Paper 1 Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey (1949) organizes the traditional plotline of a hero’s journey in an adventure epic. The monomyth is a common outline in many epic tales that describes the hero’s path throughout his adventure and the transformation of his character. The transitioning of old self and new self is seen when he enters the Abyss, the hero’s lowest point, as he goes through a major loss and “slay the dragon.” This experience, symbolized by something unknown and frightening, begins the transition of the hero’s separation from his known world and the future world. For example, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977)’s depiction of the Abyss is shown in the Trash Compactor scene. In this Abyss is where one would discovers whether …show more content…
Campbell describes this is where the hero must “slay the dragon,” which takes form of a great fear. With no obvious escape route and unable to use weapons, the hero face his greatest challenge. The Abyss is represented in Star Wars with the scene of the Princess taking upon herself to unknowingly lead the group down the trash compactor. The beast of the Abyss is a metaphor for Luke’s new found adventure taking him down into the unknown world of the Force. The beast, literally, very nearly drowns him in this dangerous mission. Down the Abyss, Campbell allows the hero the possibility to be defeated by his own character flaws. But if the hero shows his appetence, he will experience a metamorphosis and enters the new world forever changed. Luke has many flaws, as he only was a farmer boy ignorant to the realm of the Force a short moment ago, but finds himself surrounded by people who are dependent on him, he must try to overcome these flaws, or be defeated by it. Luke doesn’t give up as he is relentless and determined to escape. When leaving the Abyss, one could see the hero no longer the same character when the journey started. Leaving the trash compactor, Luke also left behind his old self and found a new confidence in himself and his role in the journey for the new world