What is the role of the "mythological hero" in psychotherapy? Please explain this idea.from The Myth of the Birth of the Hero by Rank

Application of Rank's The Myth of the Birth of
the Hero most directly relates to child and family
therapy.

In his studies, Rank looked at the qualities and
similarities of well known literary and mythological heroes (characters like Oedipus,
Moses, and Hercules) from many cultures and time periods.  He noted that despite their
place and time of origin, the character was basically the
same:

• born to noble, wealthy, or powerful
  parents


• rejected by original parents as a
  baby


• raised by parents other than the
  birth-parents


• reunited with the birth parents later in
  life


• punishment of the birth
  parents


• acknowledgment of the hero by the
  father


• honor for the
  hero

Looking at this basic story-line, Rank
asserts that children, simply by human nature, often fall into a similar pattern of
thought (even though their life events do not necessarily follow those of the
myth-hero).  A few broad generalities can be drawn from Rank's studies of the myth-hero
as explanation for common patterns of
behavior:

1. the child first idealizes his parents
   but grows to resent them because he realizes they are not the noble or powerful parents
   he believes he deserves


2. the child has a desire to have
   and keep his mother all to himself; this may or may not also be a sexual attraction
   ("Oedipus complex"); the child eventually resents his father for maintaining the
   position/relationship he believes he deserves with his
   mother


3. the child fantasizes about getting rid of his
   parents, running away, or desires to have "new"
   parents

Basically, Rank's assertions were
simply theories about human nature, and provided a framework through which to view and
give reason for common (and seemingly "unhealthy") behaviors.  Unlike his teacher Freud,
however, Rank was clear to denote that the above tendencies are natural for
all humans, and not simply those who were deemed "neurotic" or
"problem children."

Essentially, this myth-hero idea
provides an explanation for rebelliousness in children.  Rank suggested that children
either create or compare themselves to previous (cultural) notions of the myth-hero in
order to cope with the powerlessness they feel in comparison to their
parents.