THE REFLECTED MYTHOLOGICAL PATTERNS ON

RESEARCHERS’ JOURNEY THROUGH LITERACY NARRATIVES

Mohammad Sugeng Rahman Hakim1, Pratiwi Retnaningdyah2, Ali Mustofa3

Postgraduate Program, Surabaya State University, Jl. Ketintang No.30, Ketintang, Gayungan, Surabaya, East
Java 60231
Moch.17070835063@[Link].id1, pratiwiretnaningdyah@[Link].id2, alimustofa@[Link].id3

Abstract: This paper aims to provide a heroism mythological reflection on the journey of
researchers. This study uses the qualitative case study to obtain the comprehension of
researchers' metaphor journeys through Monomyth on their research experiences. The
documentary analysis is used in this qualitative study with the reflexive narrative because
the reflection on experience can help the reader to gain insight into the researcher and
their approach during the journey. 15 researcher’s literacy narratives chosen in this study
which consists of 8 published literacy narratives and 7 literacy narratives task from
participants. Research itself often considered as a journey that extends the existing
knowledge and also develops new knowledge of the researcher while wandering in the
wilderness of knowledge. Along the way, the researchers with their literacy narratives in
this study unconsciously have a similar mythical pattern story as like as the mythical heroes
which Campbell (1949) term it as ‘Monomyth’ pattern. The result presented in this paper
may facilitate the literate improvements in which to motivate, to help the novice researcher
to understand their own hero’s journey and to educate them about the stages that they will
experience such as their new transition of conducting their new research.

Keywords: Monomyth; Mythology; Heroism; Research Journey; Literacy Narrative

DOI: 10.15642/[Link]-xx

Literature is commonly represented 'heroism which inseparable from human being’s lives
through stories or literary works. In heroism, each hero has a journey. Campbell (1949)
explains that each journey has its own transition process where the main characters change
from their status quo or save zone and jump into unfamiliar special word, then return to their
ordinary world. Since literary works are the mirror of human life, the process of the hero’s
transition during the journey also reflects humankind. As a human, researchers also have a
journey while wandering in the wilderness of research jungle. The research itself often
considered as a journey (McCulloch, 2013), a journey that extends existing knowledge and
also develops new knowledge (Trafford & Leshem, 2009; Wellington, 2010). Along the way,
they unconsciously have a similar mythical pattern story as like as the mythical and modern
heroes have which Campbell (1949) term it as ‘Monomyth’ or ‘The Hero’s Journey’ pattern.
Many studies explore the changes or metaphors of the Hero’s Journey reflected through
humans’ life in narratives whether visual or textual. But, reflecting someone’s academic
experiences to the hero’s journey consume a lot of times and such a largely novel. So, it is

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M. Sugeng R.H., Pratiwi Retnaningdyah, and Ali Mustofa

essential to limit the transition of the subjects’ experience in a specific story of their life.
Harwell, Comstedt, & Roberts, 1997; Follo, 2002; Goldstein, 2005; Randles, 2012; Seary &
Willans, 2004; Georgas, Regalado, & Burge, 2017 presented a comprehensive review of how
the Monomyth concept and analyzed their students’ experiences while encountered problems
during the process of their study and proceeding stage. Their articles summarize that this
scope of studies has been previously accepted that the Hero’s Journey also reflects on the
educational range experiences.
Based on the previous studies, the writer wants to reflect and compare the researchers
journey specifically to the young and junior researchers’ experiences with the heroes’ journey
of literary works or stories represented in Monomyth theory. Since the data must have a plot,
a theme, character and also must share the subjects' experience, literacy narrative in the form
of written experience is an appropriate approach which supports this research. Literacy
narrative nowadays is a popular way or term for people to share their connection with the
literary world such as speaking, reading, and writing or sharing their experience about
specific competence they learn. It gives people a chance to write it as a personal story. They
can develop a reflective understanding of their first experience when they are forged to be
literate while conducting research on their life.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Hero’s Journey through Literature and Education
Campbell as the one who coined the theory of Hero’s journey (1949) explores a series of the
interconnected stage in the universe of legends, folktales, myths, literature and found that they
have a similar pattern where their heroes or the main characters always begin their stories in a
stage of unknowing or status quo. This stage is disrupted by some events and leads the hero
into the decision or call to adventure on a journey where the main characters encounter their
trials and test. If those heroes can conquer their problems and fears, they come back to their
ordinary world with “the power to bestow boons”.
The monomyth is also a study about universal patterns, symbols or archetypal images
which reveal themselves in our dreams and are capable of giving us knowledge and awareness
when interpreted in light of their meaning to the individual. “The function of myth is to put a
man in accord with nature.” (Campbell, 1949). Since this research explores and compares the
mythology phenomenon patterns on the research journey of graduate students or researchers,
there are three Acts of the Hero's Journey based on what Campbell said; separation, Initiation,
and Return will provide the paradigm in which to view a contemporary case study.

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 Mythological Patterns on Researchers’ Journey

The renowned screenwriter Christopher Vogler (2007) praises the Hero’s Journey
theory as “nothing less than a handbook for life, a complete instruction manual in the art of
being human”. It means that if we posit that literary works such as myths, folklore, and
legends explained in Campbell’s concepts as the reflection of human life, we also can reflect
the concept of Hero’s journey to arm our new researcher with a map of their own ‘Hero’s
journey’ such as like what Bloom, Hutson & He (2008) suggests in their article. They
charged as the advisor by helping their students become more aware of their lifelong journey
of learning and personal development. They compare their experiences as like as their own
‘heroic’ literary story which mirrors their first transition experiences as college students into a
researcher or from someone who knows nothing to someone who knows things based on
Campbell’s “Separation, Initiation, and Returns” in Hero’s Journey stages.
This study intends to explore the researchers’journey phenomenon that unconsciously
follows the concepts of Campbell's Monomyth. The writer uses the qualitative case study to
obtain the comprehension of researchers' metaphor journeys and literacy sponsors through
Monomyth on their research experiences. The documentary analysis is used with the reflexive
narrative because the reflection on experience can help the reader to gain insight into the
researcher and their approach (Creswell, 2010). This research affords the writer the
opportunity to understand how individuals interpret their research experiences through their
written stories, construct their worlds on it, and apply to mean to their experiences in a
naturalistic setting (Creswell, 2007; Merriam, 2009).
To maintain the naturalistic setting of the data, the writer chose the existed or published
online literacy narratives data without any control of the subjects’ experience. The data were
also supported by literacy narrative tasks given to 10 graduate students who are acquaintances
to the writer of this study. The data were collected through an online search engine with the
keyword “My Research Journey”. Through the keywords there found the researchers who
already shared and published the reflection about their research journey in the form of a
journal article, and blog. Different from the author of published literacy narratives, the names
of participants who willingly write the research journey task are given pseudonym name to
the participant's code ethics.
Since the data overflowed through the Google search engine, I set purposeful selection
and criteria to reveal the required data in the research. Firstly, the subjects of this study are
researchers which are limited only for young to the junior researcher. Based on Eurodoc
(2017), Young Researcher in this study is a term which defines researchers in the first 10
years of their research activity or researcher who is still training to conduct research whether

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in university or equivalent of higher education who has not yet obtained a doctoral degree.
Junior Researcher is a term which refers to researchers who have been graduated or awarded a
doctoral degree and not yet fully engaged conduct independent research whether in academia,
private or in the public sector. Secondly, the literacy narratives collected through the search
engine must have plot, theme, character, setting or even moral value. A literacy narratives
essay is not just an interesting story about an experience. It also guides the reader towards an
insight by showing what they learned from their research experience.

DISCUSSIONS OF MAIN THEMES

Reflected Monomyth on researchers’ research journey
Based on Campbell (1949), a hero is someone who has given his or her life to something
bigger than oneself. This chapter analyzes the growth and passage of the researchers during
the process of their research journey based on their written experiences. The reflected Hero’s
Journey requires a separation from the comfortable zone, known world, and an initiation into
a new level of awareness, skill, and responsibility, and then a return home. The writer will
provide analysis of each Act of the researcher’s journey based on their literacy narratives data.
The following analysis is presented through reflective narratives based on Vogler’s
table of Monomyth as follows; the first Act is Separation which includes stages “The
Ordinary World, Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, Meeting with the Mentor, Crossing
the First Threshold”, the second Act is Initiation which includes “Tests, Allies, and Enemies,
Approach the Inmost Cave (crossing the second threshold), The Ordeal, Reward,” and the last
Act is Return which includes “The Road Back, Resurrection, Return with the Elixir” (Vogler,
2007, p. 9)
The Ordinary World
In literary works, many stories, myths, legends are journeys which take their protagonists or
heroes to Special Worlds. The authors mostly begin by establishing the main characters who
live in Ordinary Worlds as a baseline of comparison to the new inexperience or the Special
World. This World is only special if we can see it in contrast to the comparison of the hero’s
everyday world.
The Ordinary World has a meaning of home base or the background of the hero. In this
context, the Ordinary World means the world which the researchers who become the subject
of this research are familiar with. The difference between the two worlds is not represented by
the terms ‘muggle and magical’, ‘earth and space’, ‘village and city’ or even ‘dark and light’,
but by the life around the characters and the transformation or metaphor that happen inside

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the characters, like from no one to someone, zero to the hero or from the man who knows
nothing become the knowledgeable man.
Some researchers are found to start their ordinary literacy narratives journey from their
childhood background, for instance, a literacy narrative from a Ph.D. dissertation written by
Carrim (2012). She writes a reflective research journey in chapter 9. She begins her reflective
story from her childhood on how she lives with her family “I was raised in a small segregated
Indian township called Primedia in Brits during the apartheid era…Most of my childhood was
spent studying, and during the holidays we would assist my mother in spring cleaning the
house” (p.296).
Carrim writes her childhood story to reveal what motivated her to board on her research
topic which later will become her Call to research. In her Ordinary World, specifically in her
childhood community, she writes her traditional-minded “feminine” society like how a girl
should not have a high academic profile like what her mother thought that “Indian parents
aimed to marry their daughters at an early age and did not pay heed to educate their
daughters” (297). Luckily, her father has a different opinion with their traditional society. He
allowed and encouraged his little girl to continued her studies. Later on, when she graduated
and started working as a lecturer at a University, she already got used to the “feminine” norms
of her society, even state that “For me, this cultural norm is a blessing, as I would have been
very lonely living away from my family”. The “blessing” word in her statement shows how
she admits and takes a positive value of her traditional-minded norms.
Another literacy narrative is taken from the task which the writer gives to his
acquaintances who are willing to be participants in writing the literacy narrative about their
research journey. One of the participants is named Jacklyn (pseudonym). During his college
years, Jacklyn is an active scholar in his campus organization. In his literacy narratives, he
writes that:

The fourth year was a pretty hard time I faced and makes me stressful. It happens
because of the issue of my final research that never ends. The waiting process of my
supervisor news about my revision makes me even more stressed since my body get
used to doing a lot of productive things. The terms of waiting and patience is not my
habit.

Jacklyn spends almost three years of his college time in a student organization. When doing
his research, his ‘the Ordinary World’, in this case, his organization activity, must collide and
force him to learn about patience.

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Not all the literacy narratives examined in this study write the ordinary world in their
writing experiences. However, this stage unconsciously occurred in their lives before. In this
case, The Ordinary World in one sense is the specifically last place or state of the researchers
(students, young researcher or junior researcher) before the adventure of researches begins.
Previously, they pass through a succession of Special Worlds which slowly become ordinary
as we get used to them (Vogler, 2007), like how Carrim get used for her traditional-minded
family and Jacklyn with his common productive ‘World’. They evolve from strange, foreign
territory into familiar bases from which to launch a drive into the next ‘Call of the Adventure’
to new Special World.
Call of the Adventure
Vogler theory of screenwriting mythological patterns acknowledges the Call to Adventure of
Monomyth as the initiating event, or incident which become the catalyst or the trigger of the
main characters’ story. Some events are important to roll the story forward once the
protagonist finished introducing his or her ordinary world.
Previously, Carrim (2012) introduces herself in her reflective journey that she already
gets used to her daily life with the feminine norm of her society. As the symbolical of the
Call, she writes that “My research interest was driven by my own career as a manager”
(p.300). She wonders whether the other Indian women manager in South African have similar
problems in the term of their feminine mobility in their family and office, she writes “I was
very curious to find out about the role of the Indian community and family in the lives of
other Indian women managers and how this influenced their upward mobility.”(p.301). This
statement expresses that Carrim’s interest provokes her curiosity which represents the ‘Call’
of her research journey.
Another analyzed literacy narrative of a research journey is taken from a Ph.D.
dissertation written by Retnaningdyah (2015). On her research, she examines how and why
digital literacy in this modern era is important to the activism of Indonesian migrant Domestic
Workers (IDW) in Hong Kong. Her research study is chosen as one of the literacy narratives
in this study since she uniquely starts her research in the narrative style of writing. Her
research topic starts with her personal experience around 2005 when she first encountered and
realized how hard the world of foreign domestic workers are. With all strict regulations, they
seem afraid to express their opinions and rights. Following this experience, the curiosity and
the ‘Call’ to write this topic happens when later on she learned that many other IDWs in Hong
Kong embrace the digital literacy world to speak out their personal experience.

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The author of the story commonly makes the stage of ‘The Call to Adventure’ by
introducing a message or a messenger to the hero represented as mythological archetype
character of Herald (Vogler, 2007). The symbolization of the mythological Herald character
in the story can be physically or spiritually. Physically, the herald itself can symbolize in
anything inside the story such as an actual person or event like a declaration of war, or the
arrival of a letter to attend Hogwarts magical school in Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s
Stone. Spiritually, the herald Call that offers the adventure to the hero may simply be a
messenger from the unconscious mind, like dreams, visions, fantasies, prophecy or a
conscious stirring will of the hero’s messenger like ideas, past experience, wisdom or even
question like what most young and junior researcher in this study look for as their research
question.
The symbolical ‘Messenger’ or ‘Herald’ mostly found in this study are in the form of
curiosity of the researchers. However, few of the researchers’ literacy narratives taken from
the task write that their journeys are ‘Called’ by conducting and assisting their mentor’s
research. The force of coincidental occurrences of events, ideas, or someone else word can
also symbolize the herald who gives the message to the hero. This force can draw the
researcher’s attention to act, wonder, and answer the ‘Call of the Adventure’ (Vogler, 2007).
The Call to Adventure in some stories may come when their heroes are simply running
out of options. the hero option is limited through this call whether he dies or challenges the
call immediately. He or she needs to commit to the adventure whether they like it or not.
Some researchers have this kind of experiences when they are still in scholar progress to
achieve a graduate degree. They are forced to take the adventure of research jungle because of
the lack of time and money to extend their study or even their learning period is in the edge of
time.
Refusal of The Call
It is natural as human or heroes to have refusal act for the first time the Call comes. They
refuse to the Call by stating a series of weak excuses to elude or delay their inevitable Call
which may shake their ordinary comfortable zone. Even though the hero’s life is not actually
comfortable, they already used to live such a life before and are afraid to make it worse. In
popular culture story, we can find in the early story that Harry Potter doesn’t believe that he
can be a real wizard. In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker is reluctant to accept Obi-Wan’s offer.
Frodo in Lord of the Ring is reluctant to leave the ordinary life he knows.
While many heroes express a refusal at this stage, the others don’t hesitate to jump at
the chance and answer the Call. Some of them are the heroes that are forced to jump without

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any option or choice left. It is either to jump or to die (Vogler, 2007). This kind of situation
might happen in a research journey when the young researchers specifically final-year
students are already at the edge of their studies terms. Some others, like most of the
researchers found in this study, are classified as what Vogler terms as ‘Willing Heroes’ who
have accepted willingly or sought the Call of the Adventure, although it does cover out the
possibility of researcher’s journey data out there who reject the ‘Call’ of research because of
the fear of failure or other reasons. Most of the researchers collected through the literacy
narratives analyzed in this study are pushed and called by their interest and curiosity about
certain problem and topic.
However, even though the heroes didn’t refuse for the Call, the doubt and fear which
symbolizes the Refusal of the Call will come to a hero anywhere in the story. The Refusal can
come from other characters as well as events. They will express the fear and give the warning
to the protagonist about what may happen on the road of the journey ahead. The fear and
warning in this researchers’ journey can be represented by their ignorance, unpreparedness,
lack of knowledge about the tools to challenge and conquer their research topic like what
Debbie (2017) writes “one of the most difficult aspects of social research is choosing an
appropriate methodology” (p.2).
While the hero needs a sword, shield, and bow to slain the dragon, the researchers need
specific methodology, theory, and literature review to support them and finish the quest of
their research topic. Shawn Wilson (2008) argues that methodology is “part of the paradigm
that guides the research process”. And theory provides a vocabulary and discourse to describe
what the researchers think (McCotter, 2001). Methodology and theory for the researchers are
perhaps best described as the map of where knowledge or treasures are hidden. It is of little or
no use if the researchers do not know how to use the map wisely.
Refusal of the Call can also be a chance or the opportunity to redirect the main
characters’ focus of their journey. In a literacy narrative task written by the participants
named Natalia (pseudonym), she told that in her researcher’s journey, her supervisor refuses
her submitted topic because of the difficulties of data and the lack of knowledge. This kind of
refusal gives some kinds of advice or redirection to the young researchers to change or shift
their research topic, research question or theory and make them more focus on their goal.
As the beginners in the jungle of research, many young researchers might hesitate at the
threshold of their ordinary common world and special world. They need someone who helps
them from the journey ahead, like a wise man who gives them a protective shield, the sword
of knowledge like methodology, theory, map of information of the literature review to prepare

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them before they jump to the special world. This archetype wise man is representing the
energy or the symbol of the next phase, “Meeting with the Mentor”

Meeting with the Mentor

Refusal of the Call is not always bad at certain meaning. The heroes sometimes refuse the
Call when they are still not ready until they had time to prepare the challenge of the unknown
zone that lies in Special world. During the set-up process of the Hero, Vogler (2007) stated
that “preparation might be done with the help of the wise, protective figure of the Mentor,
who provides many services to the hero include protecting, guiding, teaching, testing, training
and providing magical gift” to overcome the fear and start the adventure.
In research journey, the undebatable and proper character that can be easily found to
symbolize the ‘Mentor’ is the supervisor. In academic research, either thesis or dissertation,
we can commonly find a short literacy narrative of the researchers who express their gratitude
for their supervisor in the ‘Acknowledgements’ section, for instance:
First and foremost, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my primary
supervisor, Associate Professor Francesca Martin, who has tremendously provided me
with the greatest assistance and support possible… I owe her my deepest gratitude for
shaping this thesis to this current direction (Retnaningdyah, 2015: 5).
Similar to Retnaningdyah (2015), although not in acknowledgment form, almost all of
researchers in their literacy narratives tell about how they were helped and aided by their
supervisor.
Mackenzie and Lorraine (2009), whose research is one of the published literacy
narratives in form of journal, writes their experienced journey as they worked as supervisee
and supervisor through the several stages of the supervisee’s doctoral research and thesis
writing. Mackenzie writes that his “supervisor advised that the journey should begin with a
thorough review of all the literature about the proposed destination based upon the
experiences of previous travelers (researchers)” (p. 51). Searching the literature reviews takes
a long consuming, boring, and sometimes frustrating time. But, when they reaches their limits
“My frustrations were taken to my supervisor, who patiently listened and advised and
eventually my journey began in earnest.” This statement proves that this archetype character
of Mentor only provides aid, suggestion, advice, and supply for the hero when the hero needs
and does not accompany the hero during the quest (Propp, 1979).
‘Meeting with the Mentor’ stage can symbolize anything inside the story even though
there is no actual character that is specifically showed as Mentor character. The young

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researcher which becomes the protagonist in the research jungle always needs to make
contacts with some sources of knowledge or wisdom before jumping to their quest. When
they cannot find the physical ‘Mentor’, they will try to find a former adventurer who has the
similar experienced problem or former records of previous research, literature reviews, and
artifact of knowledge or simply look inside themselves for wisdom experienced they have in
their previous adventure. McCotter (2001), who writes one of published literacy narratives
analyzed in this study, argues that “one of the first struggles on my journey was deciding how
to use theory in my research”. Even with class discussion and reading a lot of literature
review the theory is still enigmatic for him. Later on, “After reading a piece by Laurel
Richardson about the metaphors commonly used in discussing theory”, he began to consider
the theory as a map that guides her decisions and gives direction as he tries to find his way
during the research journey.
Crossing the First Threshold
The Call of Adventure has been heard. Now the researchers have already well prepared to
take a challenge and conduct their research. However, the most critical moment of Act One
still remains. As the researchers approach the threshold of the two World, they commonly
encounter a ‘Threshold Guardian’ who blocks or hinders their way to the Special world. This
mythological character function like the Gate Keeper of the Special world. The Keeper won’t
allow anyone who is not worthy enough to pass the Gate. The Hero needs to be tested to pass
the Keeper of the Special World in Act Two.
This archetype does not only pop up to block or test the Hero in the early story. The
Keeper may appear at any point in a story, but mostly they “cluster around the doorways,
gates, and narrow passages of threshold crossings” (Vogler, p129). The purpose of the test or
the symbolical Keeper at Crossing the First Threshold is to prove that the Hero is willing to
commits wholeheartedly to the adventure. Murphy and Wibberley (2016), in their published
literacy narratives, give a good example where the researchers are tested by their ‘Mentor’ or
supervisor which also symbolizes the threshold guardian archetype character.
Here, at times, conflicts happened, with debates and discussions related to the best way
forward in relation to the style and manner of research approach. My supervisors would
adopt differing viewpoints, perhaps playing Devil’s advocate, but presenting me with
the decision on how to proceed.”(Murphy & Wibberley, 2016: 3)
It’s unfortunate that the other published literacy narratives besides Murphy and
Wibberley (2016) did not state specifically about this stage where their research topic and
knowledge was tested, measured, and assured by the threshold guardian. This might happen

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because the author of published literacy narratives is not bounded or tasked to tell a specific
story of their research journey.
However, the other participants’ literacy narratives tasked by the writer were asked to
write this specific experience of their research journey. Previously, Natalia (pseudonym) had
a debate and got a refusal from her supervisor about her research topic. Similar to her,
because of the lack of knowledge, The other participants which in this study represented by
Afandi (pseudonym) also need to redirect or shift their research topic, research question or
theory, “in my proposal seminar, the examiner and supervisor ask me a lot of question that
make me confused and finally, it ends with many revisions for my proposal”. This statement
represents most of the young researcher which in other words are still in students. They need
to pass the seminar proposal or comprehension examination before continuing their
researches.
Tests, Allies, And Enemies
In this new Special World, the test, challenges, and trials are the tools of adjustment for
heroes meant to prepare them for their greatest ordeal ahead. The tests and challenges in this
phase are sometimes difficult for the heroes, but still are in reasonable limits. However, as all
young and junior researchers inevitably find out later on, no matter how prepared and
adjusted they are to this new inexperience special world, even when they think they have
covered everything in their theoretical understandings and data gathering instruments,
“nothing can quite prepare you for the reality of the research experience” said Debbie in her
literacy narrative (2017). If in the Act One or ‘Separation’ phase the researchers faced a series
of entrance exams, in Act Two or ‘Initiation’ phase the researchers will be faced with a series
of quizzes, questions, and trials which aims to sharpen the researchers’ skills.
The trials can be any things during the research journey with unlimited internal and
external reasons or factors, for example, the difficulties to trust and get the valid data from the
interviewed participants (Hohaia, 2017; Carrim, 2012), once again feeling doubt, getting lost
in the wilderness of data analysis, theory, and literature review (Mackenzie & Lorraine, 2009;
McCotter, 2001), dissent with supervisee (Murphy & Wibberley, 2016) the freedom of
conducting research weakens and slows down due to illness (Retnaningdyah, 2015), or even
losing four close family member in a year while conducting research (Carrim, 2012).
During the hard times of the journey to the special word, it is natural for a human to
spend his time to seek and share his or her problems to someone who can be trusted and relied
on as his ‘Allies’. Vogler (2007) argues in his book that the act of choosing the ‘Allies’ and
‘Enemies’ symbolizes as one of the tests and trials for the hero “examining if the hero is a

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good judge of character.” (p.137). In other terms, this can be explained as the tests and trials
to train the researchers’ ability and wisdom in deciding which one is good and bad for them.
Spiritually, the ‘Allies’ and ‘Enemies’ archetype characters give the hero's thought that
he is not alone on his journey. In Carrim literacy narratives (2012), the participants can act as
‘Allies’ who are good, understanding and willingly help the researcher or even rude as
‘Enemies’ who like to act as they please during the process of interview to collect the data. A
mentor can also become the researchers’ ‘Allies’ or ‘Enemies’ depend on their contribution,
whether they act as helper every time the hero needs (Mackenzie &Lorraine , 2009) or act as
hinder who test the readiness and knowledge of the researcher (McCulloch, 2013). But, these
two mythical archetypes depend on the good or bad perception of the researchers themselves
and how they deal with it. Books, theory, literary reviews written by the former researcher are
also things that help researchers represent symbolical allies (McCotter, 2001).
Approach the Inmost Cave
Previously, the heroes are having an adjustment in their new Special World. Now it is time for
the protagonist to seek deeper to the research jungle. Vogler (2007) illustrated this stage in a
line; the researchers have already passed the intermediate zone “between the border and the
very center of the Hero’s Journey” (p.222). Along the way in approaching the center of the
jungle (ordeal stage), this stage can represent many things like an actual danger, terrible place
or hero’s inner conflict which has not been faced until now.
This stage is similar to the stage of ‘Crossing the Threshold Guardian’. In this study,
because of the nature of the published literacy narratives, many researchers did not state
specifically about the stage or story when they are preparing or ‘approaching’ their greatest
fear. In approaching the inmost cave, based on Jacklyn’s and others’ literacy narratives, they
take their times to make plans, study, reorganize, reconnaissance, relearn, reread, and fortify
their minds with more books and knowledge, or even have a last laugh and party before they
jump to the main scene called ‘The Ordeal’.
The Ordeal
This time the heroes stand in the inmost cave at the deepest jungle, facing their greatest
fearsome enemies and challenge. In myths, Campbell’s so-called ‘Ordeal’ intrinsically is a
stage of an “expansion of consciousness for the hero” (1949, p. 228). Similar to the approach,
this stage may be a symbolical, mental or physical dangerous crisis that the main character
needs to conquer to continue the journey.
The Ordeal can be interpreted as the stage where the heroes or the researchers face their
greatest fear (Vogler, 2007). For most people, the greatest fear might be symbolized as death.

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 Mythological Patterns on Researchers’ Journey

However, it can also represent many things in the story such as the failure of the test, the end
of a relationship, losing an important match, witnessing and bereaving for the loved one.
Based on the literacy narratives written by Jacklyn [Link]., as novice researchers who are in
college, Their first goal in conducting the research is to graduate and get a diploma or special
acknowledgment besides their curiosity for the research topic. Thesis or dissertation is a 'high
wall' they need to pass to get that treasure. To pass the ‘wall’, they need to be tested again in
their final examination. Vogler explains Campbell’s terms that the ‘Ordeal’ is “the metaphor
process of consciousness for the hero. The hero gains their enlightenment through his decision
and actions” (2007, p. 228).
Reward
After surviving the final exam and encounter the ‘Ordeal’, it is a triumph time for the
researchers to seize the sword of victory, celebrate and take the hidden treasure. Symbolically,
the researchers are reborn into the new realm. The aftermath of the ordeal has many shapes
and purposes. The heroes gained ‘Reward’ or the ‘Ultimate Boon’. The Boon, in this case,
can be the hero’s blessing in the form of wisdom, magical elixir, knowledge, treasure, power,
or even special recognition after surviving the great ordeal or symbolical death. Natalia writes
in her literacy task that “I feel really really happy when my examiners and supervisors said
congratulation for my new [Link]. title”
Since all the problems or ‘Ordeal’ phase has passed, Murphy (2016) tells that when he
looked back at the beginning his ordinary world, and compared his thoughts to now, “I am a
different person with a developing new academic identity.” This self-realization may stay
only for a while, but for that moment they see themselves clearly about how foolish and
stubborn they are all this time. In this stage, the heroes’ insight might be of a deeper and wiser
than before. Vogler argues that they sometimes experience “profound self-realization after
tricking death” (p.181). The researchers see their self-potential, spiritually, and fully about
who they are and how they got to this point.
The Road Back
Once the ‘Reward’ and the lessons of the quest or great ‘Ordeal’ have been succeeded and
celebrated, officially the hero moves to the Act Three of the Hero’s journey. In this stage of
‘The Road Back’, Vogler (2007) explains that the heroes “must decide whether to stay in the
special world or go back to the ordinary world” (p.190).
The term ‘The Road Back’ represents the resolve of the heroes to return to the
‘Ordinary World’ and implement the lessons that they learned in the ‘Special World’. As this
research journey began to come to an inevitable end, the young and junior researchers who

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have completed their studies must come back to their community to apply the knowledge that
they learn from the college. However, to leave the special word, this can be far from easy to
some researchers.
Based on the literacy narrative task, Retno (pseudonym) writes her unpreparedness
feeling that “I feel afraid to leave my college life, since I’m not ready to join the
unemployment of the society”. In another literacy narrative written by Mackenzie (2009), he
shared that during that time, he felt excited about the opportunity to share the treasure that he
got from his studies to the society, but he also felt sad that the journey had ended because of
the unexplored jungle of knowledge which will be left behind (p.54). But no matter how
heroes determine to try to stay in the Special World, “the Special World somehow will push
the heroes back to the Ordinary World” (Vogler, 2007: 187) to tell others about the boon,
knowledge and share the treasure or their magical elixir they have won.
Resurrection
The next stage before the researchers officially return to their ordinary world is ‘Resurrection’
stage. Vogler (2007) describes that the objective of resurrection is to create “the feeling of
resurrection with a corresponding lift of relief" (p.198). When researchers come to the special
world, they need to adjust their old self to the new research world. In the process of return,
they need to readjust and resurrect their new self to the ordinary world. Simply, the
resurrection stage is another additional phase of death and rebirth, similar to the Supreme
Ordeal but subtly different. Vogler also states that the hero must use all knowledge and skills
he got during the journey and transformed it into a “new being with new insights”.
Unfortunately, since the ‘Resurrection’ is the stage when the researchers already return
to their community, most researchers in their literacy narratives did not state specifically
about the transition struggle when they come back to their old community. However, the
outline of ‘resurrection’ pattern of the research journey and ‘Monomyth’ can be illustrated
when the researchers ‘Return’ from their research journey. They need to shed the personality
or readjust and build a new one that is suitable for their community in the ordinary world.
They cannot impose their elixir of knowledge to people who know nothing about it. They
should sacrifice their ego and “be passionate, positive, and persevere”. “This is what I have
learned through my research journey,” wrote Hohaia (2017), to accept the lack of knowledge
of the community and search the best way to approach and teach them. The resurrection
should reflect the best parts of the old selves and the lessons learned along the way.
Return with The Elixir

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Having survived through the greatest fear and all the ordeals, the researchers return to their
common world, go home, or continue their journey to the advanced level. They always
proceed with a sense that they are beginning a new life. This new ordinary world will be
forever different from their previous one because of the journey they just traveled.
Retnaningdyah (2015), in returning to her new common world in Indonesia, thought how she
could apply, share and teach her symbolic Elixir of knowledge and theory she learned from
the previous journey to the society as she writes “I am beginning to immerse myself in a
number of community-based literacy activism” (p.234).
From the literacy narratives of the research journey, the writer can find easily ‘Return
with the Elixir’ stage in the conclusion section. In Debbie’s conclusion, she hoped that after
sharing her struggle in her research journey “this will assist other researchers to reflect on
some of the relationships and experiences they have encountered during the conduct of their
work” (2017: 45). Similar to Debbie’s writing some of the analyzed researchers write and
give some advices, hoping for the reader who will be or has already interested in the similar
path of the journey.
The enlightenment from the rebirth and resurrection stage makes the hero understands
more about the two ‘Worlds’. The first world is where the magical and temptation of
knowledge rest. This is their previous special world where students, researchers, and scholars
gather, share and debate their opinion freely. The second world is the researchers’ new
‘Ordinary World’ where the common people do not know and care about the struggle, effort,
and suffering of the researchers to get the specific knowledge that later will be used by them
in society. Sometimes the old world or ‘new ordinary world’ community do not want the
elixir carried by the researcher because of the difficulty of the elixir to understand. Apart from
difficulties of sharing their elixir, the desire to share and teach knowledge they had learned
before made the researcher transformed into a what Campbell term as ‘Master of the two
World’ or simply from the hero of their own journey become the mentor of other’s journey.

CONCLUSION
The writer found that young and junior researchers in their research journey unconsciously
followed the Campbell’s mythological ‘separation, initiation, and return’ pattern of
‘Monomyth’ through their literacy narratives. However, it does not fully follow the exact
stages or phases of the three Acts because of the nature of the data which are not bound the
author to write specific stories in their research journeys. Based on the result, although with

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all the differences of background, topic, the internal and external problems during the research
journey, the researchers have similar pattern as like as heroes in a literary work.
Comparable to the unknowing special world Monomyth concept about the heroism
pattern, the researchers also undergo their own transition process from a scholar into a
researcher or from a researcher into a Mentor. Heroes take journeys, encounter dragons and
uncover treasures. Similarly, in new researchers’ symbolical journey, the dragons are the
research problems or questions, and their treasure is new insights and knowledge. They
transferred into a new, inexperienced world when they start the research journey, by jumping
into and analyzing unanswered question research. When their research journeys end, they
return to teach and share their elixir of knowledge to their community.
The result presented in this research may also facilitate the literate improvements in
which to motivate, to help new or novice researcher to understand their own Hero’s journey
and even to mentor the others about the stages or the transition process while conducting their
new [Link] result provides a good starting point for discussion and further research
about the effectiveness of writing literacy narratives for researchers as their self-reflection and
sharing medium of their research journey.

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