In Joseph Campbell's book, A Hero with a Thousand Faces, the author details a journey he claims every human being must travel. There are numerous stops on the journey, but one of the biggest stops is the Road of Trials. When the hero reaches the Road, he must leave his home and complete a series of obstacles and adventures alone. During the journey the hero finds confidence and security in himself. The Road of Trials is essential to the hero's growth as a person. There are many examples of the Way of Trials in literature, including the epic poem, Gilgamesh, and the alliterative poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Both characters in these stories leave their homeland and embark on a journey to find themselves and understand where they are in the world. Before his journey, Gilgamesh, who is half god and half human, does whatever he wants. He sees himself as a god and acts like one until he meets a man named Enkidu. Enkidu is half man and half animal. As their friendship grows, the two become very close and Gilgamesh begins to act more in line with the human side of himself, as does Enkidu. Gilgamesh's life comes to an abrupt end when Enkidu dies. Gilgamesh, who has never felt such a loss before, is determined to bring Enkidu back to life, so he leaves his hometown on a journey to find the god Utnapishtim. This is where his Road of Trials begins. As he wanders the desert in search of Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh realizes that "his life became a quest / to find the secret of eternal life / that he could bring back to give to his friend" (Mason, 55). For the first time in his life Gilgamesh thinks of someone else before himself. He had always been drawn to the side of himself that is half god but… in the middle of the card… and behind, so how do loved ones keep the deceased in their memory? It is natural to struggle, but with every struggle comes a reward, just as with death comes resurrection. If there were no struggles in life, no one would be resurrected and would not be allowed to grow and learn. The experiences of the Way of Trials teach valuable lessons. The road is not easy, but rather a long and difficult struggle. Ultimately the hero will return victorious, just as with loss comes restoration. There is no simple formula, but the journey is necessary if human beings are to truly live, grow and change. Works Cited Borroff, Marie. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. A new translation into verse. New York: Norton, 1967. Print.Campbell, Joseph. The hero with a thousand faces. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1972. Print.Mason, Herbert. Gilgamesh: A Narrative in Verse. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971. Print.