Vogler's Journey Applied

Vogler, Christopher. “Looking Back on the Journey.” The Writer's Journey: Mythic
Structure for Writers. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.

Summary
In this section, Vogler applies the Hero’s Journey to Titanic, The Lion King, Pulp Fiction, and The Full Monty. First, he explains that not all stories follow the guidelines he has presented and states that stories are sometimes more interesting if they do stray from the journey. He also says that more is being learned about these steps as stories continue to be written. He suggests finding metaphors for writing stories and continuing the investigation of the Hero’s Journey.
Vogler begins with Titanic claiming that Brock Lovett, the Old Rose, and the young Rose and Jack are all heroes to be followed for the story. The story is one that everyone knows so there is no surprise, it is an older story and it is a tragic one as well, which gave reason for the movie to fail. Surprisingly, it didn’t. It became a very popular film because it followed structure, although complex. Vogler brings out the heroes explaining the differences, like Jack who can be considered a catalyst hero, already fulfilled and spreading his joy of life with others on the ship and then performing the ultimate sacrifice of giving his life for love. Other sacrifices are shown like when the Old Rose drops her valuable necklace into the ocean. Several old worlds are shown, like the docks and several special worlds are shown for each hero. These can include first class for Jack, the lower classes for Rose, the dream for Rose, the story for Brock. This story shows several journeys that incorporate most if not all of the steps. There are villains like Cal, mentors like Molly Brown, guards as threshold guardians and many more.
In The Lion King, Simba is a classic hero. His heroes include his father and then the spirit of his father, Rafiki, Timon, Pumba, and Nala. These characters are all allies as well. The shadow, and villain, of the story is Scar along with his hyena followers. Simba follows the journey with a call and then disobediently refusing it. Throughout the story, he matures and is able to overcome many tests and eventually the ordeal where he faces death. He is rewarded after learning his lessons and becomes a strong leader of his kingdom.
Pulp Fiction is a post modern example of the Hero’s Journey. It is interesting because it is a unique film that does not follow many guidelines. As in Titanic, there are multiple heroes that can be followed: Vincent, Jules and Butch The story begins with the refusal to the call which is an interesting change and immediately sets up the risk and danger of the adventure that will take place. There are distinct ordinary worlds that are left behind and special worlds which the hero decide to enter. Mia is a female shapeshifter for them as well. They cross thresholds like entering the apartment of the three young guys. Marsellus is both a mentor and a herald in this film. This story mixes up the stages of the journey and entwines the three heroes, but this is what makes the film appealing to the younger generations because it is something different from the classic story.
The Full Monty is another example with its hero, Gaz. He has both outer and inner conflicts to overcome. He has a call to adventure followed by several refusals. His mentor is his son Nathan. He crosses the threshold and turns enemies into friends. His ordeal includes an encounter with death. There are other threads of the story as well, just not as dominant.
Reaction
I liked that Vogler included the idea that some of the best stories do not follow the guidelines of the journey and that they remain only guidelines. In class, all of our questions are whether or not there are examples that do not include each step and it is clear that they are not all necessary and that our newer generations appreciate a change from the typical storyline. I enjoyed his discussion about the Titanic, as that was once my favorite movie and I have seen it several times. It was interesting to see how there are so many journeys within one story where I would have only seen Rose and Jack as the protagonists. Each character undergoes a journey and changes by the end of the film. I had also never noticed such differences in the characters. Jack was fully developed at the start of the film whereas Rose really did have a lot to turn and made the most change by the end. Subtle elements of the film were revealed in this discussion. I also liked Vogler’s ideas about The Lion King. I had never realized how similar it was to Hamlet. I do agree that Simba is a very classic hero, young and maturing throughout the story because of such an ordeal. There are clear mentors, allies, and villains in this story as well. Each step is clear and easy to follow. Pulp Fiction is definitely a twisted version of the journey, but surprisingly it can be applied as well. I have only seen this film one time so it was hard to remember all of the plot to apply it to the steps but after reading this section it was easy to understand how the ideas fit together and how the journey was applied to all three heroes. I have not seen the Full Monty so it was hard for me to try and understand this section clearly.

Questions
Can you think of any films that defy the journey completely?
Do stories benefit from having multiple heroes to follow like Pulp Fiction or is one better like The Lion King?
Did you notice all of the heroes in Titanic and in Pulp Fiction before reading this?