After studying Joseph Campbell’s “hero journey”, a concept we were introduced to by Mr. Long and later discussed with Matt Langdon, a visiting expert on the “hero” model who has been commenting on the blogs lately, I am very quickly realizing many, if not all, stories are based off of these steps. Of course there are different ways of approaching this concept like my partner Adam realized in his blog The-Not-So-Heroic-Journey. It all depends on your perspective.
(Note: If you’re interested in these ideas, feel free to check out the earlier posts my classmates and I blogged about Joseph Campbell’s “hero journey”, too, if you want. Also to see Part 1 of The “Hero’s Journey of Alice click here.)
I left off pinpointing the road of trials which I believed have been occurring sense she arrived into the hallway of doors. After finishing the book I still agree with my assumption.
Now, assuming these steps are supposed to go in the order they are represented in, a meeting with the goddess is to be seen. The goddess does not necessarily have to be a woman or a human; it should represent what the hero/heroine loves most completely. I concur that Dinah, Alice’s cat, would be the perfect match for this step. Alice refers to Dinah in many of the beginning chapters until she overcomes her dependence on Dinah and gains confidence in herself.
As for the temptations, there are too many to count in Alice’s adventure. Without temptation, there can be no story.
The Cheshire Cat is the “father figure” to Alice and thus completes the atonement with the father. The Cheshire Cat appears throughout Alice’s journey and aids her, as much as he can, by his constant questioning allowing Alice to solve her countless dilemmas. Although there isn’t a step for a “sister figure” or “mother figure” I believe the Queen of Hearts and the Duchess appear to be Alice’s sister and mother figures.
(Note: To learn more about how the Queen of Hearts is like a “sister figure” take a peek at Kristen’s “The Queen an Older Sibling?”)
As Alice defends her statements and beliefs to the Duchess, as one example, Alice begins to believe in herself that no one should tell her what’s right or wrong. She also learns to think about what she is about to say, as before, when she would blurt out whatever was on her mind. This is only one of the lessons (morals *wink*) Alice learns throughout her journey.
The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the quest. No not the quest for the Holy Grail but the quest to get into the beautiful garden behind the locked door. Alice learns from her experiences and is rewarded by finally entering the garden. Although it is not the fact she achieved her goal of getting into the garden, but the lessons she learned to reach it.
Stay tune for the final “Hero’s Journey of Alice” (Part 3)!
Image 1 can be found here.
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The Alice Project #12 
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