Abstract (eng)
According to mythologist Joseph Campbell, most of the tales told about heroes and heroines, from the old myths to modern-day stories, follow a certain code, which Campbell states to be timeless and culturally independent. Following specific stations and encounters, the model is denoted as the monomyth, as well as the hero's journey.
Whilst our times are often labeled as 'postheroic' and science seems to have replaced all magic nowadays, the monomythic code is nevertheless detected, especially when it comes to the large-scale successes of modern culture in cinema and literature. This fact raises the question about the omnipresence of mythological structures, where it deduces from and by what kind of secret this success is supported. Campbell himself refers to the important achievements of psychoanalysis, therefore C.G. Jung's theories of the collective unconscious and the archetypes should be given special consideration.
Within the context of this thesis, there will be primarily a theoretical discussion about the mythological elements and structures, which are determining the monomyth, followed by an investigation about the presence of these structures in personal perception of heroes and heroines. By reference to three narrative interviews we get a sample of the exceedingly individual and rich fundus of personal heroic figures, whilst the stories told by the probands will be examined according to their monomythical structures, characteristics and archetypical figures. Furthermore the three perspectives of the narrative interviews will provide some interesting insights into what is effectively considered to be 'heroic' and what determines the contemporary conception of this term.