The Differences of Monomyths in the Modern Context.

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The Differences of Monomyths in the Modern Context
Narratives and myths have long been discussed in the context of the Hero’s Journey, also known as the monomyth. This is the idea that there is a common template for all stories and myths, involving a man who leave his home to go on adventures, wins a victory, and then comes home, transformed. Proper study of the monomyth and how it appears in myth and culture began in 1871, when an anthropologist by the name of Edward Tylor began to notice a common theme when it came to certain mythological narratives. His work was then expanded upon from certain angles, including the psychoanalytical angle of Otto Rank, and the unification of mythology and religion as postulated by Lord Raglan. The final codifying of the monomyth was done by Joseph Campbell in the mid-twentieth century, and his version of the myth is still used today when discussing film and television narratives. This essay will take the original Star Wars and the new Disney movie Moana, and compare and contrast them to the monomyth. Through this compare and contrast, the essay will show how the monomyth has changed, and how it has not changed, in the intervening years, and in the different genres of movies.
Star Wars is the story of a young boy from Tatooine who is caught up in galactic events, and ends up becoming the one who saves the Rebellion from certain destruction. Moana is the story of a girl who grows up on a remote island in the Pacific, who is caught up in events beyond the island, and ends up saving the world through her intervention. On the surface, both of these movies have the same basic narrative – they both follow that of the narrative very closely (Seger 326). However, they are both very different movies, and those differences are what make the differences to the monomyth, and how it is used.
Star Wars features the protagonist, Luke Skywalker, who is at first a farm boy on a backwards planet. He and his uncle buy two droids, which leads him to meet up with an old recluse from nearby – Obi-Wan Kenobi – and eventually takes him into space. There, with the help of allies and friends, he makes his way through the various dangers of the outside world, and eventually becomes a hero. This is the basic version of the ‘hero’ monomyth (Seger 327), and it is the monomyth which people are most familiar with. Luke is the hero, and he has a mentor in the form of Kenobi. His first test comes in the form of his uncle’s expectations for him with regards to the family farm. Once he passes the test (or has it rendered a moot point), then he moves on into a new world, with new interactions and allies in it.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: There was nothing you could have done, Luke, had you been there. You'd have been killed too, and the droids would now be in the hands of the Empire.
Luke Skywalker: I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing for me here now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father.
(Lucas)
This film is the monomyth as it was originally conceived of – since it is, as Seger (327) says a ‘hero’ version of the monomyth, the focus is on Luke himself, and how he adapts to the wider worl...