Howl's Moving Castle: A Journey of Sophie
Howl's Moving Castle is a Japanese animated fantasy film both written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was first released in Japanese theaters on November 20, 2004. I was able to indentify the main stages of "Monomyth," the hero's journey (departure, initiation, and return) in this film.
The first stage of the Monomyth is “Departure” in which the hero from the ordinary world receives a call to go to the mysterious world with given tasks and special powers. “Howl’s Moving Castle,” a Japanese animated film begins in a fantastical European nation suggestive of the World War II. The main character, Sophie is a young girl who works in her father’s hat shop. When she was one the way to meet her sister, she meets a wizard Howl. Sophie begins to like this mysterious good-looking wizard. Witch of the Waste who has been seeking Howl’s heart catches their relationship and turns Sophie into 90 years old. Sophie’s first “Call to Adventure” is when she decides to run away from her house and find Howl. Although she is very shocked by the sudden change in her appearance, she accepts her situation and calms herself down. On the way, Sophie gets Supernatural Aid: she rescues scarecrow and names him Turnip Head; as appreciation, he helps Sophie to find Howl’s Castle. Sophie crosses the “the First Threshold” by entering Howl’s moving castle. This castle turns out to be a “Belly of the Whale.” The fire demon called Calcifer moves this castle and the entrance door is connected to different places. She announces that she would become a new cleaning lady and adjust her life in this new place.
In second stage, “Initiation,” the hero experiences the new world, and undergoes different trials and tasks. Sophie has to go through “The Road of Trials.” Howl is asked to fight in the war by King but he asks Sophie to decline his order. Her task is to pretend to be a Howl's mother and to tell the king that Howl cannot fight in the war. He gives her a magical ring that would guide her safely. At the palace, Sophie meets Madame Suliman (Women as Temptress)who is an advisor of the king, and is told that if Howl does not fight in the war, he would become an evil. Sophie also finds out that Howl can transform into a bird to interfere in the war and he is often wounded by enemies. Howl's is a male form of "Goddess" whom Sophie falls in love. Sophie tries her best to break Howl’s spell more than to solve her own spell. In order to do so, she has to take Howl’s heart from Calcifer and put it back in Howl. Unfortunately, the Witch of the Waste discovers Howl’s heart in Calcifer’s flam and grabs it. To save the Witch from buring, Sophie puts water on the Witch and Calcifer. As a result, the castle breaks apart and Sophie falls into a cliff. Sophie regrets what she has done because she believes that she has killed both Calcifer and Howl. While she is crying, her ring points to the remaining door of the castle. Sophie enters through it and sees Howl’s past. She finds out how Calcifer and Howl became interconnected. Sophie comes back to present before she tells Howl to find her in the future. Sophie finds Howl and takes Howl's heart from the Witch of the Waste who has stolen it from Calcifer and puts it back in his chest. Howl returns back to his original form and recovers from the scars. Sophie also kisses Turnip Head and transforms him back into missing Prince Justine. Therefore she achieves her quest by breaking the spells in people (The Ultimate Boon) and the war finally ends.
The final stage, “Return” is where the hero returns to the ordinary life but as a different person from the beginning. Now the hero becomes a master of the two worlds and gains true freedom of life. Continuing with the movie, Sophie is competent both in ordinary and magical world. She crosses the "Return Threshold" by getting her youth back except for her gray hairs and she is now free to live. Howl and Sophie find true love in each other and get on a new, moving castle. Sophie does not quiet return back to her ordinary life. From this perspective, "Refusal of the Return," "The Magic Flight," and "Rescue from Without" are not founded in this film. The hero continues her journey with her lover.
There are several symbols and archetypes in this film. The ring that Howl gave to Sophie symbolizes eternity, life, and power (Dictionary of Symbolism). Throughout the film, this ring helps Sophie to find the places where she has never gone before. By receiving this ring from Howl, Sophie actually gained strength. The door of the Castle is another important symbol in the film. It connects two different places, or states. Passing the door means abandoning the old and embracing the new according to the Dictionary of Symbolism. Sophie actually travels from the normal world to an unknown world and from the past to the future by entering the door. Moreover, the film shows the archetypes of witch, and wizard who have magical power and control over humans such as Madamn Suliman and the Witch of the Waste.
While I was identifying major stages of Monomyth in Howl’s Moving Castle, it was very interesting to see how a Joseph Cambell’s basic pattern of the hero’s journey can be found in all different kinds of narratives. Monomyth reveals that an ordinary person can become a hero by overcoming series of trials and difficulties and ultimately by achieving given tasks. It is interesting that the hero was originally a very weak and lacking person. This person changes the world and people who were in a danger, yet transforms him/herself more than anyone else. Particularly in this film, Sophie initially had very low self-esteem and did not seek for success. However, once she became an old woman and crossed the threshold, she proved herself as a confident, strong-minded person.
Lastly, Joseph Campbell explores how the universal myths influence our lives on daily basis in his essay called “Myths to Live By.” From this Japanese story, viewers can understand universal faiths such as love, friendship, and peace. These faiths are what most humans are trying to pursue not withes or wizards or animals. Moreover, the director of the film is trying to tell us a lesson that we should find our capability to overcome our limits. Although Sophie received supernatural aids from others, she also perceived herself different from the beginning in order to fulfill her goal. She did not think she was beautiful nor succesful but later she thrived herself on her love with courage. In this way, she could break her spell and discovers her power.
Works Cited
Howl's Moving Castle. Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. 20 Nov. 2004. Toho. Film.
Dictionary of Symbolism. University of Michigan Fantasy and Science Fiction Website. 2001. Web. April 30, 2010.
The first stage of the Monomyth is “Departure” in which the hero from the ordinary world receives a call to go to the mysterious world with given tasks and special powers. “Howl’s Moving Castle,” a Japanese animated film begins in a fantastical European nation suggestive of the World War II. The main character, Sophie is a young girl who works in her father’s hat shop. When she was one the way to meet her sister, she meets a wizard Howl. Sophie begins to like this mysterious good-looking wizard. Witch of the Waste who has been seeking Howl’s heart catches their relationship and turns Sophie into 90 years old. Sophie’s first “Call to Adventure” is when she decides to run away from her house and find Howl. Although she is very shocked by the sudden change in her appearance, she accepts her situation and calms herself down. On the way, Sophie gets Supernatural Aid: she rescues scarecrow and names him Turnip Head; as appreciation, he helps Sophie to find Howl’s Castle. Sophie crosses the “the First Threshold” by entering Howl’s moving castle. This castle turns out to be a “Belly of the Whale.” The fire demon called Calcifer moves this castle and the entrance door is connected to different places. She announces that she would become a new cleaning lady and adjust her life in this new place.
In second stage, “Initiation,” the hero experiences the new world, and undergoes different trials and tasks. Sophie has to go through “The Road of Trials.” Howl is asked to fight in the war by King but he asks Sophie to decline his order. Her task is to pretend to be a Howl's mother and to tell the king that Howl cannot fight in the war. He gives her a magical ring that would guide her safely. At the palace, Sophie meets Madame Suliman (Women as Temptress)who is an advisor of the king, and is told that if Howl does not fight in the war, he would become an evil. Sophie also finds out that Howl can transform into a bird to interfere in the war and he is often wounded by enemies. Howl's is a male form of "Goddess" whom Sophie falls in love. Sophie tries her best to break Howl’s spell more than to solve her own spell. In order to do so, she has to take Howl’s heart from Calcifer and put it back in Howl. Unfortunately, the Witch of the Waste discovers Howl’s heart in Calcifer’s flam and grabs it. To save the Witch from buring, Sophie puts water on the Witch and Calcifer. As a result, the castle breaks apart and Sophie falls into a cliff. Sophie regrets what she has done because she believes that she has killed both Calcifer and Howl. While she is crying, her ring points to the remaining door of the castle. Sophie enters through it and sees Howl’s past. She finds out how Calcifer and Howl became interconnected. Sophie comes back to present before she tells Howl to find her in the future. Sophie finds Howl and takes Howl's heart from the Witch of the Waste who has stolen it from Calcifer and puts it back in his chest. Howl returns back to his original form and recovers from the scars. Sophie also kisses Turnip Head and transforms him back into missing Prince Justine. Therefore she achieves her quest by breaking the spells in people (The Ultimate Boon) and the war finally ends.
The final stage, “Return” is where the hero returns to the ordinary life but as a different person from the beginning. Now the hero becomes a master of the two worlds and gains true freedom of life. Continuing with the movie, Sophie is competent both in ordinary and magical world. She crosses the "Return Threshold" by getting her youth back except for her gray hairs and she is now free to live. Howl and Sophie find true love in each other and get on a new, moving castle. Sophie does not quiet return back to her ordinary life. From this perspective, "Refusal of the Return," "The Magic Flight," and "Rescue from Without" are not founded in this film. The hero continues her journey with her lover.
There are several symbols and archetypes in this film. The ring that Howl gave to Sophie symbolizes eternity, life, and power (Dictionary of Symbolism). Throughout the film, this ring helps Sophie to find the places where she has never gone before. By receiving this ring from Howl, Sophie actually gained strength. The door of the Castle is another important symbol in the film. It connects two different places, or states. Passing the door means abandoning the old and embracing the new according to the Dictionary of Symbolism. Sophie actually travels from the normal world to an unknown world and from the past to the future by entering the door. Moreover, the film shows the archetypes of witch, and wizard who have magical power and control over humans such as Madamn Suliman and the Witch of the Waste.
While I was identifying major stages of Monomyth in Howl’s Moving Castle, it was very interesting to see how a Joseph Cambell’s basic pattern of the hero’s journey can be found in all different kinds of narratives. Monomyth reveals that an ordinary person can become a hero by overcoming series of trials and difficulties and ultimately by achieving given tasks. It is interesting that the hero was originally a very weak and lacking person. This person changes the world and people who were in a danger, yet transforms him/herself more than anyone else. Particularly in this film, Sophie initially had very low self-esteem and did not seek for success. However, once she became an old woman and crossed the threshold, she proved herself as a confident, strong-minded person.
Lastly, Joseph Campbell explores how the universal myths influence our lives on daily basis in his essay called “Myths to Live By.” From this Japanese story, viewers can understand universal faiths such as love, friendship, and peace. These faiths are what most humans are trying to pursue not withes or wizards or animals. Moreover, the director of the film is trying to tell us a lesson that we should find our capability to overcome our limits. Although Sophie received supernatural aids from others, she also perceived herself different from the beginning in order to fulfill her goal. She did not think she was beautiful nor succesful but later she thrived herself on her love with courage. In this way, she could break her spell and discovers her power.
Works Cited
Howl's Moving Castle. Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. 20 Nov. 2004. Toho. Film.
Dictionary of Symbolism. University of Michigan Fantasy and Science Fiction Website. 2001. Web. April 30, 2010.
Monomyth. Wikipedia. Web. 30 April , 2010.
“Myths to Live By.” Joseph Campbell Foundation. 28 Jan. 2008. Web. 1 May, 2010.
*picture from http://witchgirl117.wordpress.com/
your essay is really good but you need to define the initiation and the different elements in it like you mentioned about the Women of Temptress in the essay you have to first define it and then examine it in the film.
ReplyDeleteI think this film is good since I watch it so many times. But it may be complicated for people if they didn't watch this animation. I think you can write an introduction paragraph at first paragraph. For example, you can include some of this information likes who is the director, what year it had been publlished and also a litte bit summary about the whole story before you begin to talk about the monomyth.
ReplyDeleteBesides, I like the symbolism that you use such as the door and the ring. Since I watch the film before, I know that both of these things play a very important roles in this film to make it really interesting and also link to our class theme "supernatural".
Lastly, I think you should cite this film also since I didin't see it in your Works Cited part.
Overall, I think it is good and I would recommend this film to people who likes animation..:P
The way you describe the film is great. I dont see you introducing the film in the begining of the essay.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd suggest an intro as well. Also, you might want to proofread a tad more closely (but, I always say that!)
ReplyDeleteOh, and I LOVE this film!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the details included in your essay and you pointed out many of the elements of Monomyth clearly. I think you can expand a little more on detail in your paragraph on the Return stage though. Everything else is well and symbols and archetypes are pointed out. Personally, I enjoyed watching this film it was an exciting adventure and the other classics of Miyazki's collection are great as well :)
ReplyDelete