Vogler's calling

Vogler, Christopher. “The Ordinary World- The Call to Adventure.” The Writer's
Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese
Productions, 2007.
Summary
In this excerpt, Vogler begins to discuss the ordinary world. He stresses the importance of the story’s beginning. It makes an impression on the audience and begins before the story with atmosphere and advertisement. The title is the next factor that hits the audience and it gives the nature of the story just as the design could do. The opening image creates a mood and an idea as to where the story will lead. It may suggest the theme or create a metaphor. The next possible step is the prologue although not all stories benefit from this technique. When used correctly the prologue may give necessary back story or tone in order to tell the audience what type of story they are about to experience. The ordinary world begins the hero’s journey establishing a baseline for him or her. It is important that this world contrast the later special world. Foreshadowing the special world may also be used when establishing the ordinary world. There is also the aspect of raising the dramatic question as each story should have one or more questions to answer about the hero, like will she achieve the goal? Heroes have inner and outer problems during their journeys. An outer problem would be something like breaking an enchantment whereas an inner problem could be a personality flaw. Next is making an entrance, as every hero should have a memorable entrance. The surroundings and costuming and emotion should all be significant and help the audience relate to the hero. The audience wants to identify based on the hierarchy of needs with things like the need for acceptance. Sometimes the hero lacks something or has something taken away them whether physically or internally. Many heroes should have a tragic flaw, too, because a perfect hero is hard to relate to and can be boring. Some heroes are wounded from the past and are affected by some emotional scarring. Other important factors are to establish what’s at stake because the hero needs consequences for their decisions and the audience needs to be engaged. Back story must be given to reveal important information and the exposition is the way of revealing the back story. The theme should be stated in the ordinary world as well and connect throughout the rest of the story.
The next section discussed the call to adventure. This phase of the journey really gets the story and the action going after establishing the ordinary world. This call can come in many ways: it can be a message, a string of accidents (synchronicity), a temptation, an internal stirring or the message of a herald. These calls can often be discomforting for the hero but necessary for their growth. Sometimes they need something from this call or have just run out of options, and sometimes there are multiple calls coming from different sources that the hero has to handle.

Response
It is hard not to agree with Vogler in many of his findings because there are so many examples in movies and books. There are so many varieties of the journey, yet it is always present. I agree that the audience tries to identify with the hero or other characters, it something we need to feel in any story. Every element combines and is important, the title and the characteristics of the hero help the audience to understand the story and follow the plot throughout. It is essential to show the ordinary world and contrast it with the special world. The call to adventure is just as significant because without there would be no story, no interest. No matter which way the call is brought into focus it must become the focus of the hero and the story can truly begin when the hero accepts. All of the steps addressed in this reading combine to show every detail of the journey to the audience so that it is easy to follow. Some of the steps can be rearranged or replaced and I am sure that there are other options for some of the techniques listed, however, the ones written here are common and identifiable.

Questions
Are there any examples of ways to call the hero to an adventure that are less known or not mentioned in the reading?
Is there any step listed that would not be needed for a successful journey?
What does Vogler mean when he discusses “Reconnaissance” during the call to adventure chapter? Is it an important feature?