Blurb:
Stuck in your comfort zone? Follow Marlin and Nemo on their underwater quest, and discover how the classical Hero’s Journey parallels the spiritual journey!
Excerpt from episode:
” … Stage 6: Death/The Abyss: This stage takes place when Marlin is literally swallowed up by the blue whale, and he frets hopelessly within his dark mouth, believing all hope is lost. Funnily, Joseph Campbell actually articulates a key stage within the Hero’s Journey as the “Belly of the Whale.” Like with Jonah or Geppetto, being in the belly of the whale is a death and resurrection archetype (referenced in Matthew 12), with this moment symbolizing the hero’s greatest transformation. The Road of Trials is over, the time of purification is over. To move past this stage, the old self must fully metaphorically “die”. The biggest wrestling begins. Inside the whale, Marlin initially clings desperately to the whale’s tongue, still trying to control his fate, much like how he has clung to fear and overprotection throughout the film. Dory, acting in the voice of the mentor, urges him to “let go” … tantamount to allowing himself to plunge to his death inside the Whale’s tummy. This is his ultimate test—does Marlin continue resisting, or does he fully surrender into the unknown? When he finally decides to let go, he experiences a symbolic death of his old self—the controlling father—allowing room for the miraculous to take place.”