Finding Nemo: Overcoming Fear and the Hero's Journey
Finding Nemo: Hero’s Journey and Overcoming Fear
Kaitlyn Patterson
Wallace
6th period
The words of David Joseph Schwartz, “Do what you fear and fear disappears,” perfectly describe the theme in Finding Nemo. Directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich, Finding Nemo is an animated Disney film about a clownfish on a mission to save his son that exemplifies Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, also known as the hero’s journey. Campbell’s monomyth includes twelve stages in which a hero goes upon a quest and learns a lesson. In this movie, Marlin, the hero, must find and rescue his son, Nemo, who has been captured by divers. Although Marlin is afraid he wills himself to journey to the deepest, darkest, most dangerous areas of the ocean to find Nemo. In Finding Nemo, through three critical stages of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, Marlin discovers that he must overcome his fears in order to save his son. In the “Ordinary World” stage of the hero’s journey, Marlin expresses inordinate fear towards the ocean and taking risks. While preparing for the first day of school in his anemone, Marlin inquires, “What’s the one thing we have to remember about the ocean?” “It’s not safe,” replied Nemo with a heavy sigh. In this ordinary world, the fear that Marlin will conquer is introduced with his parenting. Marlin teaches Nemo to fear because of his horrendous past experiences. While Marlin is cultivated and cautious, Nemo, on the other hand, is innocuous and imprudent. Because of this, Nemo’s father is set on sheltering Nemo from the outside world. At this point in the journey, Marlin has extreme anxieties that are yet to be conquered. Additionally, Marlin begins to conquer his fear of the “big blue” and gambling with life as he enters the “Crossing the Threshold” stage of Campbell’s monomyth. When Nemo ventures out into open water to touch “the butt” (boat), he is nabbed by divers, and Marlin rushes to action and chases the boat. “I have to find
Kaitlyn Patterson
Wallace
6th period
The words of David Joseph Schwartz, “Do what you fear and fear disappears,” perfectly describe the theme in Finding Nemo. Directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich, Finding Nemo is an animated Disney film about a clownfish on a mission to save his son that exemplifies Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, also known as the hero’s journey. Campbell’s monomyth includes twelve stages in which a hero goes upon a quest and learns a lesson. In this movie, Marlin, the hero, must find and rescue his son, Nemo, who has been captured by divers. Although Marlin is afraid he wills himself to journey to the deepest, darkest, most dangerous areas of the ocean to find Nemo. In Finding Nemo, through three critical stages of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, Marlin discovers that he must overcome his fears in order to save his son. In the “Ordinary World” stage of the hero’s journey, Marlin expresses inordinate fear towards the ocean and taking risks. While preparing for the first day of school in his anemone, Marlin inquires, “What’s the one thing we have to remember about the ocean?” “It’s not safe,” replied Nemo with a heavy sigh. In this ordinary world, the fear that Marlin will conquer is introduced with his parenting. Marlin teaches Nemo to fear because of his horrendous past experiences. While Marlin is cultivated and cautious, Nemo, on the other hand, is innocuous and imprudent. Because of this, Nemo’s father is set on sheltering Nemo from the outside world. At this point in the journey, Marlin has extreme anxieties that are yet to be conquered. Additionally, Marlin begins to conquer his fear of the “big blue” and gambling with life as he enters the “Crossing the Threshold” stage of Campbell’s monomyth. When Nemo ventures out into open water to touch “the butt” (boat), he is nabbed by divers, and Marlin rushes to action and chases the boat. “I have to find