Stage Seven & Stage Eight:
Approach to the Inmost Cave & The Ordeal:
Summary:
In this section of the Vogler reading we learn of the steps and ordeals that the hero will face in their approach to the inmost cave. There are many different things that the hero should be prepared for in this part of the journey like the illusions and possibility for a romantic spark and they must figure out the best way of addressing the cave, like a bold approach. The hero will face many thresholds in this part of the journey and they will have to figure out how to get past them and move on in their mission, for example, the hero may find that emotional appeal will help them connect with a threshold guardian. There are many dramatic complications in this section of a story and the audience is often reminded of the higher stakes, most likely danger or fear of death. Once the hero has entered the inmost cave they often find that they are faced with the impossible task of exiting the cave safely and this is when they will ultimately have to deal with a life verses death situation. The death and rebirth of the hero is a key moment in any story and it is essential in creating balance and a complete person at the end of a journey. The crisis can most likely be found in the middle which gives the hero enough time in the second half to deal with the ordeal, or the crisis can be delayed and found in the second part of a story. The hero then goes on to face their greatest fear in an ordeal in which they will need to be balanced in order to come out on top of.
Reaction:
I found this section to be a little overwhelming and scattered in ideas making it hard to follow at parts. I thought the idea that “nothing is wasted, and every challenge of the past strengthens and informs us for the present” is essential in overcoming challenges and becoming the hero you want to be. I also agreed with the idea that heroes must have a balance of confidence and humility in order to go into an adventure in a good state and ready for whatever comes their way. It is also important to recognize that “no one can go through an experience at the edge of death without being changed in some way” and that this is hopefully a change that will better the hero as a person and allow them to move forward in their journey. In stage eight of this reading section is when the information seems to become a bit random moving from the crisis in a story to “The Love that Kills” and “Going Psycho.” It was very unclear to me what these things had to do with each other and their importance.
Reflection:
Vogler talks about being able to tell a story from any of the character’s points of view and this is something that seems important in creating a balanced and all around better story. I would be curious to know what my personal memoir would look like from the perspective of the goddess, mentor, or enemy. Now that we have begun working on writing a research paper I think it is still important to understand the perspective or point of view that each source is being written from. You aren’t understanding the material completely if you cannot determine who the source was written by and what they’re trying to get across to the reader. There also seems to be a certain crisis even in a research paper just like a narrative or short story. The paper builds up with information and then establishes the evidence to support a certain theme or idea and then concludes with a wrap up of the information.
Questions:
1) Do you agree with the idea that you achieve a moment of apotheosis where you are godly and get to play the role of god?
2) How many people feel that because they have overcome an ordeal they have won the respect and approval of their parents which they were lacking before?
3) Has anyone ever felt the power of the Ariadne’s Thread?
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Crossing the First Threshold & Tests, Allies and Enemies:
Summary:
In this section of the reading Vogler’s focus is on the first steps into the journey and the obstacles and people that the hero will meet. The crossing of the first threshold marks the hero’s first step into the unknown world and it signifies that they have “committed wholeheartedly” to the adventure. In trying to cross into the unknown world the hero may run into a threshold guardian who is placed there as a barrier that the hero must learn to get through. Once the hero has gotten past the threshold guardian they take a leap of faith into their journey that cannot be reversed once it is set into motion. After committing to the leap of faith the hero must now conquer tests that are put before the hero to prepare her for the harder tasks to come. The hero will meet people upon entering the unknown world and have to determine whether or not they are someone who can be trusted to be an ally of the hero. The hero’s enemy of the journey may also be recognized in this part of the story as the hero is familiarizing themselves with the new terrain and community.
Reaction:
The idea that the threshold guardian can be just an illusion or something that needs to merely be recognized is an idea that I completely agree with. We are constantly making obstacles in our way into much bigger problems than they really are. If every problem were dealt with in a head-on manner with an attitude of optimism and kindness we would find our lives much less complicated. There are valuable lessons to be learned from every step of the journey and the threshold guardian provides the hero with their first test which can be used to determine the hero’s character or personality. In life we are often faced with situations in which it is crucial to make a decision between taking a leap of faith or opting out. It seems to me that you will not gain knowledge or strength within yourself without taking these leaps of faith and believing that you can overcome whatever challenges are on the other side. In the Contrast section of the text Vogler brings up the point that the hero doesn’t necessarily need to leave their known world but there must be some kind of change or movement internally within the hero. This idea is extremely interesting because if this proves to be the case then we would be going through a hero’s journey inside ourselves every time we experienced a significant change.
Reflection:
In reading the section about the creation of teams that surround the hero and help them on their journey and in achieving their goal I could not help but think of The Lord of the Rings. Frodo is the main hero in this journey; however, he has a large group of friends who all have different skills and knowledge which allow them to overcome each challenge as a team. In the movie Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne is coached by his Mentor well beyond the first threshold and into the tests so that when the time comes Bruce has the skills to take on his supreme enemy. Reading Kafka’s Metamorphosis it is difficult to distinguish who is the enemy of the story or what exactly the hero Gregor is being tested about. Gregor is tested when his sister and mother start cleaning his room and taking all of his belongings away but I am still unsure what this test shows about his character or what it is preparing him for. The enemies that are evident in the story, like his father and boss, are not like traditional enemies that we see in other stories. It is hard to determine whether or not his father can be considered a true enemy even though he throws apples at Gregor and shows outward hostility toward him.
1) How does one go about challenging and testing their boundaries if they are too scared to take a leap of faith? Are they essential to the growth of us as human beings?
2) What is an example of a Threshold Guardian who is transformed into a valuable ally of the hero?
3) How exactly does the water hold allow for a musical sequence that announces the mood of the Special World? What is an example of a movie that shows the significance between music and plot?
Summary:
In this section of the reading Vogler’s focus is on the first steps into the journey and the obstacles and people that the hero will meet. The crossing of the first threshold marks the hero’s first step into the unknown world and it signifies that they have “committed wholeheartedly” to the adventure. In trying to cross into the unknown world the hero may run into a threshold guardian who is placed there as a barrier that the hero must learn to get through. Once the hero has gotten past the threshold guardian they take a leap of faith into their journey that cannot be reversed once it is set into motion. After committing to the leap of faith the hero must now conquer tests that are put before the hero to prepare her for the harder tasks to come. The hero will meet people upon entering the unknown world and have to determine whether or not they are someone who can be trusted to be an ally of the hero. The hero’s enemy of the journey may also be recognized in this part of the story as the hero is familiarizing themselves with the new terrain and community.
Reaction:
The idea that the threshold guardian can be just an illusion or something that needs to merely be recognized is an idea that I completely agree with. We are constantly making obstacles in our way into much bigger problems than they really are. If every problem were dealt with in a head-on manner with an attitude of optimism and kindness we would find our lives much less complicated. There are valuable lessons to be learned from every step of the journey and the threshold guardian provides the hero with their first test which can be used to determine the hero’s character or personality. In life we are often faced with situations in which it is crucial to make a decision between taking a leap of faith or opting out. It seems to me that you will not gain knowledge or strength within yourself without taking these leaps of faith and believing that you can overcome whatever challenges are on the other side. In the Contrast section of the text Vogler brings up the point that the hero doesn’t necessarily need to leave their known world but there must be some kind of change or movement internally within the hero. This idea is extremely interesting because if this proves to be the case then we would be going through a hero’s journey inside ourselves every time we experienced a significant change.
Reflection:
In reading the section about the creation of teams that surround the hero and help them on their journey and in achieving their goal I could not help but think of The Lord of the Rings. Frodo is the main hero in this journey; however, he has a large group of friends who all have different skills and knowledge which allow them to overcome each challenge as a team. In the movie Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne is coached by his Mentor well beyond the first threshold and into the tests so that when the time comes Bruce has the skills to take on his supreme enemy. Reading Kafka’s Metamorphosis it is difficult to distinguish who is the enemy of the story or what exactly the hero Gregor is being tested about. Gregor is tested when his sister and mother start cleaning his room and taking all of his belongings away but I am still unsure what this test shows about his character or what it is preparing him for. The enemies that are evident in the story, like his father and boss, are not like traditional enemies that we see in other stories. It is hard to determine whether or not his father can be considered a true enemy even though he throws apples at Gregor and shows outward hostility toward him.
1) How does one go about challenging and testing their boundaries if they are too scared to take a leap of faith? Are they essential to the growth of us as human beings?
2) What is an example of a Threshold Guardian who is transformed into a valuable ally of the hero?
3) How exactly does the water hold allow for a musical sequence that announces the mood of the Special World? What is an example of a movie that shows the significance between music and plot?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Refusal of the Call & Mentor
Summary:
In this section Vogler takes the reader deeper into the hero’s journey and explains in detail the refusal of the call and the meeting and purpose of the Mentor. There are many reasons why a hero might refuse to accept their mission or adventure right away. One of the main reasons why the hero may be apprehensive to embark on an adventure is merely the fact that it has the potential to be life threatening or at least a little bit dangerous. The hero may also try to avoid having to deal with the mission or make an excuse as to why they cannot fulfill their calling. There are some instances when refusing the call is the wise decision on the hero’s part and then there are heroes that are more than willing to accept their call. The Mentor’s job is to protect, guide, teach, train, and provide the hero with magical gifts sometime throughout the story.
Reaction:
I thought it was quite interesting that the idea of a hero embarking on a journey has to have some element that is considered “dangerous or life-threatening.” Vogler says that in less there is an element of danger the adventure would not be considered real. I am not so sure I agree with this because there are plenty of stories that start out with a call to adventure that does not have a dangerous connotation. For example, in the movie “The Parent Trap” there is no definite form of danger when the girls are called to switch places. I’m not sure I fully understood the “Artist as Hero” section because it seemed like Vogler was saying that if you aren’t an artist than you don’t have to face contradictory inner and external callings. It was interesting to think of the mentor as an evolved hero, all the way from the fool to Hierophant.
Reflection:
While reading this section I was thinking about the first part of Kafka that we read last week. Gregor is trying to get out of bed, go to work, and perform his call to duty but he is unable to. He is a willing hero who is unable to respond to his call of duty and perhaps this was a positive refusal because of his feeling of dread when Gregor thinks about work. It is also interesting to think about whom Gregor’s mentor might be in the story if he is actually a giant cockroach. Or perhaps he has not faced his call to adventure yet and he will meet a fellow cockroach to be his teacher in all things that a roach needs to know in the big city. The idea of a mentor and hero having a relationship in which the mentor passes information and knowledge on to the next generation is a universal idea that is extremely important. Stories have been kept alive for centuries because of the passing from one generation to the next and the same goes for knowledge.
1) What is the significance of the artist as hero? Is this implying that you have to be an artist in order to have both an inner and external that are conflicting?
2) How does a mentor not being able to let go of the hero relate to parents and college freshman?
3) What are some examples of movies or stories in which the Mentor turns out to be a bad character that makes the hero’s life into one of crime or deceit?
Summary:
In this section Vogler takes the reader deeper into the hero’s journey and explains in detail the refusal of the call and the meeting and purpose of the Mentor. There are many reasons why a hero might refuse to accept their mission or adventure right away. One of the main reasons why the hero may be apprehensive to embark on an adventure is merely the fact that it has the potential to be life threatening or at least a little bit dangerous. The hero may also try to avoid having to deal with the mission or make an excuse as to why they cannot fulfill their calling. There are some instances when refusing the call is the wise decision on the hero’s part and then there are heroes that are more than willing to accept their call. The Mentor’s job is to protect, guide, teach, train, and provide the hero with magical gifts sometime throughout the story.
Reaction:
I thought it was quite interesting that the idea of a hero embarking on a journey has to have some element that is considered “dangerous or life-threatening.” Vogler says that in less there is an element of danger the adventure would not be considered real. I am not so sure I agree with this because there are plenty of stories that start out with a call to adventure that does not have a dangerous connotation. For example, in the movie “The Parent Trap” there is no definite form of danger when the girls are called to switch places. I’m not sure I fully understood the “Artist as Hero” section because it seemed like Vogler was saying that if you aren’t an artist than you don’t have to face contradictory inner and external callings. It was interesting to think of the mentor as an evolved hero, all the way from the fool to Hierophant.
Reflection:
While reading this section I was thinking about the first part of Kafka that we read last week. Gregor is trying to get out of bed, go to work, and perform his call to duty but he is unable to. He is a willing hero who is unable to respond to his call of duty and perhaps this was a positive refusal because of his feeling of dread when Gregor thinks about work. It is also interesting to think about whom Gregor’s mentor might be in the story if he is actually a giant cockroach. Or perhaps he has not faced his call to adventure yet and he will meet a fellow cockroach to be his teacher in all things that a roach needs to know in the big city. The idea of a mentor and hero having a relationship in which the mentor passes information and knowledge on to the next generation is a universal idea that is extremely important. Stories have been kept alive for centuries because of the passing from one generation to the next and the same goes for knowledge.
1) What is the significance of the artist as hero? Is this implying that you have to be an artist in order to have both an inner and external that are conflicting?
2) How does a mentor not being able to let go of the hero relate to parents and college freshman?
3) What are some examples of movies or stories in which the Mentor turns out to be a bad character that makes the hero’s life into one of crime or deceit?
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