The Hero with a Bloodied Face

Donald Trump is the first mythic hero of the twenty-first century.

That many recoil at this statement does not deny its obvious truth. Heroism isn’t about winning a popularity contest. The modern usage of the term hero has stripped the concept of its former glory. A man who runs into a burning building to rescue strangers may indeed act selflessly and heroically, but his name will not be remembered in years to come.

In the classic definition, the archetypal hero is known by his contemporaries and through the ages. A hero isn’t created by one act of mercy, strength, or sacrifice. Rather, a hero is made over time, despite failures, and through real and symbolic victories. To legitimately claim the status of hero, one must prove himself by completing a long rite of passage, a journey marked by suffering.

In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the late Joseph Campbell describes three phases in the formation of a mythic hero: departure, initiation, and return.

First, the aspiring hero encounters a call to leave his familiar world. While he often initially rejects that call, he eventually embarks on a quest that will transform who he is – and, ultimately, transform the world he inhabits.