Toni Morrison

Im using my get out of jail free card for this annotation!

Four Modes

Movie: 8 Mile 

1. The struggle of a man coming from nothing but persevering to eventually make his mark on music reflect (symbolically) the birth of pop music in a culture which once had nothing, but financially and in terms of a music "scene". Also the dichotomy of succeeding in a genre, which culturally is not the main characters own, illustrates the tension in Nepali pop music between welcoming global pop genres, while maintaining cultural distinction in popular music. The literal plot line of Eminem developing a new rap sound also correlates with new hip hop sounds in Nepal.

2. The desire to succeed without losing personal identity. 

3. Audience: Movie goers, Eminem listeners, hip hop fans 

4. Rhetorical Appeals

Ethos: Based loosely on the true story of rapper Eminem's rise to stardom despite starting as an outsider in black hip hop culture. The household name (Eminem) makes the story relevant and intriguing.

Pathos: Shows the hardships (money, drugs, violence) of the lower (impoverished) class in Detroit. Reflects the developing nation status of Nepal in my research.

Logos: Like ethos, the biographical nature of the movie yields authenticity. 

5. The film makes a powerful statement by telling a (mostly) true story, and casting the person on whose life the movie was based to play himself. The movie does not glamorize the lower class lifestyle, but portrays it very honestly. All three appeals work well together to illustrate the concept of being immersed in a culture foreign to your own, but adapting to make it your own.

6. The movie 8 Mile can be used to teach people about staying true to ones own culture and identity while inviting a different culture to influence the art or music which you create. This is a major theme in my research about the emerging pop music scene in Nepal. Eminem's character overcomes adversity when combining his love for rap music with the fact that he himself does not belong to the black culture. As a result he creates a style of music which is unique, as opposed to either giving up on rap or attempting to imitate a sound which he (culturally) doesn't own. The same parallels are found amongst Nepali musicians and pop music fans. They want to modernize their styles of music and enjoy popular western genres, however they have yet to gain a complete understanding of imported music/ They also don't want to lose their national identity by allowing western music to fully infiltrate their country thereby losing traditional Nepali music.  8 Mile illustrates this concept of music causing an identity crisis in Nepal through the true story of one individual in American dealing with the same internal conflict now faced by an entire generation in Nepal. 8 Mile makes this theme easier to understand for an audience which may (probably) know little about Nepal, but can relate to the theme if they see it scaled down to a personal level and brought to life by a popular American rapper (ethos).

Book: Getting Stoned with Savages by J. Maarten Troost

1. Troost enters a culture drastically different from his own. He doesn't know what to except but assumes he will enter a very isolated society off the islands of Indonesia. The villages are in fact rather remote, but is is surprised to find a great deal of culture in urban areas which he didn't even expect the island to have.

2. Finding globalization, development and western mentalities in urbanized areas of even the most remote nations. In this day and age people are separated by social class, economic status and levels of education more so than tradition, ethnicity or nationality.

3. Anthropologists, fans of ethnography and travel writing 

4. Rhetorical Appeals

Ethos: Troost uses humor throughout his writing which makes him likable and appealing. He candidly describes his journey and his experiences are all first hand.

Pathos: Troost gives vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells he encounters. He also gets personal in his writing describing his emotions, highs, lows and even the birth of his first child, which occurred while on the island.

Logos: The book is non-fiction. On top of being a very fun, engaging read, it could be classified as an ethnography of Fiji Islanders or even a descriptive guidebook.

5. Since Troost is the author of only two books, and has little name recognition, pathos and logos are the most effective of the rhetorical appeals used in his writing. His style of writing is very charismatic , and at times comically self deprecating making the book inviting to read. His personal touch makes the book more of a narrative than a study. At the same time logos also appears when Troost goes into great detail about the history, customs, politics etc of the culture in which he finds himself.

6. This book can help convey a message of urbanization, as it appears in my research, to an audience which correlates developing nations with rural isolation. Many people don't realize that urbanization occurs in every country. Regardless of size or financial status, even the most remote countries have an urban center to one extent or another, especially in a time of rapid globalization. My research deals mostly with the "urban" population in Nepal, which some people have a hard time understanding, since the country is stereotyped to be made up of remote mountain villages. Troost's experiences in Fiji, another very remote location, help illustrate the point that cities are not such a foreign concept in third world countries, and that the urban population is actually very westernized, even if the rural areas are still undeveloped and rooted in tradition. Troost also has pathos appeal as a writer; he is not pretentious, and is honest about his own initial ignorance of foreign countries, making him accessible to readers. He also uses logos when describing real events, places, lifestyles etc. given his first hand experience. Since he is so easy to read, his journey might be a good tool to convince just about any audience of the existence of modern development in unexpected places.

Song: One of a Kind by Atmosphere

1. The song talks about being different (as a musician) from everyone else on the music scene. This reflects the Nepali pop movement of Lok pop, which differentiates itself from the newly emerging "westernized" popular music, and celebrates traditional Nepali culture and sounds-- going against the grain of most popular musical movements

2. The desire to distinguish oneself from the masses, retain identity and pride

3. Idie rap audiences

4. Rhetorical Appeals

Ethos: A song about the music industry by a musician himself

Pathos: The performer uses loud vocals and aggressive, accusatory language to illustrate a body of "followers" on the rap scene. This catches the listeners attention.

Logos: Atmosphere provides specific examples throughout the song of the similarities between all the other rappers.

5. There are few, if any, proven facts in the song to strengthen the argument. However, the performer is clearly part of the industry about which he raps on the track; he sounds authoritative and keeps his rhymes and beats catchy. His honesty without arrogance, on top of a contagious, high energy sound leads the listener to believe that he truly is different creating-- all of these factors are attributes of the ethos appeal. Meanwhile Atmosphere uses pathos--lyrics which characterize other rappers as talentless and unoriginal-- to strengthen his message of being unique.

6. Atmosphere is an American born rapper from the Midwest. This particular song exemplifies the emphasis American culture puts on "being yourself", "being unique" and the importance of individuality in general. The message in the song urges to be "one of a kind", which parallels the national pride felt by Nepali urban youth, who are proud of their culture. They are faced with the challenge of having to fight for their identity and individuality as Nepali people, despite rapid infiltration and popularity of western culture. My research talks in depth about the desire to retain national and ethnic identity in Nepal, so this song could help American audiences relate by using the common American theme of individuality (as illustrated through song by a popular artist) and more fully understand the importance of cultural identity in other countries, just as individual identity is important here. 

Visual: http://lukechueh.com/paintings/self-portrait-2.html

1. The painting is of a bear with a banana for a head. The term "banana" has been used for very assimilated Asians in the US who are yellow on the outside but white on the inside. This reflects the struggle to maintain national and cultural identity by urban Nepali youth who are bombarded by western influences.

2. Loss of ethnicity

3. Luke Chueh has a wide following of people who enjoy bizarre, disturbing yet poignant and thought provoking art.

4. Rhetorical Appeals

Ethos: Luke Chueh is a professional, critically acclaimed artist known for his social commentary through paintings.

Pathos: The feel of the painting is conveyed as somber, almost tragic through the expression on the bears face and the dark colors. The emotion conveyed is one of pain or confusion due to the loss of identity.

Logos: The visual, as it appears in the website gallery, provides a description of the cultural meaning behind the banana, so as to explain its significance to the audience.

5. Pathos is the strongest appeal in this piece. The drab, washed out colors along with the the bears sad expression upon removing the mask to reveal his true identity evoke powerful emotions. Also ethos comes into play, since the painting represents Asian American identity, and Chueh himself is an Asian American artist, so the feeling conveyed by the painting is genuine.

6. This painting represents the dark side of globalization. Its dark, melancholy mood represents how Asian Americans feel when belonging to one culture on the inside but physically representing a different race on the outside. This yields a strong pathos appeal to American audiences who might not understand why certain cultures strive to protect their cultural identity, and resist American influences. In particular the idea behind the painting helps to explain the section on Lok Pop in my research, and why, despite a boom of modern pop music, Nepali youth feel nostalgic for a more traditional sound.

Four Modes

Film: Tibet in Song

Film:

Song: Enter Sandman- Metallica

Visual Piece:

Simpsons critique

"The Simpsons as a critique of consumer culture" is pretty accurate, albeit primitive critique of the social significance of The Simpsons. The author gives some background information on the development of the show, and then argues that The Simpsons is a itself a critique on middle class American values and norms. He states that the characters themselves don't represent actual individuals, but instead stand for broader ideas--Lisa represents rationale, Marge- the indifference towards middle class women, Bart- the poor quality of public education, Mr. Burns- capitalism, and so forth. Meanwhile, the plot line of each episode makes a statement about American society outside of the narrative itself, argues the writer. The article claims that the dominant theme and intent of the show is to poke fun at capitalist values, consumer culture, public education, gender roles and so on. The article also seems to focus on the idea of a martyr mentality within the middle class, which dictates that one must give up on their dreams and labor within the capitalist system in order to provide for their family and live out the American dream of consumption. The author extracts these claims through examples from several Simpsons episodes. 

With so many scholarly critiques of The Simpsons over the years, this particular one  didn't strike me as particularly revealing. In fact, most of the critical claims made by the author strike me as common knowledge, or statements which the show blatantly makes, rather than a very deep reading of its underlying or embedded messages. For instance, its obvious that The Simpsons is a satire, rather than a situational narrative, and that its purpose is to expose and even criticize aspects of American culture. I also felt that while at some points the writer points out the obvious, at other times he reads too much into certain aspects of the show, such as claiming that The Simpsons challenges male sexuality. While I agree that the show does indeed propose a liberal view of sexuality, the examples (from the show) used in this particular article don't succeed in proving that point.

However, one astute observation on Tingleff's part was claiming that the characters on the show actually have very underdeveloped personalities as "people", which allows them to embody more general values. 

Overall, this article reminded me of the narrative critiques we had to write as communication majors in senior comps class last year. It reminds me of the assignment both in the style and structure of the article, and also in the sense that the author wrote it because he was forced to critique something, rather than a genuine analytical epiphany he wished to share.

1.http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.45visigoth.com/img/freud.JPG&imgrefurl=http://cruxandflux.wordpress.com/category/commentary/page/2/&usg=__MciWwjLwK9TnB5t2Tp5O65tMxeg=&h=562&w=501&sz=36&hl=en&start=9&um=1&tbnid=S5rlBq4KcGlx_M:&tbnh=133&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3DFreud%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DfyF%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

2.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250797/
3.

Vogler (p 143-173)

The first part of the reading discusses the Approach to the Inmost Cave. This is the point in storytelling where the hero prepares for his most significant challenge during the journey. Vogler uses The Wizard of Oz to illustrate the various aspects of the approach. The central idea in this chapter is on preparation. While previous sections explained how the hero prepares himself (or is educated/coerced by others) to accept the task and enter the new world, the approach to the inmost cave deals with his preparation for the specific task which lies before him. Vogler compares this section of the narrative to base camp before "the final assault on the highest peak". At this point, the hero deducts who his true allies are and the audience recognizes the type of approach (whether a bold, apprehensive, or fool hearty) the hero will be using. During this phase the hero encounters further obstacles; he may enter a series of different worlds within his new environment where the rules change again, encounter new thresholds and complications, face an impossible test, or yet again, have to deal with a thresh hold guardian. At this point in the narrative the stakes might be raised and his objectives reorganized. Vogler also emphasizes the emergence of a "message" with every step of the approach. The approach is complete once the hero has made a "breakthrough"-- a bold step towards completion of the task, which leaves him no exit or escape from the confrontation. 

Though Vogler addresses many different components of "approach" element of a narrative, this chapter was entirely too specific to just one story--The Wizard of Oz. It almost seems as though Vogler extracted his postulates about "The Approach" entirely from The Wizard of Oz, which makes it unfair for him to claim them as rules or standard elements applicable to narratives in general. It becomes very clear that Vogler is under the very strong influence of writing films-- a style which puts the audience first-- and under an even stronger influence of the "Disney" school of story telling.  I am also starting to notice his overuse of the Threshold guardian in almost every chapter, while he neglects to illustrate the presence and significance of other archetypes. 

 Several of Vogler's claims in this chapter do ring true. I agree with his conclusion, in which he states that the approach is complete after a breakthrough of sorts, which leads to the hero having "no exit", and inevitably raises the stakes within the story. This structure is important in order to maintain the elements of suspense and identification throughout a story, and avoiding the loss of pace. However, the most significant point raised in this section is that of a developing message or messages. Each phase of the approach sends a message to the audience about what the hero is learning during the journey. One example, which Vogler uses from The Wizard of Oz is the message of not being tempted by illusions. This message not only reveals what Dorothy has come to realize about her new world, but also serves as an underlying moral in the narrative to be extracted by the audience. This technique of embedding messages gives a story a greater sense of purpose on top of just presenting the hero's journey. 

The second section of this weeks reading was the chapter describing Stage Eight: The Ordeal. Here, Vogler writes about the hero's need to die in order to be reborn. The "death" of the hero may be literal or symbolic. This section of a narrative is the result of a central crisis and results in a prominent change in the hero. Vogler uses two diagrams of an uphill journey to illustrate a crisis or a delayed crisis as they may appear in a story. He also explains many ways in which a crisis may manifest-- creating tension and evoking emotion. According to Vogler, death is a prevalent factor in the order. Death may be caused and or witnessed by the hero, while the hero's seeming death may be witnessed by someone else in the form of self sacrifice.  During the ordeal the hero is also likely to confront the "shadow"or villain. Their encounter results in either the death of one of the two, or the narrow escape of death by either party. Vogler claims that during The Ordeal, the hero faces his greatest fear, and gives examples of traditional confrontations between lovers, parents or the eternal conflict of youth versus age. 

This was an interesting section to read, as it dealt with a great amount of narrative theory. I also found this to be Vogler's strongest analysis of a portion of the hero's journey thus far. He returns to using classic examples of story telling and providing a psychological orientation of each element. What particularly caught my attention was Vogler's reminder that "villains are heroes of their own stories", and suggests the exercise of walking through the story in the Shadow's skin at least once. I appreciated his inclusion of this concept, because the idea has definitely crossed my mind. In modern story telling, especially in film, this is often a given-- even if the hero is clearly defined, the entire cast of characters is usually morally ambiguous to begin with, making it easier to understand the position of the alleged "villain". However, even during Disney movies, for instance, where the bad guy is made blatantly obvious, I wonder if they see themselves or their agenda as "evil". As Vogler recommends doing, I have often desired to view a story through the villains point of view.

Questions:

1) If a story was to be told with the shadow as the hero, would the audience still pick up on his immoral nature, or identify with him as we are conditioned to do with protagonists?

2) Not all narratives deal with a literal demise of the hero or shadow. What are some examples of death in the symbolic sense? 

3) The conflict of youth versus age: Is there an unfair tendency to stigmatize age and glorify youth in storytelling?

Vogler (p 127-141)

This section of the reading begins with Vogler describing the "Crossing of the first threshold", a narrative component which appears at the end of Act Two. The first threshold is the first challenge the hero is met with in the new world. The first threshold is important because if fully commits the hero to continuing his journey, because often it leaves him with no other options. Threshold guardians remain prevalent in this section, and manifest themselves in various ways. Some guardians must simply be acknowledged as having authority, while others take more effort on the hero's part to bypass. Vogler also describes two elements pertaining to the crossing of the first threshold--the leap of faith and the rough landing. The leap of faith is taken by the hero once he sees no other options, and is too committed to turn back. The leap of faith is often an irrational act, and may result in a "rough landing", as the hero is still not entirely comfortable with his mission and surroundings.

In the next section of the reading, Vogler describes the tests, allies and enemies the hero encounters in Stage Six, and how they help to mold the story. Vogler states that by this point, the hero is fully immersed in the "new world". Here the contrast between the old and new worlds becomes most evident, either literally (geographically), or through a set of drastically different conditions. The hero begins undergoing a series of tests in preparation for the more dire challenges to come later. These tests are often passed with the aid of allies that the hero meets in the new world. Of these allies, one or two may stick with the hero for the duration of his journey, becoming his sidekicks, or a group of allies with different strengths may become a team assembled by the hero. During "Act Two" the hero will also encounter various types of enemies in the shadow, trickster, threshold guardian and sometimes the herald. The hero also begins to familiarize himself with a new set of rules pertaining to the new world, and finds "watering holes", which according to Vogler typically take the form of bars, where both violence and romance can breed. 

I found Vogler's interpretations of the end of Act One, and beginning of Act Two to be rather helpful. I was impressed with his ability to create a formulaic description of fantasy driven narrative elements, which can and do manifest themselves in drastically different ways from story to story. The example from Thelma and Louise was great at illustrating a classic "no way out" scenerio, which forces the heroes to cross the first threshold that sets their story in motion. As a theatre scholar, I also liked his comparison of the first threshold, as it appears at the end of Act Two to be followed by a "fade out" or closing of the curtain, before reopening to show the hero fully committed to the journey and navigating the new world. Even more formulaic was the corporate analogy used at Disney, which compares the first threshold to a plane as it is just taking off from the runway-- gaining speed and eventually becoming airborne. 

I also appreciated Vogler's mentioning of the contrast between worlds, as portrayed after the first threshold. He says that the differences between the two are highlighted in this section, but adds that they don't neccessarily have to be physical changes in location; instead an emphasis can be placed on a new set of conditions and challenges. I think this is important to keep in mind, since many modern narratives or films don't change location, yet still fulfill the narrative component of creating contrast. I was surprised however, by how little time Vogler devoted to the "enemies" section of the reading. While he determined the archetypes through which they can appear, he never mentioned the possibility and frequently used narrative strategy, of characters shapeshifting from seeming allies to enemies. I liked the mentioning of the "rival" enemy, but thought Volger used poor examples to illustrate it. The Rival is a very common type of enemy it seems, especially in romance driven stories, and many comedic films. Lastly, I was unsure of the significance of the watering hole, and if it really is a key element to the new world, especially since Vogler only have the example of a bar setting, which seemed a bit two specific. However, after giving it some thought, I realized that the "watering hole" is in fact, frequently found in storytelling, and the most common, if not obvious example is indeed a bar/saloon type establishment.

Questions for discussion:

1) Other than bars, what are other ways in which the watering hole appears in stories?

What is the main function of including a watering hole in a narrative?

2)Can a hero jump directly into his/her mission without undergoing the "pop quizzes" as they present themselves in section 6? Would they be less prepared?

3) What is the most common form that the "enemy" takes (archetypes)? What do you make of the Rival enemy?

3)

Volger 107-125

In the first section of this weeks reading, Vogler wraps up the chapter on the "Refusal of the Call" during the hero's journey. The refusal usually comes after the hero has been summoned to action by a herald. By initially hesitating to accept the challenge, the hero heightens the drama of the narrative. Meanwhile, the audience is presented with a more detailed description of what is at stake, what obstacles the hero will be faced with, and a further exploration of the hero's fears, weaknesses, and wounds from the past, as they follow his rational for why he doesn't wish to embark on the quest before him. According to Vogler, some hero's firmly refuse, and a significant portion of the narrative is dedicated to their process of deliberation, while others acknowledge the potential danger, but accept their duty right away, creating the sub-categories of "reluctant" and "willing" heroes. Vogler reminds us that the Threshold Guardian archetype typically appears during the refusal stage, to heighten the suspense surrounding the hero's entry into the new world. Also, the "Law of the Secret Door" is introduced. This is a fairly common element used by story tellers to introduce a forbidden temptation that the hero is warned against, but inevitably falls into later in the narrative, causing great peril. 

In the second part of the reading, Vogler details the "Meeting with the Mentor". The meeting occurs after the hero has accepted the call to action, during his preparation for the journey. Mentors are usually wise, experienced, and genuinely want to help the hero. They prepare him for his journey through advice or gifting him with tools that will help along the way. Gift giving is typical to mythology and folklore, while stories (also including mythology) depict the mentor as an individual deeply in touch with spiritual wisdom, in one form or another, which he shares with the hero.  Volger stresses the importance of the mentor-hero relationship within a narrative, and describes the different forms in which it can appear in, and guide a story. Traditionally, mentor reflects the reality that we all must learn life lessons from somebody, not on our own.  However, in some stories, the mentor can shape shift, becoming an antagonist of sorts by intentionally gaining the hero's trust, then leading him astray. Or, great deal of drama can be drawn from a mentor-hero conflict, which can lead to betrayal or creation of a stronger bond between the two archetypes. Some stories feature one character as the hero, but are actually mentor driven. 

I thought the first part, about refusal of the call was a little scattered in its organization of ideas. The description of reluctant and willing heroes, as well as the role of threshold guardians as a repetition of previous chapters, and there wasn't as much thought provoking analysis of the  psychological significance of the refusal to the narrative, as I have come to expect from Vogler, aside from the pretty epic reference to . The various ways through which the refusal manifests itself are well organized, however I didn't understand the "positive refusal", and if it actually pertains to "the refusal of the call" as a literary device. Also, Voglers choice of film and literature to call upon in order to illustrate the various elements he describes, has been very hit or miss, throughout the entire book so far.  In this chapter his illustrations were, in my opinion, obscure and dated, with the exception of the epic reference to Jesus' initial refusal of the call, brought at the beginning of the chapter.

I found the next section, about meeting the mentor, to be more practical. In it, Vogler wisely defined the origin of the word "mentor", as it stems from Greek mythology, when the goddess, Athena, used it as the name of her alias when helping Odysseus. For me, this created a significant connection with the purpose of the mentor archetype. I also appreciated the fact that Vogler advises you, as a writer, to avoid mentor cliches, such as the wise, old man or woman, who may or may not possess supernatural abilities. Vogler suggests how the mentor can be used in less conventional ways, such as shape shifting, or conflict with the hero. The mentor driven story is also an interesting twist on the archetype. Though I wasn't familiar with Vogler's references of such narratives, the book "Tuesdays with Morrie" came to mind, and to a lesser extent the relationship between Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins in "The Mask of Zorro". 

Questions for Discussion:

1)If the refusal of the call manifests itself as the "positive refusal" described by Vogler, is it really then a catalyst for the rest of the journey, or does it bring the narrative to a halt, thereby not fulfilling the function of "the refusal" as a storytelling element?

2) What was the point of including "The Artist as the Hero"? Is this really a commonality in storytelling or a tangent Vogler goes off on?

3) What are some of the most prominent mentor's in film or literature? What qualities make them so memorable?

Volger annotation IV

In this reading, Volger discusses the first two stages of the hero's journey. The first part of any narrative should begin with an introduction to the "ordinary world" in which the audience is introduced to the hero, as well as the nature of the story to come (comedic, dramatic, metaphor driven, etc.). He begins with a very rudimentary synopsis of the "ordinary world" function through an except of a story as told by cavemen, to illustrate the universality and timelessness of this story telling component. He goes on to break down the various elements which should be incorporated into the introduction, and gives examples of different strategies through which they can be achieved. In order to introduce the audience to the narrative writers may use a prologue to set the scene, and incorporate foreshadowing to give the audience a sense of what is to come. This also illustrates the protagonists current state--his ordinary world. According to Volger, the ordinary world is also a critical point at which the hero is introduced, and his entrance, especially his first action must be very deliberate from a writers standpoint. In this section of the narrative the audience must recognize inner and outer problems which the hero faces, his "lack" in life (either physical, emotional or symbolic), as well as any past "wounds" that haunt him. The objective is to lure the audience into identifying, or sympathizing with the hero; it is also crucial that they recognize what will be at stake for the hero in the imminent journey. 

In the second section Volger describes the ways in which the "call to adventure" can take place, which serves as a catalyst for the hero to leave his ordinary world. The call to adventure comes as a result of various factors. Volger lists them as synchronicity (a chain of events set in motion by simply being at the right or wrong place at the right or wrong time), disorientation and discomfort in the ordinary world, a lack or need to obtain something, or running out of other options. The call to adventure can appear in many forms, and is answered differently by the different sub-categories of heroes, which Vogler described in earlier readings. The call to adventure is also the point in the story when the Herald archetype makes his appearance.

I found Vogler's take on these two narrative components to be as always engaging, though some of the sections were repetitive, paraphrasing information from a previous paragraph, such as the three titled "Making an entrance", "Introducing the Hero to the Audience" and "Identification", which all made the point of making the audience relate to and identify a characteristic of his within their own ego.

 I do however, agree that empathy for the hero is important. Even my favorite, and overused example of "the protagonist who isn't a hero"--the main character in "There Will Be Blood"-- has many relatable qualities at the beginning of the film. The writers were obviously aware, that if they made him empathetic at the beginning, the impact of his revelation as a monster of a man, will be unexpected and shocking, making the film more powerful and profound. 

I also enjoyed the examples Vogler used in this section to illustrate various concepts and approaches. Tom Sawyer painting the fence, is indeed a brilliant introduction to who the hero is and what to expect from him. Clint Eastwood burying a body in his yard was a good example of ONE possible way of introducing a story, by jumping in immediately and then backtracking. And of course The Wizard of Oz, which he uses several times, is a classic example of "contrast" between the ordinary world and the new one in which the hero ends up.

However, I was confused by Vogler's mention of titles, slogans, cover art, etc in the ordinary world chapter, because these promotional tools sometimes reflect later portions of the hero's journey, not necessarily the introduction to the initial setting. 

Questions for Discussion:

Of those described by Vogler, what is the most important aspect of setting the scene in the ordinary world?

Are there, or can there be narratives which don't follow Voglers formula, but start in at the middle or end of the story, introducing the hero throughout the narrative? What is the benefit/effect of such unorthodox organization? 

Is reconnaissance really that common in narratives? Why was it worth mentioning?

Is "relateable" not a word?

reviewing process

For me, the reviewing process on friday felt a bit rushed, but it was a good introduction to how we will be accessing our work throughout the semester. It isn't easy to read somebody's work and remain focused on the structure and purpose of the assignment, without getting lost in the content, especially in the case of a personal narrative. Since I hold content and most importantly style, in higher regard than traditional structure, which I'm not always proficient at following myself, I did not feel qualified to critique someone else's work, but hopefully my commentary was helpful to Chad. 

Revisions

My two strengths: I am able to provide clear vivid descriptions about visuals as they appear in the story. I am also very comfortable with creating realistic dialogue and weaving it into my narrative in a balanced fashion.

My two weaknesses: I sometimes stray from the main focus of my paragraph, going off on a tangent that only makes sense to me. I sometimes get a little too long winded, relying on a style that is used in novels, rather than short stories, as a result I end up rushing through some sections and devoting too much time to others.

Arechetypes (con't)

In the remaining sections of Chapter Three, Vogler introduces us to the rest of the archetypes, which as we have learned, are the embodiments of the personality traits which come together to create the Hero's Journey. We left off at the Threshold Guardian, who learned is not a villain, but rather a gatekeeper to the to the entrance of the new world which the hero is about to enter. I felt that the section explaining the Guardian was too short and not that Vogler did not provide enough specific examples to through which the reader could make more sense of this archetype. However, I found the analogy of a bouncer to be most effective in explaining the Guardians purpose. The Herald archetype is meant to symbolize a turning point in the story, usually providing the call to adventure, and, in a nutshell, they "get the story rolling". Heralds can be positive negative or neutral and appear in the form of a dream figure, a real person, or simply a subconscious voice. The Shapeshifter is a very complex archetype as it's name suggests. Traditionally, the shape shifter has been a character literally capable of magic such as a with or wizard. More commonly, though not necessarily, the shape shifter is a love interest of the hero with shady intentions, also known as the femme of hommes fatales.  Not all shape shifters are negative, positive characters such as mentors and tricksters are also known to use shape shifting for good. The Shadow is a dark force during the Hero's journey, but not the main villain. It can be a person or a feeling, representing repressed feelings such as shame or guilt, or other natural feelings that we feel we aren't allowed to acknowledge or show. The ally is the Hero's partner during his quest. The ally humanizes the hero through their intimate knowledge of him as their own ally, not the hero of a story. Psychologically, the ally represents the unused part of out personality. The final archetype in the chapter is the Trickster who represents mischief and the desire for change. This archetype can put events into perspective for both the hero and the audience by cutting big egos down to size. He uses wit over strength to get ahead, provides comic relief like the ally, and has an effect on the lives of those around him, though remains unchanged himself throughout the story.

I found the descriptions of these archetypes to be very comprehensive and was able to make a lot of personal connections to where they fit amongst what I have read and seen, even without Voglers examples from film or mythology. As I mentioned earlier, the threshold guardian seemed most abstract to me from Voglers deconstruction of it, and I was about to write it off as the one archetype which could be eliminated from a given story, without losing any effect. However upon further consideration, I realized that this archetype might actually be one of the most important and prevalent figures in any narrative, even if their appearance is brief and seemingly unacknowledged such as a snobby secretary who won't let the hero see the boss. It also made sense as to how guardians can become allies, as well as the part they play as a catalyst in the hero's journey, adding fuel to their drive for success. In fact, what I came to realize at the end of the chapter, is that just about every archetype has the ability to serve as the predominant catalyst, either for change, motivation or knowledge which sets the hero's journey in motion.

In terms of complexity, I found the shapeshifter to be the most interesting of the archetypes. Their psychological function, as described by Vogler was fascinating and unexpected. They represent the anima-- the male element in the female unconscious, which answered by earlier question of which archetype is the almost ever present love interest found under. Though Volger declared that the shapeshifter is the most difficult of the archetypes to grasp, I would argue that it would actually be the shadow. The shadow, as I understood it, represents thoughts, feelings and energies more so than a tangible character, and can easily be confused with darker shape shifters. I also didn't like the fact that Vogler stated that shadows do not thing of themselves as the villains, yet he illustrated his point with examples of classic villains from Disney movies, which are in fact, the quintessential, one dimensional bad guys, whose ONLY attribute is the fact that they're evil. While I agree with Volger's point, that the shadow can have more dimensions and layers than just "the antagonist", which is key to sophisticated narrative, I felt that he actually used the antithesis of the point he was trying to make while illustrating it. 

The Trickster and the Ally were probably the most straight forward of the archetypes described in the chapter. However, the Ally raised some questions. For instance, how do you determine the hero from the ally in a partnership of heroes such as Mulder and Scully? How much distance must the ally maintain from the Hero's journey so as not to become the hero himself in very close hero-ally bonds? I suppose the answer to this comes from the previous section about heroes which states that the rule of thumb for determining the hero, is assessing which character underwent the greatest change throughout the story. 

Questions for Discussion:

Can an ally cross the line to become the hero? Can a story can multiple heroes?

Can any of these archetypes be eliminated from the Hero's Journey and still allow for an effective story? Which is most likely to go? Which archetypes are least commonly found?

According to Vogler, which of the archetypes represents the most resistance during the hero's journey? Vogler did not pinpoint any particular one as the dominant antagonist.

Archetypes

After introducing the reader to a "map" of the hero's journey, Vogler's second chapter "Archetypes" introduces us to the cast of characters who appear in just about every narrative, in one form or another. The archetypes he discussed have been around since the dawn of storytelling, the same archetypes which appear in the Bible or Greek mythology are just as evident in modern day film and literature of every imaginable genre. 

Vogler first defines archetypes and why they exist. From a psychological stand point, they can be seen as "ancient patterns of personality that are the shared heritage of the human race"(p.23), and emphasizes their consistency throughout all of history and among every culture. He also stresses the importance of using "the function of the archetype" in storytelling.

The spectrum of archetypes is a critical component of the narrative for several reasons. Firstly, the hero archetype ( who represents the Freudian Ego) need the others them in order to complete his journey, which otherwise couldn't happen. Also, because archetypes are universally understood--as they represent our own needs, wants, flaws, desires-- they add social significance and identification to the story. However, Vogler also notes that even though character archetypes are universal, they are not rigid. A character can embody several archetypes throughout the course of the story, and some archetypes are not blatantly obvious.

According to Vogler the most common and useful archetypes are Hero, Mentor, Threshold Guardian, Herald, Shapeshifter, Shadow, Ally, and Trickster. He goes on to dissect and discuss each of these roles.

The Hero, as I mentioned earlier, intentionally or not, represents the Ego. He is the window to the story, and during its course we feel as though we become him or her. Ideally the hero should embody a wide range of personality traits--including character flaws and weaknesses which make him relatable. It is the hero who experiences the most "growth" or change during the narrative, and is the most active character. Historically, this archetype is rooted in self sacrifice and dealing with "death" either literally or figuratively. Vogler writes that there are different sub-categories of this archetype such as reluctant heroes, catalyst heroes, anti-heroes, etc. 

The next archetype which Vogler describes in the mentor, which can be seen as any character who teaches, protects, or regales the hero during his journey. To the audience, the mentor represents the Self, or the "wiser, nobler, more godlike part of us"(p.40). This archetype is linked to the image of a parent, but just as with the hero, mentors are can be represented in many different ways. They also fill a variety of roles such as the hero's conscience, his motivation, his initiator to new sensations and more. 

I found Voglers thorough analysis of each archetype and its purpose to be very engrossing. His reference of psychology in explaining how we interpret each archetype, added a great deal of relevance and authority to his definitions. He also seemed to cover all the basis when it came to defining the sub-categories of each archetype, as well as their duties. While reading, I kept trying to think of books or films which would defy the presence of a given archetype, but given each ones flexibility and range I found this nearly impossible. Even in "Requiem for a Dream", a tragic movie where the characters receive little assistance a mentor can be found for example in the man who pays Jennifer Connoly's character for sex, in the sense that he is helping her on her journey, even if it is one of self destruction. This goes to show how flexible and ever present archetypes really are, even if they aren't blatantly obvious. 

While in this chapter I was less familiar with the films Vogler uses to illustrate the various characters, I was able to appreciate his repeated referencing of Russian Fairy tales, which notoriously use the same cast of characters, yet the archetypes which they represent vary from one tale to the next. For instance the Baba Yaga witch is the same in every story in terms of her unattractive appearance and most importantly her residence--a house which stands on chicken legs. However, in one fairytale she may be plotting to kidnap and eat little kids who got lost in the woods, yet she may appear in a different story as very helpful to the hero who stumbles upon her home. Though Baba Yaga is a great illustration of the flexibility of archetypes, overall I found it kind of funny that he would mention Russian folklore as often as he does in a chapter about archetypes, since for the most part Russian fairytales are notorious for a very idiosyncratic archetype of the hero which is not congruent to the hero found in Western literature. Russian folklore typically sets the hero as a slacker whose journey is circumstantial rather than the result of personal growth, and definitely not self sacrifice of any sort. This point is actually a major point of discussion in the study of Russian fairy tales, and would be interesting to further explore.

The biggest question which the chapter raised is: according to Vogler, what is the difference between "hero" and "protagonist"? Is there one? Can a character be a protagonist but not a hero and vice versa? Also, I was confused by the category of continuing "mentors", perhaps due to my ignorance of the films he uses as examples of such a mentor--what exactly is a continuing mentor and where is one typically found?

A Practical Guide

Vogler's first chapter in "The Writers Journey" appears to be a brief overview of what he will be covering in greater detail throughout the book. He introduces a "took kit" of elements which comprise successful narratives. Before defining these elements he defines the cultural purpose of narratives and how they can be formulaic in the sense that all humans beings create and interpret them based on a set of inherent principals, or the "collective unconscious". Culturally, stories deal "childlike universal questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where will I go when I die? What is good and evil?" (p. 5) and so on and so forth. They are meant to provide people with, at least the illusion of answers to these queries. He also mentions that the major players in these stories are archetypes-- almost stock characters who embody a certain trait or traits which represent the "different aspects of the human mind" (p.4). Vogler then states that just about all narratives feature a "hero's journey", and follow a standard arch of events which are employed to tell his or her story, as well as give it significance.  The first step is creating a contrast between the "ordinary world" and the new one which the hero has entered. Next comes a call to adventure or action when the hero is introduced to the challenge before him. Typically this is followed by refusal of the call, in which the hero doubts himself or the cause. He then meets his mentor who guides him. Along the way he faces tests, allies and enemies before the final struggle to obtain what he seeks. He briefly reaps the rewards, before one final challenge on the road back, and then inevitably returns with what he sought out to find.  Vogler illustrates each of these elements with examples from well known films and TV shows, and also points out that despite the formula, there are infinite variations on "the hero's journey" narrative.

I have encountered this story telling rubric before, as it is essential to understand when reading or studying mythology. It has also been used in communications related models of persuasion, based on the theory that humans process all information in the form of a narrative, even when it isn't a "story" that they are being told. The examples Vogler used to articulate his point were solid, in the sense that they clearly embodied the components of the arch, I especially appreciated the fact that he pointed out how most of the ancient arch is applicable even to modern day romantic comedies, which don't necessarily feature quests of mythic proportions. 

I of course, agree that the map Vogler uses to chart narratives as they appear in on screen or in literature is the dominant rubric in story telling as we know it, however there are also those artists who go deliberately out of their way to avoid adhering to it. For instance independent film makers who pride themselves on making "slice of life" style movies with little plot, and no resolution don't a lot, if any, of the elements described in the chapter, but still succeed in creating a culturally significant narrative, thereby establishing a new story telling formula. I do however, understand that Vogler's background is in big budget film making, an industry bound to following the "hero's journey" model, as is most literature, and in the end it is the one we as humans process most coherently. 

What I found most interesting is that Vogler seems to be torn between defining writing, or rather story telling as an art or a craft. This, whether or not you can quantify creativity, is a very prevalent dilemma in the humanities. I have wondered this myself about fields such as writing and journalism. Vogler does not appear to have a straight answer, nor do I believe that one exists. While he doesn't disregard artistic ingenuity, he also seems confident in that all story telling follows one rubric or another, even "high art", such as the aforementioned indie movies adhere to guidelines which stipulate a deviation from the conventional "Hero's journey". In my opinion, some forms of story telling can be written of as a craft, for instance news stories reported on by journalists, for the most part follow one outline with different names, dates, locations and events inserted into it, which allows for little creative freedom. Certain Hollywood films, intended to draw revenue by appealing to a mass audience are very formulaic, preferring accessibility over ingenuity-- especially genres such as romantic comedy, teen horror and action flicks. However other dimensions of story telling are in no way bound to the components listed in The Practical Guide, or find ways to put a new spin on the traditional story arch.

Aside from the arch, I find it difficult to discuss the universal story telling formula without getting into archetypes, which Vogler briefly mentioned in the first chapter, but will elaborate upon in the next, which I look forward to reading and discussing.

Grains of Rice

Freerice.com is a pretty fun site for vocabulary and linguistics junkies as as myself. I enjoyed not only testing my knowledge, and figuring out the meanings of words I was unfamiliar with, based on their roots. Yes, I really do find that to be fun. In the fifteen minutes it took me get up to 1000 pieces of rice, I definitely learned some new words and definitions, that I'm pretty excited to use. Yes, I really do get excited about using new words in conversation. I would highly recommend this site to people who want to challenge their knowledge of the English language, and/or improve their vocabulary. Plus, quizzing yourself and killing some time goes towards a good cause! What a clever partnership between the UN World Food Program and Harvard University!

Disney Princesses

Its interesting that we brought up Disney in class on Friday, because my childhood hero's were all extracted from Disney movies--the animated classics that is. As a little girl I was very enamored of princesses in general so Disney provided a wide variety of characters for me to idolize. Of course I was picky with which heroines I admired-- I never saw Belle, or Sleeping Beauty or even Ariel as ones to look up, though i enjoyed the movies. I had two main heros throughout my childhood who I wanted to emulate in every way.

The first of these was Wendy from Peter Pan. She was both authoritative yet feminine. She hung out with a bunch of guys, plus she stole the heart of the biggest playboy in Neverland, resulting in great envy from the other women there. She also had a quiet courage to her, refusing to give up her mans whereabouts to Captain Hook, even if it meant taking the plunge.  I was about five when I first saw Peter Pan. I not only watched it religiously, I also demanded that people address me a Wendy and made my mother by me nightgowns like the one she wore, in which I would wait every night for Peter Pan to come knocking on my window.

My next Disney-made infatuation came several years later when "Aladdin" was released. I thought Princess Jasmine was pretty much the coolest chick alive. She was beautiful, well accessorized and rebellious. I too wanted to live as royalty in an exotic land, with magic on every corner and a sexy bad boy boyfriend by my side.

Basically my hero's were characters who I wanted to be because of their fortunate disposition and circumstantial adventures, not necessarily because of, lets say, their work ethic or personal achievements. Luckily my standards for personal hero's have changed drastically since then.