Essay task

Choose one of the following topics for your next writing assignment.

• 1. Choose a more modern piece of literature/ movie/video game and describe the hero’s journey. For example:
     

     Star Wars	Hunger Games (inspired by the story of Theseus)	Guardians of the Galaxy
     Harry Potter	The Matrix	The Lego Movie
     Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit	The Neverending Story	Princess Mononoke
     2017 Wonder Woman movie	The Wizard of Oz	The Princess Bride
     Sailor Moon	Pan’s Labyrinth	Ender’s Game
     Oh Brother Where Art Thou?	Avatar	Eragon

  2. Write about your life as an international student using the process of the hero’s journey.

  You will need to describe what the hero’s journey is using your choice of one story as an example of the hero’s journey. I want to emphasize that your essay should focus on what Joseph Campbell describes as the “monomyth,” but you can choose any story to help exemplify what the hero’s journey is. You may choose a book, novel, movie, video game, or folklore from any country of your choice. Above are some popular examples to get you thinking–but you are NOT required to choose one of those topics. As long as the story fits the hero’s journey process and you explain it well enough in your essay, you may choose any story.

• Your essay should be organized and address the following elements:

• Introduction:

• Background information about “The Hero’s Journey”
  – who discovered this theme?
  – when did they write a book about it and what is the name of the book? – what else is it called?
  – how has it impacted media and literature

• Background information about the movie / book / story you have chosen: who / what / where / when
• The thesis statement should mention the hero’s journey and how the story you chose follows the same steps described in the hero’s journey.
• Body paragraphs: Remember that your story may not have every single step described in the hero’s journey, but you still need to be thorough with the comparison of your story with the hero’s journey.
  • Body paragraph 1: Separation
  • Body paragraph 2: Initiation
  • Body paragraph 3: Return

Conclusion:

• The usual: restate thesis, summarize main ideas
• SOAPY! (Give a suggestion, opinion, action (you should watch/read this!), prediction, why this topic is important)

DO NOT give merely a summary of the movie or book. You need to explain how elements of the story fit with what a monomyth is and explain what the elements of a monomyth are.

When using the story or movie as an example, make sure you explain it as if the reader has not heard of the story or movie before.

End of Chapter Journal Questions

Answer the questions below using your own words in a short paragraph.

1. Which of the stories from this unit did you like the best? Explain why.
2. What new vocabulary from these stories did you find the most interesting and why?
3. Choose one of the critical thinking questions that you found to be the most interesting to expand upon in your journal.
4. Write a diary entry in the perspective of one of the characters. What would their daily life be like? What is their personality?