http://steel-not-glass.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] steel-not-glass.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2010-01-12 03:49 am
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Monomyths [Tuesday, January 12, Period 3]

"We're going to start today by talking about your final," Cindy announced as soon as class began. "I know it seems like a long way away, but if you look at the syllabus I handed out last week, you'll realize it's only about fourteen weeks away and the nature of the final requires a lot of advanced prep work." The grin she flashed the class was more mischievous than evil, though they were welcome to interpret it any way they liked. "One of the things I want to stress in this class is that even though the concept of the heroic journey has its roots in works written millennia ago, it's a concept that is still at work today, influencing your own culture. Thus, to really bring that home, you final exam will consist of an essay to be handed in the final day of class. To prepare for your essay--in addition to coming to class and such--you'll be watching all seven seasons of Wendy the Werewolf Stalker. Does Wendy embark on a masculine heroic journey? A feminine heroic journey? Both? Neither? Drawing upon examples from the show and concepts we cover in class, that's the question you'll be answering." She smiled at them again. "Now you understand why I'm telling you this now. Seven seasons, fourteen weeks. You're all in high school and are capable of doing the math."

She leaned against her desk to continue. "Should you decide, for whatever reason, that you don't wish to base your final exam on Wendy that's fine. However, by the midterm, I will need a major work that you would prefer to write on instead. This will give me enough time to familiarize myself with the work in question and decide upon its suitability. Best to give me three choices, just in case your first and second choice don't work out."

She straightened again. "One last bit of prep before we get to class--Anemone? Blysse? You're the TAs for this class. Please feel free to see me after class if you'd like to discuss what that entails. That's settled; let's get to learning, shall we? Today we'll be discussing the basic the difference between the masculine and feminine journey. Now, before you start taking notes, there's something I want to stress. Just because the journey is referred by one gender or the other, it doesn't follow that the hero must be of that same gender. Men can undergo the feminine journey just as easily as women and vice versa. We clear? Good. Let's begin."

On the chalkboard before class, Cindy had written:

Feminine Journey--
*The journey where the hero must go deep inside herself and change throughout the story.
*She 'awakens' in Act I and journeys towards rebirth
*She comes into her power to realize her authentic goals and connectedness;
*Thus, her journey is the path that leads her to power and control.
*At the beginning of the story, the hero does not realize she's living a life filled with other people's goals and ambitions. They have no idea what they truly want or are capable of doing until they are forced to reexamine everything as part of their journey.
*Generally, the hero is not supported at the outset. She may face censure and public disapproval for her desire to leave the community and embark on her journey.
*Character-based stories and Lifetime Originals

Masculine Journey--
*The journey where the hero resists inner change until Act III, where he must choose to awaken and go onto victory or choose to rebel and go onto failure
*He starts with his power intact and awakens only when he realizes his power is holding him back from fully experiencing life.
*He must let go of his power to realize his authentic goals and connectedness;
*Thus, his journey is the path that leads him to give up that power and control.
*At the beginning of the story, the hero does not realize the power he has in the world only helps him reach the goals society deems acceptable. He does not realize that he must give up some of that power for him to fulfill inner goals that do are not socially approved.
*Generally, the hero is fully supported by the group and society as a whole when he chooses to embark upon his journey. He may even be assured that things will be taken care of in his absence.
*Action films, cop movies, buddy movies.


"That's a lot of information in a very few lines," Cindy said, aware her students might argue the 'very few' part. "So let's talk."

[OCD up!]
wannabehunter: (# boy - whoa)

Re: Sign in #2

[personal profile] wannabehunter 2010-01-12 10:24 am (UTC)(link)
Jo Harvelle

Re: Sign in #2

[personal profile] bitchprince 2010-01-12 11:44 am (UTC)(link)
Arthur Pendragon

Re: Sign in #2

[identity profile] ancientbschamp.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 12:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Gabrielle

Re: During the Lecture

[identity profile] ancientbschamp.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 12:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Gabrielle, luckily, had at some point invested in actual notebooks even though she hated the flimsy paper and its funny lines (she ignored those anyway). She'd have run out of scroll parchment fast in this class. Her notebook, as it was, was crammed to the margins.

Re: OOC

[identity profile] ancientbschamp.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 12:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Please don't. I'm geeking like a happy little geeking thing. <3

Even if it's going to take me half the day to figure this out for Gabrielle.

ETA: . . . I'm so sorry about Gab. -_-
Edited 2010-01-12 15:21 (UTC)
officetightass: (i am not an outdoors person)

Re: Sign in #2

[personal profile] officetightass 2010-01-12 12:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Angela Martin
officetightass: (i'm unwilling to listen)

Re: During the Lecture

[personal profile] officetightass 2010-01-12 12:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Ugh. They had to do a report on Wendy? Did they realize all the stuff that glamorized? Angela supposed next they'd have to do an oral report on Barry Plodder, too.

Re: Sign in #2

[identity profile] svetocha-blooms.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Dru Anderson
life_inshadow: ([boy] chilling)

Re: Sign in #2

[personal profile] life_inshadow 2010-01-12 01:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Tara Maclay

Re: Sign in #2

[identity profile] death-of-hope.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 02:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Anemone
life_inshadow: ([neg] all alone is all we are)

[personal profile] life_inshadow 2010-01-12 02:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Looking incredibly intimidated by the whole thing, Tara cradled Kennedy-the-hedgehog in her palms, as if drawing strength from her. "Feminine journey?" she finally ventured, as if expecting to be told she was wrong. "My -- my family told me something about me that wasn't true. Something bad. I, um. I kind of s-spent my whole life with it over my head until about three months ago. So -- n-now I have to make my way to being more in power."

She didn't sound like she was doing so great with it, but that was Tara.
Edited 2010-01-12 14:30 (UTC)

Re: Sign in #2

[identity profile] wantstocheer.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Claire Bennet

Re: During the Lecture

[identity profile] wantstocheer.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 03:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Claire took notes and idly wondered if she could get away with doing her final project on Ninth Wonders. Or would that be cheating since it was based in part on her own life?

[identity profile] wantstocheer.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 03:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"Definitely the feminine journey," Claire said. "Until I came here, I didn't realize how much other people," like her father, "were controlling my life. Now I have the ability to make my own decisions."

Re: Talk to the TAs

[identity profile] death-of-hope.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Anemone was totally around, and morbidly amused at being chosen as a TA.

[identity profile] ancientbschamp.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Gabrielle chewed halfway through her pencil (ew) in thought before she finally ventured an answer, words spilling out of her like she'd held them in too long as it was.

"That's the thing, I don't know. I could say the feminine journey, but I always knew my life in Poteidaia wasn't what I wanted for myself. That I could do so much more than live the boring farming life. It was just a matter of getting a chance to get out. Of course, when I did get the chance Xena tried to send me back home, so you could say she wasn't very supportive at first. Now? Ha. She couldn't live without me. Figuratively, since she does all right while I'm here. And I'm not looking for power and control . . . just a chance to explore, and tell stories, and learn new ones, and help people."

She nodded, brought her pencil back up to her lips and gave it a startled look when she finally realized how chewed-up it was. "On the other hand, there's Xena, and hers seems so much more like the masculine journey -- I can't talk about my path without talking about hers. Depending on when you decide her journey starts, at least. It's a long -- no. No, wait, let me think more."

Babbly bard was babbly, at least until she dropped her chin back onto her hands and lapsed into thought. This was probably unsurprising.

Re: Sign in #2

[identity profile] bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 03:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Merlin

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