Girls Who Save the World: The Female Hero in Young Adult Fantasy

Note on Abbreviations .... 3 Prologue: The Female Hero .... 4 Part I: The Adventure Of The Hero ....8 Chapter I: In Defense of Fantasy: Imagination and Tradition ..... 8 Chapter II: Hro Theory and the Female Hero Story: An Overview ..... 26 Call to Adventure.... 28 Threshold Crossing....30 Initiation.....34 First Dragon: The Self .....35 Second Dragon: Depression.....36 Third Dragon: Passivity ......39 Fourth Dragon: Prejudice......40 Fifth Dragon: Overextension of Self or Resources....42 Sixth Dragon: Coping with Loss and Accepting Mortality ..... 44 Transformation and the Elixir.....45 Flight.......48 Return......50 Freedom to Live.....54 Part II: A Closer Examination Of The Female Hero...... 56 The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown ....67 The Song of the Lioness Quartet ....74 The Abhorsen Trilogy......79 The His Dark Materials Trilogy ........84 Epilogue: The Female Hero And Society .....93 Appendix I: List Of Important Characters And Settings..... 95 Appendix II: A Diagram Of Joseph Campbell’s Hero Structure...... 100 Bibliography .....101