Hero’s Journey Project

J. M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy and Homer’s The Odyssey

By: Sydney Smith

Departure: Call To Adventure

Calypso had held Odysseus hostage for many years and know she must let him go, “You need not feel your life consumed here; I have pondered it, and I shall help you go…” (Book 5, 1208) Odysseus is now set free and set out on a new adventure.

Initiation: The Meeting with a Goddess

Odysseus and his men had been on their way until stopped upon a beautiful goddess, “A-tingle on these lawns and paven courts. Goddess she is, or lady. Shall we greet her?” (Book 10, 1225) The men had been set on their task and then got distracted when they ran into Circe.

Return: Refusal of Return

Odysseus is at battle of trying to save his crew, Odysseus feels horror about losing his men to Scylla, but instead of letting them dye and running off to save himself he stays and fights, “No, no, put all your backs into it, row on;” (Book 12, 1233) This is truly refusal of return because he stayed and fought for his men.

Departure: Call to Adventure

Wendy keeps on dreaming of a boy named Peter Pan. While she slept that night she has another visit from the strange boy, “The dream by itself would have been a trifle, but while she was dreaming the window of the nursery blew open, and a boy did drop on the floor”. (Barrie7) Wendy believes Peter has been just a dream but that night he comes and opens up the door for an adventure.

Initiation: The Rhode of Trails

Before peter can fly Wendy and her brother’s to Neverland he faces some problems,” I was crying because I can’t get my shadow to stick on.” (Barrie 20) Peter Pan’s shadow would stick back on so Wendy must so it back on before Peter can do anything else.

Return: Master of Two Worlds

One out of Peter Pan’s many famous quotes is, “To Die would be an awfully big adventure” (Barrie 27) expressing that life and youth are just apart of the ride until facing the true battle of death but then at the end of the story Peter restates himself, “To live would be and awfully big adventure.” (Barrie 92) meaning that Peter has come to a realization that living and endless youth is a true gift.

Works Citied Allen, Janet. "The Odyssey." Holt McDougal Literature: Texas Grade 9. Texas ed. Evanston, Ill.: Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 1185-1288. Print.Peter Pan: The Story of Peter and Wendy. Contributors: J. M. Barrie - author. Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1911. Page Number: iii.