All stories consist of common structural elements of stages whereby the hero undergoes inner and outer transformations. The purpose of the hero’s journey is to develop emotionally and psychologically instead of reaching a physical destination, although the hero takes a physical and active part in the journey. However, not all stages are of importance as the needs of the individuals may differ. The first stage of Indiana Jones is the Ordinary world, where he is a teacher yet to discover a strange new world. In the second stage, “call to adventure,” the individual is presented with a challenge that disrupts his ordinary world and cannot be ignored. Indy’s dad, who was the project leader hunting the Holy Grail, goes missing forcing him out of his comfort zone to search for his father. In the third stage, “refusal of the call,” the individual hesitates to participate in the quest because of the risks involved. It can be assumed that Indiana rejected Donovan’s first attempt of offering him a ticket to Venice because he requests Brody to tell Donovan that he will take the ticket. In the fourth stage, “meeting the mentor,” the individual is inexperienced and requires a mentor’s experience and wisdom to overcome the initial fears. Indiana meets his dad through his diary that he had mailed him containing his research on the grail. Indiana realizes that his father’s disappearance may be linked to the contents of the diary. In the fifth stage, “crossing the threshold,” the hero is fully committed to the journey and is prepared to confront his fears by crossing to the special world. Indiana commits to rescuing his dad when he arrives in Venice and teams up with Elsa, leaving his campus life behind. The sixth stage, “tests, allies, enemies,” is the hero’s most critical stage. In this stage, the hero must adapt to the special world’s rules and identify those who can be trusted. Donovan and Elsa prove to be untrustworthy when they want the Holy Grail for themselves without getting their hands dirty. Also, Indiana teams up with Henry, Brody, and Sallah, with Henry playing a critical role in helping Indiana. On his route to find the Holy Grail, Indiana faces difficult tests, especially from the Nazis. In the seventh stage, approach to the inmost cave,” the hero makes necessary preparations to approach the heart of the ordeal. The preparations include planning and reorganizing, which prepares the hero to face his greatest fears. In the last crusade, the inmost cave is an actual one that contains the Holy Grail and is well guarded by a knight. In the eighth stage, “the ordeal,” the hero faces a life or death challenge which shapes his transformation. Indiana’s most difficult challenge is choosing the correct grail in the midst of multiple chalices. The ninth stage, “the reward,” comes after the hero has survived his greatest fear. Indiana’s reward is the Holy Grail and the power it possesses, which he uses to heal his dad. In the tenth stage, “the road back,” after completing the journey and dealing with the consequences of the aftermath, the hero returns to his ordinary world. Indiana stops Elsa from stealing the Holy Grail from the temple after he was tasked to protect it. Also, he starts adjusting back to his normal life. The eleventh stage, “the resurrection,” is essential in showing whether the hero has learned anything from the ordeal. This stage represents the final dangerous meeting with death. Indiana decides against choosing immortality, which had blinded him for a while; instead, he chooses his dad. In the final stage, “return with the elixir,” the hero has earned the right to be accepted back to the ordinary world as a grown and matured person. In the end, Indiana’s perception of his father being deadbeat changes.
The archetypal hero’s journey represents a process that is relevant to the entire human race. What matters is how one handles the challenges life presents and being conscious of the journey. Loss of self-involvement is the real challenge that requires the transformation of consciousness for self-liberation.