A study guide for short fiction and film. Explore Joseph Campbell's "hero's journey" and other methods authors and filmmakers use to tell a great story.
A fight over the throne of Wakanda represents two opposing ideas of justice. Revenge can be sweet but effective leadership requires more substance.
22 Feb 2021
The Naive Hero - Clarice Starling : Silence of the Lambs
Clarice Starling doesn't have experience, but she has instinct and determination. She's going to need both to catch a killer even with help from a cannibal psychopath in this analysis of Silence of the Lambs.
31 Jan 2021
The Disguised Hero - Django
Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained touches on the harsh realities of human nature and the difficulties of going undercover.
3 Jan 2021
The Shortsighted Hero - Mulan
Sometimes taking one's "place" in society requires breaking with tradition. In this adaption of an ancient Chinese tale, Mulan carves a place for herself but sets her aims low. Still, she serves as an example of courage in the struggle to be one's self.
12 Dec 2020
The Stubborn Hero - Antigonê
Can a woman in ancient Greece win an argument and remain living? Sophocles has us pondering the ambiguity of right and wrong as the gods remain silent over human disputes.
14 Nov 2020
The Incompetent Hero: Psyche
Ancient Roman author, Apuleius, makes his heroine in Cupid and Psyche the butt of a joke, but is Psyche as pathetic as she seems?
11 Oct 2020
The Subversive Hero: Joker
The hero's journey can be used for villains, too, and it may have you rooting for the bad guy.
9 Sept 2020
Fictionalizing a Hero: Hamilton
Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda makes strategic storytelling choices to keep viewers entertained as opposed to well-informed.
24 Aug 2020
The Forgotten Hero: Theseus
Before George Washington and King Arthur, Theseus created a democracy and pulled a sword out a stone. He also made the Labyrinth famous.
3 Aug 2020
The Killer Hero: Hercules
You think you know someone until you do a background check... A look at Hercules's punishment after killing his wife and young children using Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey.
21 Jul 2020
Creating the Chosen One: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.K. Rowling harnesses ancient myth for her Hero: Harry Potter, and psychologists explain why the hero's journey is so relatable.
8 Jul 2020
Creating the Chosen One: The Matrix
A look into film and short stories.
8 Jul 2020
Writing a Tragic Hero - Oedipus the King
A look into film and short stories.
5 Jul 2020
How to Write a Hero: Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens
A look into film and short stories.
5 Jul 2020
How to Write a Hero: Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace
A look into film and short stories.
5 Jul 2020
How to Write a Hero: Star Wars IV: A New Hope
A look into film and short stories.
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