PROMPT ONE: How are Jin, Adele Pham (the creator of Nailed it) and Derek Walcott on a journey of self-discovery?  Is this journey more or less heroic than the epic hero journey of Buddha, Odysseus, or Gilgamesh?  What steps can you identify in the modern journey of self-discovery that correlates with the hero journey chart?

 

            Jin, Adele Pham, and Derek Walcott are all on a journey of self-discovery by investigating their own stereotypes and history and finding out how they fit into them. Their stories are far more ordinary than the epic hero’s journey, but they are far more realistic. Both the modern and epic hero stories have steps that can be easily mapped out through Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, or hero’s journey.

 

            Something that unifies Jin, Adele Pham, and Derek Walcott is their want to stray away from the stereotypes that have defined their people. They all come from minorities, and this comes with a long list of stereotypes as well as a difficult and sometimes distressing history. Throughout their story, video, or poems, they deconstruct what makes them unique and learn how to live with something they originally thought they couldn’t live with. Jin and Adele Pham are both Asian-Americans, and they both initially reject their identity before going on a journey of self discovery. Derek Walcott is more accepting of himself, and is even proud of his origins in some poems. Jin, Adele Pham, and Derek Walcott all end up in the same place: proud of themselves and where they come from. Their journey is something that most people have to do, regardless of their ethnicity. Self-discovery is one of the most unifying journeys someone can take.

 

            When comparing the stories of Jin, Adele Pham, and Derek Walcott to epic stories like those of Odysseus or Gilgamesh, one must realize that they were written for different reasons. The more modern stories were written to be more realistic and relatable. The epic stories of ancient times were written to make people full of awe and amazement for what these people did. While Jin didn’t fight a cyclops, he had his own metaphorical cyclops with regards to coming to terms with his own identity. Adele Pham went through her own version of these immense epics when she went into the place she vowed she would never work to find out why so many Vietnamese people went into the nail industry. Derek Walcott had his own journey by establishing himself as a prominent Caribbean poet and making his way into mainstream poetry. While these modern stories seem to be less heroic on the surface, they could be considered to be more heroic when you examine the iceberg of personal identity and finding your own purpose.

 

            In the examples of Jin, Adele Pham, and Derek Walcott as well as in many other modern stories, we can find the steps defined as part of the hero’s journey archetype. In Jin’s case, his mentor could be found in Wei-Chen or even the herbalist’s wife. They both give advice to Jin that guide him to make certain decisions. The abyss of his story could be when he transforms into Danny. His revelation and atonement could happen when he’s confronted by the Monkey King and finally accepts his true self. His return happens when he reunites with Wei-Chen in the boba tea cafe. In the case of Adele Pham, her journey starts when her father suggests that she work in a nail salon. Her response could be classified as a refusal of the call. While she doesn’t end up working at a nail salon, the acceptance of the stereotype and embarking on the production of this documentary could be classified as an acceptance of the call. At the end of the documentary, Adele reflects on what she has learned, which could be considered a return. In Derek Walcott’s case, his trials could be deciding to become a poet instead of a journalist. In my opinion, it’s heroic to leave a stable job that you don’t really like to pursue a job that isn’t very stable but involves something you like more.

 

            All three of the modern stories we covered in class could still be considered heroic journeys. They all go through a journey of self-discovery, and have significant trials along the way. In some ways, the modern stories could be classified as more heroic than the ancient stories, depending on the way you look at things. Even though stories have been following its steps for years, the hero’s journey archetype can be found in modern stories about self-discovery.

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