Monomyth In A Hero's Journey

However, a hero can not always exit said environment, as following a hero’s call to adventure is the refusal of the call. This second step of the monomyth is when the hero does not accept their call to adventure, and rather remains in their comfortable environment. As explained by Marc Bray in his lecture discussing the monomyth, the refusal of the call can happen in either of two ways: refusal by choice or refusal by force. Refusal by choice describes when the decision to refuse the call to adventure is made by the hero independently, as they rather not exit their state of comfort. On the other hand, refusal by force describes when the hero physically is unable to accept their call to adventure, and is forced to remain in their environment.

Being more of a quality in the hero’s journey than an actual step, Campbell described the supernatural aid as, “the unsuspected assistance that comes to one who has undertaken his proper adventure” (Campbell 28). Essentially, the supernatural aid is an unrealistic godly figure or peculiar phenomenon that helps the hero on their adventure. As time moved on, the supernatural presence has become less common. Instead, a singular helper or group of helpers has became more prevalent. These helpers are simply friends or acquaintances of the hero, who provide aid to them throughout the journey. There is very little difference between a supernatural presence and a helper, as they both provide aid or assistance to the hero throughout their journey, as they help them through tough obstacles and help the hero achieve their overall transformation. On some occasions, a hero can have both a supernatural aid and a helper. This is the case of Huckleberry Finn’s heroic quest, as he has the Brown Goddess and Jim. The Brown Goddess is the Mississippi River itself, which helps Huck tremendously throughout his journey, including granting him a canoe and a pig to help him fake his own death and escape Pap. Along with the supernatural aid, Huck has the helper of the runaway-slave Jim, who assists Huck many times during his adventure, including when he doesn’t let Huck see Pap’s dead body. Together, the Brown Goddess and Jim provide examples of Huckleberry Finn’s supernatural aid and helper