Joseph Campbell's “hero's journey” is a common myth in global mythology. The Hero's Journey is exactly what the name suggests; a story of the exploits and adventures of a hero. The stages and sub-stages that Campbell outlines as part of the journey are simply guidelines and do not appear in every story, but that is what makes each story unique. Jeff "the Dude" Lebowski isn't much of a hero, but his story certainly fits the hero's journey. The Big Lebowski is a parody of Raymond Chandler-style hardboiled detective novels about men involved in mysteries and conspiracies much bigger than they initially appear. Jeffery "the Dude" Lebowski (hereinafter referred to only as the Dude) is a slacker mistaken for millionaire Jeffery Lebowski (the titular Big Lebowski) by pornographer Jacky Treehorn's henchmen. The Big Lebowski's wife, Bunny, owes Treehorn money, and when his henchmen come for him one of them urinates on the Dude's carpet as an act of intimidation before realizing they've got the wrong guy. That carpet really held the room together, so the next day the Dude goes to the Big Lebowski mansion to ask for compensation, but their meeting doesn't go so well. The next day Bunny is kidnapped and held hostage by a stranger, and the Big Lebowski enlists the Dude's services to get her back. Thus begins the Dude's hero's journey. The first stage of the hero's journey is departure. This phase begins when a herald issues the hero's call to adventure. The herald in this story is the Big Lebowski who, as a bitter and crippled old man, fits the description of the herald by having a repulsive and understated appearance. The call to adventure comes when he offers the guy $20,000 to return Bun... middle of paper... phase of his journey, the return. Everything the guy has wanted to do since the botched return has gotten him back to his normal life, and at this point he's finally ready to cross the threshold of return. With the revelation that Bunny was never in any danger and the kidnapping situation behind him, it looks like the guy is free to go, but unfortunately the nihilists still think he has the ransom money. The dragon's battle with them and the subsequent death of his friend Donny are the last obstacles between the Dude and his peaceful life. The Dude was already at peace with himself and his world at the beginning of the story. The real journey for him was trying to get back to how they were before he got his carpet dirty. The Dude isn't the kind of guy you'd expect to find in the lead role of a mythical hero, but his story still fits the structure of Campbell's myth..