12 Stages Of A Hero's Journey Analysis
12 stages of a Hero’s journey…
The 12 steps of a Hero’s journey, is a basic pattern that can be found in many narratives, this structure when followed can fit into most stories we all know and love.
When studying and going through each step individually it instantly reminded me of the infamous Stephen Spielberg movie The Goonies, so when we were asked to write about a film that follows these said steps, i decided i wanted to write about it. This movie holds many great childhood memories for me and is something i always come back to year after year.
The story begins in the Ordinary world, just like the beginning of the 12 stages. We are introduced to a rambunctious group of pre – teens and also the some mental equivalent teenagers, who all live in the “Goon Dock” area of Astoria, Oregan. This is the reason they call their gang “The Goonies”. The one character …show more content…
holding this unruly gang together is thirteen year old Mikey Walsh, who will eventually lead this gang on the greatest of adventures.
This group of misfits knew their lives were about to change forever, but not anything like they expected.
The Goonies get word that their beloved Goon Dock area is going to be leveled to make way for a new Golf course catering for the bourgeoisie of the area.
This would inevitable mean that The Goonies parents would all have to sell up and ship out as none of the families were wealthy enough to buy off the money hungry investors
What The Goonies needed to do in a short amount of time was come up with a fool proof plan to save their homes.
Their Call to adventure begins when Mikey lets slip to the rest of the gang that his father, who is the curator of the local museum has a treasure trove of unwanted bits and bob’s, gathering dust in their very own attic! Instantly it was agreed upon that lying and waiting in there would be the answer to all of their problems,
Alas their was no such lavish pieces of treasure hiding away up in a forgotten corner, but what they did find was a concealed map. A map leading them to the hiding place of the infamous fortune hunting pirate known as One eyed
Willy.
For Mikey, at first the thought of trying to follow in the footsteps of so many other older and more capable adventurers was too big a feet. How could they succeed when so many people had tried and failed before? This was his Refusal of the call.
Mikey doesn’t really have a Mentor to meet to coax him into taking his role, he has instead a bunch of enthusiastic kids, who will do anything to save their homes, but also to have the chance to go one last adventure together, i think they collectively influenced him in his decision to follow the map.
And so the adventure begins and The Goonies cross the first threshold by following the map to its starting point – a paint stripped and derelict sea side restaurant, which had been closed to the public for years.
Lying unknown for centuries, hidden underneath this shack was the beginning of a long labyrinth of tunnels leading them their hidden treasures.
What the gang are unaware of, is that the fugitive gangster family, The Fratelli’s are also using the restaurant, but as their hide out.
When they find out this un-nerving news, they send for help in the shape of Chunk the teller or tall tales and the boy who cried wolf a few to many times.
Obviously like any other savvy pirate trying to a keep hold of his treasure, One eyed Willy had not made the journey easy for them. along this maze of underground tunnels and caves, The Goonies are meet with Tests, Allies and enemies.
Captain one eyed Willy had laid a sequence of booby traps for anyone who thought themselves brave enough to follow the map, this would mean the kids would have to pool all their ingenuity and mostly brave innocence to complete each task ahead of them.
Not only were they trying to to defuse or beat the booby traps but they were also fleeing for their lives from the monstrous mama Fratelli and her son’s, who were hot on their heels when they heard wind of a treasure trove.
After tracking through tunnels and running scared for their lives they Approach the inner most cave. When many of The Goonies, decided that they had enough, they were deflated, tired and wanted to go home. It just took some words of encouragement and hope from Mikey to set a fire under them again to continue on with the adventure. Goonies never say die!
As they closed in, unaware to them on the treasure hidden by the captain the tasks / trials laid out for them began getting more and more difficult and dangerous, most of them surely resulting in death! This was an ordeal for many of them, but by pooling their talents and knowledge together, they could over come anything.
After finishing their final task that will lead them onto the marked spot on the map, The Goonies are flushed down a tunnel, spinning and sliding in water then dumped into an underground cavern and lagoon which housed the most magnificent pirate ship – One Eyed Willy’s ship, loaded with treasure! They will have their reward.
The Goonies, can not exactly return back the way they came. The road back will be difficult, especially when the Fratelli’s will do anything to keep their filthy mitts off the gold.
But the Goonies are saved by the timely arrival of both Chunk and Mama Fratelli’s deformed son Sloth, who have come to their rescue.
Sloth helps them escape by lifting a rock and exposing a hole big enough for them to all get through and begin the road home.
This story does not so much have a Ressurection of a Hero as their is nothing more that a thirteen year old boy can do against some of the most ruthless fugitives, but had learned alot him his journey. Mikey and the remainder of The Goonies are meet on the beach by their worried parents, where they all explain to their families what had happened to them, what they had to face and what lessons they had learned along the way – including that family is more important then any other materialist possession.
I was wondering when writing this what would be Mikey’s Return with the Elixer and then i realised what that was for them.
During their emotional reunion and while Mikey’s father is almost about to sign over the property to the Astoria Country Club, Rosalita the maid, finds Mikey’s marble bag.
His marble bag that is stuffed full of jewels that he had taken from the ship, before the Fratelli’s got the chance to throw them over board.
This was his Elixer, this would be enough money to save all their homes and end all of their worries. The Goonies would stay together!
The 12 steps of a Hero’s journey, is a basic pattern that can be found in many narratives, this structure when followed can fit into most stories we all know and love.
When studying and going through each step individually it instantly reminded me of the infamous Stephen Spielberg movie The Goonies, so when we were asked to write about a film that follows these said steps, i decided i wanted to write about it. This movie holds many great childhood memories for me and is something i always come back to year after year.
The story begins in the Ordinary world, just like the beginning of the 12 stages. We are introduced to a rambunctious group of pre – teens and also the some mental equivalent teenagers, who all live in the “Goon Dock” area of Astoria, Oregan. This is the reason they call their gang “The Goonies”. The one character …show more content…
holding this unruly gang together is thirteen year old Mikey Walsh, who will eventually lead this gang on the greatest of adventures.
This group of misfits knew their lives were about to change forever, but not anything like they expected.
The Goonies get word that their beloved Goon Dock area is going to be leveled to make way for a new Golf course catering for the bourgeoisie of the area.
This would inevitable mean that The Goonies parents would all have to sell up and ship out as none of the families were wealthy enough to buy off the money hungry investors
What The Goonies needed to do in a short amount of time was come up with a fool proof plan to save their homes.
Their Call to adventure begins when Mikey lets slip to the rest of the gang that his father, who is the curator of the local museum has a treasure trove of unwanted bits and bob’s, gathering dust in their very own attic! Instantly it was agreed upon that lying and waiting in there would be the answer to all of their problems,
Alas their was no such lavish pieces of treasure hiding away up in a forgotten corner, but what they did find was a concealed map. A map leading them to the hiding place of the infamous fortune hunting pirate known as One eyed
Willy.
For Mikey, at first the thought of trying to follow in the footsteps of so many other older and more capable adventurers was too big a feet. How could they succeed when so many people had tried and failed before? This was his Refusal of the call.
Mikey doesn’t really have a Mentor to meet to coax him into taking his role, he has instead a bunch of enthusiastic kids, who will do anything to save their homes, but also to have the chance to go one last adventure together, i think they collectively influenced him in his decision to follow the map.
And so the adventure begins and The Goonies cross the first threshold by following the map to its starting point – a paint stripped and derelict sea side restaurant, which had been closed to the public for years.
Lying unknown for centuries, hidden underneath this shack was the beginning of a long labyrinth of tunnels leading them their hidden treasures.
What the gang are unaware of, is that the fugitive gangster family, The Fratelli’s are also using the restaurant, but as their hide out.
When they find out this un-nerving news, they send for help in the shape of Chunk the teller or tall tales and the boy who cried wolf a few to many times.
Obviously like any other savvy pirate trying to a keep hold of his treasure, One eyed Willy had not made the journey easy for them. along this maze of underground tunnels and caves, The Goonies are meet with Tests, Allies and enemies.
Captain one eyed Willy had laid a sequence of booby traps for anyone who thought themselves brave enough to follow the map, this would mean the kids would have to pool all their ingenuity and mostly brave innocence to complete each task ahead of them.
Not only were they trying to to defuse or beat the booby traps but they were also fleeing for their lives from the monstrous mama Fratelli and her son’s, who were hot on their heels when they heard wind of a treasure trove.
After tracking through tunnels and running scared for their lives they Approach the inner most cave. When many of The Goonies, decided that they had enough, they were deflated, tired and wanted to go home. It just took some words of encouragement and hope from Mikey to set a fire under them again to continue on with the adventure. Goonies never say die!
As they closed in, unaware to them on the treasure hidden by the captain the tasks / trials laid out for them began getting more and more difficult and dangerous, most of them surely resulting in death! This was an ordeal for many of them, but by pooling their talents and knowledge together, they could over come anything.
After finishing their final task that will lead them onto the marked spot on the map, The Goonies are flushed down a tunnel, spinning and sliding in water then dumped into an underground cavern and lagoon which housed the most magnificent pirate ship – One Eyed Willy’s ship, loaded with treasure! They will have their reward.
The Goonies, can not exactly return back the way they came. The road back will be difficult, especially when the Fratelli’s will do anything to keep their filthy mitts off the gold.
But the Goonies are saved by the timely arrival of both Chunk and Mama Fratelli’s deformed son Sloth, who have come to their rescue.
Sloth helps them escape by lifting a rock and exposing a hole big enough for them to all get through and begin the road home.
This story does not so much have a Ressurection of a Hero as their is nothing more that a thirteen year old boy can do against some of the most ruthless fugitives, but had learned alot him his journey. Mikey and the remainder of The Goonies are meet on the beach by their worried parents, where they all explain to their families what had happened to them, what they had to face and what lessons they had learned along the way – including that family is more important then any other materialist possession.
I was wondering when writing this what would be Mikey’s Return with the Elixer and then i realised what that was for them.
During their emotional reunion and while Mikey’s father is almost about to sign over the property to the Astoria Country Club, Rosalita the maid, finds Mikey’s marble bag.
His marble bag that is stuffed full of jewels that he had taken from the ship, before the Fratelli’s got the chance to throw them over board.
This was his Elixer, this would be enough money to save all their homes and end all of their worries. The Goonies would stay together!