The text Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell is applied to Elie Wiesel's text Hero in terms of defining the protagonist's heroic character along with a discussion of how archetypal characters are utilized. There are five sources cited in the bibliography.
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are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe"(Elie Weisel..Nobel Peace Speech, Foundation 2002).
Elie Wiesel portrays Joseph Campbells traits of a hero by first showing a call to adventure, his road of trials and his realization
of his own innate gifts and those granted to him by his journey. Though Campbells book and Wiesels book differ in style and era, it can be said that they
both share similar characteristics. They intrinsically serve as a character study on the human condition as it strives to better itself in an often harsh and cruel world. The
Elementary idea, according to Campbell, is that single universal truth that is apparent in the work of all the worlds peoples from the beginning of time. These truths may be
presented in the cultural context in which they find themselves, but beneath the social trappings and historical rhetoric lies the truth, or the elementary idea. Interestingly enough, these same elementary
truths, more or less, still serve to act as guideposts for modern man. The hero in a sense adheres to a set of
personal codes (much like Hemingways did) which serve them in good stead when faced with insurmountable dangers. Along their journey (and there always is one) the hero is challenged both
physically and psychologically. However, there generally enters into the storyline a guide of some sort (archetype of the old man/old woman) who steers them along the right path.
So begins, too, Elies journey when he and his family must pack their bags quickly for the journey from their homeland to the Nazi