Jack's Journey to Become a Hero in J.K. Rowling's The Christmas Pig

Abstract

The hero's journey takes a hero to leave their daily life, go on an adventure filled with obstacles, and return home by getting the boon (Campbell, 2004). J.K. Rowling's The Christmas Pig indicates that the main character experiences a hero's journey who adventures to the Land of the Lost to find his lost toy. This study aims to discuss Jack's hero's journey stages and how he encounters obstacles in The Christmas Pig. This study is categorized into literary criticism using a psychological approach by applying Campbell's hero's journey theory and supported by Allison & Goethals' theory of obstacles in the hero's journey. The data were taken from words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs in the novel The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling, published by Hachette Children's in London in 2021. The data were analyzed by identification, interpretation, and drawing a conclusion. There are two results from this study. First, Jack has passed all seventeen stages of the hero's adventure stages involving the call to adventure, refusal of the call, supernatural aid, the crossing of the first threshold, belly of the whale, the road of trials, the meeting with the goddess, woman as the temptress, atonement with the father, apotheosis, the ultimate boon, refusal of the return, the magic flight, rescue from without, the crossing of the return threshold, master of the two worlds, and freedom to live. Second, Jack encounters the obstacles by getting help from the allies, using his intelligence, being tough and patient, strong determined, and optimistic. In summary, Jack's hero's journey is completed, but it is not easy and full of obstacles. The researcher suggests further researcher analyze The Christmas Pig by applying post-modernism, structuralism, or symbolism and analyzing different literary works using Campbell's hero's journey theory.