Luke Skywalker's Heroic Journey
             In classic mythology heroes go through a heroic journey; in modern mythology the journey is no different now than it was when Homer was writing. Star Wars is the most popular modern day heroic journey. There are three stages to the heroic journey: departure, initiation and the return. Luke Skywalker goes through stages and trials, hardships, and even tragedy to become the grown man that the story demands for him to be. As stated by renowned author and analyst, Joseph Campbell, who studied and analyzed myths and stories all of his life, "A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder; fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man" (Campbell 30).
             The heroic journey of Luke Skywalker starts on the planet Tatooine. The call to adventure is the first part of the departure. Joseph Campbell explains that heroes in myth have, "The call to adventure," which either gives the hero the choice to leave and go out into the unknown, or forces him, so he can fulfill his destiny (59). There are many different opinions about Luke's call to adventure. Stacey Lee says Luke's journey starts as he "sees the hologram of Princess Leia and is captivated by her image, which causes him to persist in finding out about what it is that brought her image to him, assuming that there is some great adventure behind it" (Lee). Through this course of action, the hero normally receives some type of supernatural aid, which many times comes in the form of an old man that has been shunned from society, and will give the hero an amulet of protection to help his quest (Campbell 69). In my opinion it is when Obi-Wan Kenobi asks Luke Skywalker to take the lightsaber and join him in going to another planet, Alderaan. The "refusal of the call" is t...