Huck Finn Hero's Journey Analysis

The final step in the departure stage is the belly of the whale, where the hero undergoes the first major transformation. In this step, the hero faces challenges that cause them to stand up and take their fate into their own hands. A passage from Campbell’s book states, “But here, instead of passing outward, beyond the confines of the visible world, the hero goes inward, to be born again... the devotee at the moment of entry into a temple undergoes a metamorphosis” (Hero 84-86). During this metamorphosis, the hero is taking the first step towards the apotheosis and the ultimate boon because they humble themselves and start to display heroic qualities. Huck Finn’s belly of the whale step occurs when he no longer puts himself above others and …show more content…
First is the meeting with the goddess, where the hero will learn what they are missing in their life. Campbell states, “The mythological figure of the Universal Mother imputes to the cosmos the feminine attributes of the first, nourishing and protecting presence...there exists a close and obvious correspondence between the attitude of the young child toward its mother” (Hero 103). This shows how the goddess is often a motherly figure who motivates the hero in their journey. For Huck, he is driven to become a better person and do the right thing after meeting with his goddess and mother figure, Mary-Jane Wilkins. After this, the hero must confront the ultimate temptation, typically in the form of a woman or temptress. This temptation will try to lead them away from their path to heroism, but the hero ultimately refuses and shows the strength their transformations have given them. The temptation for Huck Finn is turning in Jim to Ms. Watson instead of doing what he thinks is right by protecting Jim. Fortunately, Huck begins the next step, seeking atonement, right after he confronts his temptation. When seeking atonement, the hero usually looks towards a father figure and seeks forgiveness for the wrongs they have done. By thinking about all the good that Jim has done for him and how protective he has been, Huck seeks atonement within himself for even considering turning Jim in. These two steps go …show more content…
This is where the hero encounters the one of their final transformations, which will allow them to accomplish their goal and push through whatever is holding them back. The word apotheosis itself literally means “entering glory,” which shows that it is truly the highest point in the hero’s transformational journey. Campbell refers to this as a rebirth, saying, “We are taken from the mother, chewed into fragments and assimilated to the world-annihilating body of the ogre for whom all the precious forms and beings are only the courses of a feast; but then, miraculously reborn, we are more than we were” (Hero 149). The hero is challenged during the road of trials, but at the end is reborn into a new person and a better hero than before. Huck Finn’s apotheosis comes after he seeks atonement for thinking about betraying Jim. When he tears up the note he wrote to Ms. Watson and says, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell” (Twain 162), Huck’s mind is made up and his final transformation is complete. He understands that doing what is right in his eyes is worth the consequences that he may face, which shows that he has transformed into an entirely new person since the beginning of his journey. The last step in the road of trials stage is the ultimate boon, which is where the hero receives a prize or reward in return for their accomplishments. The boon may not always been what the hero had hoped for or expected, but it is

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Huck Finn Hero's Journey Analysis