Rhianna Lebedz
October 21, 2008
Vogler, Christopher, and Michele Montez. The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers. Boston: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007. pg. 143-173.
Summary
In stage seven, after "Tests, Allies, and Enemies", the hero approaches the inmost cave where they will encounter wonder and terror (143). Here is where the hero makes final preparations for the adventure (143). This is the preparation stage right before the Ordeal (145). While making the approach you will encounter obstacles, illusions, and threshold guardians. When the hero is trapped and cannot turn back, is when the "approach to the Inmost Cave" is complete and they can move on to the "Ordeal" (152).
The "Ordeal", which is stage eight of Vogler's interpretation of a Hero's Journey, is where the hero will face their greatest challenge and hardest opponent (155). Heroes will always face a death and rebirth stage whether it is physically or mentally (155-156). This death and rebirth stage changes the hero (156). Vogler describes the Ordeal in Star Wars when Luke Skywalker appears to have drowned in a sewage, however out of no where he comes up the the surface and shows that he has cheated death (162). The most common Ordeal that the hero faces is confrontation with someone on the opposing side (163). In the Ordeal stage the hero comes face-to-face with death and usually will walk away to talk about it (172).
Reaction
Vogler continues to explain the next two stages of the Hero's Journey. The Approach to the Inmost Cave was really boring to read. I felt as if this stage dragged on with no real point to it. The Ordeal however was a little more interesting because you learned that in this stage the hero faces death and is like they "dance with the devil". I did like how Vogler explained that everyone is a hero in their own story, whether it was a villain, a lover, an Allie, a guardian, or even a sidekick.
Questions
1. Can a hero still turn back once they've "approached the inmost cave"?
2. Give an example of the inmost cave from a movie.
3. In your own journeys, what was your greatest fear?
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17 years ago
2 comments:
The hero can turn back until they have reached the breakthrough point of the inmost cave. Once that happens, Vogler tells us that there is no exit, meaning that there is no way to go back. Up until that point though, I do believe that the hero can turn back. But, if they did turn back, they wouldn't be much of a hero. The hero must complete the journey in order to actually become a hero.
I think that the Hero can still turn back, but that will only delay his journey and loose some credit from the audience. Considering that the Hero is no longer in his world, he will eventually have to face some tests and challenges if he wants to get back.
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