Annotation 7

Annotation 7

MLA:
Vogler, Christopher . The Writer's Journey : Mythic structure for writers . 3. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.

Summery:
The seventh stage in Vogler’s journey is approaching the inmost cave. This is where the majority of the action takes place in the story. Vogler compares each step within this step to the Wizard of Oz. In this stage the hero finds themselves faced with extreme wonder and terror. In approaching the inmost cave a romance may be formed between the hero and and ally to help the hero approach the ordeal. Confident heros take this step faster than most. The way the hero approaches this step shows how committed and courageous they are. It is easy for a hero to get distracted in this step by illusions set up by the enemies of the hero to create set backs in the heros agenda. The threshold guardian is still apparent in this step but can be defeated using emotional appeal. This will break down the defenses establishing a bond of human familiarity. The hero may be tempted to stay in the special world and explore but they must stick to the task at hand at avoid set backs. Dramatic complications are setbacks the hero will face that seem detrimental to the goal but eventually make the hero stronger. Another important lesson learned is to get into the opponents mind to see how to defeat them. At this point in the story there is no going back. The heros fait has been decided and everything that happens at this point is not reflective of the heros actions. The eight step in the journey is the ordeal. The main point in the ordeal is that the hero must die so that they can be reborn. This death dose not have to be physical and takes many forms. The point of the hero dyeing is to transform the hero and to relate to human emotion. The ordeal is a crisis not a climax. The structure of the crisis is set up like a pump to increase the involvement of the audience. There are many ways a hero can express this emotion to the reader. The hero can witness death or cause it. They can face a shadow, also known as an enemy, in the act of demonizing. They can cheat there way out of death by creating a situation in which they survive against all odds. They can die from love through Ariadne’s Tread, which is a band that connect the hero with a loved one. A crisis may arise when a shapeshifting lover shows a new side or the hero sees a new side of himself. The ordeal can also be when the hero faces there biggest fear. In myths the ordeal is the death of an ego.

Reflection:
The two points in the seventh sage that stood out to me were the emotional appeal to the threshold guardian and the dramatic setbacks. The encounter with the threshold guardian shows us that even people in this special world are just like everyone else. They have emotions and can be effected by them. I believe this function of the story is meant to draw a close connection with the reader and the characters. The dramatic setbacks are like the phrase what “ th- that don’t kill me can only make me stronger” from Kanye West's song Stronger. The hero must learn from there mistakes and that will teach them how to survive when they are faced with death. The eighth step in the journey is to touch the readers emotions and get them interested through the idea of death. Tragedy is the best way to express emotion because not only is it the strongest emotion it is interesting. It is the same reason people slow down when they pass an accident, showing that death and tragedy are interesting. All of the many ways the author can show death all relay the same human emotion of tragedy.

Questions:

1. What does the emotional appeal tell us about the Threshold guardian and the relationship the reader is suppose to have with them?
   
2. Why can’t the hero turn back once they have reached the 7th stage of the journey? 
   
3. Why is death the way for the hero to be reborn and how do we relate to this struggle? 
   

Terms:

1. Dramatic Complications- heros may have disheartening set backs at in the 7th stage that helps them approach the supreme goal. 
   
2. Crisis- the point in a story or drama at which hostile forces are in the tensest of opposition. 
   
3. Demonizing- the shadow represents the heros fears and unlikeable, rejected qualities which are all the things we don’t like about ourselves and try to project onto other people.