Jan. 10, 2023
Holding Out For A Hero: Harry Potter and The Hero's Journey
This week, we're putting on the literary analysis hats we are in no way qualified to wear and discussing the narrative template The Hero's Journey. Is Harry Potter a typical Hero's Journey Tale? Is The Hero's Journey still an effective storytelling device? And for the love of god who is Ashwaganda MacMillan Chickenpants McWheatstraw?
Bonnie Tyler did indeed sing "Holding Out For A Hero" and (Amanda sighs heavily) it was in fact recorded for the movie Footloose.
The book that Kevin is currently reading is At Home In The World by Thich Nhat Hahn.
This is Joseph Campbell's The Hero With A Thousand Faces:
And this is Maureen Murdock's The Heroine's Journey:
Here are some of the most interesting resources we found when researching The Hero's Journey:
Masterclass: What Is The Hero's Journey?
Matthew Winkler's TED Talk What Makes A Hero (thanks for sending Josh Bailey!)
The Heroine’s Journey: Examples, Archetypes, and Infographic
Hero vs. Heroine: Why They’re Not the Same
And these infographics were used for reference:
