The chapter is about initiation. Every hero in every hero story from around the world has to begin somewhere. He cannot just appear, mature, and begin slaying things. He has to start out as an undeveloped child. Then extraordinary circumstances invite or force him to exceed the realm of the ordinary and enter the world of heroism. He undergoes some sort of trial, and then he is ready for heroic deeds.

Adolescence, perhaps more than any other time, is a time of trial. In childhood we may have known hardship, but we were mostly unable to do anything about it. Now we are expected not only to deal with trials, but to deal with it on our own and work out solutions by ourselves. Campbell’s point is that people cannot deal with psychological trials on their own. Myth gives (or used to give) people a way to deal with these things. The shaman, by proceeding into the frightening world of the spirit on the behalf of the people, aids them in dealing with everyday life. Inanimate objects help Psyche with her impossible tasks. What about us?

Today I think that a greater knowledge and understanding of myth could help some of us as we struggle to make sense of the world. It reminds me of Callie, who relates to every struggle she encounters by quoting musicals. Every month or so she buys a new CD and memorizes it. This isn’t so different from how myth must have helped the ancients deal with the struggles of growing up. She may deal with a rough breakup by singing “I Hate Men” from Kiss Me, Kate incessantly. A few thousand years ago in Greece, she might have taken solace in listening to the story of how Aphrodite, the goddess of love, cursed a former lover with impotency. Modern religion can sometimes take the place of these myths, but monotheism just doesn’t have the variety that the Greeks and Egyptians enjoyed. Do you get stories like Aphrodite’s in the Bible? I didn’t think so. That’s why all teenagers need a little myth in their lives.