Exploring the Heros Quest in today’s popular visual culture The Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh is the first known example of a type of literature called the Heros Quest (or Heros Journey). This is a theme in literature that has been interpreted in many ways by authors and filmmakers. The essence of the theme is that a hero receives a call to action (either external or internal) and leaves his home to pursue a particular objective. On his journey, he is faced with many dangerous and terrifying obstacles that test him. Sometimes he is accompanied on the quest by sidekicks or receives the help of wise helpers along the way. If he survives the quest and meets his objective (or not, as in the case of Gilgamesh), he returns to his home a better man in some way. Read the material at the site below to read more about how this theme is expressed in Gilgamesh and other mythical stories: https://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes/myths_arch_quest.html For this discussion, I would like you to identify one example of a person (man, woman, or animal) who goes on a Hero Quest in a work from todays popular visual culture. Your answers can include illustrated books, films, or video games from the past 30 years. The character you choose must be fictional and does not have to fit the Heros Quest pattern exactly. Keep in mind that the hero as defined in the Mesopotamian concept of a Hero Quest is not the same as a person who does something brave or heroic as we understand that in our culture. A person on a Hero Quest may display bravery, but they can also show doubt and weakness. Your initial comment needs to identify the hero, the title of the example; an explanation of what the hero is questing for; and a brief summary of the journey that the hero goes on to fulfill the quest. Most importantly, I would like you to describe how the hero is portrayed visually (include a URL to an image of your hero, if you can find one). What does this portrayal do to our understanding of the hero? To read a summary of The Epic of Gilgamesh, download the document linked below (optional):Show more
