Briar Bond, Journal Entry 10 - The Inherent Sexism of the Hero's Journey

 In Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, there is nearly no room for the meaningful development of female characters. This is ironic, as women seem to be at the center of Campbell's worldview. When he speaks of universal, primordial, all-knowing beings, he thinks of them as feminine. He seems to view women as inherently connected to the world around them on a cosmic scale. He reportedly even once said "Women don’t need to make the journey. In the whole mythological journey, the woman is there. All she has to do is realize that she’s the place that people are trying to get to." He presumably means this in a way somewhere along the lines of women do not need to embark on a journey of self discovery, because they already know what it means to be whole.

This idea as a whole is dehumanizing. In my opinion, this perspective seems to equate women as something closer to mythological, no more human or less majestic than a forest or the mountains. While this seems on surface level like a good thing, it deeply rubs me the wrong way. By establishing this view, Campbell cuts women off from growth and the struggles that define humanity. It takes away the meaning of women's obstacles and triumphs. I find this perspective to be distinctly shallow and outdated.

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