am418

Hero

Kvothe is the hero of The Name of the Wind.

Plot Summary

The story starts off with an innkeeper, Kote, living and working in a small town. As it later turns out, he is actually Kvothe, a person who has become a legend and is now hiding from the enemies he has made over the years. He recounts his story to the Chronicler, who has managed to track him down. Throughout his childhood, Kvothe was a member of Baron Greyfallow's troupe along with his parents. These years were among the happiest of Kvothe's life. When tragedy befalls Kvothe, he is forced to make his own way in the world. He lives off the streets in Tarbean for a number of years, before going to study at the University to become an arcanist. There, he makes both friends and enemies.

Departure

~ Call to Adventure ~

The Call to Adventure happens when Kvothe witnesses real magic being performed by an arcanist during one of the troupe's visits to a town. Kvothe's curiousity led to him approaching the arcanist, named Abenthy, and after chatting to him, agrees to Abenthy's request to join the troupe. Kvothe secretly hopes to learn the name of the wind from Abenthy, so that he too can call upon the wind.

~ Refusal of the Call ~

When Kvothe overhears Abenthy discussing his future with his his parents, Kvothe is excited about the idea of studying at the University to become an arcanist one day; however, he is reluctant to leave his parents and the troupe, who essentially have become like a family to him, behind.

~Supernatural Aid ~

Kvothe receives Supernatural Aid from Abenthy in the form of knowledge and learning new skills, which assist Kvothe later later on during his journey. Another helper who appears a bit later on in Kvothe's journey is Skarpi, a famous storyteller, who helps inspire Kvothe to leave Tarbean to make his way to the Univeristy.

~ The Crossing of the First Threshold ~

The Crossing of the First Threshold is when Kvothe is forced to leave his old life behind after the murder of his troupe. Kvothe now has to make his own way in the world at a young age, in an unfamiliar world.

~ The Belly of the Whale ~

The Belly of the Whale is when Kvothe reaches a city called Tarbean, where Kvothe encounters many dangers and his future is uncertain. He remains here for three years until he comes across Skarpi.

Initiation

~Road of Trials~

Kvothe encounters many challenges during the Road of Trials, including surviving on the streets of Tarbean. One of Kvothe’s most important trials during his admission interview during which he needed to prove his worth to the Masters of the University and convince them to admit him. Kvothe makes several enemies early on including Master Hemme and Ambrose, a young nobleman, and several of his encounters with them are trials within themselves.

~Meeting with the Goddess~

While Kvothe was travelling with a caravan between Tarbean and Imre (a town near Imre), he met Denna for the first time. Despite their brief meeting, she leaves an impact on him. Only later, when he performs a song at an inn, does he come across her again, and it is then that he realises how much she means to him.

~Woman as Temptress~

Denna could be considered as Kvothe's Temptress as he allows himself to be distracted from his studies by her - he would often go to Imre to try and find her. The other possible temptress is Kvothe's quest for information about the Chandrian. While the Chandrian are ultimately part of Kvothe's journey (as he seeks revenge for their murdering of his troupe), this causes him to be reckless at times. 

~Atonement with the Father~

In Kvothe's eyes it is Elodin, Master Namer, who holds the most power, as he knows the true names of things, including the name of the wind, and thus has power over them - which is what Kvothe so desperately wants for himself. Kvothe unsuccessfully tries to convince Elodin to take him on as an apprentice – perhaps Elodin knew that Kvothe was not yet ready for it and refused because of this.

~Apotheosis~

Kvothe has several near-death experiences, including early on in the story when he unsuccessfully attempts to call on the name of the wind, as well as much later when Ambrose hires thugs to get rid of Kvothe.

~Ultimate Boon~

The Ultimate Boon could be several things: either when Kvothe finally proves the existence of the Chandrian (they are generally believed to be a myth) or when he finally manages to call on the wind successfully, something that he had been hoping to achieve ever since he first witnessed Abenthy doing it himself.

Return

~Refusal of the Return~

While there is no direct refusal of the return as such, Kvothe cannot see himself as being anywhere but at the University. There were times when he thought he might not make it through the following term's admissions yet he still persevered.

~Magic Flight~

Towards the end of the first book, Ambrose destroys Kvothe's lute, which to Kvothe is devastating as his ability to play music is one of Kvothe's only remaining links to the past.  In his anger, Kvothe is able to summon the wind at long last, and harms Ambrose in the process.

~Rescue from Without~

After calling on the wind, Kvothe withdraws into himself, almost as if he was in a state of shock. Master Elodin rescues him by whispering certain words that call Kvothe back to reality.

~Crossing of the Return Threshold~

This stage isn't present in Kvothe's journey, as he remains at the University for quite some time.

~Master of Two Worlds~

 Kvothe only truly becomes a Master of Two Worlds much later on during The Wise Man's Fears (the sequel). Kvothe has found a place for himself at the University and despite the hardships he has had to endure, he know he has the support of various friends he had made since arriving at the University.

~Freedom to Live~

Kvothe knows that come what may, he will still always have a place at the University, and that his talent as a musician will not go unappreciated.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed doing this project as it gave me a chance to analyze one of my favourite novels and put into practice what I had learned from the class. I find the concept of the Hero's Journey rather interesting. One thing I noticed is that while most of the stages of Campbell's Hero's Quest is present throughout The Name of the Wind, they don't necessarily follow the same sequence - for example, the first instance of supernatural aid appeared before the refusal of the call took place. The second book in the series appears to have followed Campbell's theory more closely than the first book did.

I have noticed that a lot of other books and movies - especially from the fantasy genre - seem to have certain elements of the Monomyth; for example, The Wheel of Time and The Heralds of Valdemar series contain quite a few of these elements.