The Heroine and the Hero
Victoria Lynn Schmidt’s heroine’s journey diagram follows a similar trajectory to Joseph Campbell’s 17 Step Hero’s Journey Template , which is fascinating considering that there was a found need to create a female specific path. Both the Hero’s and Heroine’s Journeys contain 3 stages, categorized by Campbell as the Separation, Initiation, and Return. Schmidt’s model does in fact seem to follow the three stage layout. In the Separation phase she has the Illusion of the Perfect World, the Betrayal or Realization, and the Awakening and Preparing for the Journey. In the Initiation phase the steps of Descent/Passing the Gates of Judgement, the Eye of the Storm, and Death/All is Lost are featured. Wrapping up the diagram by Return are the steps of Support, Rebirth/Moment of Truth, and Return to the Perfect World. Though Schmidt’s model of the Heroine’s Journey can fit into the same the phases with evidently less steps, the model is not a simplified version of Campbell’s Monomyth. The Heroine...