The path of a hero, from Joseph Campbell's perspective, is well defined. Campbell, a mythologist, distinguishes a hero as one who "takes off on a series of adventures beyond the ordinary, either to recover what has been lost or to discover some life-giving elixir- (The Power of Myth 123). It is not where the hero ends up, as the journey is "a cycle, a going and a returning- (123). Instead, it is the venture that defines the hero, the expedition of "leaving one condition and finding the source of life to bring you forth into a richer or mature condition- (The Power of Myth 124). Though faced with trials along the way, Campbell's hero will prevail and "undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness- (The Power of Myth 126). Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club completely embodies the ideas of Campbell. Heroism is aplenty in this novel, but the perfect candidate is the character Lindo Jong, mother of Waverly Jong. Her journey into a figurative dark forest starts early. At the young age of twelve, she ventures into this unknown forest, alone and unaided. Lindo was not one to be content with her undesirable circumstances; she interprets her situation and harnesses an inner strength that guides her through the trials and out of her dark forest. Through this achievement, Lindo has now lit a path through the once-dark forest and handed down directions to her daughter. Lindo's inner strength and spirit are passed onto Waverly so that Waverly will never have to be lost. Lindo has risen through obstacles to become one who Joseph Campbell would definitely label as a hero.
Lindo's journey was predetermined at the age of two when the village matchmaker paired her up with Tyan-yu Huang, the young son of an influential family. From that moment on, Lindo wasn't so much a member of her own family as she was of the Huangs. It felt as if her family was "treating [her] as if [she] belonged to somebody else- (45).