English - Monomyth Archetype Theory

In today’s society, the Monomyth Archetype is prevalent in various forms such as television, films, books, and real life. Joseph Campbell founded the Monomyth Archetype theory, it involves a hero or heroine transcending the three main stages: separation, struggle or initiation, and return and reintegration. More specifically, this theory is predominant in the short genre, "The Step Not Taken", by Paul D'Angelo. In the first stage, the protagonist is confronted with a journey of whether to provide aid to a stranger crying in the elevator, which he initially refuses to accept. However, the individual is persuaded to commit to the quest due to the exposure to a guide, which in this case is the character’s guilty conscience. Subsequently, in stage two the character enters a supernatural world in which he has several emotional assessments, confronts a goddess figure, and completes the final test. This enables him to transform into a new being. Finally, the protagonist embarks on the last stage in which he leaves the spiritual world and returns to the former world with the assistance of a magical being or guide. The protagonist in the short story undergoes a transformation into a new human being after going through these stages. He begins the journey when he confronts a crying individual in an elevator and ends when he realizes that he should have provided aid to the stranger in time of need. Moreover, the character experiences an epiphany that convicts him to aid a stranger in need, and this has a lasting impact on his life.

During stage one, the protagonist is presented with a journey, which requires him to leave the ordinary reality and enter the sacred realm. A guide or magical being often aids the character in this quest and to overcome any obstacles. In the story "The Step Not Taken," the protagonist is in an elevator with an unfamiliar man who suddenly begins to cry as they are approaching their designated floors. The narrator ignores the crying individual and