The main intention of this blog will be to examine the
presence of mythology in certain young adult novels. Authors use components of
myths in a number of ways, from direct interaction with them to simple
allusion. Other ways that they use them include archetypes and the hero
pattern. Joseph Campbell examined the hero’s journey in The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), and summarized it as: “A
hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural
wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won:
the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow
boons on his fellow man.”
Some YA books include the entire hero’s journey, while
others just the bare bones of it. The hero’s journey includes a number of
steps, in this order:
-
Call to Adventure
-
Supernatural aid
-
Threshold Guardian(s)
-
Threshold (beginning of transformation)
-
Acquires a helper
-
Acquires a mentor
-
Experiences challenges and temptations
-
Meets another helper
-
Has a great revelation at the abyss, which
includes death and rebirth
-
Goes through a transformation
-
Atonement
-
Receives the gift of the Goddess
-
Returns
The beginning and end are both included in the known, but
from the threshold to the gift of the goddess is the unknown.
(source: Wikipedia)
Another part of myths and the hero pattern that has
prevalence in these books is the idea of archetypes. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an archetype as "the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies" (source: Merriam-Webster). Generally, archetypes tend to be a stereotype or an epitome, and there
are many different kinds found in literature. Some include:
-
The hero, who puts others ahead of himself
-
The villain, who employs strength or cunning to
undermine the hero (and usually remains hidden for most of the story)
-
The mother figure, who cares and guides others
-
The father figure, the leader and protector
(depending on the culture, sometimes the mother and father figures become
intertwined or reversed)
-
The underdog, the character who is always at a
disadvantage but pushes through hardship to win respect (works especially good
when the reader can connect)
(source: eHow)
These are only some of the archetypes prevalent in our literature, movies, tv shows, comics, and music, but they are an incredibly important part of mythology, too. As I read the books, I'll be on the look out for all of these different components, and will be sure to share my findings with you.
