In his 1949 book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” Joseph Campbell, an American writer, speaker, and mythologist, introduced the concept of the “monomyth, ” which he called “The Hero’s Journey.”

The Hero’s Journey, as Campbell showed, is a single great heroic story with endless variations composed of the same basic narrative elements recurring throughout all the mythologies of the world.

Given its prevalence and universality, Campbell believed The Hero’s Journey to be hardwired into the human consciousness, resonating on a deep, instinctual level.

Certainly, modern-day mythmakers in Hollywood have employed The Hero’s Journey to tremendous effect, providing the basis for some of the most successful films in history.

George Lucas, for instance, who was a close friend and follower of Campbell’s, famously utilized the Hero’s Journey in his epic Star Wars saga.

Myths and the silver screen, however, are not the only places where The Hero’s Journey can be seen, for real-life versions play out in the pages of history as well, and the great men who have driven the world.

Though like many historical figures generally, and especially those belonging to the West, today’s elites seek to tear down history’s great men rather than admire their greatness, as their ancestors had.

Despite this fact, the public remains fascinated by the great men of history, such as Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and Napoleon.

For like Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, these great men and their colossal accomplishments continue to inspire the public’s imagination.

Indeed, as does in our present day the phenomenon of Donald Trump, which nearly a decade after his political emergence continues to confound his opponents, and that, for lack of explanation, they have simply taken to deriding as a cult.

But whether his detractors admit it or not, Trump is undoubtedly a Great Man of history, shifting reality through sheer force of his will and personality.

Further, Trump’s own extraordinary political saga beginning in 2016 contains many elements of Campbell’s classic mythical motif.

For like the Hero’s Journey, Trump entered the world of politics as an unlikely outsider, possessed of unusually strong, yet unknown and untrained political powers.

Compelled from a comfortable life, he risked everything to embark upon a treacherous and uncertain path, where through numerous ordeals he successfully led a rebel movement to save the republic from a malevolent establishment, ultimately defeating their seemingly unbeatable champion, Hillary Clinton, in one of the greatest electoral upsets in history.

But then, in 2020, the establishment struck back, launching a counterattack to reassert control, causing Trump to suffer not only political loss but tremendous personal costs as well, along with that of his rebel movement.

Now, in 2024, Trump has been politically resurrected and returned to wage a final decisive battle, with the fate of the republic, and even Trump’s very life, hanging in the balance.

It’s a tale worthy of a Hollywood epic, and one perhaps even reminiscent of Star Wars’ own legendary hero Luke Skywalker.

And no matter how hard his opponents attempt to cast Trump as the villain, much of the public sees otherwise, not because he is without flaws, but because he offers something extraordinary, a greatness so little seen in the world anymore.

A useful analogy to Trump is also provided by another recent cultural phenomenon: the science fiction movie “Dune,” currently dominating the box office.

Despite its massive success, Dune’s director Denis Villeneuve is now actively trying to dissuade audiences from viewing the story’s protagonist, Paul Atreides, as the film’s hero.

Villenueve has even admitted to rewriting characters from Frank Herbert’s original books, on which the movie is based, so that viewers will reject Paul’s Hero’s Journey, and instead see it as villainous.

But try as he might, audiences and readers alike cannot help but root for Paul, who, without giving too much of the plot away, wages a galactic war against imperial enemies to avenge his family and save his people.

Paul, like Trump, undoubtedly has his faults, and not all his actions may be considered wholly good.

But great men, especially those engaged in the murky game of politics and power, must be weighed in relation to their circumstances, and against the alternatives, including the wickedness and designs of their opponents.

In this respect, like Paul Atreides, Trump too stands in contrast to those currently seeking to destroy him, his family, and even his country.

And as his opponents employ ever more corrupt and devious means to accomplish their goals, the more villainous they become, and in turn, the more heroic and righteous Trump is as he overcomes them.

We’ll soon discover whether Trump’s saga will have a true Hollywood ending, or whether it ends tragically at the hands of his enemies and becomes a cautionary tale.

What is certain though, is that Trump’s Hero’s Journey has already profoundly shaped the world and captivated the public as few in history have.

Lee Steinhauer is a strategic policy and political consultant known for his book “The Art of The New Cold War: America vs. China. What America Must Do to Win.” Lee is a frequent guest on Fox, Fox Business, Newsmax, and a published policy and opinion writer for numerous media publications. Read Lee Steinhauer’s Reports — More Here.

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