Annotated bibliography #9

Andrew Biersack
11/2/08
Robinson
Annotated bib. # 9
Vogler, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey Mythic Structure For Writers. Studio City, CA: Michael
Wiese, 1998. 197-228.
Summary
In these sections of the Vogler text, he discusses Act three of the hero’s journey with the archetypal stages of The Resurrection and Return with the Elixir. A dramatic function of the Resurrection is to fulfill the audiences need at this point in the story for another death/rebirth moment of the climax, whereas the previous stage dealt with the crisis. There is a need for the hero to undergo some sort of transformation in order to return to the Ordinary World and making that transformation visible to the audience without simply telling them is the writer’s dilemma for this section. A new personality or a physical “cleansing of death” from the hero’s body are ways of demonstrating this. He addresses the curious need for two Ordeals or a crisis and climax. The demonstrate the characters gaining of the knowledge in the Special World and bringing it back into the Ordinary World is a feat all of its own. Often times a “showdown” is inserted here, a final battle with death in which the hero must exhaust all of his skills and resources just to survive. The hero very often survives save for the case of tragic heroes, which Vogler addresses on page 200-201. Another way to show a change is giving the hero a very difficult choice in which his new, true character is revealed, similarly in romantic movies. Vogler discusses the various types of climax other than the tradition explosive, dramatic scene. Some are “quiet climax’ where a “crest of emotion” lets us know all the conflicts have been resolved. There are “rolling climaxes” where multiple subplots require attention in tying up the loose ends, but all should present the audience with a feeling of “emotional breakthrough” according to Vogler. Catharsis is described as the final culmination of the character arc, the gradual process the character undergoes throughout the story of which Catharsis is the climax. Resurrection stage usually necessitates a sacrifice of some kind from the hero; whether it is sacrificing an old vice, habit, or belief. The main dramatic function of The Return for the hero is “implementing change in your daily life and using the lessons of adventure to heal your wounds.” He describes the two main branches of story endings, one preferred by the West and the other by the remaining world, usually. The circular and the open-ended approach; the circular tends to have a sense of closure and the other leaves unanswered questions or conflicts, though a sense of growth about the hero is apparent in both. Another main difference between the Return and other stages, as it shares main qualities with several other stages, is “it must finish your story so that it satisfies or provokes your audience as you intended” (pg.219). The return is also a keen place for a surprise, as the audiences rarely expect one here. Vogler goes on to describe the many varied ways in which writers conclude stories, many of which contain pitfalls. Heroes often are “sadder but wiser” and sometimes “sadder but no wiser” in reflecting upon the elixir as a representation for the cumulative journey or lesson which must untimely be shared. Too many endings, abrupt endings or unfocused are forms of endings that often contain pitfalls. He mentions the function of epilogues needed to perform the same functions as the Return in stories that disallow traditional wrap-up.
Reaction
In these sections of the Vogler text, he pays more attention to the traditional linear and cyclical natures of the Hero’s overall journey and gives reasons for these stages as functions of the journey as a whole. For example the sacrifice is to serve a certain purpose to allow passage back to the Ordinary World thusly allowing the story to end. Vogler uses a good variety of film examples in the Resurrection text, wrapping it up again with the Wizard of Oz reference. He also demonstrates the concept of the character arc in a couple different visual representations.
Questions
1. Why is the Hero not guaranteed passage back to his Home, the Ordinary World?
2. Why must the Elixir always be shared in some form or another with the Ordinary World? Is it because it is the Ordinary World which birthed the hero?
3. Do heroes ever keep the Elixir in addition to deciding not to return their Ordinary World and instead forge on?