by Reg Harris Copyright © 2009 by Reg Harris. All rights reserved. This article may not be copied in whole or in part without my expressed written permission. Contact me for permission. Please respect my copyright. Four themes Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 in 1953, toward the end of McCarthyism and at the beginning of […]

Note: This excerpt is from the unit “The Hero’s Journey” in The Hero’s Journey: A Guide to Literature and Life (p. 39). It introduces the idea of the resistance we face when we contemplate accepting the call and taking the risks involved in the journey. Click here for other excerpts.) Firm & fearsome, they measure […]

by Reg Harris Copyright © 2007 by Reg Harris. All rights reserved. This article may not be copied in whole or in part without my expressed written permission. Contact me for permission. Please respect my copyright. Finding a young female hero Over the years, one of the difficulties we have had in applying the hero’s […]

The Reading Room Articles and Essays Articles, essays and comments on the hero’s journey and subjects related to the journey, including psychology, education, philosophy, education, transformation and self discovery. Teaching the Hero’s Journey Articles, ideas, classroom approaches, book and film analyses, and other materials for teachers interested using the journey pattern in the classroom.   […]

by Reg Harris Copyright © 2009 by Reg Harris. All rights reserved. Apart from properly cited quotes and short excerpts, no part of this article can be copied or used in any form without written permission from the author. For permission to use, please contact me. MLA/APA citation information provided at the at bottom of […]

Hero’s Journey: Curriculum Outline Introduce the concept of transformation as the foundation for understanding the journey pattern Introduce the three-stage process of transformation, using the rite of passage as a model Introduce the death-and-rebirth metaphor and symbols associated with transformation Make students aware of points of passage and markers in their own lives, and to […]

Tip Jar If you’re like me, you probably drop $10-15 a week in tips: conscious tips you leave for a dinner out and “unconscious” tips you toss into the “tip jars” you find on almost ever counter where you order coffee or food. The total can add up quickly. If the information on this site […]

by Reg Harris Copyright © 2005 by Reg Harris. All rights reserved. Updated October 7, 2007. All rights reserved. Apart from properly cited quotes and short excerpts, no part of this article can be copied or used in any form without written permission from the author. For permission to use, please contact me. Hermeneutics is […]

by Reg Harris Copyright © 2009 by Reg Harris. All rights reserved. Apart from properly cited quotes and short excerpts, no part of this article can be copied or used in any form without written permission from the author. For permission to use, please contact me. Citation information provided at the at bottom of the […]

Existentialism is a philosophy that deals with what it means to exist as a human being in the world. Key terms and concepts: authenticity (see “inauthenticity”) acknowledging our potentials, recognizing our opportunities and then making choices based on our future rather than on our past. Authenticity leads to existential angst (discomfort) because we must take […]

From the Teacher’s Guide The Hero’s Journey: A Guide to Literature and Life: The introduction to our guide for teaching the hero’s journey, an award-winning curriculum used by schools in more than 30 states and a dozen foreign countries. The Hero’s Journey: Life’s Great Adventure: This article from our teacher’s guide describes our eight-step model […]

Callings, by Greg Levoy Levoy explores how we can be called to our “true” vocations by learning to listen to our inner voice, which speaks to us through intuitions and longings, and to life’s recurring and significant details, giving us clues to our authentic journey. Everyday Zen, Charolette Joko Beck Joko Beck writes that life, […]

Articles and Essays The Hero’s Journey Reading Room contains articles, essays and reflections on the hero’s journey and topics related to the hero’s journey. The materials are organized both alphabetically, by title, and categorically, by general topic: education, personal growth/self-discovery, philosophy and psychology. Some of the material fits in more than one category, so it […]

by Reg Harris Copyright © 2009 by Reg Harris. All rights reserved. Last revision: April 13, 2009. IMPORTANT: This article, in whole or in part, may not be copied in any form for any purpose without my expressed, written permission. For permission to use the article or excerpts from it, just contact me. Please respect […]