Heroes: A Campbellian Perspective

[NoOneofConsequence]

I've just completed my PhD thesis looking at myth and modern sf film as a prime site for myth of the metaphysical in the late 20th century. As you might well imagine, the Star Wars saga featured prominently, as did Campbell - though personally I made better use of the works of Mirceau Eliade, Northrop Frye and Roland Barthes when it came to defining myth. Campbell is a devotee of psychoanalytic theory and in particular the writings of Jung. When you read Hero with a Thousand Faces you can see that Campbell's theories assume the existence of the universal unconcious and similar constructs. Not my cup of tea.

That being said, Campbell's work has inspired a great number of creators, Lucas being the most successful.

I don't know if anyone is aware of this, but in the 2001 Australian Census, over 80,000 people cited their religion as "Other: Jedi". I used this as the title and foreword to my thesis.

 

[Olive]

totally off topic, but what discipline does that PhD thesis fall under? Cultural Studies?

 

[NoOneofConsequence]

totally off topic, but what discipline does that PhD thesis fall under? Cultural Studies?

Strictly yes, but since my university doesn't have a dedicated cultural studies department I've done it under History. When people ask I tell them I'm doing a PhD in History and Cultural Studies. My markers were respectively an expert in sf studies, a cultural studies expert and a literary theorist.

My PhD supervisor was a medievalist.

Talk about a post modern degree.

 

[Olive]

lucky you. should ahve come to melbourne, then you could have been part of the severely under resourced english and cultural studies department. as opposed to the not badly resourced history department, which i'm in.