Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time have gone before us.  The labyrinth is thoroughly known.  We have only to follow the thread of the hero path, and where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god.  And where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves.  Where we had thought to travel outward, we will come to the center of our own existence.  And where we had thought to be alone, we will be with all the world. --Joseph Campbell

A hero is defined by Joseph Campbell as “someone who has given his life to something bigger than himself.” The hero may set off on the adventure intentionally, like Beowulf or Mulan, or the hero may be thrown into the adventure.  However, the hero is always prepared for the journey.  The hero’s life lessons have prepared him/her for the trials that will be faced while on the journey.  

For this essay, you will work in groups of two or three. As a group, you will choose a movie that fits the Hero's Journey motif, and together you will write an analytical essay that demonstrates how the character fits the profile by providing analysis and textual evidence to back up your interpretation. 

You are free to choose any movie you like that fits the Hero's Journey motif. I would recommend choosing something that is out on video or DVD because you will want to watch the movie several times in order to develop your analysis and to pick out textual evidence to back up your analysis. Don’t rely on your memory of a movie you saw last month. When you watched the movie then, you weren’t looking for these details. Also, be sure that you have your details straight. You need to spell character names correctly and have plot details in order. Mistakes of this nature indicate careless research and cast doubt on any points you are trying to make.

Important Note: You will want to be sure that you are not simply summarizing the plot of the movie. Assume that your readers are familiar with the movie. You need to provide enough information for the readers to know what you're talking about, but you don't need to tell the entire story. You need to carefully select the details of the story to analyze. Your analysis is the most important part of this essay.

Your essay will need to be a MINIMUM of FIVE PAGES in length. You will need to include bibliography that follows MLA Documentation, and you need to provide in-text citations. You must utilize at least three sources in your essay. One of those three will be the movie itself. You should plan to check the Hero's Journey Resources to find those sources.  If you aren’t sure how to cite your sources, you will need to get assistance. You can look at the MLA Documentation resource page, you can use your Lannon text, you can talk to a tutor, or you can come and talk to me. Remember that doing documentation is simply a matter of paying attention to the little details. 

Prior to submitting your essay to me in class, you must submit your essay to Turnitin.com. Assignments that have not been submitted to Turnitin will not be evaluated.

When you turn in your final draft you will need to include the following items IN THIS ORDER.

1. The final draft of the essay (Including the bibliography which is part of your essay). I will grade whatever is on the top. Remember that your essay will need to follow the format outlined in class. Formatting errors will cost you three points each. This will be a group paper, so there will be one paper from each group.

2. Each member of the group will include an invidual letter to me in which you discuss what you liked about this topic. What did you find difficult about this assignment, including working with a group, and what did you do to overcome those difficulties? What do you think are the strengths of your essay? What would you still like to work on if you had more time? Again, keep in mind that the letter is not an opportunity for you to "sell" your essay to me. I will not read the letter until after I have given your essay a grade. I simply want to hear your assessment of your writing and the group process

3. All of your rough drafts and prewriting.

When you come to class the day your Hero's Journey Analysis essay is due, your packet should be ready to go.  I will not have a stapler or paper clips with me.  You need to take care of all of this before you come to class.