The Hero's Journey in Spider Man: Into the Spiderverse

The hero's journey is a key part of Spider-Man narratives and Death Of The Mentor as a plot device is even brought up by the characters in the movie.

PART ONE- DEPARTURE

• An Unusual Birth

Because the essence of Spider-Man is that anyone can wear the mask, an unusual birth is not relevant and would go against the themes of the film.

• Call To Adventure

Multiple events in the start of Spider-Verse could be considered The Call to Adventure for Miles Morales, and overall become the formative events for the hero.

- Being bitten by the radioactive spider
- Awakening to his powers in school
- Returning to the place he was bitten and seeing the particle collider.
- Talking to Parker in his last moments
(DIRECT- given orders and magical object- override key.)
- Hearing MJ's speech at Peter Parker's funeral 
(DIRECT call to action- "Everyone's counting on me.")
- Meeting the alternate universe Peter Parker
- Escaping from the police

• Crossing The Threshold

This event isn't so clearly defined as Miles' life is changed irreversibly the moment he obtains his powers, but i believe the moment that best fits this is when Peter Parker accepts his request to help to destroy the collider and becomes his mentor.

PART TWO- INITIATION

• Challenges or Trials

- Escaping the collider through the subway station
-Escaping the police with Peter Parker
- Stealing the information for the override key
- Escaping the compound
- Fighting Fisk's henchmen at Aunt May's house
- Gaining his companions' support

• Supernatural Helper or Mentor

Miles has 4 father-figure mentors, with varying purposes and lifespans.

- His dad
(A very literal father figure, gives him the push he needs for his transformation.)
- Aaron Davies
(Someone he trusts and looks up to greatly, in dying pushes Miles to his greatest potential as he reveals a weakness in Miles' character that must be amended.)
- His universe's Peter Parker
(Gives him the magic object, the override key, and in dying puts pressure on Miles to succeed through his own power and instinct rather than through strict guidance.)
- Alternate Universe Peter Parker
(His true mentor, allows Miles to realize his own potential through lax tutoring and friendship. His investment in Miles develops both characters significantly.)

• Abyss or Temptation

The death of Aaron Davies takes a great toll on Miles, and he blames himself and his attitude for leading him to Aunt May's house (and effectively, to his death). Furthermore, the other Spider-People reject him and Peter Parker binds him to his desk chair as he believes Miles is not ready and would only endanger his life by joining them.

• Transformation

The transformation of Miles into a true Spider-Man is an incredibly satisfying event after the long buildup and his initial rejection of the call. The undoubtable catalyst is hearing his father speak to him through the door, reassuring him of his talent and ability as he is bound and unable to reply in his lowest moment- He breaks through his bonds with a concentrated venom strike, showing he is finally in control of his powers (later, Parker exclaims - "You're doing it on command!") and ready to join the others in his place. He returns to Aunt May's house and creates his outfit, transforming in a fairly literal sense, but his true transformation is shown in his leap from the highest building- where before, he had chosen the easier route and still failed, he leaps with confidence and ease. There is a breathtaking shot of him falling upside-down, cementing his growth into his role as the hero of the story, and he joins the others at the collider. After proving he has surpassed his mentor by sending him back through the rift, he defeats Fisk and destroys the collider, completing his ultimate objective and saving the city.


PART THREE- THE RETURN

• Reconciliation With The Father Figure

Still in his spider-suit, Miles calls his father and reassures him that he is safe. In person, as his father is a policeman on the scene, he hugs him and even says "I love you", to his dad's confusion. It is clear that the tension between the two of them that had been present throughout the film is dissipated as his change in attitude and the loss of Aaron Davies has given Miles a new appreciation for his father.

Representation in 'Harry Brown'

Exploration of "Harry Brown"  

TASK 1 - Explore the themes present in the film, consider the following - 

.       Representations of youth and the elderly
.       Representations of law enforcement 
.       Representations of Class/Wealth 
.       Representations of Women 

TASK 2 - Explore the narrative, and consider the ideological values that are present in the film, think about how the themes present may link to certain media representations/moral panics/sensationalism

EXTENSION - Construct a vialogue of a certain scene within Harry brown and deconstruct the technical and symbolic codes 

TASK 1

REPRESENTATIONS OF: YOUTH VS THE ELDERLY

Teenagers in 'Harry Brown' are exclusively depicted as reckless, cruel, drug-dealing thugs that cause damage to life and property '...purely for entertainment,' (in the words of Harry Brown). This creates a tense dynamic between the old and the young, Harry Brown being the representative for the older generation, an upstanding pensioner scarred from war and disgusted by the actions of these violent youths. This representation likely stems from the hegemonic ideologies of teenage boys causing trouble for well-meaning adults, having little to no respect, and being associated with gangs. This is an ideology supported through various media texts, from sensationalised news (Over half the newspaper stories about to teenage boys in 2008-2010 refer to crime) to TV Drama and comedy. The moral panic surrounding subcultures such as the Mods and Rockers reinforce this concept and these representations maintain the hegemony. It is worth considering that the representations within the film are constructed by adults and therefore reflect the fears and anxieties of adults regarding teenagers and youth as a whole- not necessarily reflecting the truth of  growing up in these times, but rather reflecting the biased view of how adults see the younger generation, influenced by moral panic and sensationalism.

REPRESENTATIONS OF: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Law enforcement in 'Harry Brown', though depicted as morally upright and in pursuit of justice, are largely impotent and ultimately useless. Even though D.I Alice Frampton is correct in suspecting Harry Brown, no action is taken against him and events proceed without interference.






REPRESENTATIONS OF: CLASS AND WEALTH

REPRESENTATIONS OF: WOMEN