why women aren't meant to be the hero

Overview

The speaker argues that modern adaptations of classical myths—specifically Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey—reinforce a recurring pattern: men receive the “hero’s journey” (mobility, interior exploration, self-actualization), while women are denied the same freedom and instead function as roles defined by men’s actions.

Main Points and Analysis

Women in Nolan’s Odyssey lack mobility and agency

The speaker claims the women in the story are “nailed to the ground” and generally cannot embark on journeys of growth. When a woman does try to leave or pursue agency—especially Helen of Troy—it allegedly results in catastrophic consequences (a war). The narrative ambiguity surrounding Helen’s departure is emphasized, including whether she acts willingly, is abducted, or is coerced.

Men drive the plot; women react

The speaker contends that female characters’ “agency” is largely confined to their responses to men—such as faithfulness, lying, manipulation, punishment, and forgiveness—rather than initiating meaningful change themselves.

The “hero’s journey” may be culturally gendered

The speaker widens the critique beyond the film into a broader mythological and psychological framework: women’s paths toward self-actualization may not be simply missing from these stories, but structured differently from men’s.

Contrasting male vs. female paths to selfhood (via Elizabeth Gilbert)

Drawing on Elizabeth Gilbert’s ideas of divine masculinity vs. divine femininity, the speaker argues:

• Men’s development: shifting focus outward and surrendering the self (empathy, selflessness, endurance).
• Women’s development: getting a self—recognizing their sacredness and demanding that others develop their own agency, rather than being trained toward self-sacrifice.

Personal resonance and a relationship example

The speaker shares an example in which a partner questioned whether her selflessness was something she could apply broadly. She describes feeling forced to defend her kindness, suggesting that “being more selfless” can conflict with her own growth needs. She frames this as a possible mismatch between her needs and her partner’s expectations.

Myths as psychological “maps”

Citing Carl Jung, she argues that myths reveal unconscious patterns and can function as tools for psychological understanding—one reason representation in myths matters.

Heroine’s Journey Framework

Introducing “The Heroine’s Journey” (Maureen Murdock)

The speaker presents the Heroine’s Journey as a model distinct from Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. She includes a reported Campbell perspective: women “don’t need to make the journey” because they are “the place people are trying to get to.”

Myths used to illustrate heroine transformation through the underworld

She interprets several myths through the heroine lens:

• Inanna

  • Descends willingly and confronts a dark/rage aspect shaped by patriarchal conditioning
  • Is killed and resurrected, regaining power
  • Asserts herself by choosing a replacement and cutting off her husband
  • Symbolizes confronting repressed rage and reclaiming power

• Persephone

  • Taken into the underworld, where she is stripped of maiden identity
  • Later returns changed
  • The underworld is portrayed as more than a one-time ordeal: it becomes a recurring place requiring dominion, supporting reintegration.

Core Conclusion

The speaker concludes that for women, the heroine’s journey centers on integrating what patriarchal culture has taught them to shame—sexuality, assertiveness, anger, physicality, and related traits—rather than simply becoming kinder or more selfless (traits she argues are already externally demanded). She ends by suggesting that developing an integrated self may require first allowing a self to emerge—something many women are precisely denied.

Presenters / Contributors Mentioned

• Christopher Nolan
• Carl Jung
• Elizabeth Gilbert
• Maureen Murdock
• Joseph Campbell
• Joseph “Ryan Holiday” (Ryan Holiday)
• Rosalie Buke
• Tasha Duncan