Vogler, Christopher. “The Writer‘s Journey,” “Stories are Alive” . The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers Third Edition. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
Summary
In “The Writer’s Journey” Vogler relates the hero’s journey to real life, specifically the journey of a writer. The elixer would be a good story. A judgmental editor could be the threshold guardian, and things like accidents and computer problems could be considered tricksters. Distractions could be called the shapeshifter during the writer’s journey. Vogler also compares a writer to the shaman saying they could play that role over the course of the journey.
In “Stories are Alive”, Vogler talks about how stories can help because they can relate to the characters. He examines the story of Rumplestiltskin, broadening on the different aspects of the story. He points out the wishing is an important part in stories, and that done at the beginning of a story is a good way to orientate an audience to the story. He explains the concept of “Not Only…But Alas”, how you can know the truth on something but that there is another side to that truth that you may not know. He goes on to state that a good story will have the audience interacting with it, wishing with the hero and getting upset is not all goes well. He also explains the concept of a hero willing.
Reaction
Once again I found the first section pointless. He was just restating everything that he has said in the last couple of chapters, and seemed to be giving himself his own little praise. The second section was interesting and provided new, pertinent information. I did not realize everything that he mentioned surrounding the use of wishing and willing with characters.
Questions
1)Do you think Ruplestiltskin could have been the father of the baby?
2)Do you think it is important for a villain to get his “justice” for a story to be good?
3)Do you think every story teaches a lesson?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
ann. bib. #10
Vogler, Christopher. “Looking Back on the Journey” . The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers Third Edition. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
Summary
In this section of Vogler, he talks about the role the different sections should play in creating the story. He states that a person should not follow the structure rigidly and that the story turns out better if it is not followed closely. He emphasizes the importance of following the needs of the story and the needs of the audience to determine the structure of this story. He goes on to make his point shown by explaining the structures of such movies like Titanic and Lion King.
Reaction
I did not like this section of the story; it was pointless. Vogler was reiterating what he has previously mentioned in the stories, he was not teaching anything significantly new. While he used well known movies to get his point across, he could have gone just as easily without this section.
Questions
1)Are you a fan of Titanic, do you think it makes a good story?
2)Do you think the symbolism in the Titanic is significant to the movie?
3)Do you consider the first three starwars films more cheerful then the most recent three?
Summary
In this section of Vogler, he talks about the role the different sections should play in creating the story. He states that a person should not follow the structure rigidly and that the story turns out better if it is not followed closely. He emphasizes the importance of following the needs of the story and the needs of the audience to determine the structure of this story. He goes on to make his point shown by explaining the structures of such movies like Titanic and Lion King.
Reaction
I did not like this section of the story; it was pointless. Vogler was reiterating what he has previously mentioned in the stories, he was not teaching anything significantly new. While he used well known movies to get his point across, he could have gone just as easily without this section.
Questions
1)Are you a fan of Titanic, do you think it makes a good story?
2)Do you think the symbolism in the Titanic is significant to the movie?
3)Do you consider the first three starwars films more cheerful then the most recent three?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
ann. bib. # 9
Vogler, Christopher. “The Resurrection”, “Return with the Elixir”. The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers Third Edition. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
Summary
This is the stage where the hero has their last encounter with death, and it is also suppose to be the most dangerous encounter. The hero must once again change and go through a “rebirth” before reentering the ordinary world. This “new” hero should have all the good characteristics of their old self, as well as, their lessons they have learned throughout their journey. This also serves as a function of “cleansing the hero of the smell of death”. In this stage, the trouble is usually not directed just at the hero, but there is some threat to the entire world. It is the best scenario when the hero acts alone in this challenge, and does not have to be rescued by an ally. In Westerns, this is generally represented by a shootout. In some cases the hero dies at this stage (known as the tragic hero), but in the majority of cases it is the villain. Another challenge is the hero having to choose between choices to see if the hero sticks to their values. There are two different classifications for the climax, the rolling climax and the quiet climax. This stage is ultimately the last chance for the character to change their ways.
The return with the elixir stage is the stage where the heroes return to the place they were at at the beginning of their journey. During this stage all the loose ends are wrapped up. There are two story forms, the circular form and the open-ended form. The circular style is also known as the closed form, and it is the most popular story form. This story lets you see how far the hero has come. Happy endings are very popular in Hollywood movies. In the open-ended form, questions are intentionally left at the end of the hero’s journey for the audience to decide for themselves. This is the part of the story that many writers mess up. It shares many similarities with the Reward stage. A good version of the return stage should connect all the plot lines but also have some aspects of surprise. Another function of this stage is to dish out the last rewards and punishments to the characters. Tragedy, responsibility, and love are all examples of common elixirs the hero brings back from their journey. There are many different pitfalls during this stage of the story. Unresolved subplots, too many endings, abrupt endings, and an out of focus end are all common pitfalls the befall this stage.
Reaction
Overall these sections of the book were good. He explained the different aspects well, and did not write about a lot of common knowledge. I did not agree with his stance on how the hero should not be rescued in the road back stage; I think in some instances a hero coming to the aid helps.
Questions
1)What is an example of a movie where the hero was rescued by an ally in the road back and it worked well?
2)Do you prefer an open-ended ending or a circular format in a story and why?
3)Do you think a tragic hero is effective at teaching the audience a lesson?
Summary
This is the stage where the hero has their last encounter with death, and it is also suppose to be the most dangerous encounter. The hero must once again change and go through a “rebirth” before reentering the ordinary world. This “new” hero should have all the good characteristics of their old self, as well as, their lessons they have learned throughout their journey. This also serves as a function of “cleansing the hero of the smell of death”. In this stage, the trouble is usually not directed just at the hero, but there is some threat to the entire world. It is the best scenario when the hero acts alone in this challenge, and does not have to be rescued by an ally. In Westerns, this is generally represented by a shootout. In some cases the hero dies at this stage (known as the tragic hero), but in the majority of cases it is the villain. Another challenge is the hero having to choose between choices to see if the hero sticks to their values. There are two different classifications for the climax, the rolling climax and the quiet climax. This stage is ultimately the last chance for the character to change their ways.
The return with the elixir stage is the stage where the heroes return to the place they were at at the beginning of their journey. During this stage all the loose ends are wrapped up. There are two story forms, the circular form and the open-ended form. The circular style is also known as the closed form, and it is the most popular story form. This story lets you see how far the hero has come. Happy endings are very popular in Hollywood movies. In the open-ended form, questions are intentionally left at the end of the hero’s journey for the audience to decide for themselves. This is the part of the story that many writers mess up. It shares many similarities with the Reward stage. A good version of the return stage should connect all the plot lines but also have some aspects of surprise. Another function of this stage is to dish out the last rewards and punishments to the characters. Tragedy, responsibility, and love are all examples of common elixirs the hero brings back from their journey. There are many different pitfalls during this stage of the story. Unresolved subplots, too many endings, abrupt endings, and an out of focus end are all common pitfalls the befall this stage.
Reaction
Overall these sections of the book were good. He explained the different aspects well, and did not write about a lot of common knowledge. I did not agree with his stance on how the hero should not be rescued in the road back stage; I think in some instances a hero coming to the aid helps.
Questions
1)What is an example of a movie where the hero was rescued by an ally in the road back and it worked well?
2)Do you prefer an open-ended ending or a circular format in a story and why?
3)Do you think a tragic hero is effective at teaching the audience a lesson?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Ann. Bib. #8
Vogler, Christopher. “Reward“, “The Road Back”. The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers Third Edition. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
Summary
The Reward stage takes place right after the ordeal, and it is when the hero gets what they’ve been seeking. They can either win it, be given it, or steal it. The reward has a variety of shapes. It can be a celebration which provides the hero with time for rest before returning to normal world. It can be a campfire scene which gives the hero the chance to recap their adventure and allows the audience to look back on what has happened. It can also be a love scene. They usually get new perceptions when they reach the reward stage. They can gain better ability at seeing through deception, gain clairvoyance, gain a better self-realization, and have an epiphany. Another result could be the hero gaining too much of an ego and as a result have a distorted perception. Either way, the hero gains something during this stage.
The Road Back stage takes place after the Reward stage. It is during this stage that the hero makes the decision to stay in the special world or return to the ordinary world. Most of the time the hero returns to the ordinary world. Usually during this stage the hero discovers that the villain is not really dead, and the villain comes after the hero for revenge. Chase scenes are common, and in fairytales they are referred to as magic flight. The hero could also be running from admirers or chasing a villain that has escaped. Finally, the hero can experience set backs during this stage to test their resolve.
Reaction
I think Vogler did a good job explaining these two sections, and he used a better variety of movies then he did in the previous required reading. Still, I only recognized a few of the movie examples. I didn’t realize there where so many reward variations. I also did not realize that a chase scene was so common in the Road Back stage.
Questions
1)Can a story end after the reward stage?
2)Can you name a hero in a movie that decided to stay in the special world?
3)Do heroes realize that they have changed in the reward stage or does it just occur?
Summary
The Reward stage takes place right after the ordeal, and it is when the hero gets what they’ve been seeking. They can either win it, be given it, or steal it. The reward has a variety of shapes. It can be a celebration which provides the hero with time for rest before returning to normal world. It can be a campfire scene which gives the hero the chance to recap their adventure and allows the audience to look back on what has happened. It can also be a love scene. They usually get new perceptions when they reach the reward stage. They can gain better ability at seeing through deception, gain clairvoyance, gain a better self-realization, and have an epiphany. Another result could be the hero gaining too much of an ego and as a result have a distorted perception. Either way, the hero gains something during this stage.
The Road Back stage takes place after the Reward stage. It is during this stage that the hero makes the decision to stay in the special world or return to the ordinary world. Most of the time the hero returns to the ordinary world. Usually during this stage the hero discovers that the villain is not really dead, and the villain comes after the hero for revenge. Chase scenes are common, and in fairytales they are referred to as magic flight. The hero could also be running from admirers or chasing a villain that has escaped. Finally, the hero can experience set backs during this stage to test their resolve.
Reaction
I think Vogler did a good job explaining these two sections, and he used a better variety of movies then he did in the previous required reading. Still, I only recognized a few of the movie examples. I didn’t realize there where so many reward variations. I also did not realize that a chase scene was so common in the Road Back stage.
Questions
1)Can a story end after the reward stage?
2)Can you name a hero in a movie that decided to stay in the special world?
3)Do heroes realize that they have changed in the reward stage or does it just occur?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
ann. bib. #7
Vogler, Christopher. “Approach to the Inmost Cave“, “The Ordeal”. The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers Third Edition. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
Summary
In the “Approach to the Inmost Cave”, Vogler elaborates on the functions and the characteristics on this stage of the story. The approach allows the hero time to organize their plans; it is during this time that romances are declared in some stories. Some characters will skip a lot of the approach, and just face the cave automatically. During the approach the hero will face challenges that allow him to practice the skills they have learned on their; some of these obstacles will discourage the hero which gives the time to reevaluate their plan and why they are doing the journey. Vogler uses The Wizard of Oz to explain many of the concepts of the approach including emotionally appealing to the threshold guardian and the hero coming to the acceptance of their fate, that they have to face and conquer “the cave”.
In “The Ordeal”, Vogler emphasizes the importance of the hero going through some form of death and rebirth whether it is literal or abstract. They go through some form of death and are reborn a changed hero. This event is suppose to be the central event in the so-called second act of the story and is usually found halfway through the second act, but it can be placed anywhere as long as it is present. Vogler makes a point to mention the audiences emotion to the story lines, to make the importance of the hero’s death more evident. The hero doesn’t have to be the one to die for this death to take place. For example, the hero can kill someone and as a result their innocence died. One of the more common ordeals is that of a confrontation between the hero and the enemy. In some instances the enemy dies at this point, but not always. Basically, the ordeal is when the hero faces his greatest fear, and either conquers and comes out a changed person or dies completely; the example given for that one was in the movie Psycho, the death of Marion.
Reaction
I thought these two chapters were very informative. He did a good job at describing the different aspects present in these two stages of the hero’s journey. I like the fact that he pointed out that the supposed hero does not always have to survive the ordeal and can be replaced.
Questions
1)Can you name a movie that does not have an ordeal in the middle of the story?
2)Can you name a movie without a true villain?
3)Do you consider it necessary to have allies on the approach to the innermost cave?
Summary
In the “Approach to the Inmost Cave”, Vogler elaborates on the functions and the characteristics on this stage of the story. The approach allows the hero time to organize their plans; it is during this time that romances are declared in some stories. Some characters will skip a lot of the approach, and just face the cave automatically. During the approach the hero will face challenges that allow him to practice the skills they have learned on their; some of these obstacles will discourage the hero which gives the time to reevaluate their plan and why they are doing the journey. Vogler uses The Wizard of Oz to explain many of the concepts of the approach including emotionally appealing to the threshold guardian and the hero coming to the acceptance of their fate, that they have to face and conquer “the cave”.
In “The Ordeal”, Vogler emphasizes the importance of the hero going through some form of death and rebirth whether it is literal or abstract. They go through some form of death and are reborn a changed hero. This event is suppose to be the central event in the so-called second act of the story and is usually found halfway through the second act, but it can be placed anywhere as long as it is present. Vogler makes a point to mention the audiences emotion to the story lines, to make the importance of the hero’s death more evident. The hero doesn’t have to be the one to die for this death to take place. For example, the hero can kill someone and as a result their innocence died. One of the more common ordeals is that of a confrontation between the hero and the enemy. In some instances the enemy dies at this point, but not always. Basically, the ordeal is when the hero faces his greatest fear, and either conquers and comes out a changed person or dies completely; the example given for that one was in the movie Psycho, the death of Marion.
Reaction
I thought these two chapters were very informative. He did a good job at describing the different aspects present in these two stages of the hero’s journey. I like the fact that he pointed out that the supposed hero does not always have to survive the ordeal and can be replaced.
Questions
1)Can you name a movie that does not have an ordeal in the middle of the story?
2)Can you name a movie without a true villain?
3)Do you consider it necessary to have allies on the approach to the innermost cave?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
annotated bibliography 5
Vogler, Christopher. “The Refusal of the Call“, “Meeting with the Mentor”. The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers Third Edition. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
Summary
Volger elaborated on his explanation of “the refusal of the call“. This is the stage where the hero refuses to go on the adventure, and it can be a quick refusal or a prolonged refusal. The pause between the knowledge of the adventure and the acceptance of it, gives the hero the opportunity to weight the consequences and the choices that they have. The majority of hero’s originally refuse to go on their adventure. Some persistently refuse to go on their adventure, which is a trait of the tragic hero. There can be more then one adventure that a hero is called to go on, and they have to choose between the two. Some refusals of the call are positive, if the adventure is a trap. Heroes that do not refuse the call are known as willing heroes.
Mentors are the archetype that help the heroes prepare for their adventure. All heroes come into contact with a mentor over the course of a story, even if they are not a person. Mentors can be used to trick the audience by defying their archetype. They can truly be evil and try to misguide the hero, and they can have ulterior motives. The relationship between a mentor and a hero does not have to be a good one. Some stories revolve around the teachings of a mentor. While there are mentors in every story, there is no definite traits that they are confined to, except that they provide some sort of guidance for the hero.
Reaction
While there was a little bit of new information in these two sections, they were pretty much nothing more then a repeat of what was stated before. I think the book could have gone without them. The movie examples were helpful. Other then being repetitive, it was good.
Questions
1)Can you name a story that is about a mentor?
2)Can you name a tragic hero?
3)Can you name an example of a story where a hero had to make a choice between two calls and chose the wrong one?
Summary
Volger elaborated on his explanation of “the refusal of the call“. This is the stage where the hero refuses to go on the adventure, and it can be a quick refusal or a prolonged refusal. The pause between the knowledge of the adventure and the acceptance of it, gives the hero the opportunity to weight the consequences and the choices that they have. The majority of hero’s originally refuse to go on their adventure. Some persistently refuse to go on their adventure, which is a trait of the tragic hero. There can be more then one adventure that a hero is called to go on, and they have to choose between the two. Some refusals of the call are positive, if the adventure is a trap. Heroes that do not refuse the call are known as willing heroes.
Mentors are the archetype that help the heroes prepare for their adventure. All heroes come into contact with a mentor over the course of a story, even if they are not a person. Mentors can be used to trick the audience by defying their archetype. They can truly be evil and try to misguide the hero, and they can have ulterior motives. The relationship between a mentor and a hero does not have to be a good one. Some stories revolve around the teachings of a mentor. While there are mentors in every story, there is no definite traits that they are confined to, except that they provide some sort of guidance for the hero.
Reaction
While there was a little bit of new information in these two sections, they were pretty much nothing more then a repeat of what was stated before. I think the book could have gone without them. The movie examples were helpful. Other then being repetitive, it was good.
Questions
1)Can you name a story that is about a mentor?
2)Can you name a tragic hero?
3)Can you name an example of a story where a hero had to make a choice between two calls and chose the wrong one?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Project 1 revision
Edit:
1) I'm going to fix my comma in the first paragraph.
2) I'm going to fix the "things, this, it's..."in the paragraphs.
3) I'm going to fix some of the sentence structures.
Revise:
1) I'm going to make my "so what"more clear.
2) I'm going to unclutter a couple of the paragraphs.
3) I'm going to add a little more detail to the last few paragraphs.
1) I'm going to fix my comma in the first paragraph.
2) I'm going to fix the "things, this, it's..."in the paragraphs.
3) I'm going to fix some of the sentence structures.
Revise:
1) I'm going to make my "so what"more clear.
2) I'm going to unclutter a couple of the paragraphs.
3) I'm going to add a little more detail to the last few paragraphs.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
ann. bib. 4
Vogler, Christopher. “The Ordinary World“, “The Call to Adventure”. The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers Third Edition. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
Summary
Volger elaborated on the concept of an “ordinary world“. He reiterated a few of the concepts including that it takes place at the beginning of the stories and that it’s function is to provide a comparison between the ordinary world and the special world, so the audience can better understand the hero’s reaction to the special world. He talks about how the mood of the story is set up ahead of the time through the choice of title and illustrations, as well as the opening lines in a story. He also goes on to explain the use of a prologue. It can be used to give a backstory or help explain the situation occurring at the beginning of the story. It is important to make a large difference between the ordinary world and the special world. The ordinary world can be used to foreshadow other occurrences later in the book. The ordinary world is also a place that people get an understanding of the hero’s problems, both internal and external. Volger emphasizes the importance of the first impression of the hero. The ordinary world is also a good place to introduce the theme.
Vogler does the same thing with “the call to adventure” that he did to the “ordinary world”. The forms are restated including the fact that a person or an inanimate object could bring about the call. The hero could also be called by a string of incidences that make it clear action is needed. The hero could also be called to adventure by using temptation. The messenger who usually calls the hero to adventure takes the archetype of the hero. Vogler also makes it clear that a hero may be unaware at the time of the call that something in their ordinary world is in need of change. He also states that their could be multiple calls to adventure within a single story, and they do not always have to be good.
Reaction
I like the fact that he explains more about the ordinary world, pointing out more of the aspects. I never really put that much thought into the different stages before, and it’s interesting to know more about them to recognize their use in stories. I disagree with his statement that the ordinary world is used at the beginning of a story, though. I’ve seen it presented in different parts of a storyline and broken up throughout a story, and it has been effective. I think it can make a story more interesting if we don’t know everything about the character at once.
Questions
1)Can a story be effective without an ordinary world?
2)Can you name a hero who has been called to adventure by temptation?
3)Do you think that the title of a story helps to set the mood?
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
annotated bibliography #3
Vogler, Christopher. “Threshold Guardian,” “Herald,” “Shapeshifter,” “Shadow,” “Ally,” “Trickster” The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers Third Edition. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
Summary
Vogler continues to talk about the different archetypes, introducing six new ones: the threshold guardian, the herald, the shapeshifter, the shadow, the trickster, and the ally. The threshold guardian is usually present at the entrance to each of the hero’s new worlds. They are usually not the main villain in the story, playing the part of a helper to the main antagonist, secret helper, or a neutral figure instead. The primary function of the threshold guardian in a story is to test the hero, and there challenge should be considered a lesson by the hero. The ways a hero can defeat the threshold guardians are: attacking them, running away from them, deceiving them, bribing them, or making them into an ally. The part of the herald is usually introduced in the beginning of the story, challenging the hero to take up an adventure. The herald can be a neutral, negative or positive part in a story, and it does not have to be a character; it can be something as simple as a phone call.
The shapeshifter archetype of one that changes appearance or mood and presents a challenge to the hero when it comes to determining their loyalty. The function of this archetype is to introduce suspicion and doubt into the storyline. Any character of the story can be a shapeshifter, and this archetype of a common way for a hero to get past a threshold guardian. This archetype is most commonly used in male-female relationship stories. The shadow is the dark or evil aspect of the story, most commonly expressed through the roles of a villain or antagonist of the hero. The villain of a story is a character who wants to kill the hero, and the antagonist is not always as hostile towards the hero. The archetype of the shadow can be expressed through the role of a single character or multiple characters throughout a story, including the hero. It is best when a shadow is not completely evil, a way to humanize them is to give them vulnerabilities. This archetype can be both internal or external. In most stories the characters that portray this archetype do not consider themselves the villain. The ally is the archetype that helps the hero during the course of the journey. They commonly do mundane tasks for the hero, but provide a source of comic relief, a way to humanize the hero, and ways to explain aspects of the story to the audience. The ally does not always have to be human, it can be a variety of things including an animal or a spirit. The main functions of a trickster in a story are comic relief and to cut down egos and make people look realistically at what is going on. The trickster can be a variety of different characters in the story and they don’t have to be good. This archetype usually is found in catalyst characters. This is another archetype that a hero can use to get around a threshold guardian. All of the archetypes help to add dimension to the characters in the stories.
Reaction
I find the connections Vogler makes between the archetypes and the psychological apsects really interesting. It kind of makes you look at it in a different perspective. I also like the fact that these aceetypes are do not follow a strict set of guidelines within a story; the fact that they can take on so many faces is what allows them to blend into the different stories. It is interesting to look at the different stories and be able to identify what the characters are without it being blatantly obvious while you read them.
Questions
1) Who are some popular shapeshifters?
2) Does a story need to have all of these archetypes?
3) Are there any villains you have felt sympathy towards?
Summary
Vogler continues to talk about the different archetypes, introducing six new ones: the threshold guardian, the herald, the shapeshifter, the shadow, the trickster, and the ally. The threshold guardian is usually present at the entrance to each of the hero’s new worlds. They are usually not the main villain in the story, playing the part of a helper to the main antagonist, secret helper, or a neutral figure instead. The primary function of the threshold guardian in a story is to test the hero, and there challenge should be considered a lesson by the hero. The ways a hero can defeat the threshold guardians are: attacking them, running away from them, deceiving them, bribing them, or making them into an ally. The part of the herald is usually introduced in the beginning of the story, challenging the hero to take up an adventure. The herald can be a neutral, negative or positive part in a story, and it does not have to be a character; it can be something as simple as a phone call.
The shapeshifter archetype of one that changes appearance or mood and presents a challenge to the hero when it comes to determining their loyalty. The function of this archetype is to introduce suspicion and doubt into the storyline. Any character of the story can be a shapeshifter, and this archetype of a common way for a hero to get past a threshold guardian. This archetype is most commonly used in male-female relationship stories. The shadow is the dark or evil aspect of the story, most commonly expressed through the roles of a villain or antagonist of the hero. The villain of a story is a character who wants to kill the hero, and the antagonist is not always as hostile towards the hero. The archetype of the shadow can be expressed through the role of a single character or multiple characters throughout a story, including the hero. It is best when a shadow is not completely evil, a way to humanize them is to give them vulnerabilities. This archetype can be both internal or external. In most stories the characters that portray this archetype do not consider themselves the villain. The ally is the archetype that helps the hero during the course of the journey. They commonly do mundane tasks for the hero, but provide a source of comic relief, a way to humanize the hero, and ways to explain aspects of the story to the audience. The ally does not always have to be human, it can be a variety of things including an animal or a spirit. The main functions of a trickster in a story are comic relief and to cut down egos and make people look realistically at what is going on. The trickster can be a variety of different characters in the story and they don’t have to be good. This archetype usually is found in catalyst characters. This is another archetype that a hero can use to get around a threshold guardian. All of the archetypes help to add dimension to the characters in the stories.
Reaction
I find the connections Vogler makes between the archetypes and the psychological apsects really interesting. It kind of makes you look at it in a different perspective. I also like the fact that these aceetypes are do not follow a strict set of guidelines within a story; the fact that they can take on so many faces is what allows them to blend into the different stories. It is interesting to look at the different stories and be able to identify what the characters are without it being blatantly obvious while you read them.
Questions
1) Who are some popular shapeshifters?
2) Does a story need to have all of these archetypes?
3) Are there any villains you have felt sympathy towards?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
What Disney Character am I?
Like most children, I grew up watching Disney. My sister and I would even memorize the lines of our favorite movies and act them out; I’ve been Simba, Timone, Speed, and numerous other Disney characters. If I had to choose what character I’d be today, though, I would have to be Tramp from Lady and the Tramp.
Tramp loved adventure; he loved the freedom of living out on the streets and not having to answer to anybody. Like Tramp, I enjoy being independent. I love to travel and do not like the thought of being tied down. Unlike the other dogs in the movie, tramp did not blindly follow and adore everyone he met. He realizes that people are not perfect and that they are not all the same and places his trust in them accordingly. This is obviously the correct way to go about it. Another aspect we share is we are both loyal and will do almost anything for our families. Plus, neither of us need a life of luxary to be happy. We are satisfied and entertained by the little things.
Tramp loved adventure; he loved the freedom of living out on the streets and not having to answer to anybody. Like Tramp, I enjoy being independent. I love to travel and do not like the thought of being tied down. Unlike the other dogs in the movie, tramp did not blindly follow and adore everyone he met. He realizes that people are not perfect and that they are not all the same and places his trust in them accordingly. This is obviously the correct way to go about it. Another aspect we share is we are both loyal and will do almost anything for our families. Plus, neither of us need a life of luxary to be happy. We are satisfied and entertained by the little things.
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