Monomyth

Monomyth or the Hero's Journey is the universal narrative structure described by Joseph Campbell ("The Hero with a Thousand Faces", 1949).

The main claim. The monomyth asserts that all myths of the world follow a single model — the structure of the hero's journey, which recurs across the most diverse peoples.

The 17 Stages of the Hero's Journey

The stages are grouped into three acts:

I. DEPARTURE

1. Call to Adventure
2. Refusal of the Call
3. Supernatural Aid
4. Crossing the First Threshold
5. Belly of the Whale

II. INITIATION

6. Road of Trials
7. Meeting with the Goddess
8. Woman as Temptress
9. Atonement with the Father
10. Apotheosis
11. The Ultimate Boon

III. RETURN

12. Refusal of the Return
13. The Magic Flight
14. Rescue from Without
15. Crossing the Return Threshold
16. Master of Two Worlds
17. Freedom to Live

Application

Narrative psychology. In narrative psychology (#12), the Monomyth is used as a tool for analyzing the client's personal story — at which stage of the journey the person currently stands.

Vogler's adaptation. Christopher Vogler ("The Writer's Journey", 1992) adapted the model for screenwriting, condensing it to 12 stages. This version is used in Hollywood.