Jack Skellington’S Heroic Journey

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The hero’s journey is a powerful myth that has been incorporated into many cultures that has existed. A hero is often described as “someone who has given life to something bigger than themselves.” The hero is thrown into a journey where they would face certain trials. The stop motion fantasy film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton fits well into the hero’s journey motif. The story begins in a clearing surrounded by seven large trees. In each tree is a large decorated door that leads to different holiday worlds. The story leads the audience into Halloween town, a world filled with citizens, ghouls, zombies, monsters goblins, ghosts, and witches. Jack Skellington “The Pumpkin King”, leads them in their frightful Halloween celebration every year. Jack’s obsessions to bring Christmas into Halloween town leads himself to unravel his shadow self. The shadow self of a character is unknown and potentially troubling. The shadow tends not to follow rules, and in doing so may discover new wildernesses and chaos. It has the sense of the exotic and can be strongly fascinating. Jack Skellington shows the audience his shadow self when he first had thoughts of kidnapping Santa Claus. In the beginning of the film, Jack grew tired of the same routine and frights every year. He escapes from Halloween town to ponder on his feelings atop a spiral-shaped hill in the graveyard, “Jack’s Lament”. He escapes into a world of Christmas where jeer and joy is everywhere. Spotting Santa Claus and interpreting that Christmas is all about lights, decoration, and presents; Jack returns to Halloween town to try to attempt to indulge Christmas into Halloween town. Through his obsession for Christmas, Jack planned a kidnap, asking Lock, Shock, and Barrel to take Santa Claus so he

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