The Hero’s Journey is an essential part of storytelling in which the involved Hero passes through various stages to be transformed into this new, praised character. Leif Enger uses this template as the root to create a blend of both Heroism and Biblical views, resulting in a Heroic Christian figure. Peace Like A River is a story of creeping suspense. A story which follows the Land family: The Eldest son who will stop at nothing to protect his family from danger; the younger brother who takes up his fathers role, driven by the admiration towards his father; the youngest child, a girl who obsesses over and idolizes American Western …show more content…
Many names for the Sun of the Hero’s Journey as the book revolves around it. The challenge that the book builds up to, the most important part to a Hero. For lack of better words, the thing that defines him or her. As Jeremiah approaches his final moments, he is solidified as a Hero. Not by me. Not by you. Not by the audience, but by himself. Jeremiah proves his power with God during the closing chapters where he says,“The Lord protects us,’Dad said” (Enger; 298). In spite of the fact that both him and his son were shot violently as described by Reuben – “Dad fell across the hood, his forehead smacking like an echo of the shot.” “Dad was shot, and confusion that I couldn’t reach him.” (Enger; 299) – these quotes display the importance of Jeremiah’s abilities, his power which come from a higher God, thus emphasizing his role as a hero. Skipping ahead, both Jeremiah and his son reunite in a place that can be best described as heavenly. This heavenly sense can be explained in the following statement, “The sky had a sun after all and it was just beyond this mountain. But it wasn't a sun. It was a city, a city. Joining Dad on the rock I saw it, at a farther distance than any yet conceived, still threw light and warmth our sun could only covet. And unlike the sun, you could look straight into it- in fact you wished to, you had to - and the longer you looked, the more you saw.” (Enger;303). Comparatively, in the Bible, Heaven …show more content…
The Hero helps readers decipher forms of heroism and allows a growth mindset to be placed on those who can and can’t be seen as a hero. Peace Like A River shows how the character of Jeremiah Land passes through major stages of Call to Adventure, Death/rebirth, and return, all from a biblical perspective that Enger has created to exhibit a powerful, Christian Hero. All in all, Peace Like a River brings about a new way of viewing Heroes and how their own stories can but don’t always have to follow the same guidelines. Enger uses features like guidance through faith and challenges of an individual, which serve as a way for readers to decide whether or not Jeremiah is a hero or