shire are called Hobbits or Halflings and they spend their days nursing their crops and smoking the occasional pipe-weed, a tobacco like leaf. The Hobbits are a very shy group and stick to themselves and only leave the Shire when they have to. Sam lived on Bag Shot Row near Bag End, where the main character, Frodo, lived. Sam spent his days gardening and caring to people’s gardens and lawns. But Sam’s ordinary life changed forever one night and nothing would be the same for him

For Sam there where many trials on his journey from giant spiders to nine giant like men who are willing to do anything to get a hold of the Ring. One of the most important and dangerous trials that Sam faced was the deception of Gollum. Gollum, also known as Sméagol, used to be a Hobbit and used to bear the Ring, but he lost it and he was doing whatever he could to get it back, it was his “precious birthday present.” In the end of the book he lead Sam and Frodo to Shelob’s Lair where he deceived them and led them into Shelob’s trap. Shelob is a giant spider like creature who is described as, “drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadow” (Tolkien 376). When Gollum led them into the lair he quietly ran way leaving Sam and Frodo in the darkness with a giant spider. They get out of the cave alive, but the Shelob came out of the cave and attacked Frodo. Sam tried to help but was wrestled by Gollum, who after a fight ran away. Shelob then poisoned Frodo in the fight and this lead Sam to think Frodo died. It also confirmed Sam’s suspicions that Gollum wasn’t as good as he seemed. In the beginning of the chapter Gollum says, “Orcs or no, if it’s the only way, we must take it: (Tolkien 369). This implies