Surname 1

Student’s Name

Professor’s Name

Course

Date

Simba’s Monomyth in the Lion King

The Lion King is an animation movie following the adventures of Simba, a young cub

condemned to exile by his uncle Scar. The film starts with King Mufasa and his wife bearing the

future heir of the Pride land' kingdom throne. The Uncle. Scar scams and kills Mufasa to become

king and blames Simba forcing him to flee from home. He meets friends while away who help

him through life, and at the end of the movie, Simba regains his rightful position as king. The

hero's journey explains the adventurous life of a particular character in literature, where they go

on an adventure. The decisions they make prompt them to come home changed and transformed.

Notetaking

Departure – Call to Adventure

Notes Quotes

The call to adventure in literature Scar: “No one means for these things to

entails a particular event that forces the happen but the king is dead and if it were not

character to face the change. In the film, the for you he would still be alive…. Runaway

death of the king and Simba being blamed by Simba, run away and never return."

his uncle for killing his father, he is told to

run away and never come back for it will

devastate his mother. He runs away from

home.

Initiation – Ordeals

The initiation stage is where the Mufasa: “You are more than what you have

character has to face his obstacle and address become. You must take your place in the

their greatest fear. Circle of Life…Remember who you are. You

After meeting Nala, who convinces are my son and the one true king."

him to go back and retain his rightful place,

he is finally convinced when he sees his

father's ghost, who reminds him of his role as

the heir to Price Lands throne.

Return – Discovers Real Purpose

This is primarily the final act where Scar: "I will let you on my little secret I killed

the hero overcomes his obstacles and regains Mufasa."

his rightful position.

When Simba finally returns home,

Scar forces him to admit his responsibility in

his father's death which corners him to the

end of the cliff where Scar intends to let him

go like Mufasa. At that moment, Scar admits

to killing the king.

Essay
 Surname 3

According to Joseph Campbell, who introduced the aspect of the Hero Journey argues

that a Hero is someone who dedicates their life to something important than themselves. The

Hero Journey is about a character's life in a story or a film has to go through to achieve a reward

at the end.

The first stage is the departure. In this stage, the hero has to leave their ordinary life

where the writer or the scriptwriter gives a detailed account of the hero's ordinary life for the

audience to understand what they have to leave behind.

The initiation stage is the beginning of a life in unknown territories. In this stage, the

story builds by introducing an aspect that disrupts the hero's ordinary life. While away from their

comfort zones, they have to make decisions that impact their lives and make way for the return

stage.

In the return stage, the character must meet and overcome their greatest fear that sends

them away and regain their position as a reward. This stage is complicated and is characterized

by refusal from the character; however, in the end, the truth is revealed, and they become

triumphant.

Conclusively, the stages provide a guide in understanding the storyline and the hero.

Therefore, it is essential to understand these three stages to understand the character's role as the

hero.
 Surname 4

Assignment 6.2. Archetype and Identity

1. What character from a movie, book, or story reminds you in some way of yourself?

Why?

Nile Freeman's character in The Old Guard reminds me of myself in that it takes more

than one proof for me to trust someone. I value the trust and ensure that the people around me

can trust me and vice-versa. This is because trust produces loyalty and is a basis for a strong

relationship. Additionally, I can relate to Freeman because of her compassion for humanity and

love for his friends. Once she realizes they are in trouble, she is willing to risk everything and

forget their argument. Similarly, once someone is my friend and has earned it, I will always be

there for them despite the cost and the required sacrifice.

2. Many literary characters, journeys, and themes are widely known. Their qualities can

often be matched to other characters across cultures. Match the allusion (an indirect or

passing reference to a well-known text in this case) on the left with the quality on the right.

____ Stop being a Queen (Snow White) – jealous, tricky

____ He is a Scrooge – stingy and mean

____ He is a Robin Hood -Champion for the poor

____ It is a true Cinderella story – Rags to riches, happy ending

____ What a Romeo! - impulsive, a dreamer

____ He attacks the situation like Frodo (LOTR) – curious, undertakes a journey, good

3. Record two examples for each archetype in the Example column. Listed are several

Disney stories, movies, and characters/quests from Mythology to help you. You do NOT

have to choose from this list. You may want to use characters from your chosen film in the

first assignment.
 Surname 5

Archetype Quality Examples

Hero Conquers obstacles and saves the day; typically Simba

embarks on some quest, either physical or spiritual. Frodo

The quality that makes a character genuinely heroic

is his willingness to put others ahead of himself.

Damsel in Distress A vulnerable woman (usually beautiful and pure) Snow White

who needs to be rescued by the hero; often used as a Sleeping Beauty

trap to ensnare the unsuspecting hero.

Mother figure The archetypal mother figure doesn’t have to be a Timon

mother, literally. The role is to care for and guide Pumbaa

her “family”; sometimes a spiritual leader, and

usually receives love and respect from other

characters.

The Journey The journey sends the hero in search of some truth Beauty and the

that will help save his kingdom/home. Beast

Sleeping Beauty

Battle of good and A battle between two primal forces. Humankind Batman

evil shows eternal optimism in the continual portrayal of Fight between

good triumphing over evil despite great odds. Scar and Simba
 Surname 6

4. In a well-written paragraph, choose one archetype and create an original character to

represent that archetype. Consider both the outer and inner traits of the character during

this process.

The hero is an archetype motivated to sacrifice and love. 'Flaws' is the hero in my story where his

desire to know who killed his mother makes him a fugitive. He is blamed for killing his mother,

and the only way to prove otherwise is by staying out of prison as long as possible. Flaws

impersonates various people, and having such a charming personality makes people believe in

him; he gets his desired information. Among his strengths is his ability to blend in various

characters and societies to keep law enforcers away. He has a photographic memory meaning

that whatever he reads sticks in his mind, and he can re-write a whole book without reading

again. This helps him understand the witness statement once he gets the opportunity and can

clear his name and find justice by finding inconsistencies in the witness reports.

Provide evidence and reasoning for your character and how the characters represent the

particular archetype you have chosen.

Flaws is a trickster by outsmarting various people by providing information that no one could

find. His ability to read and remember something else he had read and apply the two keeps him

in an advantageous position, especially in the courtroom. He uses various precedents of the court

that most people did not know existed but are correct. As a fugitive, he becomes an outcast

where people believe that he was innocent he would not be hiding from the police. He becomes a

sage wherein the judge appreciates his understanding of the law by pointing out small mistakes

by the investigators that lead to the accusations. He is declared innocent as his wittiness makes

the jury believe him, and the case re-opened for further investigations, with Flaws becoming the

mentor to the lead detective. His role here is to guide where to look and assume the various role-
 Surname 7

playing positions, including the investigator's boss, to assure the witnesses they are protected to

find the information required. In the end, despite the means Flaws is innocent of all charges, with

the help of the investigator, they can link a drug dealer with the murder because Flaw's mother

owed him money. Flaws comes to know that his mother had been a dealer for several years, and

he did not know nor was he able to stop what happened to her.
 Surname 8

Assignment 6.3 Character Traits

Notes

The Odyssey is among the oldest works of Greek literature written by Homer as a poem

recounting the adventures of Odysseus and the belief in the Greek deities. Among his heroic acts

include his perseverance. This is evidenced by his desire to get home to his wife, and he would

take anything to make this come true. For example, after winning the Trojan war, he is held

captive at Calypso’s Island with no way to escape. When he manages to escape, the waters are

not friendly, but he can overcome and cross to the other side towards home with the help of

Athena. The poem tells a story within a story on his way home; Odysseus tells of his exploits at

Troy as a way of appreciation to his first hosts. This is an essential aspect as a hero, for, despite

his prowess in the war, he desires not to make unnecessary enemies. The king of Ithaca uses his

intelligence to fool people that he is a beggar as he accesses the situation and devices a strategy

to defeat the suitors who wanted his wife's hand in marriage. Odysseus has confidence in what he

does and is driven by one mission to do anything to accomplish. His first mission was the war

which he won, while his second mission is regaining his position as the king of Ithaca, husband

to Penelope, and father to Telemachus. His mother's suitors and various plots were seen as a

threat by his mother's suitors and deceived to eliminate him as most people believed that the king

was dead. He is also particular about what others think of him; hence, gauging their loyalty when

he needed their help. He is a humble king as when the narrator praised him; he humbled and

even had tears as people praised him. Since a hero in most works of literature are characters, the

audience which to relate to and picture them as their role model Odysseus character traits makes

him a role model especially his humility and perseverance.

Speech

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here to honor a great hero amongst us. Known

for his cunning ways, Odysseus King of Ithaca was once a beggar to effectively regain his

position, and if that it is not humility, then I lack words to describe the man we are honoring

today.

We are here to acknowledge his prowess on the battlefield, where he has been able to

keep our enemies at bay. Our land is safe from predators and wrong suitors who had ulterior

motives of ruling this land through the Trojan war. The second award recognizes his

perseverance after the war, where everyone thought he was dead. Being captured is not a

delightful experience; hence, our appreciation for not giving up. Lastly, we are here to award his

loyalty to his fellow countrymen. At war, he ensured that our enemies understood we are strong,

and him freeing the palace from mischievous suitors as a beggar confirms the lengths he is

willing to go to protect his people and his family.

I challenge all of us to understand this ceremony from the hero as he is a great storyteller,

confident and proud of his achievements. Like the hero you are, Mr. Odysseus, welcome home,

thank you for your services to our country and let the gods continue showering you with wisdom.

Thank you."
 Surname 10

Assignment 6.4 Writing Styles

John Steinback uses imagery as a writing style to vividly explain something to give his

audience a clear picture of what he is talking about. In the first paragraph of chapter three, the

author describes the natural situation early in the morning before people start walking around and

disperse the blackjack seeds. Imagery is an effective way of capturing the audience’s attention by

engaging them physically and emotionally. His concentration on using adverbs brings out the

mood of the story as calm and anticipatory. This is evidenced by the author explaining how the

disruption of the calm morning atmosphere will happen when grass heads coat dog's coat and

sheep wool and the blackjacks sticking on a man's trouser cuff and a woman's skirt hem. The

picture in the reader's mind and that of the author provides an emotional connection to the two.

This style of writing is effective in building up the story and the setting of the story. For this

case, the following activities will happen in this natural setting.

Assignment 6.5 Celebrities Vs. Heroes Forum

According to Mr. Stone, heroes inspire others by taking risks despite their reservations on

the matter. The media has facilitated this effectively by constantly updating the general public on

celebrities, primarily through blogs. When celebrities do something, especially one that

positively impacts society, they are featured on nearly all media platforms. Those that are

impressed with the person and what they have done make them their heroes. However, I believe

that some acts are of publicity and hence they do not meet the qualifications of a hero where their

selflessness comes from the heart with no expectations. Though not all celebrities, the media also

highlights any possible gains of heroic acts, if any. Therefore, the media can create heroes from

celebrities by informing the community of their heroic actions making people want to become

like the celebrities, especially the younger population, where they adapt various choices and

vices promoted by their celebrities. These choices can negatively or positively affect the

community, for example, engaging in drugs after a celebrity.

Post

I agree with my colleague that heroism is the act of doing something good without

expecting something in return. The media shows heroes and ensures that the celebrities maintain

that status by always focusing on anything that may jeopardize discrediting the celebrity.

Heroism and the media should not be placed together in one sentence because heroism is an act

of selflessness that should not be broadcasted if it comes from the heart and no ulterior motives.
 Surname 12

Assignment 6.6 Writing a Hero’s Memoir

At first, it was not supposed to be a big deal; it was just helping few girls get the proper

education. This I knew it was a violation of the prohibitions by the Pakistani Taliban, but I just

did not see their argument and reason for such a prohibition. Additionally, I was privileged to

attend school since my father was an educational activist. For me, the school was fun as it

provided a platform to learn new things; that is why I felt intrigued to understand the prohibition

when I saw potential female doctors, philosophers, scholars waste away because of a biased law.

I do not consider myself a hero, but various international organizations have addressed me for

standing up for girls to experience what school is like and the importance of reading and writing

in the 21st century.

They say that a hero must undergo a three-stage hero's journey, which unlike in stories

and films it is not arranged but is real happenings in the hero’s life. I believe my initiation stage

that prompted my fleeing from Pakistan to Canada started when the Pakistani Taliban retaliated

that I was stealing their girls and making them forsake their culture. The trigger for this stage of

my life began with the attempt on my life. That was the scariest thing I have ever experienced in

my life, and I would not wish that on anyone. I had to be treated in the U.K, and since the

perpetrators thought we were in a holy war, I saw no point in retaliation. Hence, why I left to

regroup and gather the necessary resources to retaliate and do what I love doing despite who I

will cross.

It is ironic how the attempt on my life opened avenues to facilitate my project. I

remember when I have received an email to confirm my nomination as a Nobel Peace Prize

winner due to my efforts in helping young girls. It was the most significant moment of my life

that I forgot I could not go back home. I wished I could celebrate at home, showing the world
 Surname 13

that something good could come out of the greater Middle East region, which has been viewed as

the hotspot of violence for years. What ran through my mind was with such international

recognition, I will get the required resources and help as many girls as possible as I work my

way on returning home. I have always wished that those against my project would allow me to

explain my passion instead of assuming we are in a way. However, not every hero is a hero to

everyone.

This award has motivated my efforts, and I pledge to help as many girls as possible not

only in Pakistan by also in the greater Middle East region. It is my passion that I intend to pursue

and ensure my opponents understand that I will do anything in my power to ensure that Pakistani

girls can compete in an international job market. This is not for me to make a point to the

Pakistani Taliban but to assist, for it is not their fault they never got the kind of education I have.