Vogler reading for March30

In the reading Vogler describes the next stage of the Hero's Journey, and that is the Approach to the Inmost Cave, in this section the author once again uses the well known movie The Wizard of Oz to illistrate the most important lessons of this stage in the journey. This is the part of the journey where the Hero encounters extreme danger. And it is also where final preperattions are made so that the hero is able to deal with the main problem of the journey. In this section the Hero must deal with more obstacles, and threshold guardians as in previous stages, but must also go through another special world , and find a way to appeal to the threshold gaurdians so that the journey can continue. Throughout each phase of this journey the hero will incounter complications which threaten his/her progress, and may end the journey altogether. As depicted in the author's use of the Wizard of Oz, durring this stage the hero may change from one character to another, and often times comedy may be used to in effort to ease the tension of the task at hand. 

My reaction to the reading is that I feel that by using a well known movie, to reflect the stages of the journey does seem like a good idea, it makes the concepts more realistic and relatable. However, I don't really understand the purpose of always using the Wizard of Oz. At this point in the reading, I feel like that same example, although useful is becoming extremely overused and redundant. I dont know why the author does not use another well known movie for some of the illistrations of each stage of the journey. 

I wish that Vogler would use other stories to depict the stages of the journey. It makes me wonder if this is the only movie that fits all of the stages, because it seems to be the primary method of explination of the stages. 

1. Why is The Wizard of Oz the only movie he uses to depict the stages of the journey?

2. Why does he first say their can only be one Hero of a story, but in this section he clearly states that at this point in the story, the Hero may change, to reveal one of the more unsuspecting characters, like the cowardly lion?

3. What is the significance of using a character like Pefessor Marvel in several different situations.

Vogler Response 3/9/09

In the Vogler reading this week , he goes through two more of the Hero's Journey. The reading begins with Crossing the First Threshold in where the hero makes a commitment to the adventure. In this chapter Vogler once again goes over the typical cenereo when the hero reaches the threshold. He would encounter obstacles such as the threshold guardian, the crossing or “leap of faith” that is required in order for the adventure to get underway. Of course in most stories the hero also encounters a rough landing when they are thrown into the adventure. 

The next chapter of the Vogler reading focused on Tests, Allies, and Enimies. In this chapter the author gave many examples of what might happen in this stage of Hero's Journey. Firstly , he suggjested that a team might be formed, where the “hero is backed up by several others , or in this phase the hero may also challenge his rivals.” Also during this phase of the journey the hero might, or encounter enimies , “

Vogler points out that enimes can appear at any point in a story , howev er, they are most common at this point. He also mentions that a enemy can be seen as a villian or antagonist, and can include the Trickster, Shadow, Threshold Guardian and at times even the Herald.” He goes on to explain other aspects of this section like Rules of the Special World , saying every Special world has specific rules. He gives the example of Belle in Beauty and the Beast not being allowed to enter through a specific door.  He mentions that in stories these rules are almost always broken, or the story would not be able to move forward. 

I personally was slightly bored with the reading. It seems as though Vogler has gone over and over these topics so much that I have just lost intrest. How many different ways can you say the same thing over and over again. I feel like once we've got it, that's all there is too it, he's not adding to much new information.  

Although the writer is not adding much new information on the topic of the Hero's Journey. He did include one section about  a sidekick that usually accompany's the hero and provides comedic releif. That was refreshing to  me because even though it wasn't all that interesting, and something I already could see coming , it wasnt something that I had read before in this text, and therefore caught my attention. Apposed to the regular text which continues to repeat its self week after week

Vogler Reading for March 2nd

In this weeks reading Vogler describes two seperate stages of the journey, in the first Refusal to the Call he describes as a “important dramatic function because it signals the audience that the adventure is risky.” Vogler goes on to describe many ways in which the Hero can refuse the Call , including avoidince, make excuses or persistantly deny a call consiquently leading to a tragic end. However, he also mentions that not all refusals have to be negative, such as in the paragraph entitaled positive refusal , in which the hero resists temptation which could lead to a tragic end. 

The second section described the archatype of the mentor, and his / her importance in a story. 

A mentor is described as a wise , protective figure who guides, teaches, or trains the hero. His job is to “supply the hero with something needed on the journery. It is at this point in the Hero's Journey that the Hero will gain wisdom, courage, or supplies needed in order to see his adventure through to the end”

I found these sections to be interesting, but confusing, especially when we reached the section on mentors, I found a lot of the material to contradict its self from one page to the next. Vogler has stressed almost it seems from the very beginning of the book about the importance of the mentor yet in this section he seems to wavier back and forth on the issue. Saying one minute that the mentor helps to guide the hero and give advice, and the next that we could do without him all together. Or that the hero and mentor have a strong relationship one minute and before you know it one is killing the next. I just hadto ask myself “What's going on” quite often durring this reading

I hope to get some of my thoughts clarifyed from the class disscussion tommorow, because right now I am so confused about the purpose of the mentor.

1. In the mentor reading, there is a section entitled avoiding the cliches, and although I understand these types of mentors are used frequently in stories , they must be there for a reason, so dosen't that mean that they are working?

2. I feel like Vogler contradicts himself about the use of a mentor, throughout the whole book he stresses the importance of the mentor on the hero's journey , up until the last line of that section when he seems to put forth the notion that a mentor may not be needed at all? In which case weakens all previous statements about the mentor! Which is it? Do we need them , or not?

3. If the mentor hero relationship is so important why do they try to kill one another?