The Bell Jar - Paragraph

     In Silvia Plath's The Bell Jar, the main character Esther is trying to regain her Ordinary World.  During chapters 19 and 20, Esther is focussed on living away from the asylum and returning to her college.  When Esther looses her virginity, she feels that it is a step in the right direction for her to become a "normal" college student again.  Although her Ordinary World has been changed, her attempts to regain her old life reflect the step of Returning with the Elixir.  Esther has learned enough in the asylum that she can return to her previous life as a "normal person", yet has changed so that she will not resort to her old ways that originally landed her in the asylum.    

Vogler Annotated Bibliography #7

Vogler, Christopher. “Book Two: Stage Seven: Approach to the Inner Most Cave and Stage Eight: The Ordeal”. The Writers Journey. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998. 143-173.

Summery

  The seventh stage of the Hero's Journey is the "Approach to the Inner Most Cave".  This approach takes place as the hero continues farther and farther into the "Special World" after encountering their tests, allies, and enemies.  During the approach, heroes will take time to prepare themselves both physically and mentally for what is to come next.  Once again, the hero might encounter the archetypal Threshold Guardians as they stand between the hero and the impending "cave" or ordeal.  At this point there is second "Special World" to be entered, which much like the first has not only the threshold but new rules as well.  As heroes "Approach the Inner Most Cave", they find themselves "on the edge between life and death" (148).  At this point the hero might once again call on their allies and lessons learned in past stages of their journey.  Once the hero finally finds themselves fully within the Inner Most Cave, there is no way out and the must face the next part of the journey, "The Ordeal".

     The "Ordeal", or the eighth stage of the Hero's journey, is the most challenging part of the whole journey.  The main emphasis of this stage is that "Heroes must die so that they can be reborn" (155).  This survival of death is shown by a literal or metaphoric rebirth of the hero.  "The Ordeal" is placed in the middle of the second act, yet is not the climax to the whole journey.  This is what Vogler refers to as the "Central Crisis" (157).  In stories, The Ordeal is used as a strategic method to break up a long or tedious second act, as it brings back the audiences attention.  There is usually a point during The Ordeal where the hero appears to die and the audience gets "a taste of death" (160).  Though the hero's death is only in appearance, there is usually a death of another key character (or ally) that provokes even more emotion from the audience.  Up until this point in the story, the whole journey has been adding up to a point where the Hero and the Shadow face each other full on.  

  

Reaction

     The high amount of referring to "The Wizard of Oz" that occurs during Vogler's description of the "Approach to the Inner Most Cave" is almost confusing at times.  He spends more time talking about one specific case of this stage than generalizing different scenarios as he did in the previous stages.  It is interesting how there is a whole new Threshold to cross during this stage, that almost parallels the first with Threshold Guardians and a new "Special World".  Until reading about The Ordeal stage of the Hero's Journey, I would have expected that it would be referred to as the main climax of the story instead of just a "crisis".

Questions

1.  What role does comic relief play during the stage of the "Approach to the Inner Most Cave"?  Is comic relief necessary?

2.  How is the placement of the Ordeal used as a strategic method in story telling?

3.  Why is the Ordeal referred to as the "Crisis" rather than the "Climax"?

Vogler Annotated Bibliography #6

Vogler, Christopher. “Book Two: Stage Five: Crossing the First Threshold and Stage Six: Tests, Allies, and Enemies”. The Writers Journey. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998. 127-141.

Summary

The fifth stage in the Hero's Journey is known as "Crossing the First Threshold".  This is the part of the Hero's Journey where the archetype of the Threshold Guardian appears.  There is usually a specific point in the journey or a "turning point" that convinces the hero to take on the journey that is before them.  This can be inflicted by an internal or external force or "a combination of external events and internal choices" (128).   In order for the hero to cross into the unknown world represented by the threshold they usually need a good deal of courage and to take "a leap of faith" (130).  Crossing the First Threshold usually signifies the end of Act One.

     Once the hero crosses the first threshold, he finds himself in a new and different place.  This new place can either represent a new state of mind or a new physical place altogether.  Here, the hero finds a whole new set of trials and tribulations as he encounters "Tests, Allies, and Enemies", the sixth stage of the Hero's Journey.  This new world can be called the "Special World" and "should strike a strong contrast with the Ordinary World" (136).  It is in this new world that "the conditions and rules of survival change" (136).  

     The "Tests" that the hero encounter are to test the hero and to prepare the hero for trials later on in their journey.  The tests can also be built upon the teachings of a mentor.  In this stage, the hero makes both Enemies and Allies.  At first, the two can be hard to distinguish between.  In conjunction with archetypal allies, heroes can meet sidekicks and even form teams with other people.  The enemies that the hero meets can also become their rivals.  The archetype of the Shadow is usually the enemy as they represent something dark and villainous.  In this stage of the journey, though passing "Tests" and meeting "Allies and Enemies",  the hero learns the new rules of the "Special World" that help them for the rest of their journey.

Reaction

It is interesting how Vogler discusses the uses of cinematography to show "Crossing the First Threshold" and the end of act one.  Everyone can relate to seeing an old film fade-out at this point or a newer film cut directly to another scene with a whole new tone to it.  I enjoy how Vogler points out the importance of "watering holes", namely bars, because this is a concept that I had never really considered before.  I've never noticed the importance of bars and the stereotypical watering to so many different stories, as they serve many different purposes within a journey.

Questions

1.  Why do directors use effects such as fading-out or cutting directly to a new scene with noticeable changes to portray "Crossing the First Threshold" and the end of Act One?

2.  What is the difference between a typical ally and a sidekick?

3.  Who seems more influential on the Hero, the Ally or the Enemy?

Kafka Quiz

1. Connect the Ordinary World and the Call to Adventure to your reading of Book 1 of The Metamorphosis.  Explain the connection.

Gregor Samsa's "Ordinary World" is represented by his dreary day to day job of being a traveling salesman.  When Gregor first wakes up and finds himself having turned into a "monstrous verminous bug" he still tries to function in his Ordinary World.  However, this waking up and the realization that comes with it are his "Call to Adventure". 

2. Are there any social issues being critiqued in the story? How does "The Red Scare" relate to Kafka's work?

The issue of differences in social and economic classes are be critiqued in The Metamorphosis.  Gregor's family is lower class, and he works for a boss that is in a higher socioeconomic class than he is.  Gregor has no power to stand up to this boss or to do anything that his boss would not like.  "The Red Scare" relates to this because McCarthy was targeting the opinions of the mid and lower classes.

3. What does Gregor turn into in the story?
Gregor turns into a creature that is described as a “vermin”, the description sounding to be similar to a cockroach.

Vogler Annotated Bibliography #5

Vogler, Christopher. “Book Two: Stage Three: Refusal of the Call and Stage Four: Meeting with the Mentor”. The Writers Journey. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998. 107-125.

Summary
    The third stage of the Hero’s Journey is the “Refusal to the Call”. This stage is where the hero hesitates to continue on their journey and tries to avoid the “Call to Adventure” from the previous stage. Heroes that do not refuse the call to adventure are rare and are called “willing heroes”. Usually in the case of “willing heroes”, the refusal stage is represented by other characters who have previously refused to do what the hero is doing. This is the stage in which the archetype of the Threshold Guardian can be introduced, as they can further deter the hero before they even start on the journey. The Mentor archetype can also occur at this point, either apart, along side, or even doubling as the Mentor and Threshold Guardian. The “Refusal of the Call” functions in stories “to let the audience know the formidability of the challenges ahead” (113).
After the “Refusal to the Call”, come the fourth stage of the Hero’s Journey, “Meeting with the Mentor”. In this stage “the hero gains the supplies, knowledge, and confidence needed to overcome fear and commence the adventure” (117). The mentor archetype serves to prepare the hero for what is to come on their journey. However, the mentor does not always have to be positive and can even be misleading to the hero. Not all mentors follow the archetype of being helpful, insightful, and caring towards the hero. Mentors serve the purpose of getting “things rolling with gifts, encouragement, guidance, or wisdom” (123).

Reaction
    It is interesting how Vogler makes a point to mention “avoiding mentor clichés” (120). When I think of a mentor my mind automatically goes to the “wise old man (or woman)” stereotype that Vogler is referring to when he mentions clichés. It is very clear that the mentor can be one of the most fleeting characters in the Hero’s Journey, yet at the same time one the most important. Another point that is very interesting is how mentors can be “evolved heroes” (122). After completing the heroes Journey themselves, a hero can turn around and turn into a mentor as they help a new hero go through what they themselves already did. I like how Vogler even mentions using mentors in real life when facing problems with writing, such as a writer’s block.

Questions
1. Why is the “Refusal to the Call” so important to stories that even if the hero does not experience it, another character does?
2. What is an example of a “mentor driven story”? Where the journey is built around the thoughts and actions of the mentor?
3. Can a story benefit from having more than one mentor?

Vogler Annotated Bibliography #3

Vogler, Christopher. “Book One: Threshold Guardian, Herald, Shapeshifter, Shadow, and Ally”. The Writers Journey. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998. 49-80.

Summary
  In this section, Vogler continues discussing some of the main archetypes including the Threshold Guardian, Herald, Shapeshifter, Shadow, and Ally. Vogler describes the Threshold Guardian as protector of the “new world” that the hero enters during his journey. In some examples, these guardians can be hostile and work for the villain. In other instances, however, Threshold Guardians can simply represent “ordinary obstacles we all face in the world around us” (50). Some of examples of these ordinary obstacles can be the weather, oppression, or just plain bad luck. The most effective heroes use this guardian as a learning experience for future encounters with the true villain.
    The Herald is another archetype that does not necessarily have to be a person. The Herald is the point in the story in which the hero realizes that a change is going to be made. This is usually reflected in the “Call to Adventure” section of the Hero’s Journey as the Herald tries to “get the story rolling” (56). The Shapeshifter is a very hard archetype to identify, as they are “shifting and unstable” (59). The Shapeshifter can change internally or externally, as they can change frame of mind, appearance, and are very hard for the hero to keep track of. Most commonly, the Shapeshifter is the opposite sex from the hero.
The Shadow archetype is associated with darkness and evil. The shadow “can be as mask which is worn by any character” (66), and can be part of another archetype such as the mentor. It is representative of repressed feelings or something that the hero spends a great amount of their time trying to change or running from. The Ally, the hero’s travel buddy, is someone who fights at the heroes side, yet is not as strong or important as the hero during the journey. The ally is usually a concrete character, whether it is a human, ghost, or animal.

Reaction
    In continuing to learn about different archetypes, it is easy to distinguish them in my narrative writing project for class. As I was reading the descriptions for archetypes of the herald, the shadow, and the ally, I could see each of them distinctly representing a character or idea that is included in my narrative. For example, the Herald in my story is represented by a simple telephone call.
One of the most interesting comments on the archetypes that Vogler makes is that a successful hero uses the Threshold Guardian as an ally; To test themselves and to prepare for what is coming out of the new world that they are entering. This same idea is frequently brought up in life, as people commonly learn more about themselves as they overcome challenges set by others.

Questions
1. Are there any archetypes that you can recognize from your own personal “Hero’s Journey” narrative?
2. Why is the shapeshifter most often portrayed as a member of the opposite sex?
3. Which archetype do you like the best? Which one can you relate to the best?