Category: Joseph Campbell

The Monomyth in Video Games There have been tales about heroes for as long as there have been tales. Some of the earliest recorded works remaining today, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and King Arthur in History of the Kings of Britain, are extensive stories of legendary leaders and heroes. Modern day stories have much to draw on, and though the medium is ever changing, the common template of an adventuring hero remains prevalent in society today. In the following, I will explain (with examples) the theory of the monomyth, introduced by Joseph Campbell in his 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and explore how this has impacted the story design in video games. Campbell describes the basic narrative pattern in the following manner: “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” (Campbell, 1949, p. 23) Though originally referring to mythology, the monomyth can be applied to contemporary stories through modern media. There are obvious connections to video game structures in this description: most games have a form of tutorial in the beginning, both to immerse the player in this supernatural wonder, and to illustrate the training of the character.

The fabulous forces encountered throughout the game reach the climax at the end of the game (usually in the form of a “boss” or final fight), and when told well, the victory rewards players with a satisfying and happy ending. The seventeen phases as originally described by Campbell can be broken up into three “acts” known as departure, initiation, and return. Due to the nature of video game storytelling, some elements may have been excluded or presented differently as the player proceeds through the game as the protagonist. (Wrisinger, 2014, p. 12)

Act One, Departure

1. The Call to Adventure – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Campbell wrote, “A blunder – apparently the merest chance – revels an unsuspected world, and the individual is drawn into a relationship with forces that are not rightly understood.” (Campbell, 1949, p. 46) In the game series The Legend of Zelda, the protagonist Link starts off as a simple boy living an ordinary life. In Twilight Princess, a teenage Link had no idea what he was getting into when he chased after the monsters who had kidnapped his friends. This act opened Link to an entirely new and strange world; a call to adventure.
2. Refusal of the Call – The Last of Us Protagonist Joel is initially hesitant to continue the journey after his partner Tess is bitten by an infected mutant; Tess persuades him to finish the job for her, and thus Joel takes control of his life and gives it meaning.
3. Supernatural Aid – Video game tutorials Video games broadly serve as the supernatural aid gifted to characters in video games. Either explicitly or implicitly, the games early stages serve to provide the player with the tools and knowledge required to get started on their journeys.
4. Crossing the Threshold – Fallout 3 Campbell writes “Beyond … is darkness, the unknown, and danger; just as beyond the parental watch is danger to the infant and beyond the protection of his society danger to the member of the tribe. The usual person is more than content, he is even proud, to remain within the indicated bounds…” (Campbell, 1949, p. 71) Fallout 3 begins play with the character living in a vault. The moment the player is free to step out of the vault is a transition into a different and unknown world, knowing that nothing will be the same after. Post-apocalyptic Washington sets the scene for a stark contrast with the safety and security of Vault 101.
5. Belly of the Whale – Spyro the Dragon Spyro receives his call to adventure when the rest of the dragons are crystallised by Gnasty Gnorc. After rescuing a few dragons in early levels, Spyro comes up against the first world boss and marks the first major challenge to the smooth sailing of the first part of the game. At this point, the player knows what they are up against, and realise the challenges ahead will be of increased complexity and difficulty. Campbell: “That is why the approaches and entrances to temples are flanked and defended by colossal gargoyles: dragons, lions, devil-slayers with drawn swords, resentful dwarfs, winged bulls. These are the threshold guardians to ward away all incapable of encountering the higher silences within.” (Campbell, 1949, pp. 84 – 85) In defeating his enemies to rescue his friends, Spyro enters this “temple” as a carefree youth and is reborn as the hero of the realm.

Act Two, Initiation

1. The Road of Trials – Cuphead Cuphead is a side-scrolling run and gun game known for its immense difficulty. The titular character is tasked with collecting soul contracts for the Devil. Along the way, he is faced with multiple bosses that he must defeat in order to save himself. As Campbell notes, the hero must survive a succession of miraculous tests and ordeals, aided by advice and amulets of the supernatural helpers whom he met before entering the region (Campbell, 1949, p. 89). Common to many video games, Cuphead must utilise different weapons and power ups to defeat the numerous enemies throughout the game.
2. The Meeting with the Goddess – ¬Mafia Romantic interests in video games are not as common as in movies, books and other media. However, the video game Mafia incorporates a relationship and explores the consequences of mercy when the protagonist Tommy questions his morals upon being ordered to kill an informant who turns out to be a friend of his partner. He covers up the fact that he lets her live, choosing not to betray his relationship over his loyalties to his boss. Campbell writes, “The meeting with the goddess … is the final test of the talent of the hero to win the boon of love” (Campbell, 1949, p. 109). In this turning point of the game, it shows that Tommy is not a cold-blooded killer; that the truth is somewhat more complicated, and this sets up the rest of the game to be viewed in that light.
3. Woman as Temptress – Fallout 4 In the Fallout series, the player can use various narcotics such as alcohol to temporarily boost their stats. There is a risk that overuse can result in an addiction, which will reduce the stats of the player until they have it fixed by a doctor. Again, this does not strictly have to be a woman as the temptress. Though Campbell refers to a woman in this step of the journey, I feel that in this case “woman” is a metaphor for a desire for the hero to escape the temptations of ordinary life.
4. Atonement with the Father – Red Dead Redemption In Red Dead Redemption, John Marston is forced to hunt down members of his old gang. The game’s climax ends with John hunting down his mentor and surrogate father, Dutch. After a long fight, Dutch tells John that the government agents will not stop once he is dead. In taking his own life, Dutch completes John’s journey with a form of atonement, forever changing him and returning him to his family.
5. Apotheosis – Mega Man Mega Man is a creation of scientist Dr Light. A former human converted into a fighting robot to stop the evil Dr. Wily, as the player fights through the various levels and defeats the minor bosses, he assimilates that robots’ special weapon and can use that in the game going forward. Once the player successfully defeats the six robot masters and collects all their knowledge to empower himself, he is finally ready to face the final enemy, Dr. Wily.
6. The Ultimate Boon – Super Mario The classic damsel in distress trope is evident in the Super Mario series, with Mario and Luigi having to defeat Bowser in order to rescue Princess Peach.

Act Three, Return

1. Refusal of the Return – Various Open-world RPGs often take a non-linear approach to the main story line. Quests can be completed in different orders, side quests can be skipped entirely and finishing the final mission does not at all mean the game is complete. Often, I get to the point of finishing the game, only to deviate and run around completing optional missions before I front up for the final boss. Though this is my own choice, and not the choice of my player, I feel a sense of obligation to complete as much as I can before finishing the game and returning to reality.
2. The Magic Flight – Portal 2 The second half of Portal 2 revolves around making it back to the main control room where the antagonist, Wheatley, has taken over the facility; his incompetence runs the risk of destroying the complex. The magic flight, as Campbell tells it, becomes a lively and comical pursuit (Campbell, 1949, p. 182); Wheatley is voiced by comedian Stephen Merchant, and he maintains the humour of the game despite his characters attempts to assassinate the protagonist Chell.
3. Rescue from Without, and
4. The Crossing of the Return Threshold – The Witcher In the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia finds himself betrayed by the Princess he had helped previously. Facing death, he is miraculously saved by an ally and lives to fight another day. As Campbell writes, “The hero may have to be brought back from his supernatural ad­venture by assistance from without. That is to say, the world may have to come and get him.” (Campbell, 1949, p. 192) At the end of the game, Geralt must live with the consequences of his actions and decide whether he shares the supernatural knowledge of events to come with his allies.
5. Master of Two Worlds – Pokemon Gold/Silver Pokemon trainers compete to become the Champion of the Pokemon League. In Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal, once the player has become the champion of one Pokemon league, the game grants the player the ability to travel to the region from the previous games. This opens an entirely new front, a new challenge for the player, and upon defeating the Pokemon League again, they become the ultimate Pokemon Master.
6. Freedom to Live – GTA: Vice City The climax of GTA: Vice City ends with Tommy Vercetti killing his enemies and being free to run the city as a drug lord. Though not a conventional ending for most stories, it nevertheless encapsulates the completeness of a story while leaving open the possibility that the hero will embark on further adventures. The monomyth, or hero’s journey, has almost become the standard form for modern storytelling. Examples abound in many different forms of media, and though not every game follows every step exactly, game developers use this as a method to deepen the game experience for players. As exemplified above, each different genre of game focuses on a different aspect of the journey to best fit their narrative style and tell their story in an engaging and rewarding way.

We are in an era in which the ways we consume media has changed, yet the presence of digital storytelling has not changed our dependence on good stories being told. Narratives are universal and appeals to audiences as the central function of the human mind, in which resonates the need for storytelling. In films the narrative techniques provide the scaffolding for film in terms of the structure, representation, narrative discourse, story and the plot.

To explore the theories and concepts in digital storytelling, I will be analysing the Marvel film Black Panther(2018) as an example of digital storytelling.

Firstly I will be focusing on the narrative structure of Black Panther following the theory ‘Hero’ by Joseph Campbell.

Narrative Structure

The narrative structure helps to ‘reveal’ meaning beyond the narrative of the world(Barthes1975). In the case of the film Black Panther the story world stems from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther being a story in the story world; a fictional shared universe that contains films from the Marvel studios, its films and television series all relate to each other and affects a shared reality.

The narrative structure of Black Panther relates to Joseph Campbell’s mythology of the ‘Hero’- “a universal pattern that is the essence of and common in heroic tales in every culture”(Campbell,1950). The Hero’s journey is a an epic monomyth that describes the emergence of the hero in the story, through an awakening and a warrior to the culture. Likewise all Marvel films, the storyline of the film enacted is the hero’s journey. Additionally hero myths are predominate in MCU and is conceptualised by Christopher Vogler as “retold endlessly infinite variations”.

These twelve stages of the Hero’s Journey is reflective to the fulfilment of Black Panther as a Campbellion hero(Nuvotech,2019):

Ordinary World: The real world of Black Panther(T’Challa) was in Oakland, California. This is where he existed before his present story began and safe place, oblivious of the adventure to come.

Call to Adventure: When his father T’Chaka dies from a bombing in Civil War and a next in line king is needed. T’Challa then has to become the next king as well as the Black Panther.

Refusal of the call: Unspoken fears manifested through M’Baku challenge

Meeting the Mentor: T’Challa becomes king and reunites with his father in the spirit realm. He asks him for advice and how he can be a good king like himself.

Crossing the Threshold: T’Challa had a mission to go to western world to find the missing vibranuim that was stolen and bring the thief and the vibranuim back to Wakanda. As an act to prove that he can be a noble king.

Test, allies, enemies: Black Panther crosses path with enemies- Klaw, Kilmonger, W’Kabi(once ally turned enemy),M’Baku (once enemy turned ally). Black Panther allies being the Agent, Nakia and Okeye

Approach: approaching the cave; Black Panther fails to bring the thief to Wakanda, but Kilmonger comes to Wakanda himself. He meets everyone at the kingdom and T’Challa

Ordeal: Kilmonger defeats T’Challa, “killing him” and seizing the throne.

Reward: T’Challa reconciles with his doubts to the spirit realm and is resurrected.

The Road back: Black Panther and his allies attempt to save the world from war

Resurrection: T’Challa and Kilmonger fight, while the allies attempt to save the world from war

Return: with the elixir; after Kilmonger is defeated, T’Challa creates outreach programs in Oakland, California and opens Wakanda to provide vibranuim to the rest of the world.

The Hero Journey of Black Panther highlights the character’s vital importance to the fate of people in the nation Wakanda. Following Campbell’s Hero’s Journey allows the breakdown of the plot structure of Black Panther as well as the circular story structure of the epic adventures throughout the film.

The representation of the narrative as of the part of the MCU story world evokes an digital experience for the audience. Hence contributes as a feature of the story world accounting for the digital reading pathways.

Digital Experience

The audience acts as producers and or consumers, they choose the level of engagement to the story of the story world.

The MCU is a story world that has become a sprawling mega beast from another dimension, divided into distinct sections with interconnected stories of its individual heroes. Marvel has offered several pathways its audience can experience the MCU. The franchise offers streaming on all Marvel films on Disney +, Marvel comics online, The official Marvel website of all Marvel entertainment, Marvel games. There are also audio-visual platforms- to stream specific Marvel films sound tracks on Apple Music and Spotify.

Image Audio-visual Marvel=

As well as the fan edited videos of Marvel films-often a compilations of clips and images of the film a fan is showing appreciation for. These transmedia elements comprises the Marvel story world. Hence the dispersal of Marvel films on these various platforms enables new modes of engagement and pathways the audience can navigate through. The MCU highlights the concept transmedia storytelling theorised by Jenkins (2007)- a process where integral elements of a fiction gets dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience’(qtd.in Ryan 2015,p.2). There is not just one single source or text to gain all of the information needed to comprehend the MCU. The accessibility of different pathways to the same story henceforth giving the audience the possibility to enter from different pathways, not having watched the beginning phase of the Marvel films(Jenkins,2007).

The screenwriters also leave digital breadcrumbs- a series of connected pieces of information, demonstrated by the screenwriters use of post-credits and flashbacks scenes in almost every Marvel film, acting as a stinger that either evokes more context of the story or starts sowing the seeds for the MCU story world.

Yet, more importantly the texture of the Marvel story world is based on active audiences engaging in the stories of the story world.

Active Audiences-, Immersion, Interactivity

Digital technologies offer new opportunities for creative interactive experiences and in relation to the MCU it allows for the creation of new forms of drama.

The transmedia elements has offered active audiences to extra textual material to interact hence giving the audience agency. The Marvel audience are active and sometimes creators of meanings. To further examine the participatory/ active Marvel audiences, I will depict part of the MCU story world Black Panther as a representation of agency the audience can have to influence or participate in the construction of narratives.

The interactive and participatory elements of the digital narrative Black Panther, unfolds primarily on social platforms YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, with other social media networks and platforms contributing to agency and immersion the audience add to the story. The Black Panther fandom paid internet tributes by posting everything from loving essays to cosplay, video enactments of scenes from the film representing their love for the film.

A popular example of the immersive nature of the audience is the enactment of a scene the audience called the ‘M’Baku challenge’ named after the leader of the Jabari Tribe which involves Black Panther fans filming themselves re-enacting the scene; M’Baku arrives to challenge T’Challa for the throne of Wakanda. Fans recited the lines from the scene as well as the Wakadan accent used by the character.

Image of M’Baku challenge=

In addition to facilitating the spread of Black Panther narrative, retweets on Twitter served as a tracker for user, reader engagement and participation. Many individuals and myself included shared their thoughts on the film online and shared images of themselves dressed in their African attire or similar costumes as the characters in the film, to watch the film in cinemas whilst striking with the iconic the ‘Wakanda Forever ‘pose.

Images of Black Panther Fan base

The MCU exists within the convergent media environment as the stories(films) of the story world can be deconstructed and distributed across multiple media channels. The audience plays an integral role in shaping the media they consume, the ability to participate in the MCU opens up a participatory network that results in the creation of a fandom. Jenkins(1992) characterises fanfiction and fan video making as a type of ‘participatory culture ‘which fans not only interpret meaning in diverse ways but also create meanings in a moment of fan culture production: fan fictions, videos and art.

To conclude in exploring the Marvel story world as an example of digital storytelling, one may argue Black Panther can be depicted as its own story world. The story- as part of the MCU inherits own convergent media environment, participatory culture, active audiences immersing themselves and interacting with the narrative. The world being Wakanda-delivers a cultural narrative audiences want and need. Thus the film leveraged our broader knowledge of the MCU, yet the film was solidly about the Black Panther and his world. It appealed greatly to the African diaspora as well as influences Afrofuturism hence enabled active audience to seek out more information on their African descent.

Black Panther created its own fandom other than Marvel fans, Non-Marvel viewers that initially did not follow the MCU viewed the film and the ‘Wakanda Forever’ salute became a symbol to celebrate black excellence(Mohdin,2019). It became warmly embraced by British, American and African stars and became a cultural phenomenon in uniting the global African diaspora.

Overall interactive storytelling in this case films, we immerse ourselves in narratives and story worlds created and displayed on technological platforms. Audiences and readers no longer passively read a story or view a film, one can immerse themselves in a fictional world and become a part of the narrative(Rose,2015)

References

1. Barthes, R., & Duisit, L. (1975). An Introduction to the Structural Analysis of Narrative. New Literary History, 6(2), 237. doi: 10.2307/468419
2. Campbell, J. (1950). The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The Journal Of American Folklore, 63(247), 121. doi: 10.2307/537371
3. N. (2019). The Hero’s Journey – Mythic Structure of Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth. www.nuvotech.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2019, from http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/the-hero-journey-mythic-structure-of-joseph-campbell-monomyth.html
4. Jenkins, H. (2007). Transmedia storytelling 101. Available: http://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html
5. Jenkins, H. (2010). Transmedia storytelling and entertainment: An annotated syllabus.
6. Continuum, 24(6), 943–958. http://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2010.510599
7. Jenkins,H.(1992). Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture:ww.academia.edu/24244102/Henry_Jenkins_Rise_of_the_Fan_Studies
8. Rose, F. (2016). Power of Immersive Media. Retrieved 16 October 2019, from https://www.frankrose.com/the-power-of-immersive-media.html
9. Mohdin, A. (2019). The “Wakanda Forever” salute has become a symbol of black excellence. Retrieved 16 October 2019, from https://qz.com/quartzy/1227759/black-panther-the-wakanda-forever-salute-has-become-a-symbol-of-black-excellence/
10. The M’Baku Challenge is the ‘Black Panther’ trend fans need to see. (2019). Retrieved 16 October 2019, from https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2018/03/the_mbaku_challenge_is_the_black_panther_trend_you.html

All narratives have standard structural elements of stages, a universal characteristic of all myths, legends, and even movies. The Protagonist’s Journey or the monomyth is a pattern in storytelling as studied by anthropologists and mythologists such as Otto Rank and Joseph Campbell. It is a standard stencil of a wide group of tales that involve an adventurous protagonist in a decision crisis who becomes victorious and goes back home transformed.

A hero’s journey has twelve substages categorically put under three acts or sections. The first stage known as the separation or departure has five subsections. The first is known as the call for adventure. The second is the refusal of the call. The third is supernatural aid, which is the unsuspected help that accrues to one who has made the decision to go for the perfect adventure. The fourth is crossing of the first edge, and the last is the belly of the whale or a passage into the realm of night.

The second stage involves temptations and victories of instigation and has six subsections. The first is the road of trials or the dangerous features of the gods, which is followed by a meeting with the Goddess. The woman as temptress follows, then amendment with the father, Apotheosis, and ends with the ultimate boon. The third stage involves the return and reintegration of the society, which, from the standpoint of the society is the validation for the long withdrawal (Moore 318). Each step has its unique characteristics and significance, which can be used to either create or analyze a story.

Mythological stages of the adventure

The departure

This stage is the first, and in which the protagonist who living in their normal realm and receives a call to embark on a quest. The protagonist is initially hesitant to accept the call, but a father figure or mentor encourages him.

1. The call for adventure

Always from their normal states or realm, the protagonist receives a unique calling to mysterious realms. The call could result from opportunities brought about by repressed desires or their dissatisfaction with their world (Moore 312). As held by the mystic, it marks the awakening of self.

2. Refusal of the call

The folk tales or myths told in the whole world tell that the refusal is a denial to give up what a person considers his or her best interest. A hesitance characterizes this stage to the call by the protagonist. The protagonist tends to fear dangers that are either real or imagined that may be existing in the unknown world (Kieffer). Sometimes they even believe themselves unworthy of the quest.

3. Supernatural Aid

The hero who does not refuse the call first encounter of the protagonist-journey is with a mentor or protective figure. A little old crone or old man usually plays this role, who helping the protagonist through the adventure (Müller 289). In most instances the aid gifts the protagonist with supernatural training, or trinkets that will help them complete the journey.

4. The crossing of the first threshold

After accepting his adventure, the protagonist goes forward with it until he comes to the threshold guardian who ushers him into the next world. The limit is a literal or figurative doorway to the unique world beyond which darkness and mysterious dangers follow.

5. The belly of the whale

The passage of the magical edge is a world into a sphere of rebirth represented by the belly of the whale (Campbell, and Cousineau 367). The protagonist does not conquer nor conciliate the power of the threshold, but is swallowed into the unknown and appear to have died inside the belly.

The Initiation

It starts when the protagonist brings into being traversing the edge into the unknown world, where he faces many trials and victories. The hero may either do so alone or with the assistance of others (Campbell, and Cousineau 444). He eventually arrives at the central test of his journey, which he must undergo, and upon succeeds, he achieves apotheosis and therefore gains his treasure, the Holy Grail or elixir.

1. The road of trials

Having traversed the edge of the first world, the protagonist moves in a dream landscape of fluid, ambiguous forms, where he must survive a series of trials. The road of trials is the most popular phase of the quest and has produced world literature of various tests and ordeals. As the protagonist begins to adapt to the new realm, events occur that mark the moment of no turning back (Kieffer). An example in work of literature is a text that says that “…She wore her queenly robes and jewels, and after seven divine decrees girded herself. She was now ready to enter the unknown world.”

2. The meeting with the goddess

According to Campbell, adventure comes to an end when the protagonist overcomes all the barriers and ogre and is commonly represented as a mystical marriage.” A woman, in the figurative language of folklore, signifies the entirety of what can be acknowledged. The protagonist is the one who comes to know, as he progresses through life, the form that the goddess takes for him and her series of transformations. The goddess is never higher than him, though she can always promise more. She entices, guides, and encourages him to break his shackles. When he matches her, the two are set free from all restraint.

3. Woman as Temptress

The mystical marriage happens between the hero and the queen goddess of the world representing the protagonist’s mastery of life. The woman symbolizes life, while the protagonist is the knower and master (Campbell 167). The goddess acts a tempter, representing temptations of every kind that distracts the protagonist away from his calling.

4. Atonement with the father

The protagonist must resolve with the father figure, who is his ultimate authority during the adventure. Sons have been known to have a different relationship with their father, but at the same time, they are trying to affirm their manhood. A good example can be seen in this statement, which says that “…he has become himself the father. And he is competent, consequently, now to enact himself the role of the initiator,” (Kieffer).

5. Apotheosis

It is a divine state that the protagonist attains after he goes beyond the last dreads of ignorance. After the trials and reconciliation with the father the protagonist transcends thus achieving a higher form compared to who he was. It is the state of realization where the persona acquires ultimate wisdom, new knowledge, and perception. ‘When the mentor annihilates the envelopment of consciousness, then he is set free from all fear, beyond the any reach of transformation’ (Müller 245). The protagonist undergoes symbolic death and is reborn to his best or most extreme form.

6. The ultimate boon

It signifies the delivery of the blessing. Also regarded as the stage at which the protagonist receives the reward. It is often the climax of a myth or story and where the protagonist resolves dominant or internal emotion or stress of the story. The protagonist is deemed ready to receive the great gift, the ultimate boon, infinite bliss, and unlimited abilities. Despite him winning at a high cost the protagonist is rewarded for facing the enormous challenge by collecting a treasure in the quest.

7. The return.

The return is the final stage of every story. If the protagonist in his achievement wins the benediction of the god or goddess and he is plainly ordered to go back to the realm with some restorative abilities for the re-establishment of society, the supremacies of his mystical patron support the ultimate stage of his undertaking (Campbell 234). They cross the third threshold; experience a resurrection; and the events transform them.

Works Cited

1. Campbell, Joseph. The Protagonist with A Thousand Faces. New World Library, 2008.
2. Campbell, Joseph, and Phil Cousineau. The Protagonist’s Journey. New World Library, 2014.
3. Kieffer, Kristen. ‘Breaking Down the Protagonist’s Journey Plot Structu.”. Well-Storied., 2018, http://www.well-storied.com/blog/protagonists-journey. Accessed 4 Dec 2018.
4. Moore, Evelyn. Mysticism. A Study in the Nature and Development of Man’s Spiritual Consciousness. E. P. Dutton And Co, 1930.
5. Müller, F. Max. The Sacred Books of the East. Clarendon Press, 1978.

Hero’s Journey Theory

According to Joseph Campbell’s theory in The Hero with A Thousand Faces, the myth can be taken on an unlimited variety of forms. Campbell identified the basic pattern that is found within myths all around the world. This basic pattern is called the Hero’s Journey. It appears when a mythological character goes in a quest. Throughout the quest the hero endures different trials and ordeals that change her or his character from the way it used to be. The hero becomes better. Campbell considers the Hero’s Journey applicable not only to the mythological characters but to any individual. The Hero’s Journey is composed of three sections it begins with “Separation” then “Intention” finally the “Return”.

The standard path of the mythological adventure of the hero is a magnification of the formula represented in the rites of passage: separation-initiation-return: which might be named the nuclear unit of the monomyth = a hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man. (p. 28)

Each of these sections split into different stages. The Separation section, is composed of “the call to adventure”, “refusal of the call”, “supernatural aid”, “the crossing of the first threshold”, and “the belly of the whale”. The Initiation, is consisted of six stages: “the road of trials”, “the meeting with the goddess”, “woman as temptress”, “atonement with the father”, “apotheosis”, and “the ultimate boon”. The Return, is consisted of six stages “refusal of the return”, “the magic flight”, “rescue from without”, “the crossing of the return threshold”, “master of two worlds”, and “freedom to live” (34-35). We should be aware that not all of the myths contain all these stages and some myths represent them in different order. This research will cover only some of these stages. (Supernatural aid, the meeting with the goddess, Apotheosis, the ultimate boon, Rescue from without)

This theory is applicable to the Lightning thief (2005) In which main character Percy Jackson embarks on a quest in order to find the real lightning thief to clear his name from a crime he has never committed, therefore they have to face many Greek mythological creatures along the way.

First stage is the supernatural aid. In this stage, the hero will come across a protective figure. This figure will help him. He will instruct and direct the hero throughout his journey. In the lightning thief, we have figures helped Percy in his journey. The first figure is his friend Grover. ‘Yes, it was. I was supposed to protect you.'(Riordan.65). Grover is a satyr, but his appearance is different from the classic description in Greek mythology. In the Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome The Satyrs was described as “grotesque and repulsive; they had flat broad noses, pointed ears, and little horns sprouting from their foreheads, a rough shaggy skin, and small goat’s tails” (Brens.147). As for the novel, he is represented to us as a normal human being only from waist up, goat from the waist down. ‘I’m a goat from the waist down.” (Riordan.49). The second figure that helps Percy is Mr. Brunner, He is a Centaur Chiron. Centaur is human from the waist up, horse from the waist down. He gives him a lot of advice and also a magical sword. “I snatched the ballpoint pen out of the air, but when it hit my hand, it wasn’t a pen anymore. It was a sword-Mr. Brunner’s bronze sword, which he always used on tournament day.” (Riordan.15).

The second stage is Apotheosis. This term means to be raised to a divine status or to become like a god. “The hero has become, by virtue of the ceremonial, more than man.” Apotheosis doesn’t necessarily mean that the hero will literally become a god, sometimes it indicates that he has transcended his former mental or physical being and has gained a new, more sophisticated, mental or physical state. (Campbell. 142). The protagonist Percy is a normal kid with no power. He did not know who his father is nor that he has any special powers of any kind, but he changes through the journey; he discovers things about himself he never thought possible. These powers make him defeat Minotaur, Medusa, and hydra. The third stage, the ultimate boon. It is seen as achieving the victory in the journey. “The adventure accomplished signifies that the hero is a superior man … the [hero] encounters no delaying obstacle and makes no mistake … a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” (Campbell.28). Percy’s first victory is against the Minotaur. The minotaur is a horrific monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. He is mated with a bull because of a curse from Poseidon. ‘That’s what they call him in the Greek myths, isn’t it?’ I demanded. ‘The Minotaur. Half man, half bull.” (Riordan.63). The Minotaur kept chasing Percy and his friends until they enter the forest. Percy defeats the monster, by ripping his horn off and kills him with it. “Without thinking, I rolled to one side and came up kneeling. As the monster barreled past, I drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under his furry rib cage.” (Riordan.60). His second battle was against Medusa. “Medusa was the most terrible of the three, but also the only one who was still mortal. She had writhing serpents for hair, and her stare could turn a man instantly to stone.” (Sharpe.624-6250). I followed the hissing and spitting sounds of Medusa’s hair. (Riordan.190) In the original myth, Perseus has to kill Medusa because King Polydectes ordered him to “Medusa and her sisters were asleep. Percy is watching her only from the reflection of the shield-mirror, because if he looks at her he will turn into stone. he swung the sickle and felt it cut through Medusa’s neck. Not daring to look away from the image in the shield, he forced Medusa’s head into the magic wallet. As Medusa’s sisters woke to attack, Perseus quickly flew away.” But in

Riordan’s version it is portrayed in a different way. Percy, Grover, and Annabeth were on a mission to find the ancient gold coins. They entered to a shop for statues then Medusa appeared to them and Percy cut her head with his sword. In the original myth, Perseus used a shield in order to see Medusa’s reflection to kill her but in Riordan’s version Percy used a glass ball. ‘She tossed me the glass ball. ‘Just look at her in the glass. Never look at her directly.’ (Riordan.190). Later on, we discover that in her shop she sells statues of real people by turning them to which she stores in her front yard and in her warehouse. After cutting Medusa’s head Percy and his friends tossed it in a plastic bag and took it with them. “We found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double-wrapped Medusa’s head”. (Riordan.193). Moving on to Percy’s third conflict with the Hydra. In the original myth, it is a monster serpent (the off spring of Typhon and Echidna), bristling with nine heads, one of which was immortal. Heracles cut them off (Brens.199). Percy cuts off each of the Hydra’s Heads with Riptide but he did not know that if you cut Hydra’s head ten heads will regrow. They were able to defeat it by using Medusa’s head, the Hydra turned to stone.

Whether it be a narrative of a myth like that of Hercules or a fascinating tale of a contemporary superhero like Batman or a biography of a leader like Mahatma Gandhi or a snippet from a legendary chronicle like Mahabharata, stories are always interesting. Stories take us into another world, drive us and fill us with motivation. Irrespective of the age, the idea of a hero and his story is always overwhelming. Joseph Campbell studied the myths from all over the world and came up with a theory of monomyth stating that the stories of all the heroes are just variations of each other.

In A Hero with a thousand faces, he states, “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventures with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” Though the story of every hero is special, the fact that most of them follow the same template is very amusing. He proposed a monomyth, the Hero’s journey, a common story structure, a cycle in which the hero sets sail on an adventure from his ordinary world, goes through a crisis, wins, and comes back to the same world, transformed. This monomyth has 3 parts with 17 subparts. Harry Potter, a series of 7 fantasy novels, written by J.K.Rowling, spins around the story of a young man and his struggles to save the wizards and muggles from the dark lord. It has won the hearts of readers all over the world and will forever remain as a classic. I analyzed the story of Harry Potter and realized that it smoothly fits the basic pattern proposed in the Hero’s journey.

The first part of the Hero’s journey is Separation. This part is about the hero’s separation from his mundane world and his entry to a new world. The story starts with Harry living in the Dursley dorm with his uncle, aunt, and cousin.

The call of adventure: The hero receives some information that acts as a head-off to something or somewhere unknown. This is when Harry receives a letter from the owls which is an invitation to the school of wizardry and witchcraft Hogwarts. Dursleys do not let Harry read the letter. That is when Hagrid goes to him, gives him the letter, and tells him that he is a wizard.

“You’re a wizard, Harry”

The refusal of the call: ‘After the call is given, the hero first refuses to go for it due to a range of reasons like fear, obligations, insecurity and other circumstances that hold him up(1). Harry refuses the invitation in disbelief for a moment.

“You’ve made a mistake. I can’t be a wizard, I’m just Harry.”

Supernatural aid: ‘Hero then commits and heeds the call. A Supernatural mentor guides him to the unknown and presents him with the things or artifacts that will be helpful later in his upcoming adventures’(1). Hagrid is Harry’s magical helper, the half giant-half human, the supernatural aid – he takes Harry to Ollivianders where he gets a wand, the magical artifact that he uses throughout his adventure. Dumbledore can also be considered as Harry’s supernatural mentor as he gives him the magical cloak of invisibility and a snitch that contains the resurrection stone (2 Magical objects of Deathly hallows that helps Harry defeat Voldemort).

The Crossing of the First Threshold: This is when the adventure actually starts, the hero crosses the world with limits and ventures onto an unknown boundless world. This is when Harry crosses the threshold- Leaky cauldron and enters Diagon Alley along with Hagrid to get the things needed to go to Hogwarts.

Belly of the Whale: This represents the final separation of the hero from his world, he is now ready to face the new world. This is when Harry gets to the 934 platforms to catch Hogwarts express along with the Weasleys. He is now separated from the muggle world and entered the world of magic.

The next part of the Hero’s journey is Initiation. This is where the crisis begins the hero sets foot on the road of trials and the transformation starts.

The road of trials: The road of trials in Harry potter is a never-ending one. His bravery is put to test many times. Learning magic, Quidditch matches, protecting himself from attacks, protecting the philosopher’s stone from Professor Quirrel and You-know-who, getting trapped in the chamber of secrets, battle with the basilisk and Tom Riddle, and whatnot. All these make him a brave, confident, and powerful wizard who understands the value of friendship and love.

The Meeting with the Goddess: The hero falls in love with a woman who eventually will be a great help in his journey. Harry realizes that he loves Ginny Weasley, his friend Ron’s sister and the one he saves from the chamber of secrets. She joins the Dumbledore army and plays a major role in one of the quests.

Woman as the Temptress: He gets over physical or pleasurable temptations that keep him from his quest. Though Ginny never tried to keep him from his quest, the dark lord may use her as bait once again to trap Harry which will be a threat to the quest and to her life. So, he doesn’t agree when she says that she wants to accompany him to destroy the Horcruxes. He gets over the temptation of her idea of staying together.

Atonement with the FatherAbyss: Harry’s first encounter with the fearsome father-god is when he escapes from Voldemort for the first time during the Triwizard tournament in the third part of the series. He then watches his godfather, Sirius dies during the battle between death eaters and the order of the phoenix. At the end of this part, he barely survives from Voldemort taking control over him. He also watches his mentor, Dumbledore die. Facing his worst fears, these deaths and his inability to save them pushes him into a state of Abyss.

Apotheosis: The hero overcomes the state of Abyss and achieves a state of realization and understanding with his new knowledge and perception. The Hero gets to know what he must do to finish this difficult phase of his quest once and for all. Harry comes to know about Voldemort’s secret of immortality – The Horcruxes. He sets off with Hermoine and Ron to destroy them all.

The Ultimate Boon: The hero achieves the goal of his quest. Harry destroys all the Horcruxes including himself (A part of Voldemort lives inside Harry). According to Campbell, in most of the myths, ‘this boon refers to an elixir of life or a magical plant that gives immortality or the Holy grail’(1). He dies and resurrects as he possesses the Deathly Hallows (The two artifacts inherited from his dad and Dumbledore, and the powerful elder wand that he gets by winning over Malfoy) that makes him the master of death (invincible, i.e immortal ).

The last part of the Hero’s journey is Return. This ends the Hero’s journey as he finishes his quest and returns to the ordinary world.

Refusal of the Return: He succeeded in his quest of destroying the Horcruxes. But his goal is to return to a world without the dark lord. Though he destroyed the Horcruxes and he survived the prophecy that said ‘either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives, he refuses to return after he is resurrected.

The Magical Flight: The Ultimate boon that Harry acquired constitutes 3 objects of the Deathly Hallows. Out of which only one was acquired by going against the guardian (though the master of the elder wand was Harry, the guardian of it was Voldemort). Hence, he now has to defeat Voldemort, the guardian against his boon.

The Rescue from Without: ‘The hero is rescued from a final plight from an unexpected source’(2). Harry succeeds in defeating and killing the dark lord only when Neville Longbottom destroys the last Horcrux, Nagini.

Crossing the threshold: This refers to retaining all the wisdom gained through his journey. He realizes the destruction that power can cause and that it is not safe for anyone to have the power of invincibility and hence destroys the elder wand. He realizes that friendship, kindness, humility, and bravery are what that matter after all.

Masters of two worlds: The chosen one defeats the evil and becomes the master of the muggle world and the wizarding world.

Freedom to Live: He has endured everything, fought with death, survived, died, resurrected, and also became invincible. He has no fear for death and chooses to live an ordinary life. He marries Ginny Weasley and has three kids; Albus Severus Potter, James Potter, and Lily potter.

The myth says that every hero sets off as an ordinary person. The fact that the hero started as an ordinary person is inspiring and also lets us empathize with his struggles easily. The idea that an ordinary person who went on an adventure endured a crisis and transformed into a hero fills people with a hope that one day they could become a hero too. ‘The hero showed that the dragon can be slain and the princess can be saved (3). He proves that nothing is impossible and everything can be endured (motivates people to be optimistic). And, after all, the idea of ‘all is well that ends well is a feel-good one that people can never forget. All these things act as the strengths of the monomyth, and it being applicable to almost all the stories of heroes is the biggest strength.

Though it fits almost all the stories, the order of the journey is not the same to all of them and some of them may not contain all the 17 parts which can be a weakness of the monomyth. Joseph Campbell considered the hero to be male and referred to the hero as ‘he’ almost everywhere. The fact that a female can also be a hero stands as another weakness. The idea of individualistic development makes people selfish and self-centered which is not suitable to the new world of democracy. Thus, the monomyth has its pros and cons – No template is perfect.

References:

1. https:en.wikipedia.orgwikiHero’s_journey#Initiation
2. http:changingminds.orgdisciplinesstorytellingplotshero_journeyrescue_without.htm
3. https:medium.com@nikhilrajan48heros-journey-in-the-world-of-fiction-2d01132c0f89
4. https:www.mugglenet.com201404harry-potter-and-the-heros-journey-2

Joseph Campbell’s analysis of world mythology in his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, reveals the concept of the Monomyth, an idea that states that all myths contain a basic, near universal structure. Dave Whomsley further dissected Joseph Campbell’s recipe for stories in his short summary titled The Hero with a Thousand Faces The book by Joseph Campbell, discussed by Dave Whomsley and refined it into three chunks with each holding four more specific steps thus resulting in twelve simple steps. The first chunk is called the separation or departure, followed by the trials and victories and ended with the return. Each is chunk is then split into a more defined 4 steps.

The story of Gilgamesh fits these 12 steps with a small amount of interesting and subjective deviation. Gilgamesh’s story starts with the call to adventure when he dreams about the god Anu, the sky god, creating Enkidu. Once they meet, fight and become friends they set out on a journey to kill Humbaba, and evil woodland giant. However Enkidu isn’t convinced and tries to persuade Gilgamesh not to go, but he ignores him and eventually convinces Enkidu to come with him. In the story of Gilgamesh the gods create a copy of the main character (Gilgamesh) that is designed to counter him, but instead they become friends. A reader can interpret these characters as being more or less that same person. So when Enkidu refuses the call, it can be said that they both did and thusly completing the second step. Gilgamesh and Enkidu then set out to kill Humbaba. After days of travel they finally arrive in the cedar forest, the home of the giant. Upon confronting him Gilgamesh starts to feel a bit worried for Humbaba is much bigger and stronger than he is. But just as those feelings begin affect him, Shamash the sun god begins to speak to him. “Approach Humbaba and have no fear. Just do not let him enter his house.” Shamash then hurled mighty winds upon Humbaba. Eight winds – the great wind, the north wind, the south wind, the whirlwind, the storm wind, the chill wind, the tempestuous wind, and the hot wind – arose against the fierce giant and beat against him from all sides so that he was unable to move in any direction. When Shamesh helped them, he pushed them into the next step; Supernatural aid.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu then proceed to kill Humbaba and cut down all the cedar trees to take back to Uruk with them, thusly crossing the first threshold. When they arrive Enkidu finds out that because he cut down the largest cedar tree, he is doomed to die. He tells Gilgamesh and then proceeds to kick the bucket. Gilgamesh is torn apart by this, “Gilgamesh’s heart overflowed with grief and loneliness when Enkidu died.” An interesting things to note here is that the belly of the whale is defined as the possible death of the main character. Although Enkidu is a separate character, he was very close to Gilgamesh as seen by his strong reaction to his friend’s passing. After his best friend’s death, Gilgamesh has to deal with his tremendous loss. This psychological torment he suffers can be seen as the road trials. One big way that the story of Gilgamesh differs from the idea of the monomyth is that the meeting with the goddess and the women as the temptress steps happen in a different order, before step 5. They also happen together. Before enkidu dies the goddess Ishtar “saw Gilgamesh dressed in his Royal clothing, she admired his great beauty and said to him, “Come marry me, Gilgamesh! You will be my husband and I will be your wife. Gilgamesh full out rejects her and her proposal. After his best friend’s death, Gilgamesh decides that he wants to find the man named Utnapishtim who lived through a flooding that killed everyone but him. He wanted to become immortal. He travels deep into a mountain and finds a boat man named Urshanabi. He is told that he needs to collect something for him before he will take Gilgamesh across the river.

The boat man can represent the atonement with the father. Or this step may be missing altogether. It is very open to interpretation for you can see that the boat man is in authority like his father would be. Upon meeting Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh talks with him and finds out that he can’t ever become immortal. Upon having this apotheosis he is told by Utnapishtim to try to stay awake for 7 straight days. This test represents the ultimate boon. Gilgamesh fails the test and refuses to return. He is then given a plant to take care of but fails with that aswell. He realizes that he really can’t be immortal and gives up and goes back to Uruk. Steps 11 and 12 are open for interpretation. As seen before, the order of some of the steps are rearranged. The same can be said about this segment of the story. Either step can be switched with the other and still work so that is up to the interpretation of the reader.

At the end of the story, Gilgamesh comes to the realization that he is stuck being mortal and that there is nothing he can do to change that. He comes to terms with this information and becomes a better person, a better king. He then inscribes his newly found life changing knowledge onto stone tablets for all to read and learn what he had. The story of Gilgamesh fits Joseph Campbell’s idea of the Monomyth in many ways with a few difference such as the atonement with the father step happening with someone who represent his father or not happening at all. And also the the meeting with the goddess and the women as the temptress happening at the same time instead of individual steps. As for the rest of the story, it follows the steps perfectly thusly adding more evidence that the Monomyth is uniform among cultures.

In 1869, Abram Anderson, an icebox manufacturer, and Joseph Campbell, a fruit merchant, founded a canning and preserving business. After Anderson left the partnership in 1876, the company was named the Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company. Today, the company is known as the Campbell Soup Company, often known as just Campbell’s. They are headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, and their business has expanded substantially, with a multitude of offerings than just soup in a can. Campbell has become a staple household brand with the classic red-and-white can design, and according to their website, 95. 8 % of U. S. households have at least one Campbell product. In addition, Campbell’s products are sold in over 100 countries around the world, with annual sales exceeding $8 billion, along with operations in countries including but not only, Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, and Sweden. Due to the size and international presence of the company, their organizational structure is comprised of three categories: America’s Simple Meals and Beverages, Global Biscuits and Snacks, and Campbell Fresh.

To sustain their dominance as one of the largest processed food companies in the United States, Campbell’s presence in international markets is imperative to their longevity and success for the future. They must continually brainstorm and implement strategies to expand the availability of their products in existing markets as well as finding new markets and emerging channels around the world. However, in the past couple years, Campbell has experienced a decline in their financials, specifically sales and revenue. This can be attributed to consumers seeking more convenient meal options, such as eating out or having the luxury of more food options delivered to the front door, with the introduction of food delivery services including UberEATS, Grubhub, and Postmates. In order for Campbell to compete effectively with top competitors in the food producing industry, especially against General Mills’ sector of the Progresso brand, Campbell has experimented and implemented different methods and strategies to improve the quality and convenience of their products. In today’s society, we are seeing a transformation in consumers’ food preferences as well as their expectations from food manufacturers. Issues concerning where and how their food is grown, and a greater emphasis on diet and health, has led to Campbell prioritizing on being more attractive to their health-conscious consumers.

To respond to this shift in consumer tastes and preferences for fresh food, Campbell created a fresh food division called “Campbell Fresh,” which sold fresh vegetables and related products such as hummus and salad dressings. Unfortunately, management’s expectation of sales and revenue were lackluster, which CEO Morrison blamed due to unsuitable weather conditions. Additionally, Campbell’s largest acquisition in company history occurred in 2017, when they bought out Bolthouse Farms, a California based company that specializes in juice-and-carrot products. Despite Campbell’s efforts to revitalize their product line through acquisitions and their shift of focus to the wants of consumers, their financial statements were not in accordance to their expectations of success. In the international market, Campbell has been pursuing strategies to capitalize on opportunities in emerging channels and markets, but along with great potential comes difficult challenges. Their experience and history in the industry, coupled with the research of demographics.

Campbell stated that they “have an unrivaled understanding of consumers’ soup consumption behavior,” which they proceeded to create a production line specifically catered for the Russian market. According to their research, they learned that Russians consume soup more than five times a week, compared to the American average of once a week. The reasoning behind pursuing this opportunity was that consumption of soup in Russia and China is a lot higher than that in the United States, but the direct challenge they faced was that in both countries, the majority of soup consumed was homemade. Similarly to Campbell Fresh, Campbell was unsuccessful in Russia even after changing their recipes to conform to Russian tastes and preferences. They exited the market after four years due to underwhelming results, due to them underestimating that Russian consumers valued the quality and sentiment of soup. The final reason why Campbell has been struggling is a result from the decisions upper management has made, led by CEO Denise Morrison. Former CEO Douglas Conant made many successful reforms during his time at Campbell, driven by Campbell’s mission of “building the world’s most extraordinary food company by nourishing people’s lives everywhere, every day. ” He invested heavily in improving Campbell’s product quality, packaging, and marketing, which resulted in an improvement in financials, a more efficient and complex supply chain, enhanced employee engagement, and shareholder satisfaction.

One year before Conant stepped down, he started the salt-reduction push due to the problems of obesity and high blood pressure in the U. S. market, which became one of the biggest initiatives Campbell made to appeal to the health-conscious consumers. When Morrison succeeded Conant, she immediately shifted focus towards accelerating the rate of innovation. Questionable decisions she made included adding back the salt and investing in the development of an iPhone application to appeal to the younger generation, Years after diverging off the path that Conant was successful on, analysts were still doubtful in Morrison’s ability to lead the company, backed by declining earnings from operations in 2016, even after increasing their product prices. To better understand Campbell’s current situation and their path for the future, analysis must be done. Utilizing Porter’s Five Forces, management can analyze Campbell’s competition to gain a competitive advantage or sustain an advantage they currently hold. Starting with the threat of new entrants, Campbell should not view this as a priority as it is quite low because they compete with companies like Nestle, General Mills, The Kraft Heinz Company, all of which are world food leaders in sales or certain categories of food that they specialize in. Thus, it is difficult for a new entrant to enter due to limited market share as well as the high cost of capital involving supply chain and transportation logistics. On the other hand, the bargaining power of buyers is high. Customers are demanding the best offering available while wanting to pay the lowest price possible, which is why the processed food industry faces high competition and low profit margins. This puts pressure on Campbell’s profitability in the long run, but there are ways to overcome this difficulty. One way is by building a large base of customers with different needs and wants, which will reduce their reliance on existing customers. Another solution is by rapidly innovating new products to customers, limiting the bargaining power of buyers and their ability to seek increasing discounts and offers. Likewise of the buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers is also high. Most companies in the Processed & Packaged Goods industry buy their raw materials from numerous suppliers. With that being said, suppliers can use their negotiating power to extract higher prices from Campbell, and this ultimately affects the overall profitability of Campbell. One strategic option can be to form long-term relationships with suppliers, so both are better off, and a mutually beneficial relationship can lead to more flexibility for both parties.

Previously, it was mentioned that one of Campbell’s top competitors, Progresso, influences Campbell to innovate in order to sustain their share of market power. This ties in directly with a high threat of substitutes. For example, direct rivals like Progresso can easily attract the same customers that buy products from Campbell. This threat of substitutes pertains to Campbell’s ability to differentiate and focus on new products or strategies such as marketing to give them a competitive advantage over competitors. The last force is the intensity of rivals, which is very high for the processed food and snack industry. Because rivalry is so competitive and intense, it drives down prices of their products and decreases the overall profitability of the entire industry.

To overcome such adversities, it is crucial for Campbell to build a sustainable plan for the company’s future, such as exploring emerging channels and markets to diversify their focuses. By applying the SWOT analysis to Campbell, strategic decisions will become clearer regarding what they do well and what some of their weaknesses are. To begin the SWOT analysis, the internal strategic factors will demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages that occur within the company. Campbell has many strengths that other companies aspire to have, such as their history of reliable suppliers that pairs well with their strong and reliable distribution network. One example is their agreement with Coca-Cola, which serves as the transportation network for Campbell’s refrigerated single-serve beverages in North America. Other strengths include strong-brand recognition, easily recognized by many Americans by the red and white logo, which allows Campbell to expand into new product categories with their established publicity. Campbell also invests huge resources in their training and development for their employees, creating a highly skilled workforce. Conversely, Campbell’s weaknesses cause the overarching problem — profitability. Like many companies in their industry, there is high turnover in the workforce, which is a contributing factor to their financial statements; their profitability ratio and net contribution percentage are below industry average. With the domestic market becoming more saturated, Campbell needs investment in new technologies to increase their scale of expansion in different markets around the world, which is a race against competitors on who can do it first, but ultimately better. Also, their lack of tactical marketing and securing their market share in niche categories is a weakness for Campbell, with one example being their unsuccessful attempt entering Russia. Moving on to the external strategic factors, there are a variety of opportunities that Campbell should consider that can help them overcome some of their weaknesses.

For example, Campbell can invest in new technologies such as increased marketing to appeal to technologically savvy or the millennial generation consumers, which can increase engagement and sales through digital and e-commerce. Another opportunity is to invest more into research and development before expanding into foreign regions, reducing the risk of a failed attempt. Lastly, Campbell’s threats are an external strategic factor that they need to be cautious when making decision for the future. With their expansion of product variety, Campbell must keep in mind that demand of highly profitable products may be seasonal in nature, which could impact profitability in the short term. This is a threat because executives may feel inclined to terminate certain product offerings when in fact, they need to balance and perfect the rotation of their seasonal products. In addition, a threat that affects not only Campbell, but also the rest of the industry is the rising raw material costs. This is a threat as it indicates higher expenses, which Campbell is already struggling balancing their financials in recent years.

The last analysis tool that would benefit Campbell is Value Chain Analysis, a strategy tool that analyzes the internal firm activities. The two most important primary activities are their operations and outbound logistics. First, their operations, which includes both manufacturing and service operations, is imperative to their success due to the low profit margins in the industry. By maximizing efficiency and increasing the productivity in machining, packing, assembling and testing, Campbell will be able to cut costs in hopes to salvage their financial statements. Outbound logistics, which include material handling, warehousing, scheduling, order processing, transporting, and delivering to the destination, are of upmost importance due to the swift changes in trends as well as the concern for their perishable goods. Campbell should focus on managing their inventory and delivering their shipments to the end customer as quickly as possible. It should be noted that Campbell’s inbound logistics is one of their competitive advantages, with 140 years of experience and knowledge. They are very effective at using forecasting technology to predict the domestic demand for their products, which can be utilized to improve overall stock quality in the outbound logistics. This relates to Campbell’s efficient distribution methods, which they are able to be effective due to their production facilities around the world. Regarding the secondary activities, technology development is crucial to becoming more efficient while being cost effective. Technological integration in many functions of the business will allow Campbell to increase their economies of scale. Some examples are automation software, technology-supported customer service, product design research and data analytics. By integrating technology into Campbell’s activities, there will be more time and resources that can be invested into new projects and ideas, which robots and software are not able to do. Lastly, the procurement in value chain implies the processes involved in purchasing the inputs that may range from equipment, machinery, raw material, supplies, raw material and other items necessary for producing the finished product. Campbell should carefully consider its procurement activities, in order to optimize the primary activities such as the inbound, operational and outbound value chains.

Looking forward, the first strategic option for Campbell’s Soup is the decision to go from a publicly traded company to private. With Morrison constantly chasing growth, such as creating an abundance of new products with little to no return, or the rush to expand internationally without having done enough research, Campbell may be able to avoid such costly mistakes. Campbell’s difficulties and weaknesses can be largely attributed to their need for growth, which is ultimately a decision to appease public investors. Although sales are declining, their soup sales in 2017 contributed to approximately $600 million in cash, as well as an impressive 30 percent profit margins for soups alone. Their iconic brand and history say enough and by focusing on their expertise, risk can be mitigated. By becoming a private company, Campbell would be able to focus on investing in their operations and supply chain, while avoiding costly acquisitions.

Examples include Bolthouse farms, which cost them $1. 55 billion or Snyder’s, which Campbell acquired in 2016 for $6. 2 billion, not to mention this acquisition tripled Campbell’s long-term debt. If Campbell decides to go private, this would not mean that there would be no growth. Instead, slow growth would be the most optimal, while not being under pressure to deliver quarterly results. In the long-term Campbell has the cash flow to sustain and develop their non-soup acquisitions, while being able to focus their efforts in marketing and improving their soup production line, such as healthier, condensed soups with less sodium or their Chunky soups that cater more towards individuals looking for a “heartier” meal. Campbell’s efforts to enter the fresh food and snacks business have been lackluster, which is a huge factor of their debt and declining financial statements.

The second strategic option is to consolidate their financial statements, which focuses on erasing the debt they have accumulated. According to Forbes, industry bankers expect that if Campbell sells its fresh food and international snacks business, they will be able to generate between $2 billion and $3 billion cash. In this situation, Campbell can remain public as a significant decrease in debt will incentivize investors, due to decreased risk of being unable to pay their long-term debt. More so, the company can then invest their resources and utilize their excess cash flows into increased marketing expenses. This prompts growth for multiple target audiences, such as catering their soups more towards children on television advertisements or advertising their Chunky soups towards men during NFL broadcasts. In addition to the constant transformation in consumer preferences, namely the recent trend of healthier options, technology and the demographics in the United States are also changing, which offers a domestic opportunity. The rise in the Latino population, now more than 50 million in the United States, and the change to an increasing number of single-person or adult-only households, alters the way consumers shop. In addition, e-commerce is making its way into the food industry. One prominent example is Whole Foods, which diverges from how traditional families used to grocery shop and the way business is done for traditional retailers. This emerging channel can allow Campbell to differentiate from its competitors by creating partnerships with online retailers. Without having their customers go to the grocery store, customers may feel inclined by factor of convenience.

For example, with a Campbell online delivery app, customers can order snacks, frozen foods, and soups, to be delivered to their doorstep at a scheduled time. Campbell already has the logistics to transport quantities in mass, but this requires a partnership to effectively deliver to individual houses. Finally, with additional efforts in marketing to a younger audience, Campbell could transform their company to appeal especially towards the millennial generation. As the millennial generation develops, there will be increased brand loyalty and offers a more sustainable plan for long-term growth.

Once just a soup company, Campbell has faced adversity in expanding both internationally as well as their product offerings. Although their financial statements have dwindled the past couple years, they still have their competitive advantage of doing what they do best: soups. Also, because of their economies of scale, their outbound logistics and operations are efficient. It appears that Campbell is attempting to expand and develop growth faster than they can handle. One option for Campbell is to make their company private, so that they can still focus on growth but at a more moderate pace. On the other hand, another strategy would be to develop their technological influence with the targeted audience of changing demographics specifically in the United States. The overall factors when considering the future for Campbell is by mitigating their losses in the short term and to not lose sight of their expertise.

This paper is to compare the stages of the monomyth and how they tie to The Life of Pi. A hero with a thousand faces by Joseph Campbell goes through the stages of a hero’s journey. The hero’s journey is a pattern of narrative identified by Joseph Campbell, that is found in most storytelling, drama, myth, religious rituals and psychological development. A hero’s journey has three stages: departure, initiation and return, but has 17 total stages. The Life of Pi is a great example of a monomyth, Pi journey consists of three main parts, and each part contains examples of The Hero’s Journey.

Through the hero’s journey, the hero transforms their former self and grows and achieves things they didn’t know they could. The call to adventure is Joseph Campbell’s first stage. When a call to adventure is answered, the hero departs from his familiar world and goes into an unknown place, never before seen things occur there and eventually a victory is won. He then returns from this mysterious land, bringing back what he has experienced to his familiar world.“ This first stage of the mythological journey — which we have designated the ‘call to adventure’ — signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown.”

Answering the call to adventure, Pi leaves his familiar land of India to move to Canada with all their animals, his ship then becomes shipwrecked and he must survive on a lifeboat, which becomes his own personal journey. The tiger, Richard Parker, and Pi must learn how to survive together on the lifeboat. Pi’s mythological adventure fits Joseph Campbell’s hero archetype. As Pi battles the mysteries of the Pacific Ocean he is protected by his faith in Hinduism, Catholicism, and Islam. “Faith is a house with many rooms, oh plenty on every floor. Doubt is useful, it keeps faith a living thing. After all, You can not know the strength of your faith until it is tested.” Says adult Pi. We then move to the refusal of the call. A hero initially will reject the call to adventure because of the changes it would cause in their life.

Moving to Canada would cause many changes in Pi’s life. It is very apparent that Pi fears moving because that would mean he must leave his girlfriend and move to an unknown place. “Refusal of the summons converts the adventure into its negatives”. Pi does later accept the call by not giving up and continues his journey. The third stage is a supernatural aid, supernatural simply means ‘above the laws of nature.’This supernatural character often gives them the means to complete the quest. Some of the time the gift is simply wisdom. Pi’s aid could be the tiger because he keeps him going. When Pi feels like giving up he remembers that he is the one giving the tiger drinking water and food, keeping Richard Parker alive, which helps Pi want to continue. “Without Richard Parker, I wouldn’t be alive today to tell you my story.” Says Pi. Next, in the journey is crossing the threshold, the threshold is the barrier between two worlds.”With the personifications of his destiny to guide and aid him, the hero goes forward in his adventure until he comes to “threshold guardian” at the entrance to the zone of magnified power.” Once the hero crosses the threshold they are entering a new world and cannot return to their “normal” world without completing the journey. Pi’s crosses the threshold when the Tsimtsum sinks and he gets stranded on a lifeboat with a Hyena, Tiger, Orangutan and Zebra. Being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with limited resources and many dangers, the animals pose the most danger they are just following their natural instincts. Pi says “I was alone and orphaned, in the middle of the pacific, hanging on to an oar, an adult tiger in front of me, sharks beneath me, a storm raging about me.” The final phase of departure, is the belly of the whale, the belly of the whale is when the hero willingly crosses the point of no return. Pi faces the choice of survival, his morals start to get tested for the first time. It’s the hero’s choice to give up or survive and Pi has a strong will to survive. Belly of the whale occurs for Pi when Pi lets Richard Parker back on to the boat Pi accepts that this is his reality until he gets rescued, he must show his dominance to Richard Parker and provide for himself and the tiger, in order for survival. In addition, the next phase is initiation, to begin this phase we start in the next stage of the monomyth, the road of trials.

The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that a person must undergo to begin the transformation. “Once having transversed the threshold, the hero moves in a dream landscape of curiously fluid, ambiguous forms, where he must survive a succession of trial.” Pi’s main trail was taming his co-piloting tiger, aiming to keep himself from being eaten and learn to survive with a tiger. More trials Pi faces are being stranded at sea, finding food and water, all while experiencing grief, hunger and fear. Pi says “Nature was sinking fast. I could feel a fatal weakness creeping up on me. I would be dead by the afternoon.” Meeting with the goddess, this stage is where the hero finds their true love or companion. Pi must form a relationship with Richard Parker, therefore he become is companion or Pi would be lonely. The next stage of the journey is temptation, the hero is tempted to stray from their quest for personal gain. Pi is tempted by the mysterious island that he found, but then he discovered the dark secret and knew he must return to sea. Pi was also tempted to kill the tiger, when he couldn’t get back on the boat, this would mean that Pi would only have to take care of himself.“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.” The succeeding stage is Apotheosis, this stage is marked by death(physical or spiritual) or transition to a different plane. Pi experiences this when he thinks about his family and past, putting him in a depression.Next, the ultimate boon, in this stage the hero reaches the final goal, gaining the final reward. Pi undergoes this stage when he final crashes onto the Mexican beach and becomes rescued by some villagers who take him to a hospital. At this point in the journey Richard parker leaves Pi, without hesitation, never to be seen again. “I’ve never forgotten him. Dare I say I miss him? I do. I miss him. I still see him in my dreams. They are nightmares mostly, but nightmares tinged with love.

Such is the strangeness of the human heart. I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once. The pain is like an axe that chops my heart.” He doesn’t want to believe that Richard Parker would leave him after everything they experienced together. Refusal of return is the next stage of Pi‘s journey, Pi wants to believe that he survived in the middle of the ocean with only a tiger and limited supplies, but that’s not a believable story.The crossing the return threshold is the next stage, the journey has changed the hero and they must learn to integrate this new knowledge with their life. This happens to Pi when he tells his story in the hospital and they didn’t believe him. He decides that he must tell a believable story, so he changes it into something realistic, ultimately moving himself back into reality. He keeps the story mostly the same, he changes the animals into actual people, hyena symbolizes the cook, Orangutan symbolizes Pi’s mother, Zebra symbolizes the sailor and the tiger symbolizes Pi. The last stage of the hero’s journey is freedom to live, once the journey is complete and the hero is integrated back into the world, they are free to live their life. Pi now lives in a realistic world, but thinks back to his experience sometimes. When Pi shares his story with others he lets them choose which to believe, but knowing for himself which he believes. “Adult Pi Patel: So which story do you prefer? Writer: The one with the tiger. That’s the better story. Adult Pi Patel: Thank you. And so it goes with God. Writer: [smiles] It’s an amazing story.”

In conclusion, Pi transformed himself from his former self to grow and achieve things he didn’t know he could. The hero’s journey demonstrated in The Life of Pi goes along with the stages of the Monomyth explained by Joseph Campbell’s A hero with a thousand faces. Every hero’s journey follows a predictable pattern consisting of : Departure, Initiation and Return. Pi lived a hero’s life, started as a “normal” person and by the end of the journey was changed, more knowledgeable and essentially a master of two worlds.“