The Hero's Journey in As I Lay Dying

I do think that the hero’s journey can be found in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, even if the book’s fragmented, nonlinear style makes it harder to sift out. Faulkner’s use of multiple perspectives and stream-of-consciousness kind of is like a reimagination of the journey. The Bundrens’ journey to Jefferson to bury Addie mirrors key stages of Joseph Campbell’s classic hero’s journey, but in a way that feels messy, human, and flawed. 

The “call to adventure” is a good starting point because it’s so reluctant. Addie’s death and her demand to be buried in Jefferson isn’t very grand or heroic. The Bundren's don’t necessarily want to take on this journey—they do it out of a mix of guilt, obligation, and family loyalty. This reluctance feels important because it sets the tone for everything that follows. Faulkner’s fragmented structure exemplifies this, as each character processes the call in different ways. Anse is self-centered and lazy (I genuinely hate him), while Cash pours his energy into building the coffin, focusing on his craft as a way to process his grief. Jewel is committed (almost overly so) to his devotion, and Darl’s perspective starts falling apart from the very beginning.

Once the journey starts, things just get more and more complicated. The “crossing the threshold” moment, where they leave home, doesn’t feel like a grand departure but more like stumbling out into a world full of obstacles. The river crossing is a good example: it’s chaotic and dangerous, but also frustrating for the family and kind of embarrassing that it took them so long just to cross a river. 

What’s interesting is how Faulkner layers the journey’s “trials”. There’s the obvious external challenges—Cash breaking his leg, the wagon almost getting swept away, and the barn fire—but there’s more happening internally. Everyone is grieving in their own way (except Darl probably), and no one really knows how to support each other. Faulkner’s fragmented style makes it feel like we’re inside their heads, and that chaos is just as challenging as the physical obstacles they face. Vardaman’s chapters, for example, are so raw and disjointed because he’s just a traumatized kid trying to make sense of death. His repeated line, “My mother is a fish,” is strangely profound to me. It kind of reflects how incomprehensible the whole situation is for him. 

I think the “abyss” moment is when Darl is sent to an institution. Instead of a triumph or resolution, it feels like everything falls apart here. Darl, who has been one of the main narrators, is taken away, and the family’s fragile sense of unity is shattered. 

I haven’t quite finished the book yet, so I’m not entirely sure if there’s a clear resolution, but based on the pace and tone of this novel, it’s probably not going to be a very happy or satisfying ending. Faulkner doesn’t give us a traditional hero’s journey—instead, we’re given a story that’s unresolved and rather human. It’s not really about glory or transformation but about how flawed and complicated people navigate loss and obligation. The hero’s journey is there, but it’s less grand and more grounded. 

Split Paths-- Vi and Jinx's Diverging Heroine's Journeys in Arcane

 The show Arcane follows sisters Vi and Jinx (born Powder). They come from the undercity of Zaun, a society oppressed by the wealthy city of Piltover (also referred to as “Topside”). After a raid results in the death of their parents, Vi takes on a protective role over her younger sister Powder. However, after a tragic accident, the sisters are separated, and Powder is left to grapple with her trauma alone.

The juxtaposition of Vi and Jinx’s diverging heroine’s journeys in Arcane highlights their contrasting approaches to self-empowerment, trauma, and identity, particularly through their relationship with the "masculine" and "feminine" aspects of their journeys. While both characters navigate violence, loss, and a search for agency, they embody completely different expressions of strength and vulnerability. 

Vi’s journey is characterized by a strong identification with the masculine archetype. After the loss of her parents, she takes on the role of protector, channeling her pain and need for control into physical strength and resilience. Her adoption of a “masculine” approach—combative, protective, and abrasive—is a means of coping and surviving in the harsh environment of Zaun. Vi’s journey involves a clear sense of purpose, with her often her stepping up as a leader or warrior. After the tragic death of their (Vi and Jinx’s) adoptive father and the separation of the sisters, Vi steps into the protective role even further. Her “masculine” qualities drive her forward but also restrict her, as she grapples with guilt, anger, and an intense feeling of responsibility for Jinx. This fierce need to protect conflicts with her desire for emotional connection, which Murdock’s journey describes as a common feminine aspect of healing and nurturing.

Jinx, on the other hand, embodies a deeply fractured expression of both masculine and feminine archetypes. Unlike Vi, who channels her loss into physical strength and anger, Jinx’s response to trauma manifests in chaos, unpredictability, and a rejection of vulnerability. Jinx’s self-destructive tendencies and lack of regard for human life show her grappling with both anger (a traditionally “masculine” response) and an unresolved need for nurturing and validation, elements of the “feminine” that she feels abandoned by. Her transformation into her Jinx is a way of distancing herself from the young, vulnerable Powder, attempting to overpower the deep-rooted feelings of fear and helplessness with a persona that rejects order and embraces volatility.

I think the juxtaposition of their journeys is most striking in how each character interacts with the idea of healing, especially through relationships with others. Vi’s approach is grounded in her loyalty and sense of duty to Jinx and driven by a desire to heal their broken bond. Her journey echoes the feminine aspects of the heroine’s journey by emphasizing connection, empathy, and a belief that reconciliation is possible. However, her “masculine” tendency to impose control over situations complicates her attempts to truly connect with Jinx. Vi wants to protect, fix, and save Jinx, but her abrasive approach overlooks the delicate, fractured nature of Jinx’s mental state, leading to even greater conflict and a worsening relationship. 

In contrast, Jinx rejects healing and connection outright, embracing a chaotic path that denies any potential for resolution or balance. She adopts a persona that defies categorization, mixing both hyper-violent, destructive “masculine” traits with a haunting, unstable vulnerability. Jinx’s heroine’s journey is about self-annihilation and a retreat into her own painful identity. She is unable—or unwilling—to reconcile her need for connection with the trauma she associates with it. For Jinx, embracing chaos instead of healing is a rejection of the traditional feminine aspects of the heroine’s journey, and this path leads her toward isolation rather than integration.

In the ongoing narrative of Arcane, neither Vi nor Jinx reach the final integration and healing stage of the heroine’s journey. Instead, their journeys remain constantly changing, each character stuck in a different phase: Vi, unable to give up her sense of control and responsibility, and Jinx, unable to reconcile her pain with the love she once felt for her sister. The lack of resolution between them emphasizes the complexity of their internal struggles as they continue to wrestle with both masculine and feminine aspects within themselves. Ultimately, the contrast between Vi and Jinx’s heroine’s journeys explores how two people shaped by the same loss can diverge so profoundly in their relationships with power, healing, and self-acceptance.

“I’ll make a man out of you”-- Mulan & Murdock’s Heroine’s Journey

 

    Disney’s Mulan (1998) is often hailed as an empowering story of a young woman defying gender roles to save her country. However, if we examine the film through the lens of Maureen Murdock’s Heroine’s Journey, it reveals a deeper narrative of internal transformation; one centered around reconciling feminine and masculine identities. Unlike Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, which emphasizes external challenges, Murdock’s framework focuses on the heroine’s internal struggle to achieve self-integration. This perspective encourages a more nuanced reflection on Mulan’s journey, one that is not only about victory in battle but about personal growth and self-acceptance.

    The Heroine’s Journey begins with the heroine’s separation from the feminine. For Mulan, this happens when she fails in front of the matchmaker, symbolizing her alienation from traditional female roles. Not fitting the mold of an obedient daughter or future wife, Mulan rejects societal expectations and enters the masculine world by disguising herself as a man to join the army in place of her father. This stage, according to Murdock, reflects the heroine’s belief that power and success can only be achieved through masculine traits like strength and aggression.

    Murdock’s model also emphasizes a crucial moment of self-reflection, where the heroine must confront the limitations of her identification with masculinity. In Mulan, this happens when her true identity as a woman is revealed, leading to her exile from the army. Stripped of both her masculine disguise and her role as soldier, Mulan faces an internal battle. This phase represents the "descent" in Murdock’s journey, where the heroine must confront her authentic self and begin the process of healing the split between her feminine and masculine aspects.

    The ultimate victory in Mulan’s journey is not just the defeat of the villain, Shan Yu, but lies in Mulan’s ability to embrace both her masculine and feminine qualities. When Mulan returns to the battlefield, she no longer pretends to be a man, but embraces her unique strengths—her intelligence, resourcefulness, and collaborative spirit. Additionally, Mulan’s relationship with Captain Li Shang hints at her balancing of both identities. Though she initially wins his respect by disguising herself as a man and excelling in battle, their connection deepens after her true identity is revealed. By the end of the film, the romantic tension between them grows not because Mulan is one or the other, but because she embodies the best of both masculine and feminine qualities, allowing her to form relationships based on mutual respect and understanding. 

    Murdock’s Heroine’s Journey highlights this development as the heroine’s true empowerment: Not through brute force, but by reconciling her internal dualities and recognizing that heroism goes beyond traditional gendered definitions of power.

    However, while Murdock’s framework provides a solid framework for analyzing Mulan, it also raises questions about the binary nature of feminine and masculine traits it relies on. Mulan’s success is measured within a patriarchal system that still values military achievement, and while she does redefine heroism on her own terms, she still operates within a structure that privileges masculine-coded ideals like honor and duty. Ultimately, we’re encouraged to rethink what it really means to be a hero—and how societal expectations still shape and limit our understanding of empowerment.

The Great Awakening: Apotheosis in Siddhartha

    Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha follows Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey structure in a relatively linear matter (with some exceptions. But most of the steps are there and pretty much in order.) I want to focus more specifically on how Siddhartha depicts / interprets the apotheosis stage. 

    I think the "By the River" chapter embodies the apotheosis stage. Here, Siddhartha reaches a critical point in his quest for enlightenment, a moment where he confronts the very essence of his being and the nature of existence itself. This scene is not just a turning point, but an immersion into the core of spiritual revelation. 

    Siddhartha, who has navigated the extremes of life, from ascetic deprivation to sensual indulgence, finds himself in a state of disillusionment. He’s miserable, basically, unable to find fulfillment from the world and things around him. The river he encounters is a constant and ever-changing presence, and acts as a mirror to his internal struggle. 

                     (River picture for full immersive experience.) 

    As Siddhartha listens to its flow, he experiences a shift. The river’s ceaseless movement, its ability to reflect the sky and the landscape while remaining unchanged, becomes a metaphor for the unity of all existence. Siddhartha’s realization here is not simply understanding, but a deeper, more holistic awareness. He sees that life’s essence is in its fluidity and interconnectedness, recognizing that true enlightenment cannot be grasped through rigid doctrine or fleeting pleasures.

    Joseph Campbell’s concept of apotheosis– where the hero achieves a divine insight or transformation– comes alive in this chapter. Campbell portrays this stage as a moment of supreme clarity, where the hero transcends ordinary limitations to grasp a higher truth. For Siddhartha, this epiphany is a moment of serene acceptance and deep understanding. The river’s flow teaches him about the eternal cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, revealing the interconnectedness of all life. This insight is not just an intellectual realization, but a spiritual awakening that reshapes Siddhartha’s perception of self and reality.

    

    I believe that the "By the River" chapter emphasizes the universality of Campbell’s monomyth, showcasing how apotheosis serves as a gateway to deeper understanding. Siddhartha’s journey reflects a broader universal human quest for meaning, where moments of clarity offer transformative insights into the nature of existence. This scene invites readers (us maybe) to reflect on their own moments of revelation and the profound impact they can have on our lives. I think that through Siddhartha’s experience, Hesse and Campbell together suggest that true enlightenment comes not from external achievements but from inner awakening, achieved through introspection and a deep connection with the world around us.