Despite being an academic work, this is one of those books that has crossed over and enjoyed a lot of publicity and fame in the wider world.
Like many of the other narratologists discussed throughout this module, Campbell found that myths from around the world share an underlying structure—a structure that has remained popular through the centuries. Campbell refers to this type of narrative as the "monomyth": the tale of the hero who must venture into a world beyond his own, undertake a series of tasks, and overcome all manner of obstacles before triumphing in the end.
Sounds familiar, right? George Lucas even used this book as a template when writing Star Wars, and after the movie's release, reprints of the book featured a pic of Luke Skywalker on the cover. If that doesn't scream "iconic pop culture text" then nothing does.
The hero's journey may be seen as a guy thing, but can you think of any narratives in which a female goes on a journey of this sort?
Do narratives of this sort always occur in a fantasy realm ("a galaxy far, far away"), or can the hero's journey take place in a more of a regular, real-life setting?