The Feminine Myth

In his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), the American mythologist, Joseph Campbell outlines the concept of the Monomyth. This structure, argues Campbell – with a plethora of supporting examples – is a reoccurring story pattern found across different cultures and eras.

Ultimately – although they may be wearing different clothing and journeying across different environments – all heroes follow a similar psychological/mythological journey pattern. Campbell writes:

A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder; fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won. The hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.

The Hero with a Thousand Faces became something of a religious text in Hollywood. George Lucas drew directly from Campbell’s work in his creation of Star Wars.

Christopher Vogler later modernised the thesis in his book, The Writer’s Journey (1992), using examples from contemporary cinema to illustrate the story structure.

The monomyth outlined by Campbell typically follows a male character. Every once in a while, a female lead undertakes the journey, but historically such stories are relatively rare.

The screenwriter, Kim Hudson, later wondered whether there was something missing from this framework. In her book, The Virgin’s Promise (2009), Hudson presents another mythological structure that describes the feminine story pattern. Although this pattern has not been analysed to the same degree in story theory, it appears in many myths and modern films.

Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus (1484–1486)

Before I go through a step-by-step of the feminine story structure and Hudson’s book more generally, I want to address a key point. That is, that feminine mythological heroes are not always women, just as male heroes are not always men. We can draw on the theories of psychoanalyst Carl Jung to illustrate why this is, specifically his concepts of the anima and animus.

According to Jung, the anima represents the unconscious feminine side in men, while the animus represents the unconscious masculine side in women. Men and women have both masculine and feminine traits.

Here are a couple of good definitions, I’ll then address why these are important for our context:

Anima – the feminine aspect of a man's psyche. It encompasses traits and behaviours traditionally associated with femininity, such as emotionality, intuition, nurturing, and receptivity. The anima develops through a man's interactions with women and his inner exploration of feminine qualities. Integrating the anima allows a man to achieve greater psychological balance and emotional depth.

Animus – the masculine aspect of a woman's psyche. It includes traditionally masculine traits, such as assertiveness, rationality, strength, and leadership. In the same way as men develop their anima through interactions with women, women’s animus is shaped through her experiences with men and personal engagement with her masculine qualities.

From a Jungian perspective, when a woman pursues a classically masculine mythological journey, she is channelling and developing her animus; a film like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, for instance. When a man pursues a classically feminine mythological journey, he is channelling and developing his anima. Billy Elliot is a wonderful example of this, a story I will be using here to outline the feminine mythological structure.

Although this may seem a rather rigid,  traditional and restrictive perspective, I believe it has particular value in helping us understand the different journeys outlined by Hudson and Campbell. Jung’s theories emphasise the plural nature of gender identity and the importance of balancing both the feminine and masculine energies within each of us.

So, what is the feminine mythological structure as outlined by Kim Hudson and how is it different from Campbell’s monomyth? Is it time to start thinking in terms of a ‘duomyth’ instead?

Who is the heroine?

While the hero in masculine stories tends to embark on an external, action-based adventure to conquer foreign lands or protect native lands from malevolent forces, the ‘Virgin’ (the term Hudson uses for the heroine in feminine stories) embarks on an internal, local journey in search of an identity separate to that of her dependent world (the term Hudson uses to describe the heroine’s home environment). In pursuing this journey, the heroine or Virgin transforms herself and her home society.

The Virgin’s Journey concerns the discovery of her true self and a subverting/transforming of her ossifying native society. This is essentially the story of modern feminism, altering Western society from within.

I’m going to use the film Billy Elliot (2000) to help illustrate the key stages of the feminine myth.

Briefly, if you haven’t seen the film, Billy Elliot is story about a boy growing up in working-class Country Durham, North East England. Billy discovers his love for dance, which conflicts with his family’s traditional values and beliefs.

Other modern feminine myths include Brokeback Mountain, Coda, Black Swan and Joker. I’m choosing Billy Elliot because it is the story I am the most familiar with, having seen both the film and play and having studied the screenplay.

The title of Kim Hudson’s work, The Virgin’s Promise, can be interpreted in a couple of ways. Firstly, it addresses the idea that the heroine has made a promise to her original world; she will fulfil their demands. This is the promise she must ultimately break if she is to find her own value in life and achieve self-actualisation. This promise could also possibly be interpreted as a promise made to herself. An agreement with herself buried deep within her subconscious that she will remain true to her desires and purpose no matter what. Secondly, the title refers to the potential within the Virgin that yearns to be released. Initially, she conforms to the desires of others, but over time, she learns to listen to her inner voice in her pursuit of self-actualisation.

Hudson’s  feminine mythological structure has 13 stages. I’ll go through each now using Billy Elliot as a case study.

Dependent World

The first stage of the feminine myth is the Dependent World. We meet the heroine in her home environment. This is the environment she must overcome and change. In Campbell’s structure, a version of this world exists but the aim is to protect, not change it. The shire in The Lord of the Rings is a place of peace and harmony threatened by external forces. The aim in the masculine myth is to leave this place in order to confront the forces that may seek its demise.

This is not the case with the feminine journey. Although the dependent world may not be exceptionally unpleasant, there are uncomfortable, regressive, unsatisfied elements there, that will put the heroine at odds with herself. She must break free from this place in order to realise her true self and value.

This journey of self-realisation and enrichment of the heroine’s original world is the essence of the feminine journey.

In Billy Elliot, Billy’s life is dominated by traditional expectations of masculinity, especially from his father, Jackie and older brother, Tony. Billy is dependent on the income they earn working in mining. Billy is expected to train as a boxer and eventually follow in their career path.

Price of Conformity

The next stage in the feminine myth journey is termed the Price of Conformity. The purpose of this stage is to demonstrate the price the heroine pays in order to receive the protection and comfort from the dependent world. There’s a trade-off taking place in the heroine’s life. She is both restricted and supported by tradition. A good example of this, is a woman’s arranged marriage to a wealthy suitor. In many stories, the woman receives comfort and financial security at the cost of experiencing true love.

One key aspect of the Price of Conformity stage, is this security. It increases the stakes when the heroine eventually decides to embark on her journey. Although she isn’t completely fulfilled in the dependent world, there is still a modicum of stability there. Leaving the dependent world comes with the risk of losing this.

In Billy Elliot, the titular character conforms with his father, Jackie’s, wishes and attends boxing lessons, despite not wanting to. Terms related to tradition and fatherhood are prevalent in the opening scenes of the film. They point to the forces of the dependent world that Billy must struggle to overcome and change. Such as this line from his boxing coach:

You’re a disgrace to them gloves, your father and the traditions of this boxing hall.  

In many feminine stories, the dependent world is so inhospitable it actively encourages the heroine on her journey. Billy demonstrates a certain sensitivity and emotional depth, for instance, that is frequently quashed in the dependent world. After tending to his mother’s grave, Billy returns home and tries to engage his older brother in conversation:

Tony, do you ever think about death?

Piss off.

Night-night then.

The symbolism in the film is telling. The story is set during the United Kingdom’s 1984-5 miners’ strikes. Riot police provide an aggressive, masculine backdrop to many scenes. Such B-stories provide texture and emphasis to the main plot. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, for instance, the invasion of Young Fortinbras of Norway gives us a point of comparison for the situation in Denmark and Hamlet’s character. Norway is an energetic and expansive force, while Denmark’s power is waning. Young Fortinbras is driven and decisive, while Hamlet fails to take action.

Opportunity to Shine

During the stage, Opportunity to Shine, the heroine reveals her passion, dream, talent and/or ability. The opportunity arises for her to do so, in such a way as to not threaten her ordinary world. Billy secretly joins a ballet class and his natural talent is noticed by his ballet teacher.

There’s a beautiful motif running through Billy Elliot that serves as an ever-present reminder of his desire for something more. From the very beginning of the story we witness him playing piano in the living room. He can’t play at all well and his father tells him to stop. The camera pans up and we see photos of his late mother on top of the piano. Billy’s mother once filled their home with music, now it is silent. But Billy is drawn to the piano, time and time again, as if it connects him in some way to his mother and the lost feminine energy of their family more broadly. This energy later spills into Billy’s pursuit of ballet where scenes of Billy playing the piano at home directly overlap the piano playing in the ballet hall as Billy learns to dance.

This motif is so important, because it serves as a bridge to Billy’s father’s later understanding of Billy’s pursuit. Jackie, on the surface may appear gruff and nasty, but in truth he is simply incredibly hurt following the loss of Billy’s mother. In this way, Billy’s pursuit of dance serves to reintegrate the lost feminine energy in the family, and it is this connection that later unconsciously brings Jackie over to his side and ultimately heals his own trauma. As we will see in later stages of The Virgin’s Promise, the heroine not only saves herself, but also the dependent world and those characters within it.     

Dresses the Part

During the Opportunity to Shine stage, the heroine has experienced what is possible, what she has the potential to become. In the Dresses the Part stage, this possibility takes material form. She dresses in the appropriate ‘uniform’ for her passion. This stage contributes to the heroine’s manifestation of her dream. Billy integrates into the ballet class, purchasing the appropriate garments.

Billy Elliot (2000)

Secret World

The fifth stage of the feminine journey. The heroine has experienced a glimpse of what it would be like to live her passion. She now needs the opportunity to pursue her goals in private, a place where her pursuits can be kept secret and will not destabilise her dependent world. This is a phase of secrecy. The heroine engages is much hidden and covert activity. Billy and his best friend, Michael, sneak off during a school run and discuss Billy’s new hobby under the cover of a dark tunnel. Billy, only just in time, hides his ballet shoes from his father. Billy takes a book from the library, even though he doesn’t have the required card. Billy reads and practices ballet in secret.

The cutting between scenes in Billy Elliot emphasises the parallel existence of these two separate worlds. Billy is seen practicing in ballet class and then we instantly cut to him locked in the bathroom at home, repeating his moves. A montage of rapid learning takes place as we jump between the dependent and secret worlds. 

The heroine’s flawed belief in this stage is that she can please everyone. She hopes to continue fulfilling the requirements of her dependent world, whilst still pursuing her passion. She has made considerable personal progress in focusing on her own needs, but ultimately this situation will not last.

Two events are destined to occur: the heroine will outgrow her dependent world and her cover will be blown when she is caught pursuing her passion.

No Longer Fits Her World   

The sixth stage. The heroine continues pursuing her passion in her secret world and she rapidly improves, realising that her dreams are attainable. She also comes to understand that she will not be able to keep her secret and dependent worlds separate forever, that they are ultimately incompatible.

These two worlds will come into conflict and cause a dramatic rupture in the entire story world.

Billy’s father, Jackie, begins asking questions about Billy’s behaviour. He learns from Billy’s boxing coach that his son hasn’t been attending classes. Billy continues with his dancing undetected, but it is only a matter of time. 

Caught Shining

This is one of the most the dramatic and moving turning points in the feminine myth. A collision between the heroine’s secret and dependent worlds takes place. The heroine’s ability, energy and unconscious desire have become too great to contain. The secret world bursts open. Someone from the dependent world witnesses the heroine performing at her best.

Jackie turns up at one of Billy’s ballet classes and is furious. He forces Billy out of the class and scolds him at home.

For girls, not for lads, Billy. Lads do football or boxing or wrestling. Not ballet.

What lads do wrestling?

Don’t start, Billy.

I don’t see what’s wrong with it.

An interesting interaction takes place in a scene between Jackie, Billy’s father, and Billy’s Nana. As Jackie scolds his son, Nana chips in and says:

They used to say I could’ve been a professional dancer if I’d had the training–

Jackie cuts her off, shouting:

Will you shut up!

There’s a clear stamping out of the feminine here by Jackie, first through his undermining of ballet with Billy, and then in his verbal attack on the woman in the room. Jackie’s flaw in this story is his inability to integrate the feminine following the death of Billy’s mother. Using the psychoanalytical terms addressed earlier, we can say that Jackie has a repressed anima, the feminine aspect of his psyche. This has caused an unhealthy relationship with all things feminine in his life. In his pursuit of his own goals, Billy will not only improve himself, but also rectify this complex within his father. The father’s development is one of the most moving things about the film.

Gives up what kept her stuck

The eighth stage of the feminine journey is termed, ‘Gives up what kept her stuck’. The heroine struggles with the tension between her dependent world and her new, more meaningful secret life. She realises that she can’t have both. From a psychoanalytical perspective, this stage involves the apprehension and confrontation of a complex that developed in the heroine’s psyche in her dependent world. The heroine begins to come to terms with the fact that she was living a lie in her dependent world. There, she was conditioned by others and herself to believe that what she was doing was right and that pursuing her purpose was wrong. The heroine must struggle to unpick these belief patterns that prevented her from taking action and pursuing her purpose.

Billy’s teacher, Mrs Wilkinson, thinks Billy will be good enough to audition for the Royal Ballet School.

I’d never be good enough, says Billy.

They’re not interested in how much ballet you know, replies Mrs Wilkinson, they’ll teach you that, that’s why they’re a ballet school. It’s how you move and how you express yourself that’s important.

Billy continues ballet lessons in private with Mrs Wilkinson. There’s a poignant scene in which Mrs Wilkinson asks Billy to attend one of their one-on-one private classes with objects that are personal to him. He brings a football and other trinkets. Amongst the items is a letter from his mum. Once again we get a sense that Billy is the carrier of his mother’s spirit, the missing feminine energy within his family. Through dance, he will return to his family what it lost following the death of his mother. 

To my son, Billy.

Dear Billy, I know I must seem like a distant memory to you, which is probably a good thing. It will have been a long time, and I will have missed seeing you grow. Missed you crying, laughing, shouting. I will have missed telling you off. But please know that I was always there with you through everything and I always will be. And I am proud to have known you and I am proud that you were mine. Always be yourself. I love you forever. Mam.

She will always be there and although her light has been dwindling in the toxicity of the home environment she left, Billy’s journey will see to it that her presence shines anew in the Elliot family.

Kingdom in Chaos

The nineth stage. Once the heroine begins to make real personal changes, the dependent world suffers greatly. In the early stages of the story, the heroine was dependent on the dependent world, but this world also relied on her. She was a crucial element in its harmonious functioning. As a result, the dependent world is thrown into chaos and must readjust.

In Billy Elliot, toxic elements of overbearing, violent masculine energy suddenly come into play. Billy’s brother, deeply involved with the miners’, strike is caught by his father trying to leave the house armed with a hammer.

Jackie tells Tony to go back to his room.

Jackie: Put it down.

Tony: You gonna stop me?

Jackie: I’m warning you.

Tony: You haven’t got it in you, man, you’re finished! Since mam died you’re nothing but a useless twat, what are you gonna do about it?

Jackie hits his son, dropping him to the kitchen floor.

These conflicts begin to distract Billy from his ballet preparation. The kingdom is falling into chaos on all fronts.

His relationship with Mrs Wilkson is tested to the limit.

Billy: What do you know in your posh house with your husband who pisses himself.

…

Mrs Wilkinson: Now wait a minute.

Billy: Look, I don’t want to do your stupid audition! You only want me to do it for your own benefit!

Mrs Wilkinson: Billy!

Billy: Because you’re a failure. You don’t even have a proper dancing school, you’re stuck in some crummy boxing hall. Don’t pick on me because you messed up your own life!

Mrs Wilkinson slaps Billy.

Ultimately, they make up and continue their practice. But the situation with the striking miners worsens. Billy misses the audition for the Royal Ballet School. Mrs Wilkinson confronts Billy’s family, only making things worse. They won’t let him dance anymore.

A leap in time. It is Christmas. Billy’s dancing progress has slowed. We join Billy and his father, Jackie around the back of their house. Jackie smashes up their piano for firewood, that powerful motif relating to Billy’s mother that resurfaced throughout the story is obliterated.  

Billy: Do you think she’ll mind?

Jackie: Oh shut it, Billy, she’s dead.  

Wanders in the Wilderness

The tenth stage. The heroine enters the feminine myth equivalent of The Dark Night of the Soul in masculine-structured myths. She wanders alone, unsure of her decision to reject the dependent world and pursue her purpose. She has caused a rupture in the story world and must take time to contemplate whether to continue or whether to return to the dependent world.

A period of statis. Feelings of uncertainty and melancholy. Billy encounters his mother’s spirit, subtly and unconsciously reminding him of her continued presence and the importance of his journey.

In Billy Elliot, the Christmas period accentuates the solemn situation. The cold, the darkness, and the misery of a Christmas with their broken family. Jackie cries in the living room as they burn his wife’s piano to stay warm.

Chooses Her Light

The eleventh stage. The heroine chooses to pursue her dream, regardless of others. In doing so, she must prove herself. A challenge, competition or performance is required to prove to herself and to the world that she made the right decision in choosing this alternate path. The stakes could not be higher.

Jackie catches Billy dancing in the boxing hall. After watching his son dance, Jackie runs to Mrs Wilkinson’s house to make amends. He’ll support Billy in pursuing his passion. However, he’ll need to pay for the travel and possibly the school if Billy’s successful. Jackie swallows his masculine pride and returns to work. Upon his return, one of the miner’s says:

Who’s a big man now, huh?

Billy’s journey is initiating his father’s development.

Jackie must endure the abuse from the striking workers as they taunt him.

In Billy Elliot, the previous wilderness stage not only takes place for the protagonist, but also other characters. Billy’s father returning to work has caused him major turmoil. He and his son, Tony, struggle with this, ultimately finding new intimacy. Jackie, admits that he’s sacrificing his pride for his son.

Jackie: He could be a genius you know!

It’s not about him anymore, it’s about Billy. 

Billy and his father go to London for the Royale Ballet School audition. Billy has to prove his abilities to an austere panel of judges.

Major spoiler alerts from here. If you haven’t seen the film, I highly recommend it if you get the chance.

Billy is successful.

Re-Ordering (Rescue) & The Kingdom is Brighter

The final stages of the feminine journey. The heroine proves herself to the dependent world and it is forced to readjust to integrate this new, more positive force. Her desires for change have triumphed over the dependent’s world tendency to remain in stasis. The dependent world has learnt, only after all that effort and turmoil on the part of the heroine and others, that the world is ultimately better with her and her abilities in it.

By pursuing her authentic path, the heroine has not only saved herself, but also dramatically improved the world and those closest to her. 

Billy’s family relationships improve. His authentic self is accepted into both the family and his town.

Years later in London, Tony and Jackie watch Billy dance during a performance of Swan Lake. He is extraordinary.  

Campbell’s monomyth conceptualised a story pattern existing across cultures and throughout time. Hudson’s feminine mythological outline has served to conceptualise an equally important but less studied pattern. As time goes on, we will no doubt witness more and more stories proactively following this structure.