Imparting wisdom and leading the way to adventure
What’s the purpose of mentors in fiction? In real life, mentors can be found in schools, the business world, in athletic programs, or at church. They teach, guide, and motivate those who are less savvy about the world to negotiate life’s trials. So how are mentors employed in fiction? Taking inspiration from Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler, here’s how fictional mentors—from Merlin and Obi-Wan Kenobi to Matthew Cuthbert to Jiminy Cricket to Mr. Miyagi (and more)—set the protagonists on their path to transformation.
The origin of the term “mentor” is found in Homer’s Odyssey. Odysseus asks his friend Mentor to watch over Telemachus, his son, during his absence as he sets off on his journey. From that, the term has come to refer to a teacher, a guide, or a veteran advisor to someone who is young or simply lacks experience.
In the hero’s journey, a “seasoned traveler” always supplies advice, training to help the hero on their way, or equipment to the hero that will be useful on the journey. If you know the story of Star Wars, this will sound familiar in the saga of Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi (and later, Yoda), among many other stories. Mythologist Joseph Campbell referred to the mentor figure as “Old Wise Man or Woman,” but the character is not necessarily old, simply more experienced (and in the case of God, all-knowing to Adam, who is both young and inexperienced).
Further, mentors are frequently former heroes who are passing on the gift of wisdom, teaching via lessons learned through hard-earned experience. Mentors are on a journey of their own; they are often fallen heroes, and by guiding the inexperienced, they are on their own path to redemption.
Mentor variations
Mentors come in all shapes and sizes. We can learn from good ones, bad ones, magical ones, smart ones, even tricksters or shapeshifters. This last version can be seen in The Odyssey, during which Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, transforms into the form of Mentor—the epitome of a mentor—to guide Telemachus. Mentors can even be on the less-than-smart side, proving how the adage of “Don’t do what I do, kids!” can work in mentorship.
Multiple mentors
Then there are the stories in which the hero is fortunate enough to have more than one mentor to guide them on their adventure. In Star Wars, Luke initially finds Obi-Wan Kenobi, who introduces him to the Force and prepares Luke for the ways of the world and the struggle beyond his experience. Luke then comes under the tutelage of Yoda to complete his training to become a Jedi. Are Obi-Wan and Yoda both true mentors? It would seem so; Obi-Wan begins the Jedi training (including giving Luke his lightsaber, the equipment he’ll need on his journey) and Yoda finishes it, offering advice and guidance when necessary. Yoda is also an example of a trickster mentor; when Luke first meets him, he pretends to be an old swamp creature, nothing more.
Then, in The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, the impulsive little puppet-boy first has as a mentor the Talking Cricket (so-named in the original story; “Jiminy” is the renamed, Disney version). The cricket quickly meets its death when Pinocchio, annoyed, squashes it with a mallet, but comes back later in the tale as a ghost to continue to be Pinocchio’s conscience. The Blue-Haired Fairy (or once again via Disney, the Blue Fairy) acts as mentor but as a mother figure as well, scolding Pinocchio when need be, but also acts as a magical mentor when she bestows the gift of humanity after the boy of wood learns his lessons.
Batman’s multiple mentors, but one above all
Most pop culture followers know about Batman playing mentor to Robin. However, not many know about Batman’s own mentors, and there were at least a dozen. Above them all, however, was Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth, who also acted as a surrogate parent (a common theme among mentors and mentees in fiction) after the murder of Bruce’s parents. Alfred also made sure that the orphan was grounded in reality, taking care the ever-present anger didn’t overflow into unnecessary violence. In some versions of the legend, Alfred has been given a military background that he also uses to help train young Bruce.
Magical mentors
The Blue Fairy and Merlin are mentors of the magical sort, as well as Athena and Obi-Wan and Yoda. Then again, the Talking Cricket is also a magical mentor, both before his death and after his revival (the Blue-Haired Fairy brings him back to life in Collodi’s original story). In addition, Obi-Wan and Yoda both guide and teach after death as “Force spirits.”
Merlin, characterized as a magician and an advisor in various Arthurian tales, was a guide to first the warlord Uther Pendragon and then a mentor to Uther’s son, Arthur. Merlin serves as a mentor to King Arthur before he vanishes from the stories, leaving cryptic messages about a series of disastrous events to come.
No magic, but mentors nonetheless
Then there is the non-magic, non-multiple kind of mentor. Even if you haven’t seen the original Karate Kid movie, you know about Mr. Miyagi’s insistence that his mentee, Daniel, polish cars, from which pop culture got the ubiquitous “wax on, wax off” reference. Mr. Miyagi and Daniel’s relationship began with a simple mission: Daniel was being bullied, so he wanted to protect himself. To do that, he asked Mr. Miyagi to teach him karate in a classic teacher–student connection, which taught Daniel about concepts of peace and tranquility.
Matthew Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables is the introverted farmer who gives sage advice to Anne. It is Matthew who adopts the orphaned Anne along with his sister, Marilla. Even though he is described as being cripplingly shy, he tries to help her, coming out of his shell to do so. While the world seems to be an overwhelming place for him, Matthew tries to ensure that the orphaned Anne does not share the same fears and encourages her to be open and kind.
Mentors appear in romance, too. In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Gardiner is able to offer perspective and a steady influence to Elizabeth. Her support helps Elizabeth to overcome wrong assumptions and come to better understand others around her, especially Mr. Darcy.
Mentors and their traits
Mentors in fiction come in all shapes and forms, but the most memorable ones have certain traits in common. Each are heroes on their own, with experience and knowledge that help their students become the best heroes they can be on their journey. Some of the most memorable mentors aren’t particularly patient—Haymitch Abernathy of Hunger Games, for example—but they train and teach so their students learn what they need to in order to survive.
Sometimes the mentor needs to be less of a mentor and more of a friend. In Good Will Hunting, Sean Maguire, the mentor figure for Will, opens up and tells him about the life and death of his wife, allowing them to bond. Some mentors are ambiguous; in The Matrix movies, Morpheus persists in being vague, annoying Neo and not being helpful at all but eventually revealing what needs to be.
Mentors in summary
Mentors are teachers, antagonists (when need be), and even friends. They provide motivation, inspiration, and training for the journey. Altogether, the mentor is a useful character and can add depth and texture to the story.
References
- Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice.
- Campbell, Joseph [1973]. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton University Press.
- Collodi, Carlo [2021]. The Adventures of Pinocchio, translators John Hooper and Anna Kraczyna. Penguin Books. Originally published 1883.
- Comicbook.com
- etymonline.com
- Montgomery, Lucy Maud [1908]. Anne of Green Gables.
- Lord Raglan [1956]. The Hero: A Study in Tradition, Myth and Drama. Vintage Books.
- tvtropes.org
- Vogler, Christopher [1998]. The Writer’s Journey. Michael Wiese Productions.
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Elizabeth MS Flynn is a professional editor and has been since 1977, working in fields as diverse as academia, technology, finance, pop culture, genre fiction, and comic books. She is a mentor in her own linguistic way.