Analysis of the Story "The Patient Stone" Based on Joseph Campbell's Hero’s Journey Theory

Subject Areas : Archaeometry

Marjan Aliakbarzadeh Zehtab ^{1 *} , Tahereh Mehri Malfajani ²

1 - Department of Persian Language and Literature, Varamin-Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University, Varamin, Iran.
2 - Department of Persian Language and Literature, Varamin-Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University,Varamin, Iran

Received: 2025-08-06 Accepted : 2025-09-03 Published : 2025-09-25

Keywords: Joseph Campbell, Myth, Hero’s Journey, Folk Tales, The Patient Stone Story.,

Abstract :

The main issue of the present study is the examination of the story "The Patient Stone" based on Joseph Campbell’s (1904-1987) Hero’s Journey theory. The value and significance of this research lie in the cultural and mythological importance of folk tales as well as the theoretical worth of Campbell’s theory. This interdisciplinary study is conducted using a descriptive-analytical method. Its main question is: How do the stages of the story "The Patient Stone" correspond to Campbell’s Hero’s Journey? The hypothesis is that, given the mythical nature of this story, although not all stages of the Hero’s Journey may be applicable, it certainly includes many of them. The outcome of the research is that in the story "The Patient Stone," the hero undergoes a perilous journey without receiving help from an external individual. The twelve stages of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, including "The Call to Adventure," "Crossing the Threshold," "Difficult Trials," "Crisis," "Resurrection," and "Return to the Ordinary World," are present in this story; however, it lacks the stages of the hero’s refusal of the return, the magical flight stage, and the arrival of external help to bring the hero back, and he simply returns to the community.

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