| The epic fantasies of J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan, and Matthew Hughes are analyzed through the lens of Jungian and Archetypal Therapies with a focus on heroism and the value of myth for young adult males. The internal struggles of the Hero are explored using the insights of Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell and James Hillman as filtered through the work of Edward Edinger. Literary examples including Tolkien's Turin Turambar from The Children of Hurin, and Jordan's Rand al'Thor from The Wheel of Time, are discussed as emblematic of the Hero's struggle with both internal and external darkness. Hughes's The Commons serves as a capstone for reflections on the life lessons imparted by the Hero's symbolic journey toward self-awareness, with special reference to the ego and the development of the psyche. |
