Vogler annotation #5

Elena Weinberg

Kelly

Analytic and Persuasive Writing

7 October 2008

Annotated Bibliography #5

Vogler, Christopher, and Michele Montez. The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers. 3rd ed. Boston: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007. 107-125.

 

Summary

 

            The third step to the Hero’s Journey is the Refusal of the Call.  This step is used for dramatic effect and signals to the audience that an adventure is risky.  One response a hero may have to a call is avoidance.  The hero may question whether the trip is really necessary based on past experience.  The greater the protest, the more the audience seeks to view their hero “worn down.” 

The Refusal may also take on the form of excuses.  This is a “transparent attempt to delay their inevitable fate,” and is commonly seen in children’s shows in movies when a character lists several reasons why they should not go on the adventure. 

The next concept introduced by Vogler is  “Persistent Refusal Leads to Tragedy.” Vogler explains that this is a common trait of a tragic hero. 

“Conflicting Calls” is a way for an author to articulate the difficult choices of a hero when he or she is Called to Adventure by more than one source. 

Although, the Refusal is often portrayed negatively, there are also Positive Refusals.  An example of this is the Three Little Pigs, in which it is in fact a wise choice for the pigs to Refuse the wolf entry to their homes

The Artist as Hero is also an outlet for Conflicting Calls.  The Artist commonly finds herself torn between their inner feelings and the outer world.  Artists will often refuse “the powerful Call of the world, in order to follow the wider Call of artistic expression.”

As has been discussed in previous chapters, there exists a willing hero.  In this special case, the sense of danger or risk is portrayed through other characters.  As a hero bravely embraces the challenge ahead, others may warn him against moving forward as so many others have failed at the feat.  Another way risk is portrayed is through Threshold Guardians.

A “symbol of human curiosity” that is often used to further portray danger is the concept of The Secret Door.  For example, in Beauty and the Beast, Belle is warned by the beast never to enter the West Wing.   Belle, of course, from then on has a passionate desire to enter the forbidden West Wing.

 

The fourth step to the Hero’s Journey is the Meeting with the Mentor.  This step is the preparation for the journey ahead, and provides our hero with supplies and wisdom necessary for the accomplishment of the pending adventure.  A very prevalent example of such a Hero-Mentor relationship exists in Karate Kid, a film entirely based on the preparation to complete a task.  In some films, the sources of wisdom may greatly vary and can come from different characters and experiences throughout the story, without there being one particular character serving that role. 

Mentors of Folklore and Myth take on the form of gods, goddesses, magical animals, and creatures such as centaurs.  Centaurs are commonly wild and savage creatures, so the notion of Chiron, an unusually kind and peaceful centaur, is what most picture in terms of a mentor.  He possesses a very spiritual connection to nature.  The origin of the Mentor Himself finds its place in The Odyssey.

 

Reaction

 

            I think it is amazing how we have very much engraved in our culture a visual conception of a Mentor.  When considering more recent films or stories, however, it is very clear that writers have sought to vary up their uses of such a character exactly as Vogler suggests.  For example, it is not uncommon today, to see a young child take on the role of Mentor to someone much older than she.  This is a very interesting way to portray the natural wisdom each of us possesses before we are corrupted by experience?

 

Questions

 

1.  We have all had to Refuse or Accept a Call at one point or another in our lives.  How did it feel to make that choice?  Do you think you made the right choice?

 

2.  Do you think our lives should be guided by the wisdom we gain through experiences or that which we possess from birth?  Does one take on a greater role than the other in our decision-making processes?  Have we discarded notions of the wisdom of innocence?

 

3.  Can you think of any examples of a story where the Mentor figure is excluded?  How does that effect the flow or content of a piece of writing?