The Stranger Hero Cycle

~Call to adventure- Maman dying

Call to adventure-​ hero is faced with a call to overcome a challenge
“Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know” (Camus 3).
Meursault’s Maman dying is the ​call to adventure​ because it was her death that disrupted his
ordinary world and presented the challenge of getting to the funeral home . The selected text
shows Meursault's tone about his Mamans death. He is unsure of which day his Maman died
presenting the assumption he didn’t care enough about her to recognize these crucial details.
He goes on to describe the rest of his day with great detail. This shows how much he cares
about himself but not others.
~Crossing the threshold- going to Maman’s funeral
Crossing the threshold​- Hero crosses threshold between familiar world, and the unknown​.
“I ran so as not to miss the bus. It was probably because of all the rushing around, and on top of
that the bumpy ride, the smell of gasoline, and the glare of the sky and the road, that I dozed off.
I slept almost the whole way. And when I woke up, I was slumped against a soldier who smiled
at me and asked if I’d been traveling long. I said, ‘Yes,’ just so I wouldn’t have to say anything
else”(Camus
4).---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meursault traveling to his mother is ​crossing the threshold​ because he is traveling into the
unknown to answer his call of his Maman dying. This quote uses immense imagery to depict
how much attention he pays to himself. The reader is able to visualize his bus ride which allows
a better connection towards the characters.It is later revealed that Meursault is a Sociopath
which is why the reader can see how much attention he pays to himself rather than others.
~Meeting the Goddess- Meeting Marie
Meeting the Goddess​- the meeting of typically a female character who the hero sees as an
influential person who he bonds with.
“In the water I ran into Marie Cardona, a former typist in ouas I did, I brushed against her
breasts”(Camus 19).-------------------------------------------------r office whom I’d had a thing for at the
time. She did too, I think...I helped her onto a float and ---------------------------------
The meeting of Marie represents the ​meeting of the goddess​ step of the hero cycle because
she ends up developing into a very important, influential person to Meursault throughout the
text. She has impact on many decisions he makes and becomes his girlfriend. The author uses
tone when mentioning her breasts. He seems to almost brag about touching Marie’s breasts
because of the use of that sentence.This sentence expresses how much Meursault fantasizes
about sex which is also later expressed during his jail time as well.
~Meeting the mentor- Meeting Raymond
Meeting the mentor-​ hero meets an individual who supplies the hero with support, guidance,
and confidence to overcome their journey.
“Just then my other neighbor came in. The word around the neighborhood is that he lives off
women. But when you ask him what he does, he’s a ‘warehouse guard’. Generally speaking,
he’s not very popular. But he often talks to me and sometimes stops by my place for a minute,
because I listen to him. I find what he has to say interesting”(Camus 28).---------------------------
At this point of the story, Meursault meets Raymond, a very influential character on Meursault's
ideas and actions. This represents ​meeting the mentor ​he meets such an influential character.
Raymond introduces the idea that you can hit a woman if they deserve it and takes Meursault to
the beach which later leads to his arrest. Meursault mentioning he is interested in what
Raymond has to say is a detail that shows his character. He is interesting in learning about
hitting women and ends up thinking it is okay.
~Approaching innermost cave- murder on the beach
Approaching innermost cave-​ hero comes upon most dangerous part of the journey
“My whole being tensed and I squeezed my hand around the revolver. The trigger gave; I felt
the smooth underside of the butt; and there, in that noise, sharp and deafening at the same
time, is where it all started”(Camus
59).-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Confronting the Arab on the beach was Meursault’s approaching the most dangerous part of his
journey which is why it was him ​approaching the innermost cave​. The diction used in this
quotation of the book expresses no remorse from Meursault and he then goes on to shoot the
man four more times. This also shows how he is a sociopath never mentioning if he regrets
killing him or if he is sad in that moment.
~Belly of the whale- jail time
Belly of the whale​- the hero enters the zone of danger
“There are some things I’ve never liked talking about. A few days after I entered prison, I
realized that I wouldn’t like talking about this part of my life” (Camus 72).
This quotation foreshadows how miserable and difficult prison would be for Meursault which is
why it is the ​belly of the whale​. During his time in jail, Meursault explains all of his desires and
thoroughly describes how his life in prison is going. Marie also has her first and last visit.
Meursault’s tone towards his experience expresses how miserable it was. Later in the chapter,
though, he mentions how he wasn’t unhappy
~Abyss- Trial
Abyss​- hero faces greatest challenge and has to resolve it.
“Perez said it was really my mother he had known and that he had seen me only once, on the
day of the funeral” (Camus 91).---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meursault’s greatest challenge throughout the book was trying to convince the jury that he was
not guilty which is why his trial is the ​abyss​ step of the hero cycle. This quotation is also an
interesting detail because it reveals to the reader and the jury that Meursault never went to visit
his mother. The prosecutor presents the idea to the courtroom that he never loved his mom
which strengthens the sociopath argument against him.He is later sentenced to public execution
where his fate has been decided. This sentencing leads to the final step of his hero cycle.
~Ultimate boon- finding himself
Ultimate boon-​ hero finally achieved their goal of the journey
“I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. For everything to be consummated, for
me to feel less alone, I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my
execution and that they greet me with cries of hate”(Camus 123).
Meursault, at the end of the book, describes that he has never felt more free or happy in his life
which is why this is his ​ultimate boon​. The tone used in this passage almost seem celebratory
that his life gets to end in this manner. He is excited that others get to witness his death and
wants a large crowd of people there to hate him. From the Arab’s death on, Meursault continues
to show no remorse for causing pain to others. This quotation continues to build on that and the
reader gets to see the finale of his character development.
 Coraline Hero cycle
~Call to adventure- Coraline discovers small door
Call to adventure-​hero is faced with a call to overcome a challenge
Coraline Jones has just moved to the pink palace with her two parents and is exploring her new
home when she loses her replica doll. She finds it hidden behind a painting propped up on the
wall and discovers a small door that has been covered up with wall paper. She calls her mom
who is busy doing work and bugs her until she finds the key. She tears open the door and
unlocks it only to discover there are bricks behind it. --------------------------------------
Discovering the door is Coraline’s call because she is presented with the challenge to find out
more about the door. She questions why the key has a button on it and why the door was
covered up in the first place. The fact that the doll was hiding so that she would discover the doll
is an important detail when analyzing the purpose of the doll. The viewer later discovers the doll
was trying to lure Coraline into the door where she would cross the threshold.
~Crossing the threshold- crawling through the door
Crossing the threshold​- Hero crosses threshold between familiar world, and the unknown.
One night, Coraline is awoken by the sound of squealing mice. She chases them downstairs
and watches as they jump into the small door. She then discovers that the door did lead
somewhere and she crosses through the tunnel to get to the other side where she is greeted by
her “other mother”. This other world is exactly like the normal world but everything, like the food,
her parents attitude, and her room seem to be better. ----------------------------------------------
This scene is crossing the threshold because Coraline is introduced to a completely new world.
She has dinner and listens to her “other dad” sing a song before she goes to bed and wakes up
in the normal world.
~Supernatural aid- the black cat
Supernatural aid-​the guide and magical helper for the hero
After crossing the threshold, Coraline is told by her “other mother” to go visit the neighbors
because they want to show her something. On her way there, she is confronted by a black cat
who is from the normal world but in this world, he can talk. He gives her advice on how to beat
the “other mother” later on and physically helps Coraline when her “other mother” is trying to
attack her.
The black cat is the ​supernatural aid​ because of his ability to talk and disappear. He tells
Coraline that she is falling right into the “other mother’s” trap and that she is not a better mom
than the one she has. He is also heavily involved with Coraline’s ultimate boon later on.
~Temptress- Meeting the other mother
Temptress-​ Person who attempts to steer hero away from their journey
The other mother is tempting Coraline to stay in this new, better world. She can only stay,
though, if she allows the other mother to sew buttons into her eyes which she immediately turns
down.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The other mother is the temptress because she continues to tempt Coraline away from her
ultimate challenge of defeating her and getting her parents back. She does this through threats,
food, and gardens.
~Road of trials- Getting the eyes back
Road of trials- ​hero is faced with mini challenges and rewards leading up to the belly of the
whale------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coraline is thrown into a room where she cannot escape because she was saying her “other
mother” wasn’t her real mom. In this room, she meets three ghost children that let the other
mother sew the buttons into their eyes but afterwards, the other mother ate their souls. They tell
coraline that in order to free their souls, she must find their eyes. ---------------------------------------
This is the ​road of trials ​step of the cycle because although they are tough challenges, they are
not the ultimate challenge of defeating the other mother and getting her reals parents back.
~Approach to innermost cave- crossing back for her parents
Approaching innermost cave-​ hero comes upon most dangerous part of the journey
After getting the buttons for the ghost children, Coraline is still left with the challenge of getting
her parents back. She tricks the other mother by guessing that her parents are in the tunnel
through the little door even though she knows they aren’t. The other mother coughs up the key
to the door that she swallowed. Coraline then throws the black cat at the other mother who rips
then rips out her button eyes and blinds her.
This is ​approaching the innermost cave​ because Coraline is about to be faced with her
ultimate challenge. She has discovered where her parents are and now just needs to defeat the
other mother.
~Abyss- Fighting other mother
Abyss​- hero faces greatest challenge and has to resolve it.
After the cat scratched out her eyes, the other mother morphed the room they were in into a
spider web but the door to the normal world is located at the top. Coraline tries to be careful and
not vibrate the web too much or the other mother will be able to find her but this happens
anyways. The other mother crawls up to her and Coraline climb as fast as she can and reaches
the door before the other mother can catch her. Coraline grabs they key out of the lock on the
door and closes it returning to the other side.-----------------------------------------------------------------
This is the ​abyss​ step for Coraline because it was her ultimate challenge to defeat the other
mother and find her parents which she did after discovering they were in a snow globe in the
other world. She locked out the other mother and drops the key into a well in hoped that no one
will ever open the door again.
~Ultimate boon- Coraline’s appreciation
Ultimate boon- ​hero finally achieves their goal of the journey
After her return to the ordinary world, Coraline throws a garden party and invites all the
neighbors she didn’t quite like at
first.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coraline’s journey left her with a greater appreciation for the people around her, especially her
parents and Wybie, her friend from both the real world and other world.
Camus, Albert. ​The Stranger.​ Translated by Matthew Ward. R ​ andom House Inc. 1942
Coraline. Selick, Henry. Performances by Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, and John Hodgman. 6
February, 2009.