Which character is given as an example of a hero who closely follows the hero's journey?

Which character is given as an example of a hero who closely follows the hero's journey?

• A. Mulan
• B. Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz
• C. The Grinch
• D. The Evil Queen from Snow White

Answer: (B)

Dorothy best fits a classic hero’s journey because her story follows a clear path from ordinary life into an extraordinary quest and back home with new understanding. She starts in the familiar world of a Kansas farm, then receives a call to adventure when she’s swept away to Oz and decides to find a way back, treating the Wizard as the guide who can help her return. Along the way she gathers loyal companions—the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion—who each symbolize a virtue they seek and who aid her on the voyage, embodying the helper and ally roles that drive the journey forward. A mentor figure appears in the guidance she receives from Glinda and the Wizard, offering direction rather than solving problems for her, which helps Dorothy test herself and grow. The road is filled with trials and obstacles, including confrontations with the Wicked Witch and tricky moral choices, each pushing Dorothy to rely on inner resources she didn’t realize she possessed. The real boon isn’t a magical object alone but the realization that courage, heart, and wisdom were already inside her—and that home, with its meaning and belonging, is what she’s truly seeking. The journey reaches its return when she makes it back to Kansas, enriched by the lessons learned and with a renewed appreciation for where she comes from. Other characters don’t align as neatly with this arc: one offers a more personal transformation without the same structured quest and returns; another shifts from villainy to generosity but lacks the full journey of growing through trials with companions; and the remaining option centers on a character who resists the heroic path rather than follows it. Dorothy’s arc illustrates the hero’s journey in its most complete form.

Dorothy best fits a classic hero’s journey because her story follows a clear path from ordinary life into an extraordinary quest and back home with new understanding. She starts in the familiar world of a Kansas farm, then receives a call to adventure when she’s swept away to Oz and decides to find a way back, treating the Wizard as the guide who can help her return. Along the way she gathers loyal companions—the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion—who each symbolize a virtue they seek and who aid her on the voyage, embodying the helper and ally roles that drive the journey forward. A mentor figure appears in the guidance she receives from Glinda and the Wizard, offering direction rather than solving problems for her, which helps Dorothy test herself and grow. The road is filled with trials and obstacles, including confrontations with the Wicked Witch and tricky moral choices, each pushing Dorothy to rely on inner resources she didn’t realize she possessed. The real boon isn’t a magical object alone but the realization that courage, heart, and wisdom were already inside her—and that home, with its meaning and belonging, is what she’s truly seeking. The journey reaches its return when she makes it back to Kansas, enriched by the lessons learned and with a renewed appreciation for where she comes from. Other characters don’t align as neatly with this arc: one offers a more personal transformation without the same structured quest and returns; another shifts from villainy to generosity but lacks the full journey of growing through trials with companions; and the remaining option centers on a character who resists the heroic path rather than follows it. Dorothy’s arc illustrates the hero’s journey in its most complete form.