Passages of Myth

          The passage by Joseph Campbell in the first paragraph of Chapter V, The Hero's Adventure, talks about finding your inner world and the outer world finding you. Every line of this passage talks about how everything you think you'll find, instead is the shear opposite. All the lines are good examples of this, but the last two lines I think are the most important. "Where we had thought to travel outward, we will come to the center of our own existence. And where we had thought to be alone, we will be with all the world." (Campbell). This is saying that where ever you think you're going in life, it's really to find yourself. Whenever you think you're alone in the world, you are a part of the world because the world has you. His line, "The labyrinth is thoroughly known." (Campbell), is a self explanatory line of the two last lines. He's saying the most complicated thing to figure out is really already figured out from finding yourself  and discovering your inner world.

           Another passage from The Hero's Adventure I thought was interesting (as were many others) was this: "The rituals of primitive initiation ceremonies are all mythologically grounded and have to do with killing the infantile ego and bringing forth an adult, whether it's the girl or the boy.". This passage I think is important and very truthful to growing up into adolescence and in life, because it's something we all have, but must fight against. Whether you're an egotistical person or not, everyone has their ego, as Campbell talks about ego in Plato's soul circle, "the aspect of our consciousness that we identify as our center." (Campbell). Ego, in all its definitions, is a part of life and the thing we must fight to not let control our souls. Once you've found your true soul and its meaning without ego, you have matured into an adult. Not the physical maturation into adolescence, but the mental maturation into an adult. I think becoming an adult by 'killing the infantile ego' is the step in life that changes you, making you a whole new person, and not a child anymore. There are many passages in The Hero's Adventure that are truly meanings of life that you never think about as life goes on, but they're all important aspects that I believe everyone should know and understand.