Research the Hero and Tell the Story
English 12
OReilly
The Hero's Journey: Not Quite a Research Paper, But Quite an Epic Journey
Your next assignment is something quite unusual, you will write elements of a research paper: the opening and topic sentences, but the bulk of the paper will be a narrative—your imagination at work within the structure of the hero's journey. You will write a the story of a hero passing through the three major acts of the hero's journey: Departure, Initiation, and Return. You may create this paper alone or with up to two other people. If you decide to work as a group, you must include three self-created illustrations in any medium including collage, or, keeping your cited topic sentences and opening, you may write this assignment as a play and perform it for the class.
10 points______ Your paper is three to eight pages long. You have a story of a hero going through Campbell's Acts and Stages. Your paper is divided into the following parts: (1) a one paragraph essay-like introduction as described below, (2) three chapter/acts describing the journey of a hero, and (3) chapter/act titles as described below.
Introduction Paragraph:
15 points______
Your opening paragraph will:
- introduce the concept of Joseph Campbell's model of the hero's journey (blue/background)
- introduce your hero and his three part journey (green/topic sentence and plan).
• Cite the source of your information about Campbell using one of the cites below.
• Keep your opening and introduction BRIEF, no more than six sentences.
In his online article "Classical Heroes in Modern Movies: Mythological Patterns of the Superhero," by William Indick, Ph.D, Indick describes the three act journey taken by heroes in American film: The Departure, The Initiation, and The Return. These three acts are broken down into "seventeen specific stages." He goes on to explain how such a hero in modern movies captures the imagination of the viewer because the hero expresses the viewer's individual dreams and aspirations while, simultaneously, expressing the values and hopes of the culture. The following story follows this mythic paradigm; the hero of this tale leaves home, a departure, experiences a variety of challenges culminating in a confrontation with a father figure; and, ultimately, returns home and settles down in a secret identity in which he can both have a quotidian existence and also fight crime.
Three (3) Chapter/ Act Titles
15 points______
• The body of your essay/story will have three act titles—one sentence—no more— which will introduce the act and the stages the hero is passing through and cite the source of your information on the hero's acts and stages.
Example: Title for Act 1: The Departure:
According to the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction website article, "The Hero's Journey: A Summary of the Steps," the hero's journey begins with a "Departure," in which the hero passes through distinct stages including the "Refusal of the Call," Supernatural Aid," and "The Belly of the Whale."
Your hero story in three chapter/acts:
30 points (10 points a piece)______
• After each title, tell your story for that act: The Acts will be The Departure, The Initiation, and The Return
• For each chapter or act include at least three stages, i.e.: for Act One Departure, you might use The Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, and The Belly of the Whale.
• Please! Now is your opportunity to use all the literary devices on your Nice Glossary and more. Be aware of comedy, action, pacing, plot turns, alliteration, literary or Biblical allusion, dialogue, simile, metaphor, imagery, personification, foils, and motifs—repeating images that tie your story together and give it coherency. All these literary devices make your writing a pleasure to read. These paper are long, so please make them fun for me to read! This may be written as a first person narrative from your point of view or a third person narrative from your hero's point of view.
Citing Sources, Works Cited, and Bibliography, Formatting, Style
10 points_____ You will cite your Works Cited at least four times, in the opening and in the three act/chapter titles. In the course of your paper, make sure you cite all three of the sources in your Works Cited.
• Since you have three sources in your Works Cited you will have to cite one source twice. The second time you use your source, you need not introduce it again, simply quote or paraphrase, and put the author's name in parenthesis after the quote or paraphrase.
• There might not be an author: whatever is the first word in your Works Cited entry, put that word or short title in the parenthesis after the quote or paraphrase.
Chapter/ Act title example:
In Act Three of the hero's journey, "The Return," the hero passes through the following stages: "The Refusal of the Return," "The Rescue from Without," and "The Freedom to Live" (Warren).
Here is your Works Cited entry for the citation above. See how the word in the parenthesis is the first word to appear in the Works Cited entry?
Sources for your Works Cited and Bibliography
Works Cited
10 points_______Create a properly formatted Works Cited with three (3) entries, the following, or if you like, other sources you uncover. Staple to the end of your story. You should already have this part done:
Summary of Campbell's Hero's Journey
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/ref/summary.html
The original article we read in class outlining how the movie Spiderman follow's Campbell's pattern of the heroic journey:
http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/ClassicalHeroes.html
Another website outlining the heroic journey:
http://www.cerritos.edu/fquaas/resources/english102/HeroNotes.htm
Bibliography
5 points _______ Construct a properly formatted Bibliography with two (2) entries:
• Use any book or website on mythology that you read but do not use in your paper.
• The Wikipedia summary, quite good, but Wikipedia should be used for background information only (Bibiliography, not Works Cited) as it is not a reliable source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth
Other points to consider
Negative Points
You will lose half a point for glaring punctuation, style, and formatting errors. Have a proper heading and header please. Play performers lose one point for forgotten lines or breaking character. Characters must be in costume. (-10 points)
If you turn this into a play, please make me a copy of your script and arrange a day to perform your piece for the class. (-10 points)
Time line:
Week 1: Opening paragraph/ act 1 outline completed/ act 1 completed
Week 2: Act 2 outline completed/Act 2 completed
Week 3: Act 3 outline completed/Act 3 title completed
Due December 14th
