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fandomhigh2010-01-19 12:13 pm
steel-not-glass.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2010-01-19 12:13 pm
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Monomyths [Tuesday, January 19, Period 3]
"So, today we start talking about the actual components of the heroic journeys," Cindy said as soon as the bell rang. "And, as is appropriate for a story, we'll begin at the beginning, the 'Once Upon a Time,' as it were. When we're first introduced to a narrative, it's important we know where the hero comes from, what's motivating him or her to go out and make the journey--regardless of whether or not the hero actually wants to make that journey. The hero on the masculine journey starts out in a 'Perfect World,' while the heroine starts out in the 'Illusion of a Perfect World.' Both of these are a natural function of the journeys they are about to undertake. The feminine hero must wake up and realize that there is more to the world than just what's in front of her--she has to discover her world is flawed and negative so that she has a reason to endure the hard journey towards something better. She has to awaken before she will leave; she must realize that her world is an illusion."
"Heroes on the masculine journey start in a world that brimming with possibilities and promise. Society is often rewarding him for playing by the rules--he's got friends, a solid career and bank account, everyone thinks he's great. But these things and society's expectations about keeping these things, often blind him to other directions in his life that he can explore. He pursues the ideal that's been laid out for him rather than discovering what he truly wants. There may be something missing in his life that he hasn't yet realized he needs--this is a common trope in every romantic comedy ever where one character is the hardworking business person with no time for love or a family. Rather than awakening to this lack, the masculine hero is called to his adventure; he needs to come from a perfect world so we can see what he's turning his back upon."
Cindy went over to the projector set-up, lowering the screen and taking several DVDs from her bag. "The problem is, there aren't a lot of hard and fast rules about what makes one world perfect and the other illusory. One trope that is used to illustrate that someone is living in the illusion of the Perfect World can easily be used in the creation of the Perfect World as well. In one story, finding out that your idea of family is predicated on a lie might be the hallmark of an illusion--Blossoms in the Basement, for example--yet for other tales, it might simply show that the hero is destined for something greater--take any book or movie when the orphan farmboy discovers that he isn't truly an orphan; he's been told lies to save his life. The war that shows just how quickly the hero on the feminine journey can lose everything that she thought made her life meaningful might simply be 'The Call' to the hero on the masculine journey. In The Epiphany, the main character seems to have everything: a rich husband, lovely children, a thriving social life and yet is neither happy nor fulfilled. To complicate things further, sometimes the Perfect World isn't; it may be boring or aggravating or even a little scary. So it all comes down to how the work is portrayed. Let's take a few examples and watch to see how we are meant to view the worlds presented to our heroes."
[Wait for OCD up! Sorry it's so late--looking for movie clips is HARD]
"Heroes on the masculine journey start in a world that brimming with possibilities and promise. Society is often rewarding him for playing by the rules--he's got friends, a solid career and bank account, everyone thinks he's great. But these things and society's expectations about keeping these things, often blind him to other directions in his life that he can explore. He pursues the ideal that's been laid out for him rather than discovering what he truly wants. There may be something missing in his life that he hasn't yet realized he needs--this is a common trope in every romantic comedy ever where one character is the hardworking business person with no time for love or a family. Rather than awakening to this lack, the masculine hero is called to his adventure; he needs to come from a perfect world so we can see what he's turning his back upon."
Cindy went over to the projector set-up, lowering the screen and taking several DVDs from her bag. "The problem is, there aren't a lot of hard and fast rules about what makes one world perfect and the other illusory. One trope that is used to illustrate that someone is living in the illusion of the Perfect World can easily be used in the creation of the Perfect World as well. In one story, finding out that your idea of family is predicated on a lie might be the hallmark of an illusion--Blossoms in the Basement, for example--yet for other tales, it might simply show that the hero is destined for something greater--take any book or movie when the orphan farmboy discovers that he isn't truly an orphan; he's been told lies to save his life. The war that shows just how quickly the hero on the feminine journey can lose everything that she thought made her life meaningful might simply be 'The Call' to the hero on the masculine journey. In The Epiphany, the main character seems to have everything: a rich husband, lovely children, a thriving social life and yet is neither happy nor fulfilled. To complicate things further, sometimes the Perfect World isn't; it may be boring or aggravating or even a little scary. So it all comes down to how the work is portrayed. Let's take a few examples and watch to see how we are meant to view the worlds presented to our heroes."
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