Define 'monomyth' and discuss a common criticism of applying Campbell's framework across cultures.

• A. The monomyth is the single hero’s journey pattern across myths; criticism includes overgeneralization, eurocentric bias, and erasing local variation in non-Western myths.
• B. The monomyth refers to a ritual calendar.
• C. The monomyth is a family tree of all gods.
• D. The monomyth is a random narrative with no universal pattern.

Answer: (A)

Monomyth is the idea that myths from many cultures share one single, universal pattern of storytelling—the hero’s journey: a departure from the ordinary world, a series of trials, and a return transformed. This concept comes from Joseph Campbell and his idea of the hero with a thousand faces, outlining stages such as departure, initiation, and return that appear in legends around the world. A common criticism of applying Campbell’s framework across cultures is that it generalizes too much and reflects a Western, even Eurocentric, perspective. Forcing diverse myths into one template can erase local variation, meanings, and narrative forms that don’t fit the hero’s journey, reducing rich cultural stories to a single blueprint. It’s useful to notice that some myths do echo the journey, but many others follow different structures and purposes, so studying myths in their own cultural contexts yields a fuller understanding.