The Hero’s Journey into Isolation - A Hero’s Journey Critique || Video Essay by The Lazy Stoic

Learn about the limitations of the Hero's Journey and why we should be media critical.
In this video essay, we delve into the heart of the Hero’s Journey, popularized by Joseph Campbell in his 1949 book 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces.' While many have explored this narrative structure, this video takes a critical perspective, exposing its limitations in storytelling, psychology, and our real world. I argue that the stories we embrace, especially those with broad appeal, are reflections of our collective unconscious, providing imperfect mirrors that can both exaggerate our insecurities and amplify our egos. This examination aims to promote critical thinking about the media we consume and its potential impact on our perspectives.
The Hero’s Journey, as identified by Campbell, often carries masculine themes. However, this video essay is part of a two-part series, also exploring the Heroine’s Journey. I draw inspiration from Gail Carriger’s 'The Heroine’s Journey,' advocating for an alternate narrative structure that challenges the limitations of the traditional Hero’s Journey. Throughout the video, I provide examples of female characters experiencing Hero’s Journeys and male characters embarking on Heroine Adventures, illustrating the fluidity of these narrative frameworks.
The Hero’s Journey, uncovered from classic mythological storytelling, reflects stages of maturation into adulthood, mirroring the process of achieving self-actualization. However, the masculine-leaning themes intrinsic to the Hero’s Journey promote individuality, conquest, revenge, and seeing success only through violence and conquest. In the second part of this series, we will delve into the specific structure of the Hero’s Journey, examining its common steps and discussing its cultural impact on contemporary fiction. Stay tuned for a deeper exploration of the Heroine’s Journey in the next installment.
This video is brought to you by Minimum Effort Media, releasing new content on the first Friday of every month. As a token of appreciation for our subscribers, we're hosting a giveaway for a copy of 'The Heroine’s Journey' by Gail Carriger. To enter, subscribe with notifications on, like the video, and leave a comment. Terms and conditions are in the description. The winner from the last video is displayed on screen; please contact us on The Last Stoic across all social media. Thank you for watching, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and comment if you found this content insightful."
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Sources: 'The Heroine’s Journey' by Gail Carriger
'The Hero with a Thousand Faces' by Joseph Campbell
Music: Provided by StoryBlocks
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Bio:
My real name is Kevin, I am original from New York, but currently live in Seattle with my wife and 3 children. I served a little over 4 years in the US Army from 2003 to 2007, including two deployments Iraq. I have BA in Global Studies from the University of Washington.
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