« What Makes A Hero ? » — Guidance for the Baccalaureat

1. « The hero´s journey myth exists in all cultures and keeps getting updated because we, humans, reflect on our world through symbolic stories of our own lives. »

 –> the power of myths and heroes. What is their function ? They guide us.

They are present in all cultures. Therefore one may conclude that they are essential to cultures. Assumption : They create common values and a sense of identity and belonging around those common values.

2. « What do you have in common with Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen and Frodo ? Well, you´re human, — just like them. » + « You leave your comfort zone, have an experience that transforms you and then you recover and do it again. You don´t literally slay dragons or fight Voldemort but you face problems just as scary. »

–> Everybody can be a hero. Proof is that we all experience the same journeys as mythical or modern litterature heroes. Their challenges actually symbolize the everyday challenges we are confronted to. They may guide us in the ordeals (épreuves) we go through in life.

3. Here is the formula through which one may identify a hero. It pervades legendary tales, as well as our own humble lives. We are ALL heroes.

 » Status quo, that’s where we start. 

1:00: Call to Adventure. The hero receives a mysterious message. An invitation, a challenge? 

2:00: Assistance The hero needs some help, probably from someone older, wiser. 

3:00: Departure The hero crosses the threshold from his normal, safe home, and enters the special world and adventure. We’re not in Kansas anymore. 

4:00: Trials Being a hero is hard work: our hero solves a riddle, slays a monster, escapes from a trap. 

5:00: Approach It’s time to face the biggest ordeal, the hero’s worst fear. (Roar)

6:00: Crisis This is the hero’s darkest hour. He faces death and possibly even dies, only to be reborn.

 7:00: Treasure (Roar) As a result, the hero claims some treasure, special recognition, or power. 

8:00: Result This can vary between stories. Do the monsters bow down before the hero, or do they chase him as he flees from the special world? 

9:00: Return After all that adventure, the hero returns to his ordinary world. 

10:00: New Life This quest has changed the hero; he has outgrown his old life. 

11:00: Resolution All the tangled plot lines get straightened out. 

12:00: Status Quo, but upgraded to a new level. Nothing is quite the same once you are a hero. »