Emma Swan’s Hero Journey
Through the Goggles of Joseph Campbell
by Manny

“The Refusal of the Call”

Campbell: “Refusal of the summons converts the adventure into it’s negative. Walled in boredom, hard work, or culture, the subject loses the power of significant affirmative action and becomes a victim to be saved. His/her flowering world becomes a wasteland of dry stones and their life feels meaningless, even though, like King Minos, he may through titanic effort succeed in building an empire or renown. Whatever house he/she builds, it will be a house of death: a labyrinth of cyclopean walls to hide from them his/her minotaur. All he/she can do is create new problems for themselves and await the gradual approach of his/her disintegration.”

Often when the call is given, the future hero first refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any range of reasons that work to hold the person in his/her current circumstances.

Prior to Henry’s knock on Emma’s door, we hear Emma described as a friendless orphan and then sympathize with her as she celebrates her 28th birthday alone while making a wish not to be alone for her birthday.

Emma returns Henry to the unknown zone (Storybrooke) and is forced to listen to Henry’s fantastic story of fairytales and Evil Queens and vehemently rejects the idea that not only is she not in Henry’s book but that she is nobody’s savior.

To be continued…