Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Bell Jar
Sylvia Plath's text, The Bell Jar, provided for an interesting story line. Esther is the hero of this story undergoing a journey through the asylum she is hoping to leave. While she resides here, Esther faces many tests and allies. First, she faces the test of losing her virginity to Irwin. In turn, she is forced to hide her blood stained towels from her friend Joan and must visit the emergency room for help. After she makes it through this first test, Esther comes to find out that her friend Joan has committed suicide. Esther must attend the funeral as one of Joan's best friends. Eventually, Esther survives her tests and overcomes the main ordeal of being "crazy". Her reward is being able to leave the asylum, which is implied in this text.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Vogler's Reward
Vogler, Christopher. “Reward- The Road Back.” The Writer's
Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese
Productions, 2007.
Summary
Vogler beings to discuss the next step after the ordeal and that is the reward. The hero now has to deal with any consequences but also savors the pleasure of victory. There are several ways this can be shown. The first is through celebration. It is natural for heroes to celebrate the completion of the ordeal and recuperate. This joy can also be seen through campfires which also gives time for jokes and reminiscing. Love scenes also occur here when the hero has earned them. Sometimes the hero now takes possession of something he or she was searching for in the beginning. Another name for this might be seizing the sword; a treasure might even be stolen by the hero. Elixir theft is similar, sometimes the hero is required to steal it, and it can be the secret of life and death. Initiation may result as a reward from the ordeal as might new perceptions, self realization, or the ability to see through deception. A hero might also have an epiphany; a realization of divinity, sometimes surviving death might give this impression. There can also be distortions causing the hero to have an over inflated ego. The following step of the journey is the road back. The energy of the story can pick up again here as we move into the final act of the story. Motivation is one cause for this when the hero rededicates themselves to the adventure. Retaliation to finish off the villain may be another cause. Chase scenes can be an effective technique because audiences enjoy it. The magic flight is the whimsical transformation of objects during the chase. The chase may be between heroes and villains or between heroes and admirers. Sometimes the road back can deal with an escaped villain or other setbacks. In the end, the hero hopes to return to the ordinary world with his or her reward from the special world.
Response
I like the idea that the reward stage can occur with so many varieties, like generic celebration to campfires to love scenes. Although Vogler says heroes must earn the love, I think that some heroes are fortunate to have this before the ordeal begins. I agree with him that heroes take this time to restore energy that was used during the ordeal. This may make this downtime for the story but it is needed and the audience’s attention is resumed during the road back in which other crises may occur. I like that there are smaller obstacles the hero might have to overcome here. I think the ideas of retaliation or chasing with the villain is interesting and common in most stories. I like the varieties of reward as well including self realization and epiphany; sometimes these are the most precious rewards. The journey can be material versus emotional or vice versa. These differences keep stories interesting.
Questions
Must heroes earn love or is this something they can have before?
What other kinds of celebration do heroes experience?
Are there stories that end on the road back, do some heroes never return home?
Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese
Productions, 2007.
Summary
Vogler beings to discuss the next step after the ordeal and that is the reward. The hero now has to deal with any consequences but also savors the pleasure of victory. There are several ways this can be shown. The first is through celebration. It is natural for heroes to celebrate the completion of the ordeal and recuperate. This joy can also be seen through campfires which also gives time for jokes and reminiscing. Love scenes also occur here when the hero has earned them. Sometimes the hero now takes possession of something he or she was searching for in the beginning. Another name for this might be seizing the sword; a treasure might even be stolen by the hero. Elixir theft is similar, sometimes the hero is required to steal it, and it can be the secret of life and death. Initiation may result as a reward from the ordeal as might new perceptions, self realization, or the ability to see through deception. A hero might also have an epiphany; a realization of divinity, sometimes surviving death might give this impression. There can also be distortions causing the hero to have an over inflated ego. The following step of the journey is the road back. The energy of the story can pick up again here as we move into the final act of the story. Motivation is one cause for this when the hero rededicates themselves to the adventure. Retaliation to finish off the villain may be another cause. Chase scenes can be an effective technique because audiences enjoy it. The magic flight is the whimsical transformation of objects during the chase. The chase may be between heroes and villains or between heroes and admirers. Sometimes the road back can deal with an escaped villain or other setbacks. In the end, the hero hopes to return to the ordinary world with his or her reward from the special world.
Response
I like the idea that the reward stage can occur with so many varieties, like generic celebration to campfires to love scenes. Although Vogler says heroes must earn the love, I think that some heroes are fortunate to have this before the ordeal begins. I agree with him that heroes take this time to restore energy that was used during the ordeal. This may make this downtime for the story but it is needed and the audience’s attention is resumed during the road back in which other crises may occur. I like that there are smaller obstacles the hero might have to overcome here. I think the ideas of retaliation or chasing with the villain is interesting and common in most stories. I like the varieties of reward as well including self realization and epiphany; sometimes these are the most precious rewards. The journey can be material versus emotional or vice versa. These differences keep stories interesting.
Questions
Must heroes earn love or is this something they can have before?
What other kinds of celebration do heroes experience?
Are there stories that end on the road back, do some heroes never return home?
Monday, October 20, 2008
Adding the credit
Extra Credit:
For my random act of kindness, I bought my friend's dinner one night.
Links relating to my research paper:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yArKo0B7-Jo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv0FXQ8IA5A&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1gxa-Dij3k&feature=related
For my random act of kindness, I bought my friend's dinner one night.
Links relating to my research paper:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yArKo0B7-Jo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv0FXQ8IA5A&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1gxa-Dij3k&feature=related
Research Ideas
A summary of my strengths and weaknesses after having peers review my outline:
A strength seemed to be my unique topic idea, stated a few times. Also that I am comparing and contrasting wolves to people which is interesting.
Suggestions include narrowing the focus, finding the history of evolvement, researching a behavioral change due to human expansion, and appealing to a large audience.
A strength seemed to be my unique topic idea, stated a few times. Also that I am comparing and contrasting wolves to people which is interesting.
Suggestions include narrowing the focus, finding the history of evolvement, researching a behavioral change due to human expansion, and appealing to a large audience.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
What's Vogler's Ordeal?
Vogler, Christopher. “Approach to the Innermost Cave- The Ordeal.” The Writer's
Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese
Productions, 2007.
Summary
Vogler begins a discussion with the approach to the innermost cave which is often terrifying and dangerous. He says there are different functions for this approach like making more plans, thinning the group, arm the team, have a last laugh. At this time, in romantic stories, the hero can bond with a loved one prior to the ordeal. Sometimes the hero boldly passes through to seek the ordeal and other times they prepare, arm themselves and gather information first. Vogler continues on to discuss the characters from the Wizard of Oz because their story is so classic and contains good examples of these steps. They go through obstacles and illusions before meeting the threshold guardians. Then they may enter another special world and should be prepared, a warning may follow. Another threshold may stand in the hero’s way and they may have to make an emotional appeal to the guardian. There is an impossible test which results in complications and might even raise the stakes. The hero might need to reorganize and expect heavy defenses. Also, at this point, archetypes or the hero may undergo some changes. The hero might have to get into the enemy’s mind to prepare for the ideal, too. There is often no exit, no way for the hero to escape the ordeal at this stage in the journey.
The ordeal is the biggest, most exciting part of the journey for the hero because it is the main action that they have been preparing for. “The hero must die so that they can be reborn.” This is the essence of this stage whether literal or not. The hero returns from the journey having changed because of their experience. It’s also important to note that the crisis, the point in the story when the hostile forces are most tense, is not the climax, which would occur later. There are central and delayed crises. The ordeal does have points of tension which are held in place by the story’s structure. Many stories depend on the point of view, but often a witness sees the hero “die”. Audiences like to see death because it evokes emotion and adventure. The emotions of the audience can be played with and shifts from low to high peaks. The hero often appears to die in front of witnesses, but then cheats death, or the hero witnesses death; sometimes the hero even causes death. The most common ordeal is a battle with the opposing forces, like the shadow which has both negative and positive aspects. The shadow is different from the villain. Demonization may happen as well, it is the projection of all things we dislike about ourselves. The death of the villain is an important part of the ordeal, and it should be hard to accomplish. Sometimes the villain manages to escape wounded only to appear later in the story. It is also important to realize that villains see themselves as heroes from another point of view. As far as romance goes, the crisis might be a fear of intimacy, or a moment of betrayal, it might even be sacred marriage when the hero is in a state of centered balance. Sometimes love can even manifest into a shape shifting lover. There could also be negative projections of the anima or animus. Sometimes the ordeal refers to a conflict of age whether it is older versus younger generations of between parents and children. The last bit of the discussion on the ordeal is the death of the ego when the hero has been reborn after facing the crisis.
Reaction
Once again, Vogler gave an in-depth analysis of two stages of the hero’s journey providing information and examples for several varieties of the store. First was the approach to the innermost cave which can be very dangerous and include many parts within itself like meeting the threshold guardians and organizing the team and preparing for the big ordeal. At this point the audience can feel the danger and suspense as they wait for the major action which draws them into the story. We like the threat of death or the loss of another character. For some reason, people are attracted to death. It is such a mystery to us that we try to experience it in small doses to understand. Because of this we watch and listen to scary stories or take part in thrilling adventures, like skydiving for example just to feel that rush.
The ordeal is definitely the most significant part of the journey because it is what the audience and the hero have been preparing for and thinking about. A lot takes place during this stage, the hero must face death or their greatest fear, the shadow. They must face the biggest test yet, which should be much harder than the smaller tests beforehand. They finally face the villain, and I like that Vogler mentions that the villain is a hero to himself and if the story were told differently we would see that. This is interesting because I have often thought of that. Although they are bad in our eyes, they are always fighting for their own cause and in their life they are doing what is just and the roles and emotional shifts are reversed. I also like that Vogler included romantic stories because the steps of the journey are very different from action packed stories. Despite the drastic differences they imply the same principles which allows for a lot of leeway in these journeys.
Questions
Do other genres have different steps, aside from typical actions and romances? Do the stages have small alterations you can think of?
Why does the hero need to approach the innermost cave without just barging through? What do they learn here, is it necessary?
Why do you think we want to identify with death so much, what is our fascination?
Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese
Productions, 2007.
Summary
Vogler begins a discussion with the approach to the innermost cave which is often terrifying and dangerous. He says there are different functions for this approach like making more plans, thinning the group, arm the team, have a last laugh. At this time, in romantic stories, the hero can bond with a loved one prior to the ordeal. Sometimes the hero boldly passes through to seek the ordeal and other times they prepare, arm themselves and gather information first. Vogler continues on to discuss the characters from the Wizard of Oz because their story is so classic and contains good examples of these steps. They go through obstacles and illusions before meeting the threshold guardians. Then they may enter another special world and should be prepared, a warning may follow. Another threshold may stand in the hero’s way and they may have to make an emotional appeal to the guardian. There is an impossible test which results in complications and might even raise the stakes. The hero might need to reorganize and expect heavy defenses. Also, at this point, archetypes or the hero may undergo some changes. The hero might have to get into the enemy’s mind to prepare for the ideal, too. There is often no exit, no way for the hero to escape the ordeal at this stage in the journey.
The ordeal is the biggest, most exciting part of the journey for the hero because it is the main action that they have been preparing for. “The hero must die so that they can be reborn.” This is the essence of this stage whether literal or not. The hero returns from the journey having changed because of their experience. It’s also important to note that the crisis, the point in the story when the hostile forces are most tense, is not the climax, which would occur later. There are central and delayed crises. The ordeal does have points of tension which are held in place by the story’s structure. Many stories depend on the point of view, but often a witness sees the hero “die”. Audiences like to see death because it evokes emotion and adventure. The emotions of the audience can be played with and shifts from low to high peaks. The hero often appears to die in front of witnesses, but then cheats death, or the hero witnesses death; sometimes the hero even causes death. The most common ordeal is a battle with the opposing forces, like the shadow which has both negative and positive aspects. The shadow is different from the villain. Demonization may happen as well, it is the projection of all things we dislike about ourselves. The death of the villain is an important part of the ordeal, and it should be hard to accomplish. Sometimes the villain manages to escape wounded only to appear later in the story. It is also important to realize that villains see themselves as heroes from another point of view. As far as romance goes, the crisis might be a fear of intimacy, or a moment of betrayal, it might even be sacred marriage when the hero is in a state of centered balance. Sometimes love can even manifest into a shape shifting lover. There could also be negative projections of the anima or animus. Sometimes the ordeal refers to a conflict of age whether it is older versus younger generations of between parents and children. The last bit of the discussion on the ordeal is the death of the ego when the hero has been reborn after facing the crisis.
Reaction
Once again, Vogler gave an in-depth analysis of two stages of the hero’s journey providing information and examples for several varieties of the store. First was the approach to the innermost cave which can be very dangerous and include many parts within itself like meeting the threshold guardians and organizing the team and preparing for the big ordeal. At this point the audience can feel the danger and suspense as they wait for the major action which draws them into the story. We like the threat of death or the loss of another character. For some reason, people are attracted to death. It is such a mystery to us that we try to experience it in small doses to understand. Because of this we watch and listen to scary stories or take part in thrilling adventures, like skydiving for example just to feel that rush.
The ordeal is definitely the most significant part of the journey because it is what the audience and the hero have been preparing for and thinking about. A lot takes place during this stage, the hero must face death or their greatest fear, the shadow. They must face the biggest test yet, which should be much harder than the smaller tests beforehand. They finally face the villain, and I like that Vogler mentions that the villain is a hero to himself and if the story were told differently we would see that. This is interesting because I have often thought of that. Although they are bad in our eyes, they are always fighting for their own cause and in their life they are doing what is just and the roles and emotional shifts are reversed. I also like that Vogler included romantic stories because the steps of the journey are very different from action packed stories. Despite the drastic differences they imply the same principles which allows for a lot of leeway in these journeys.
Questions
Do other genres have different steps, aside from typical actions and romances? Do the stages have small alterations you can think of?
Why does the hero need to approach the innermost cave without just barging through? What do they learn here, is it necessary?
Why do you think we want to identify with death so much, what is our fascination?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Vogler and Company
Vogler, Christopher. “Crossing the First Threshold- Tests, Allies, Enemies.” The Writer's
Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese
Productions, 2007.
Summary
Vogler begins with the crossing of the first threshold in this section of the reading. This is the point when the hero willingly commits to his or her adventure and enters into the special world. This is a major plot point for the hero as he approaches the threshold. Either internal or external events, or a combination of the two, allow the hero to enter the second act, or the special world. They face decisions here and must make the choices to continue on their journey. At this point the hero encounters another of the archetypes, the threshold guardian. This is just another step in training the hero. Sometimes the threat of the guardian is just an illusion, other times they simply must be noted, and on rare occasions they may need to be overcome by the hero. Threshold guardians can go on to become allies or enemies from this stage. The actual crossing represents the border between the ordinary and the special world. These can be represented as physical barriers in many stories like gates or rivers. It should always be clear to the audience that a shift from act one to act two has been taken and this can be shown through music or visual contrasts. The hero uses his courage, or leap of faith, to make the change. Sometimes heroes have a rough landing. It can be exhausting or disorienting in this phase.
The tests, allies and enemies are important moments in act two for the hero. Testing is used to prepare the hero for the danger that lies ahead. These may be difficult to face but are not as serious as the later ordeal will be. Also during this stage of the journey, the hero makes both allies and enemies. Allies may include sidekicks which are characters that ride alongside the hero supporting the adventure. Comical sidekicks provide humor as well. Allies may sometimes cross the boundary between mentors and tricksters, too. In some stories, the hero forms a team of allies who come together during the adventure. Heroes also make enemies, these enemies could be archetypes like the shadow, trickster, or herald. One example of an enemy is the rival who is not as much out to kill the hero as he is to defeat him and compete. There are new rules in the special world that must be learned quickly in order to advance through these challenges. Watering holes are scenes where the hero enters a bar or saloon. In these places, like a hunter would do, the hero is staking out the adventure. Learning about his enemies and trying to find information and allies.
Reaction
As I’ve said many times, I think that Vogler has found a good way to classify and explain the typical hero’s journey including several exceptions and rules so that just about every story can fit the mold. I think that he did a good job of explaining the crossing of the first threshold as an important moment that we can relate to the shift between act one and act two of any story. It is also important to talk about the hero’s internal struggle at this point, making the decision to actually cross the threshold and overcome the guardian. My favorite part of this chapter was the very end when this stage was compared to a flight, a Disney metaphor. The preparation for take off is act one and the initial jump off of the ground is the threshold. It is the thrill of beginning an adventure, and we can all relate to that in some way or another. Tests, allies and enemies are also important because it gives the story some context otherwise we would watch or read about a hero who takes off, alone, without any interaction to do something without danger and without help; boring. The tests give suspense and danger, as well as help the hero to grow in order to eventually face the major ordeal of act three. Allies are great characters who often provide comedy or help to bring out another side of the hero for the audience to see and I think they are necessary for a good story. It is also someone to eventually compare the hero to. Enemies are, of course, important to show the danger and to challenge the hero. They serve the villain and encourage the hero to keep fighting on his or her adventure. The rival is definitely a common type of hero, different from a villain I think that the story could easily be seen from the other point of view in this case. I liked the idea of the watering hole but I’m not sure its entirely necessary to be a part of this stage in the journey.
Questions
Is the idea of the watering hole old fashioned? Does it still exist in films, aside from westerns? Is it necessary to accomplish what Vogler says it does?
Is one character archetype more important than the other, the enemy or ally?
Is there always a threshold guardian to guard the first crossing? Does it appear in other non-conventional forms?
Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese
Productions, 2007.
Summary
Vogler begins with the crossing of the first threshold in this section of the reading. This is the point when the hero willingly commits to his or her adventure and enters into the special world. This is a major plot point for the hero as he approaches the threshold. Either internal or external events, or a combination of the two, allow the hero to enter the second act, or the special world. They face decisions here and must make the choices to continue on their journey. At this point the hero encounters another of the archetypes, the threshold guardian. This is just another step in training the hero. Sometimes the threat of the guardian is just an illusion, other times they simply must be noted, and on rare occasions they may need to be overcome by the hero. Threshold guardians can go on to become allies or enemies from this stage. The actual crossing represents the border between the ordinary and the special world. These can be represented as physical barriers in many stories like gates or rivers. It should always be clear to the audience that a shift from act one to act two has been taken and this can be shown through music or visual contrasts. The hero uses his courage, or leap of faith, to make the change. Sometimes heroes have a rough landing. It can be exhausting or disorienting in this phase.
The tests, allies and enemies are important moments in act two for the hero. Testing is used to prepare the hero for the danger that lies ahead. These may be difficult to face but are not as serious as the later ordeal will be. Also during this stage of the journey, the hero makes both allies and enemies. Allies may include sidekicks which are characters that ride alongside the hero supporting the adventure. Comical sidekicks provide humor as well. Allies may sometimes cross the boundary between mentors and tricksters, too. In some stories, the hero forms a team of allies who come together during the adventure. Heroes also make enemies, these enemies could be archetypes like the shadow, trickster, or herald. One example of an enemy is the rival who is not as much out to kill the hero as he is to defeat him and compete. There are new rules in the special world that must be learned quickly in order to advance through these challenges. Watering holes are scenes where the hero enters a bar or saloon. In these places, like a hunter would do, the hero is staking out the adventure. Learning about his enemies and trying to find information and allies.
Reaction
As I’ve said many times, I think that Vogler has found a good way to classify and explain the typical hero’s journey including several exceptions and rules so that just about every story can fit the mold. I think that he did a good job of explaining the crossing of the first threshold as an important moment that we can relate to the shift between act one and act two of any story. It is also important to talk about the hero’s internal struggle at this point, making the decision to actually cross the threshold and overcome the guardian. My favorite part of this chapter was the very end when this stage was compared to a flight, a Disney metaphor. The preparation for take off is act one and the initial jump off of the ground is the threshold. It is the thrill of beginning an adventure, and we can all relate to that in some way or another. Tests, allies and enemies are also important because it gives the story some context otherwise we would watch or read about a hero who takes off, alone, without any interaction to do something without danger and without help; boring. The tests give suspense and danger, as well as help the hero to grow in order to eventually face the major ordeal of act three. Allies are great characters who often provide comedy or help to bring out another side of the hero for the audience to see and I think they are necessary for a good story. It is also someone to eventually compare the hero to. Enemies are, of course, important to show the danger and to challenge the hero. They serve the villain and encourage the hero to keep fighting on his or her adventure. The rival is definitely a common type of hero, different from a villain I think that the story could easily be seen from the other point of view in this case. I liked the idea of the watering hole but I’m not sure its entirely necessary to be a part of this stage in the journey.
Questions
Is the idea of the watering hole old fashioned? Does it still exist in films, aside from westerns? Is it necessary to accomplish what Vogler says it does?
Is one character archetype more important than the other, the enemy or ally?
Is there always a threshold guardian to guard the first crossing? Does it appear in other non-conventional forms?
Sunday, October 5, 2008
I Search
1. Larger themes in my memoir.
Traveling on an adventure; experience, courage and confidence; gaining knowledge; culture differences; friendship or the need for acceptance, the need for companionship in a new place.
2. Need for companionship. Sports teams. Family. Best friends. Animals, pets. Work.
3. We all need companions and we rely on them for moral support among many other things. We have a variety of companions. I think its one of the most important things we have in life and it should be treated carefully. We all strive for the need to be accepted and our companions do that. I have made friends at work, and those friends convince me to go to work, allow me to enjoy my work and provide friendships. I've been on a swim team for years, the same varsity team throughout my four years of highschool and that group was comfortable and I needed them. I needed their support ot cheer me on and vice versa. To see them around school was comforting. Best friends and family are there for you and allow you to speak your mind and be yourself with no stress. I would be lost without these people to be there for me in any time of need whether big or small. Pets are also important. A lot of people rely on their pets for friendship. I have 2 dogs that I love. I feel important to take care of them, knowing that they need me and I need them to comfort me or play with me or be excited to see me come home. All of these forms of companionship are significant. In London, as I stated in my memoir, I needed and relied on my 15 roommates. We traveled together to new countries and explored the city of London together sharing many exciting memories that I will never forget. Without them I would not have been able to allow myself to be free in London. I needed to be with other people who were in the same situation as me, I needed to have those friends.
4. Questions.
Why do we need companionship so badly? Is it a survival need? Is one type of companionship better than the others, does it depend on the individual? Do different companions provide different services to the individual? How do companions change a situation, like an adventure or travels? When do we begin to find our true companions? What is the difference between other human companions or animals companions? Can companionship come from friends and strangers; can it be a positive or a negative experience? How does companionship grow over time, does it need to? Is one companion enough, or do we need new friends or groups? In what ways do companions show compassion, what characteristics make them useful to the individual? How does the relationship work to benefit both sides?
Traveling on an adventure; experience, courage and confidence; gaining knowledge; culture differences; friendship or the need for acceptance, the need for companionship in a new place.
2. Need for companionship. Sports teams. Family. Best friends. Animals, pets. Work.
3. We all need companions and we rely on them for moral support among many other things. We have a variety of companions. I think its one of the most important things we have in life and it should be treated carefully. We all strive for the need to be accepted and our companions do that. I have made friends at work, and those friends convince me to go to work, allow me to enjoy my work and provide friendships. I've been on a swim team for years, the same varsity team throughout my four years of highschool and that group was comfortable and I needed them. I needed their support ot cheer me on and vice versa. To see them around school was comforting. Best friends and family are there for you and allow you to speak your mind and be yourself with no stress. I would be lost without these people to be there for me in any time of need whether big or small. Pets are also important. A lot of people rely on their pets for friendship. I have 2 dogs that I love. I feel important to take care of them, knowing that they need me and I need them to comfort me or play with me or be excited to see me come home. All of these forms of companionship are significant. In London, as I stated in my memoir, I needed and relied on my 15 roommates. We traveled together to new countries and explored the city of London together sharing many exciting memories that I will never forget. Without them I would not have been able to allow myself to be free in London. I needed to be with other people who were in the same situation as me, I needed to have those friends.
4. Questions.
Why do we need companionship so badly? Is it a survival need? Is one type of companionship better than the others, does it depend on the individual? Do different companions provide different services to the individual? How do companions change a situation, like an adventure or travels? When do we begin to find our true companions? What is the difference between other human companions or animals companions? Can companionship come from friends and strangers; can it be a positive or a negative experience? How does companionship grow over time, does it need to? Is one companion enough, or do we need new friends or groups? In what ways do companions show compassion, what characteristics make them useful to the individual? How does the relationship work to benefit both sides?
Meeting with Vogler
Vogler, Christopher. “Refusal of the Call- Meeting with the Mentor.” The Writer's
Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese
Productions, 2007.
Summary
Vogler discusses the refusal of the call to adventure in depth. The refusal is important because it shows the importance and the danger of the adventure to the audience. This is a “threshold of fear”. There are a few ways of refusing the initial adventure. The first is avoidance in which the hero simply tries to find excuses not to take on the adventure. Then there are excuses which are commonly offered as “temporary roadblocks” to refuse adventure. Sometimes consistent refusals can lead to tragedy because the hero is looking backwards and is denying reality. Other times the calls could conflict causing the hero to make choices of which to accept and which to refuse. Positive refusals happen when the hero is smart enough to realize that he or she should refuse the call to adventure because it could be disastrous. The artist as hero refers to heroes who refuse the call to adventure in order to take on the call of artistic expression. Willing heroes are the exception that eagerly seek the adventure and accept the call. Vogler also discusses the threshold guardian here, but we have already covered that character. The secret door implies the natural curiosity of humans to know secrets and the power they hold. Vogler continues to talk about the hero’s journey, moving onto the meeting with the mentor who is there to aid and provide help to the hero. The mentor is seen as a source of wisdom that the hero needs and in myths they are often wizards, doctors or gods. A good prototype to use when thinking about mentors is Chiron. Chiron is a centaur who trained many Greek heroes and gives us the idea of how a mentor should be. The mentor gives the hero confidence and gets the story rolling. There are several clichés that can trap the archetypes so it is important that the story bring something new to the table. Misdirection is clearly when the mentor misleads the hero which can be interesting to the audience. It is possible that the mentor and hero conflict if one is too ungrateful or one turns to the villain. The mentor is very important and sometimes stories are mentor driven. Another interesting idea from Vogler is that the mentor is an evolved hero who has learned from his own adventures and becomes able to teach.
Reaction
I like that in Vogler’s text he accounts for the uniqueness of stories today, as we are trying to come up with original ideas in our post screwed world. I think that each step is important no matter how it is manipulated. I like that the refusal of the call shows the audience the threat that the hero is facing because their final acceptance makes them all the more heroic for overcoming the threshold of fear. I am also glad he included willing heroes because some heroes, like ones seeking revenge, would seek the danger and nnot bother to refuse it. The meeting with the mentor is so important and with the abundance of mentor types its nearly impossible to think of a story that does not somehow include this aspect. It’s an important moment for the hero and for the audience to realize that the hero is imperfect and needs some sort of assistance, no matter what form it comes in or what might change by the end of the journey.
Questions
Can you explain the artist as hero?
What are some film examples of willing heroes?
Besides the discussion of Chiron, what are examples of influential mentors?
Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese
Productions, 2007.
Summary
Vogler discusses the refusal of the call to adventure in depth. The refusal is important because it shows the importance and the danger of the adventure to the audience. This is a “threshold of fear”. There are a few ways of refusing the initial adventure. The first is avoidance in which the hero simply tries to find excuses not to take on the adventure. Then there are excuses which are commonly offered as “temporary roadblocks” to refuse adventure. Sometimes consistent refusals can lead to tragedy because the hero is looking backwards and is denying reality. Other times the calls could conflict causing the hero to make choices of which to accept and which to refuse. Positive refusals happen when the hero is smart enough to realize that he or she should refuse the call to adventure because it could be disastrous. The artist as hero refers to heroes who refuse the call to adventure in order to take on the call of artistic expression. Willing heroes are the exception that eagerly seek the adventure and accept the call. Vogler also discusses the threshold guardian here, but we have already covered that character. The secret door implies the natural curiosity of humans to know secrets and the power they hold. Vogler continues to talk about the hero’s journey, moving onto the meeting with the mentor who is there to aid and provide help to the hero. The mentor is seen as a source of wisdom that the hero needs and in myths they are often wizards, doctors or gods. A good prototype to use when thinking about mentors is Chiron. Chiron is a centaur who trained many Greek heroes and gives us the idea of how a mentor should be. The mentor gives the hero confidence and gets the story rolling. There are several clichés that can trap the archetypes so it is important that the story bring something new to the table. Misdirection is clearly when the mentor misleads the hero which can be interesting to the audience. It is possible that the mentor and hero conflict if one is too ungrateful or one turns to the villain. The mentor is very important and sometimes stories are mentor driven. Another interesting idea from Vogler is that the mentor is an evolved hero who has learned from his own adventures and becomes able to teach.
Reaction
I like that in Vogler’s text he accounts for the uniqueness of stories today, as we are trying to come up with original ideas in our post screwed world. I think that each step is important no matter how it is manipulated. I like that the refusal of the call shows the audience the threat that the hero is facing because their final acceptance makes them all the more heroic for overcoming the threshold of fear. I am also glad he included willing heroes because some heroes, like ones seeking revenge, would seek the danger and nnot bother to refuse it. The meeting with the mentor is so important and with the abundance of mentor types its nearly impossible to think of a story that does not somehow include this aspect. It’s an important moment for the hero and for the audience to realize that the hero is imperfect and needs some sort of assistance, no matter what form it comes in or what might change by the end of the journey.
Questions
Can you explain the artist as hero?
What are some film examples of willing heroes?
Besides the discussion of Chiron, what are examples of influential mentors?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Memoir Revision Plan
Editing:
1. I'm going to specify my "it"s and "this"s. I need to clearly describe my ideas for the reader to follow each sentence.
2. I need to check my use of commas and semi colons. I need to consider the FANBOYS and make sure that sentences are connected properly and tell the reader the right way to read my story.
3. I want to weed through my sentences to make sure that I am using the best word to describe each idea as well as using a varied, interesting vocabulary.
Revision:
1. The end of my story needs work, a better wrap up. I want to make clear what I learned from my journey and I will add more to describe my growth.
2. I need to make sure that on a paragraph level, my ideas relate back to Vogler's idea of the hero's journey, and that my steps are clear.
3. In dealing with the specifics of my sentences like the its and this I think that I will need to add more to each paragraph to fully explain and describe my experience. I want it to be very detailed so that the reader can see and experience what I'm writing about because it is important to me.
1. I'm going to specify my "it"s and "this"s. I need to clearly describe my ideas for the reader to follow each sentence.
2. I need to check my use of commas and semi colons. I need to consider the FANBOYS and make sure that sentences are connected properly and tell the reader the right way to read my story.
3. I want to weed through my sentences to make sure that I am using the best word to describe each idea as well as using a varied, interesting vocabulary.
Revision:
1. The end of my story needs work, a better wrap up. I want to make clear what I learned from my journey and I will add more to describe my growth.
2. I need to make sure that on a paragraph level, my ideas relate back to Vogler's idea of the hero's journey, and that my steps are clear.
3. In dealing with the specifics of my sentences like the its and this I think that I will need to add more to each paragraph to fully explain and describe my experience. I want it to be very detailed so that the reader can see and experience what I'm writing about because it is important to me.
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