Step 1: The Call to Adventure
return to Hero's Journey from ''the Alchemist''
The call to adventure is used in hero's journeys when the hero of the story is presented with a challenge, problem, or goal. In Paulo Coelho's novel, The Alchemist, Santiago embarks on a journey to the pyramids of Egypt to find a treasure. He goes to Egypt because when he was in a small town, he met a gypsy. The gypsy told Santiago what his dreams met and told him, " You must got to the pyramids in Egypt. I have never heard of them, but, if it was a child who showed them to you, they exist . There you will find a treasure that will make you a rich man"(17). The treasure represents his goal in this story and the gypsy is the force convincing him to go for it.
Sources: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/plots/hero_journey/call_adventure.htm http://adulted.about.com/od/howtos/a/hjcallandrefusal.htm
Jackson Masterson
