From Achilles to Harry Potter and beyond: How does the hero’s journey help, or limit, our storytelling?

The concept of the hero’s journey was popularized by Joseph Campbell and outlined in his 1949 book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell based the hero’s journey framework off of myths from around the world. Since then, the idea of the hero’s journey has been used in popular books and movies from Star Wars through Harry Potter to The Hunger Games and beyond.

But, despite its popularity, Campbell’s hero’s journey framework has faced a number of criticisms, including that he left women out of the story. Maria Tatar’s new book, The Heroine with 1,001 Faces, changes that.

This hour, a look at the impact of the hero’s journey — and at its limitations.

GUESTS:

• Jeff Garvin: Co-host of the The Hero’s Journey podcast
• Lev Grossman: Author of the Magicians trilogy; his newest book is The Golden Swift
• Maria Tatar: Author of The Heroine with 1,001 Faces

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Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.

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