Perspective

It's evident from the book's opening phrases that Campbell has spent a great deal of time and energy, both physical and intellectual, exploring his subject. In addition, the variety of the myths/stories he includes as examples, the variety of cultures from which those examples are taken, and the details he cites in those examples, indicate that his efforts have been painstaking and thorough. In short, it's clear that he knows what he's talking about - or, at the very least, that he's prepared to back up his theories with extensive research. His reasons for using this research in the way he does, however, are not immediately apparent. On the one hand, he seems to be making a plea for universal compassion and understanding - he never makes the point explicit, but in his multiplicity of illuminations from various myths and in his development of the theme of...