McBirney Text
Which of the following is NOT something that the hero necessarily encounters on their journey?
potential failure
new friends
difficult obstacles
romantic love
What is "romantic love" ?
What happens when the hero “crosses the threshold”?
1. The hero decides to stay in their ordinary world.
2. The hero meets their family again after the journey.
3. The hero enters a new and unfamiliar world where the adventure begins.
4. The hero receives their final reward for completing the journey.
What is "The hero enters a new and unfamiliar world where the adventure begins" ?
What event becomes the Little Blue Engine’s call to adventure?
1. The toys decide to walk over the mountain
2. The toy train breaks down and the dolls and toys ask her for help
3. The shiny engine tells her to take over his job
4. The mountain becomes smaller
What is "The toy train breaks down and the dolls and toys ask her for help" ?
What is Piper’s “ordinary world” at the start of the story?
1. Living safely with the other birds in the nest
2. Flying far away from the ocean
3. Playing with other animals on the beach
4. Searching for shells in the deep water
What is "Living safely with the other birds in the nest" ?
At the beginning of the story, what shows that Max is unhappy in his “ordinary world”?
1. He gets along well with his mother.
2. He wants to play quietly and read books.
3. He causes trouble at home and is sent to his room.
4. He decides to go on an adventure with his friends.
What is "He causes trouble at home and is sent to his room" ?
What is the main difference between the Ordeal and the Supreme Ordeal in the Hero’s Journey?
1. The Ordeal happens at the start of the story, while the Supreme Ordeal happens at the end.
2. The Ordeal is an early test of strength, while the Supreme Ordeal is the hero’s greatest and final challenge.
3. The Ordeal focuses on the hero’s reward, while the Supreme Ordeal focuses on the hero’s fear.
4. The Ordeal takes place after the hero returns home, while the Supreme Ordeal happens before the journey begins.
What is "The Ordeal is an early test of strength, while the Supreme Ordeal is the hero’s greatest and final challenge" ?
Which of the following describes the author's main purpose in the text?
1. to encourage authors to move away from the structure of the Hero's Journey
2. to show how common the structure of the Hero's Journey is in literature
3. to prove that essentially every story follows the Hero's Journey
4. to help readers understand how Campbell came to identify the Hero's Journey
What is "to show how common the structure of the Hero's Journey is in literature" ?
What is the Little Blue Engine Refusal of the Call?
1. She tries to push the broken train first
2. She says she has carried toys before
3. She explains that she is small and has never been over the mountain
4. She asks the big engine to go instead
What is "She explains that she is small and has never been over the mountain" ?
What event becomes Piper’s “Call to Adventure”?
1. Her mother leaves her alone on the beach
2. She sees crabs running by
3. She must learn to find her own food at the edge of the water
4. She loses a shell to the tide
What is "She must learn to find her own food at the edge of the water" ?
What is Max’s greatest challenge or “Ordeal” in the story?
1. Finding food in the Wild Things’ forest
2. Controlling the Wild Things with his magic trick
3. Making a crown for himself
4. Realizing that being king does not make him happy or loved
What is "Realizing that being king does not make him happy or loved" ?
Which of the following describes the beginning of the hero's journey?
The hero starts in an unfamiliar world and is confused.
The hero establishes a group of friends or allies who help them.
The hero's typical life is disturbed by some kind of event.
The hero realizes that they have a higher purpose than others.
What is "The hero's typical life is disturbed by some kind of event" ?
Which sentence best expresses the central idea of the text?
1. While different genres of literature exist, all of them follow the Hero's Journey.
2. When authors are writing novels, they intentionally adhere to the Hero's Journey.
3. The Hero's Journey establishes the structure of a story that countless stories follow.
4. The Hero's Journey is a helpful outline for authors to follow when writing.
What is "The Hero's Journey establishes the structure of a story that countless stories follow" ?
Which moment best represents “tests, allies, and enemies”?
1. The dolls try to push the train themselves
2. The little engine meets several engines who refuse to help
3. The train rolls by itself down the tracks
4. The toys stay quiet and wait
What is "The little engine meets several engines who refuse to help" ?
What deeper lesson does Piper’s journey reveal about growth and fear?
1. Real courage means avoiding situations that cause fear.
2. True growth happens when you face your fears and learn from them.
3. Confidence comes only from being the strongest in a group.
4. Change is impossible without help from others.
What is "True growth happens when you face your fears and learn from them" ?
When Max meets the Wild Things and becomes their king, what challenge does he face in this new world?
1. Learning how to make them love and respect him
2. Building a boat to return home
3. Fighting the Wild Things
4. Teaching the Wild Things how to behave
What is "Learning how to make them love and respect him" ?
Why does the hero eventually accept the adventure?
They are anxious to experience new things with a new friend.
They are punished for initially refusing the adventure and receive help.
They must accept the adventure to save someone they care for.
They realize it's important to their personal growth to accept the adventure
What is "They are punished for initially refusing the adventure and receive help" ?
The structure of the Hero's Journey is…
not often used anymore.
beginning to bore readers.
only used in books of fiction.
present across genres.
What is "present across genres" ?
Why does the Little Blue Engine finally agree to help the toys, despite her fear and inexperience?
1. She wants to prove herself better than the other engines
2. She feels empathy for the children who will not receive toys
3. She believes she will be rewarded with fame and respect
4. She is ordered to help by the yardmaster
What is "She feels empathy for the children who will not receive toys” ?
Which ally helps Piper face her fear and continue her journey?
1. Her mother, who protects her from the water
2. Another baby bird who gives her food
3. A fish that brings her shells
4. A crab who shows her how to dive below the waves
What is "A crab who shows her how to dive below the waves" ?
How does Max’s Return Home complete the Hero’s Journey?
A. He brings back physical treasures from the Wild Things’ island.
B. He wakes up to find that no time has passed and his supper is still hot.
C. He becomes a Wild Thing forever and never returns.
D. He forgets everything that happened on his journey.
What is "He wakes up to find that no time has passed and his supper is still hot" ?
Which of the following describes Joseph Campbell's book?
It shows how a lot of stories follow the same plot structure.
It reveals the different kinds of hero stories that can exist.
It explores how every hero story is special in its own way.
It discusses how the typical hero story has become boring and overdone.
What is "It shows how a lot of stories follow the same plot structure" ?
What is the main purpose of the “Reward and Journey Home” stage in the Hero’s Journey?
1. To show that the hero’s adventure was a dream and nothing has really changed.
2. To reveal how the hero’s experiences have changed them and what they bring back to their ordinary world.
3. To introduce new enemies that keep the hero from returning home.
4. To restart the cycle of the Hero’s Journey with a new call to adventure.
What is "To reveal how the hero’s experiences have changed them and what they bring back to their ordinary world" ?
Which two stages of the Hero’s Journey overlap during the Little Blue Engine’s climb up the mountain?
1. Call to Adventure and Refusal of the Call
2. Ordeal and Supreme Ordeal
3. Ordinary World and Return with Reward
4. Tests and Meeting the Mentor
What is "Ordeal and Supreme Ordeal" ?
In what way is Piper’s transformation similar to the transformation of other heroes in the Hero’s Journey?
1. Like other heroes, Piper moves from fear to mastery, using her new skills to improve life for her community.
2. Piper’s change is unique because she remains afraid even after success.
3. Unlike most heroes, Piper never receives guidance from a mentor figure.
4. Piper’s transformation focuses only on survival, not personal growth or wisdom.
What is "Like other heroes, Piper moves from fear to mastery, using her new skills to improve life for her community" ?
What does Max’s decision to leave the Wild Things and return home symbolize in terms of his Hero’s Journey?
1. It shows that he is running away from responsibility and fear.
2. It represents his acceptance that real love and belonging come from home, not power or escape.
3. It proves that adventures are more exciting than family life.
4. It means that his journey was only a dream with no real meaning.
What is "It represents his acceptance that real love and belonging come from home, not power or escape" ?