Iron John

Grimm fairy tale / Robert Bly's analysis

A boy's golden ball rolls into the cage of the captive Wild Man, who will return it only if the boy frees him, using the key stolen from under his mother's pillow. He must separate from the Mother, bond with the Wild Man (the masculine shadow), serve in the kitchen (humility), and fight in the war (hero stage) before achieving kingship.

The key is under the mother's pillow. You cannot individuate without separating from the mother complex.

The pattern underneath: Individuation. The lifelong process of becoming who you actually are: not who your parents wanted, not who society shaped, but the person your whole self is trying to become.