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Are there Heroes in As I Lay Dying?

  As I Lay Dying is a story full of characters who believe they are heroes. In their inner monologues, each of them believes that they are better than the others and that their goals are the most important. The characters can be seen as dignified and absurd depending on the situation they are in and who is judging them. I hope to prove that the characters are in some ways heroic on their quest to bury Addie in Jefferson, but at other times can be seen as selfish. One obvious example of heroism in As I Lay Dying is the Bundrens’ perseverance through injuries and hardships to fulfill Addie’s dying wish. Vardaman and Darl are the closest to heroes, although Darl eventually goes crazy and Vardaman is an unreliable narrator because of his age. Regardless, Darl constantly tries to fulfill Addie’s wish of being buried in Jefferson, helps Cash when he is injured, and even keeps Dewey Dell’s pregnancy a secret. Vardaman is willing to do anything to get his mother to Jefferson. Even though h...
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Kind of a Heroine's Journey

The Old Guard is a 2020 film that I believe follows the Heroine’s Journey. The movie follows a group of self-healing, immortal warriors that are being hunted by a pharmaceutical company for their genes. The movie is full of action and history and it was one of the most popular movies of 2020. In this post, I’ll discuss how the main character, Nile, goes through some kind of heroic journey. The movie follows the Heroine’s Journey most closely and centers around Nile, the group’s newcomer. Her separation from the “feminine” is really a separation from the mortal world. Nile is killed at the beginning of the movie when she is serving as a Marine in Afghanistan. When her wounds heal and she quickly comes back to life, she realizes that she’s different than other people and thus leaves the ordinary world. She is found by Andy, the leader of the group of immortals, and starts her new life with them. At first, Nile is happy to have allies who are going through the same thing as her, but she ...

Brave as the Heroine's Journey

I believe that the 2012 film Brave  is an almost perfect example of Maureen Murdock's Heroine's Journey. Brave  tells the story of Merida, a princess in Scotland who refuses betrothal, turns her mother into a bear through witchcraft, and then resolves to bear the curse and bring her family back together.  Merida's separation from the feminine isn't one left up to interpretation. She is shown as a character who hates her mother for everything feminine about her. Merida constantly argues with her mother and sees her as someone who brings her down. She doesn't want to be like her mother and tries to do everything she can to take her mother's power over her away. Merida doesn't want to be masculine, she just wants to be independent. In a contest among young princes in neighboring kingdoms to determine who will receive her hand in marriage, Merida demands that she join the contest so that she can stay single. Her rejection of a husband is really a rejection of th...

Why the Hero's Journey is Important

The Hero's Journey as Joseph Campbell defined it describes stories of valiance and overcoming adversity. Before Campbell, there wasn't one template for all the stories contained within this narrative. From Achilles in Homer's Iliad  to Harry Potter in JK Rowling's books, stories of the hero's journey have captivated audiences for thousands of years. In this blog post, I hope to explore the reasons those 17 steps are so fascinating. In the ordinary world, the hero doesn't know they're a hero yet. In most stories, even those with supernatural elements, the hero is just an "average Joe" before the crossing of the threshold. This changes, however, when they are called to action. The hero's call to action and initiation may be the most important step in the hero's journey. Even though by the end they have completed their journey and achieved godliness, I argue that the initial crossing of the threshold is the most vital step. The change in minds...