Our journey through stories: How the classic hero still hooks us in

By Kevin McCann and Claire Watson

When you pick up a book you can't put down, chances are the storyline captures your imagination, leading you step-by-step from one cliffhanger chapter to another, wondering what comes next. How about those binge-worthy online series tempting you to watch just one more episode, although you should have been asleep long ago? We all do it. After almost 18 months of COVID 19 lockdown and counting, the appreciation for great stories hits an all-time high.

Our love of storytelling lies in our DNA. For thousands of years, since humans could communicate with each other, we share stories to entertain, educate, engage, and persuade. Storytelling engages our emotions by sharing our vivid imaginations with others. Think Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, Toy Story, The Lion King; anything that sticks with you is fair game.

Although we use stories to connect with ideas, values, and other people, some bring a timeless essence about them that resonates. So what makes these stories classic?

Classic stories collect the hopes, dreams, and concerns we have as humans. These stories shift perspective, influencing our thinking and how we see the world. Critics acclaim classics, but we, the people, decide whether they touch us on an emotional level. Do they make us laugh, cry, think, or open our minds to different possibilities? Is the story memorable? Will you keep it with you and tell your children and your grandchildren? Will it be passed down from generation to generation or simply be lost like dust in the wind?

Wrapping our hearts and minds around stories that captivate, entertain, and engage opens the door to new ways of thinking. So here's an inside secret from a storyteller. It may surprise you that every great story ever written comes from a common foundation: The Hero’s Journey.

The Hero’s Journey explained

Let’s take a trip through the pages of history. The earliest known tale lies in a cave painting, evolving to the oral tradition with songs like the Epic of Gilgamesh, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and Vergil’s Aeneid. Even later texts, such as Beowulf, Dante’s Divine Comedy, and John Milton's Paradise Lost, preserved the oral tradition although these tales were written down. Writers found a new way to spread their stories, but they kept the formula that connected with the audience and brought heroes to life with words on a page rather than words in their ears. This formula became known as The Hero’s Journey.

In 1949, Joseph Campbell wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces. He divided The Hero's Journey into a departure, an initiation, and a return. The main character, or hero, leaves what is known as the ordinary world, ventures into an unknown world, and eventually returns victorious, having conquered the unknown. As our champion, we relate to collective struggles and empathize with the hero as we discover how to tackle and triumph over personal obstacles.

Classic stories like The Hero with a Thousand Faces connect with our imagination, transporting us to a world where we live in the story. With a protagonist in mind, we put ourselves in their shoes and understand how they see conflict and conquests. We learn from their mistakes and empathize as they trek through life. Human empathy allows us to understand human experiences that we can talk with others about. Stories like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens identify with eternal, enduring characters who teach us about life through their showcased struggles. While some are spoken, some are read, and others are viewed on film, classic stories last because they bridge divisions. They call us to understand ourselves and others better.

Storytelling brings the complexities and joys of life onto paper for all our enjoyment. The classics identify our hopes and fears within a hero, heroes who embody hardship and overcome the unknown. While we first come across heroes in the ancient classics, they’ve evolved with us for hundreds of years and are a part of our own personal story. Whenever we watch, listen, or read about these heroes, we relate to them and sometimes even wish for their life. So we keep the lessons they learn in our hearts and write our personal stories with them.