Thesis idea: Comparative Mythology, The Hero's Journey and the Evolution of Narrative

[GOTHOS]

Originally Posted by Evan Henry

Campbell did not write a guide to writing fiction. I think that's important for every writer who is interested in reading his works to realize. They're interesting, sure, and some people (well, George Lucas) have used them to construct dramatic narratives, but that is not their intended purpose. As Teinz said, THWATF is about psychology; specifically, the conjunction between psychology and mythology/religion. The whole thing is very Jungian in concept, and if you don't understand that going in, Campbell isn't going to improve your knowledge of how to structure a narrative.

For me, Campbell's works are interesting on an abstract level, but I would never try to implement the Monomyth as a formula. Mostly because I hate formulas, but also because it was never meant to be a formula. If you want to read a story guide, there are plenty of those out there, but Campbell isn't one any more than Bulfinch is.

I enjoy formulas, but I distinguish between those that have at least a touch of "invention" amid their "conventions" and those that seem blandly conventional

[maxmordon]

So, after many, many talks with my tutor and the professor guiding our class checking in our and our tutors' work, I can say it was all bottled down to The Dark Knight Trilogy and the Hero's Journey. I deeply suspect the guiding professor doesn't understand what my thesis is about except some very general points, but the tutor has told me not to feel bad about this.

[GOTHOS]

Originally Posted by maxmordon

So, after many, many talks with my tutor and the professor guiding our class checking in our and our tutors' work, I can say it was all bottled down to The Dark Knight Trilogy and the Hero's Journey. I deeply suspect the guiding professor doesn't understand what my thesis is about except some very general points, but the tutor has told me not to feel bad about this.

Well, at least there is a certain amount of psychological content in the trilogy that can justify a Campbellian approach (whether that's your sole approach or just one influence). As a viewer I have a lot of reservations about the way Christopher Nolan handles his characters and his plots-- to say nothing of the Batman mythos. However, an awful lot of Bat-comics fans love his work, so at the very least Nolan has something to say about the concept of the hero, seen through a somewhat Marxist lens perhaps. You may care to take into account that Nolan's version of the "hero's journey" is diametrically opposed to the mythos of the comic book, in that Nolan wants the story of his Batman to come to a pre-arranged end.