Service and Interview

Project 3 Volunteer Log
Eckerd College

Name of Organization: Eckerd College Resident Advisor Program

Location of Organization: Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

Volunteer Opportunity: RA assistant? :)

Review of Volunteering

What did you do?: Helped my RA with various projects, such as decorating the message boards in my dorm

When did you do it?: This weekend (12/01/08)

What did you learn?: It's hard to be an RA! You have to organize so many things with the few resources granted by the college. The program only gets so much money every year.

What are your future plans?: I am still working on helping my RA with her cigarette disposal program.

Interview: www.entertonement.com/clips/45056/Project-Three-Interview

Reflect and Action Plan

So far I have completed only the rhetorical analysis. I feel like I picked four at least semi-decent modes that relate to my project. I picked these four because all of them have something to do with either money or college life. For example, the John Harvard statue reflects how almost regal Harvard is. Harvard is like the king of higher education; therefor it costs a good amount of money and money is mostly what my project is about.

ACTION PLAN
1. Figure out when we are putting the cigarette receptacles out
2. Do interview with Crystal over Thanksgiving break

Reading Reviews

My favorite reading this semester was the selection from The Bell Jar. I have always wanted to read this book, but have never gotten around to doing it. I think this reading appealed to me the most, because I have also always had an interest in crazy people. The heroine, Esther, is obviously somewhat crazy in that she desperatly wishes to lose her virginity. Yet she is not as crazy as some of her friends, one of which commits suicide. This reading made me think about why she was in the hospital at all and whether or not she would get out.

However I did not enjoy the selection from On The Road. It obviously didn't stike me in the heart because I don't really remember exactly what it was about. It didn't make much sense to be and I found it kinda of abstract. Which it was probably supposed to be abstract, but I didn't get what the underlying point was.

Vogler Annotation 11

Hi I'm using my get out of jail free card for this one :)

Analysis

Movie-Animal House
Animal House is a movie that parodies college life. It was made in 1978 and was one of the first films in the "gross-out" genre, movies with slapstick or distasteful humor. This genre is typically targeted at the 18-30 age range and appeals mostly to college students and teenagers. The main plot is about two freshmen, Larry and Kent, and their adventures with the Delta fraternity, based off of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at Dartmouth College. It was produced on a very small budget and was not given high expectations, but instead became one of the highest grossing films of all time.
This movie relates into my subject in that it depicts some of the differences between fraternities, who are usually partly funded by the school. Obviously the Delta fraternity is much more run down than the Omega fraternity and the school pays less attention to them (unless they're in trouble). The movie also employs the three elements of ethos, pathos and logos. When the Delta fraternity takes in Kent and Larry, even though they are obviously losers, this displays ethos. The boys are down on their luck, but Delta takes them in. Boon and Katy's relationship is like roller coaster. They claim to be in love, but they are often fighting and then making up. The audience wants them to succeed, bringing out the pathos in the film. Finally, at the end of the movie, it is stated that Bluto, the laziest Delta of all, becomes a US senator. This displays logos in that you can party in school and still be somebody after. You learn more from your experiences than from your classes.

Art-The John Harvard statue
The John Harvard statue represents Harvard, one of the most elitist and expensive schools in the country. It is a tribute to John Harvard, the man the school is named after. It can appeal to any age group, but probably appeals the most to those who know the school or the Boston and Cambridge area. Ethos is displayed in the regalness of the statue. It is distinguished and sets a standard for the Harvard community. Seeing the statue could recover memories from past students, which is pathos. The logos of the statues is the most interesting. There are three facts about the statue and all are untrue. The statue does not accurately depict John Harvard; the artist based the work off of a student. John Harvard is also not the founder of the college, he simply donated a large amount of money. And the school was also founded in 1936, not 1938 as the statue says.


Song-College Kids by Relient K
College Kids is a song by the band Relient K aimed a young adults. The song describes through its lyrics the troubles of college students. Like, "I'm poor, I'm starving, I'm flat broke, I've got no cash to spend". The song relates to my subject with lyrics like "80 grand later I found that all that I had learned is that you should show up and take your finals and midterms", which is also logs. What the song is trying to say is that students spend a lot of money and in the long run it may not get you anywhere. Students come out of college in debt. The ethos and pathos elements are also displayed in the lyrics. Ethos is "do what will make God happy, do what you feel is right, only but one thing matters, learn how to live your life". "Call it torture, call it university, someone please save us" brings out some emotion with pathos.



Book-Fraternity a short story by Dan Chaon
This book portrays the aftermath in a fraternity, a college program, after their president, Cal, is injured in a car crash. It depicts the feelings the new president, Hap, has about losing his best friend and the fraternities leader. The audience is mostly college students or professors, but could also be read by a general audience. After Cal's incident, Hap takes over as president but he is not happy. He gets drunk almost every night and then starts to pretend he is drunk. He is unsure about where life is taking him and whether he is running the fraternity well. This is the ethos in the story. The pathos comes in when Hal and some of the other frat members go to visit Cal and his mother at their home. Cal has brain damage and is essentially "dead". He doesn't remember his friends. This also plays into the logos in that Cal is permanently damaged and cannot come back.

Vogler 10

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. 3rd ed. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007. 231-290.
Summary
In this very long section, Vogler “looks back on the journey” and discusses how the journey is used in various films. Before he begins, he makes sure that the reader understands that the hero’s journey is only a guideline for stories and that they don’t always need to follow these strict rules. He also says that typically these stories are a “metaphor for life”.
Vogler starts with his analysis of the movie Titanic. He talks about how the Titanic story was sure to fail. It takes place in an era long ago about an event that the whole world is not familiar with. However, the movie ended up being a big success, and became a huge part of pop culture. Titanic follows the hero’s journey guidelines for the most part. It has two story lines going on at the same time; that of Old Rose, an older version of one of the main characters, and the events on the actual ship. Both of the heroes, Jack and Rose, start out in their ordinary world. Jack has won his tickets and is ready and eager to start on an adventure while Rose is hesitant. Rose feels captive to her family’s wishes. Vogler says that this, along with many other ways, makes Jack and Rose “polar opposites” and helps to add to the meaning of the film. Each character goes through each stage of the hero’s journey, as Vogler explains in much detail. Vogler also discusses the abundant symbolism in the story, most of which come from the “Heart of the Ocean” jewelry piece that belongs to Rose. It symbolizes the love that Jack and Rose shared on a ship on the ocean. It serves as a reminder to Rose and when she throws it off the ship she is allowing herself to let go and move on.
Next, Vogler goes into the movie The Lion King. First he “toots his own horn” and tells the reader how involved he was in the project. Then he discusses how the story came to be. Again, the filmmakers were worried about how the audience would react, but like the Titanic it came to be a huge success. The story is largely based on Hamlet, and has a lot of father-son elements involved. The story also follows the hero’s journey pretty closely. Simba, being the hero, has a mentor in Rafiki, Timon, and Pumba and his uncle Scar serves as the shadow of the story. His elixir is kingship. Vogler says that the story resonated with the audience so much because it shows the challenges of growing up, which everyone can relate to.
Vogler also briefly mentions the film The Full Monty, which also follows the basic hero’s journey format. A man (Gaz) trying to win back the trust of his son decides to put on a show with his friends. They all experience their own downfalls, but in the end everything turns out alright and each man has found his elixir. Vogler incorporates the themes in the Star Wars series into his hero’s journey as well. Vogler sums it up pretty well in this quote, “It entered the language of pop culture, providing useful metaphors, symbols, and phrases that expressed how we all feel about good and evil, technology and faith”.
While all these movies pretty much follow the standard pattern, Vogler discusses one movie which does not: Pulp Fiction. Pulp Fiction is about several different heroes that are all on their own journey. They each go through the different stages, but at different times. The movie is also mixed up as to the order of events. For example, Vincent dies at one point during the film, but a later scene depicts him doing being involved in something that happened before he died. In this way, the film creates a sort of resurrection for Vincent. The film creates odd situations like this one throughout.
Reaction
I felt this was a very interesting section and I enjoyed reading it. Although I have not seen all of these films, I did not notice many of the things that Vogler talked about when I saw the ones I did see. Looking back and thinking about these films, a lot of the things he says make sense and I see a deeper meaning in the movies. Although I liked The Lion King, I feel like it is not very original, as it just follows the same story as Hamlet and stays true to the hero’s journey path. I prefer movies that are more complex, like Pulp Fiction, and make the audience think a little bit. Pulp Fiction, while I haven’t seen it, reminds me a bit of the movie Memento. Memento is a bit different in that the story is played backwards; each scene ends with the beginning of the scene before it. This leaves the audience guessing and literally trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. That is more my type of movie.

Questions
1. Do you like stories that “stick to the path” of the hero’s journey and are straight forward or do you think it’s more useful to get the audience involved by mixing up the pieces?
2. Why do you think that Disney often uses the hero’s journey model? They don’t usually change it up.
3. If a movie doesn’t “connect” with the audience can it still be a good movie?

Four Modes

Film- Animal House
Artwork- The John Harvard statue
Song-Another Brick in the Wall Part II-Pink Floyd or College Kids-Relient K
Book-The Virginity Club

Vogler Resurrection

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. 3rd ed. Studio City, CA: Michael
Wiese Productions, 2007. 197-228
Summary
In this section Vogler goes into depth about the last two stages of the hero’s journey, the Resurrection and the Return with the Elixir. The Resurrection is the climax of the story and “heroes have to undergo a final purging and purification before reentering the Ordinary World”. They must create a whole new person and start over. Some stories have two resurrections or ordeals. Vogler describes the first resurrection as being like a midterm and the second like a final exam. This is where the stakes are highest; there may be a showdown and the hero often has to make some kind of choice. He can go back to his old self or accept his new “pure” self. Often a sacrifice has to be made to achieve this.
During the Return with the Elixir stage the hero usually comes back with something. It can be a lesson learned or a physical reward. Some heroes may come back with nothing but tragedy. Vogler also describes the different endings a story can take. There is the circular form that most fairy tales take. There is closure and the audience is left satisfied. And then there is the open-ended ending. This leaves the audience guessing and sometimes unhappy. There may be a surprise or the ending may not be happy at all. Sometimes the writer does a bad job and the story may have an abrupt ending or too many endings. In order to have a good story, the writer needs to make things clear whether the ending is open-ended or not.
Reaction
Vogler’s use of metaphors again helps to solidify his points. When talking about the Resurrection, I was reminded of a couple of events in The Dark Knight. Batman had two resurrections in this film; one was when he gave up on being Batman and decided to let someone else do his job. When this plan ended up failing he had to become Batman once again and save his city. However, when the love of his life, Rachael, dies tragically he again begins to question his role because he was unable to save her. His mentor or father figure, Alfred, reminds him that he needs to do what is best for the people he protects. This is Batman’s sacrifice.
Questions
1. How often do we see more than one Resurrection?
2. How do these two stages relate to real life?
3. Do you think a happy ending or a tragic ending is more meaningful for the audience?

The Bell Jar

In chapters nineteen and twenty of The Bell Jar the reader follows Esther Greenwood, a college student, during part of her stay in a Boston asylum for the mentally ill. Esther seems like a fairly normal girl, except that she has a strong desire for sex, indicating that something is not quite right. Chapter nineteen details her search for the perfect man to lose her virginity to. She finds Irwin, a twenty-six year old mathematics professor, and proceeds to seduce him. Unfortunately, she begins to bleed profusely afterwards and insists upon leaving. Irwin drives her to her friend Joan's house, another patient at Esther's asylum. Joan drives her friend to the hospital to get checked out. Not long afterwards Joan is found in the woods dead by means of suicide and Esther receives the news that she will soon have her exit interviews. The story ends with Esther being called in to talk to the doctors. The reader does not find out whether Esther is granted permission to leave or not, but it it seems hopeful.

Vogler The Reward and The Road Back

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. 3rd ed. Studio City,

CA: Micheal Wiese Productions, 2007. 175-194.

Summary

In this section Vogler discusses the Reward and The Road Back stages of his hero’s journey. The reward is the “aftermath of the Ordeal” and it comes in many different varieties. Usually, there is a celebration of some sort or the hero get something in exchange for the risks they’ve taken and their hard work. The most typical celebration is something like a campfire, where the hero and his allies and friends gather around and retell the story of their ordeal. This is also an opportune moment for a love scene as a form of celebration. The hero and their lover may finally connect and they will enter into what Vogler calls a “sacred marriage”. Sometimes, if the reward is an object, the hero will “seize the sword” or steal the object. The hero may also receive some kind of recognition, like being initiated into a group. Finally, one of the biggest rewards is the hero’s new “clairvoyant” abilities. After the Ordeal, a hero may gain new perceptions on life or realize their true purpose in the world. However, sometimes this may manifest itself into a big ego.
Vogler describes The Road Back as “the resolve of the hero to return to the Ordinary World and implement the lessons learned in the Special Word”. After all this work in the Special World, the hero wants to get back to the Ordinary World. Often, this is where the hero will have his or her final battle. The villain may return and continue the chase or another villain all together may appear. Vogler also describes Joseph Campbell’s “magic flight” theory. This is where the hero may try to stall the villain using various tactics. A lot of stories also have the villain escaping or some other sort of setback at this point as well.

Reaction

Again, Vogler goes into more depth with these two stages. He also continues to use many examples to back up his theories, including the Wizard of Oz. I also noticed that a lot of what Vogler says can be related to our real lives. When we overcome something or get through a challenge, we celebrate, like graduating from high school or college. Our reward is a diploma and we are “initiated” into the real adult world. We may realize things about ourselves and some of us may get big egos. Finally, The Road Back is our venture into the real world where we may encounter setbacks, like paying back those student loans, or challenges like finding a job.

Questions

1.Can you relate your own life to this part of the journey? How?
2.Can you give examples?
3.Do you think some people consider some things an Ordeal and not others?

Research Paper Strength's and Weaknesses

Strengths: Area of discussion, lots to say
Weaknesses: Need more facts to back up opinions

Annotation pgs 143-173

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. 3rd ed. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007. 143-173.
Summary
In this section Vogler goes into more depth with the Approach to the Inmost Cave and the Ordeal stages of his hero’s journey. In the Approach the hero is entering a new “zone with its own Threshold Guardians, agendas, and tests”. There are many sub stages here and Vogler again uses the Wizard of Oz to illustrate his points. First, the heroes will regroup and make plans. Sometimes a romance will develop before the bold approach wherein the hero will attempt to just barge into the sitchuation. Typically, a hero will face at least one sort of obstacle. This is where they may come in contact with a threshold guardian, like Dorothy’s first encounter with Marvel in the Wizard of Oz. Finally, after a series of more “complications” and obstacles the hero will finally breakthrough and encounter their enemy during the Ordeal.
The Ordeal is the main event in hero’s story. Vogler states that the main point of the Ordeal is that the hero will die so that he can be reborn. Something will happen and they come back changed. Oftentimes, the Ordeal is related to the hero’s innermost fears and personal challenges. After being reborn, they realize these challenges and are ready to fight. Vogler also makes sure the reader realizes that the Ordeal is a crisis and not the climax of the story. There are many points of tension during the Ordeal and often the hero brushes with death. The audience has a connection with the hero at this point and that connection becomes jeopardized.
Reflection
Again, Vogler uses metaphors and the Wizard of Oz to make his points. There is a huge amount of detail involved with these stages. The two stages almost have a hero’s journey in themselves. I noticed each element in stories I have read and movies I have seen. There is no way each element could possibly fit in one story, but I could see how they all worked. I also think the Ordeal is really just the hero’s own personal fears come to life. They need to beat these fears within to physically beat their opponents outside.
Questions
1. What do you think about the parent aspect? Do you feel you need to please your parents?
2. Do you think that the Ordeal really just mirrors our inner fears?
3. Can a villain really have their own journey?

Vogler 5

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. 3rd ed. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007. 127-141.

Summary
In this section, Vogler discusses the Crossing the First Threshold and the Tests, Allies and Enemies portions of the hero's journey. In Crossing the First Threshold, the hero has gotten over their doubts and fears and has committed to their adventure. Vogler breaks this down into several parts. Approaching the first threshold is like the turning point in the story where the hero may take a risk and just throw themselves into their adventure. It is at this point a threshold guardian may show up. They are here to challenge the hero and train them. The hero must find a way to get past them to continue their journey. When the hero does finally cross, there is usuallya shift in the "energy"; things may get dramtically different. Sometimes this crossing takes a certain amount of courage from the hero, like a leap of faith. The landing may be "rough" or smooth.
Soon, the hero will begin to encounter their Tests, Allies, and Enemies. At this point there isa huge contrast between the hero's ordianary world and their new world. It is here too that the hero begins to be tested. These first tests are often diffcult, but they may not be as difficult as the ones ahead, which makes them tests. Allies and sidekicks are typically gained; allies are often helpful people who may not have been helpful in the beginning, but are a great assest to the hero now. Sidekicks are a little bit closer to the hero than the ally and often have a comical side to them. Allies may come in teams too. The enemies usually take the role of the Shadow or Trickster. The hero may also have a rival, which is like an enemy, but doesn't really wish to do the hero any specific harm. Finally, Vogler mentions that the change from the Ordinary World to the new World may involve new rules. Vogler also describes the watering hole as a place for change.

Reaction
Again, Vogler goes into great detail while describing his stages. There is not much difference with this section and the rest. His examples, again, helped to make his points. However, this time he also used metaphors, like "the Test stage of Act Two would be a series of pop quizzes, meant to sharpen the hero's skill in specific areas".

1. What tests or trails have you had in your life?
2. Do you find they closely relate to Vogler's stage?
3. Do you know of any hero's that have NO allies?

Vogler Annotation pg 107-125

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. 3rd ed. Studio City,

CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007. 107-125.

Summary

In the first part of the section, Vogler discusses the Refusal of the Call stage of his journey. This is where the hero hesitates and the audience is shown that there is a risk in taking this call. There are several different characteristics of a refusal. Sometimes the hero will avoid the call as a first reaction. Usually, this is because of a past experience and the hero remembers the trial of that experience. Or the hero will come up with some sort of excuse; they would do it, but they have more pressing matters to attend too. Eventually, the hero is worn down in both circumstances.

Vogler also talks about “looking backward, dwelling in the past, and denying reality” as forms of refusal. If the hero continues to refusal the call, this can sometimes lead to tragedy, like when Lot’s wife refuses God’s call and she is turned into a pillar of salt. The hero may also have more than one call to choose from or a negative call may appear and the hero has to make the right choice. While most heroes refuse the call, some are willing and may even seek it. The Threshold Guardians may also come into play here, as they may enforce fear and doubt in the hero about their call. The hero may also violate any limits that the Guardians enforce.

Next, Vogler talks about the Meeting with the Mentor stage. A hero will typically meet with a person or guide for advice before they take their call. Usually, the mentor is an actually person, but sometimes it may just be a source of wisdom that the hero encounters. Or even multiple people. Vogler tells the writer to make sure their Mentor type isn’t the norm. Too make the audience more interested they need to turn the character “upside-down”. He also mentions that audiences don’t like to be misled. Sometimes the Mentor may turn on the hero or may even be a hero themselves.

Reaction

Vogler continues to get more in-depth while describing his stages. He talks about how the hero may refuse the call, and I think that this mirrors reality quite a bit. We are all afraid to take risks at one point or another. We are all also very good at making excuses! We all sometimes are lost in the past and need to be pulled out by a call. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t. I think these elements defiantly help the audience connect with the hero and get them pulled into the story. If the audience can easily relate, then the writer has created a good story.

Questions:

1. When have you avoided a call to adventure in your life?

2. Why are some people more hesitant than others?

3. Is a character still a mentor if they trick the hero?

Quiz

1. Gregor wakes up his bedroom like any other day. He needs to get up for work and his parents are making breakfast. This is his ordinary world, but it is made not so ordinary when we discovers that he has changed. Everything is normal at first, but I would say his Call to Adventure is discovering that he is a bug. He has to figure out a way to get out of bed and figure out what's going on.
2. It seems like both the story and the "Red Scare" happened in the same time period. Communists were viewed in a negative light and the whole nation was scared of them. Perhaps Gregor's changing into a bug portrays that he may have communistic views. His parents and boss are repulsed by and scared of him, much like the nation was of communists. They are not understanding of his situation.
3."a monstrous verminous bug"

Revising/Editing

Edit:
1. My use of FANBOYS
2. My use of commas
3. Check spelling and basic grammar

Revise:
1. I need to elaborate more on a lot of things
2. Capture my audiences attention, especially at the beginning
3. Use some trasitions paragraph to paragraph

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Logos

Song-Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

Image-http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/00/Tongue_(Rolling_Stones).svg/523px-Tongue_(Rolling_Stones).svg.png


Ethos

Song-Redemption Song by Bob Marley

Image-http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm07autumn/images/dog_cage.jpg

Pathos

Song-Teardrops on my Guitar by Taylor Swift

Image-http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2006/03/30/mn_africa26_032_mac.jpg

Vogler Annotation 4

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey. 3rd ed. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions,

2007. 83-105.

Summary

In this section Vogler goes into more depth with the Ordinary World stage and the Call to Adventure stage. The Ordinary World is like the “world of the common day”. It shows the audience what the hero is like and creates an atmosphere for them. Vogler talks about various aspects of the Ordinary World stage, such as the title of the story. The title is often the first clue to the audience as to the nature of the story. The opening image also introduces a theme and usually the story ends with a similar image, almost like bring the story full circle. A prologue gives a hero’s backstory and is often used to get the audience engaged or “hooked”. Subtle foreshadowing is seen and questions about the hero are posed. Will they survive? The audience tries to indentify with the hero. Both have universal problems and often times the hero is lacking something. Maybe someone has died or they just don’t feel complete. Maybe they have had a bad past and have a lot of baggage on their shoulders. Ultimately, the goal of the Ordinary World stage is to connect the story with the audience.

Next, Vogler goes into the Call to Adventure stage. The Call to Adventure is like the new “energy” that (usually) springs the hero into action. Sometimes there are coincidences that happen that set the story in motion, like fate. C. G. Jung calls this synchronicity. Or the hero may start their journey by being tempted by something. As with the Ordinary World, the hero maybe called because they are lacking something in their lives and the call is to go and attain it. Sometimes too there are multiple calls. A hero may be called, but be reluctant and then called again until they finally go into the action.

Reaction

Vogler aptly goes into depth about these two stages. His use of examples help to solidify his points about these two stages. Again, as with the rest of the text, Vogler relates his theories of the hero’s journey to real life. A good story can pull the audience in. Typically this is because the audience often sees themselves in the hero. Perhaps they indentify a problem the hero is having that is similar to one they are dealing with, and they want to see how this person deals with that same issue.

Questions

1. What would happen if the hero DID refuse the call? Could there be any story at all?

2. What if the hero is currently in a challenge, but then gives up later, like in The Dark Knight? Is that a refusal of the call?

3. Are the any heroes that don’t have a problem? Would that even be a story?

Vogler Annotation pgs 49-80

Vogler, Christopher. The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. 3rd ed. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007. 49-80.

Summary

Is this section of Vogler’s book, he discusses several of his archetypes including the threshold guardian, the herald, the shapeshifter, the shadow, the ally, and the trickster. Many of these archetypes are included in each hero story. Vogler starts with the threshold guardian. The threshold guardian is somewhat like a villain, in that it is usually some kind of obstacle in the hero’s way. It is typically not the main villain, but may be like a side kick of some kind to the main villain. The threshold guardian is meant to test the hero and can sometimes even become an ally.

Next, Vogler describes the herald which is like a mentor in a lot of ways. The herald presents a new challenge to the hero when the story is getting slow. In this way, they then provide the motivation for change. The herald is typically a person, but it can also be a force, like an event of some kind.

The shapeshifter is someone who appears to “change constantly from the hero’s point of view”. Typically, this is a woman, although the shapeshifter is no stranger to the male species. The often change mood and sometimes even physically change appearance. Vogler also mentions Carl Jung’s theory of the animus and the anima, elements in our unconscious that represent or female and male qualities. Males with anima, or the female characteristics, are more emotional and sensitive while women are working to regain their animus which is the powerful and assertive side of the unconscious. The anima and animus often plays a role with the shapeshifters.

The shadow is like a villain, but it is not always a person. The shadow is more like a repressed feeling or a dark energy. It can be something the hero does not want to admit about him or herself. These feelings can however, be reflected by a person who would therefore be the hero’s villain. The shadow’s main function is usually to challenge the hero to overcome this fear or repressed feeling.

A more positive archetype is the ally. Allies are helpful “sidekicks” who travel with the hero. Most often they provide advice when the hero needs it, but they can also challenge the hero or give comic relief. They are very similar to the herald and the mentor.

Finally, Vogler describes the trickster. The trickster is often a comical sidekick or a character that desires change. They bring heroes “down to earth” and help them to not take things so seriously. The trickster may also be a hero. This is most commonly portrayed in folktales with animals like the rabbit or the fox. They are quick-witted and often outsmart the villain.

Reaction

Vogler does a good job relating his archetypes to everyday life and to characters in stories. While The Writer’s Journey is typically used for stories like in books and movies, I can see how this relates to real life too. Everyone has or has had a shadow element in their life or a herald or mentor to help them in their own life journey. The anima and animus too is evident in today’s society as men are pushed to be more sensitive and understanding and more and more women are becoming heads of companies or starting their own businesses.

Questions

1. What is the difference between a mentor and a herald?

2. Why are females portrayed as shapeshifters more often than men?

3. Why are the anima and the animus becoming more evident in today’s society as opposed to the past?

If I Were a Disney Character

I had a difficult time deciding what Disney character I relate most to. I saw aspects of myself in a few different characters such as Princess Jasmine, the Chesire Cat and Cinderella. I likethe Chesire Cat from Alice in Wonderland and I feel like I am a very laid back type of person, like said cat. I also thought of Cinderella because I do not quite get along with my roommate and I like to think of her as an evil step-sister. Ultimatly, I decided I related the most to Princess Jasmine, because I do not feel the Cat has as many dimensions and I thought comparing myself to Cinderella simply because of a roommate situation was too shallow.
Princess Jasmine is different from many of the other Disney princesses in that she does not end up with a Prince. She smashes the fairy tale norm into little pieces and I like to think of myself as being different too. I have always been an indepent person and Jasmine is clearly one too. She goes off on her own to escape the pressures of living as royalty which is a big risk.
I too like to take risks. At my own graduation I told off my principal. If Jasimine had not taken that risk she would have never have met Aladin and we would not have this wonderful Disney story. I am also glad I took the risk of disagreeing with my high school principal. Just as not many people would marry a begger, not many people would stand up to a member of authority. I'm glad that I did, as it has made me a much for confident person.