The Hero's Journey

For someone who really enjoys reading, movies and TV shows (really absorbing media of all kinds), I did miss a lot of the big stuff. I’ve been playing catch up as things cross my path conveniently. I hadn’t read or seen any Lord of the Rings content until college (to the astonishment of my father who wrote it down as one his failures as a parent). But I did get into it freshman year, and I was glad I did. I watched the movies with the intention of eventually reading the books, and I did pick up the first one. But I didn’t get past the first few pages. This assignment allowed me to do so (reading all three!), joining the millions of others who already have. As I read the trilogy, I kept in mind the characteristics of the Hero’s Journey that could be applicable to the books. Frodo grows up in a fairly normal, small village until he is called upon (to action, to adventure) by Gandalf to destroy the ring. Frodo initially doesn’t want anything to do with it (refusal of call) until he is attacked and realizes that he will always be at risk if he doesn’t do it. He meets with the Fellowship (mentors) and then begins his quest with their aid (crossing the threshold). He encounters many tests of strength and wit, makes allies and enemies. There is a constant question of whether Frodo will achieve his goal or not until the reward, where the ring is final destroyed in Mount Doom and Frodo falls unconscious from the exhaustion of the journey. He wakes weeks later and returns to Shire with stronger relationships and lives out the rest of his life peacefully in the Undying Lands.