Becker's hypothesis about psychic and spiritual unity within the Rankian idea of a hero provides the framework for this book. By extending Rank's and Becker's conceptions of heroism from a developmental process involving a World Hero Child, through a Monomythic narrative sequence (Campbell, 1968), and on into the literary texts of American fiction, this book illustrates Becker's wisdom. At the same time, it explores the implications that remain...