Chapter I, Myth and the Modern World Summary and Analysis

"The Power of Myth" is based on the interviews between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers that became a famous television series. It deals with the universality and evolution of myths in the history of the human race and the place of myths in modern society. Campbell blends accounts of his own upbringing and experience with stories from many cultures and civilizations to present the reader with his most compelling thesis that modern society is going through a transition from the old mythologies and traditions to a new way of thinking where a global mythology will emerge.

Some of the material in this chapter comes from Campbell's previously published books, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" and "The Masks of God." The main theme of the book is the universality...