Keu Question 4 12

One maybe suffering, and has the need to tell someone. But the person may not know how to respond to the individual's suffering. Likewise, the narrator of the short story, "The Step Not Taken", does not know how to respond to the man crying in the elevator. He does not know how to reply to the man's suffering. This essay will analyis this short story based on archetypal theory. The purpose of this essay is too idenitfy why it is important too help others when they are suffering or in need. At first, the three stages of monomyth will be discussed, and how they are repersented in this story. Next, the epiphany and gift of the author will be discussed and why it is important or relevant realization of today's world. All of this will help identify how this text base its meaning on an archaic pattern. All three stages of monomyth were demonstrated in this story. The first stage of monomyth, seperation, was clearly displayed. This occured when the narrator begins his story in the elevator with a well-dressed young man. When the young man breaks down and bursts into tears, this changes the narrator.The narrator obtains a sense of fear and confusion. He does not know if he should help the man or just leave him. Also, he is afraid if he leaves him, the young man will endure more pain. At this point, his ordianry day turns into a not so ordinary day. The call to adventure occurs when the narrator decides to leave him alone and walks out the elevator. At this point he accepts the quest to find out if he did the right thing and left him alone. This is the starting point of the narrator's journey. The young man who was suffering in the elevator was somewhat like a guide for the narrator to begin his journey or quest. All of these events fall into the first stage of monomyth, seperation.ergation The second stage of monomyth, struggle or initiation, was accuratley demonstrated. The second stage occurs when the hero's explores his or her "shadow" or unconscious