fandomhigh | Monomyths [Tuesday, February 9, Period 3]

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Monomyths [Tuesday, February 9, Period 3]

Cindy started class with an announcement. "So, as your syllabi say, next week is your midterm. We'll be finishing up Act One of the heroic journey today, so you can probably guess what your midterm will be about. Let me remind you that I have office hours on Mondays and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about the material covered in class. Also, if you don't want to watch Wendy for your final, you have until next week to provide me with a suitable work of literature or media for me to okay instead. I suggest bringing in several different works in order to ensure there's something suitable for me to okay."

She glanced around before moving on, in case anyone had a question. "Okay, onto the last stage of Act One. For the feminine journey, this step is about preparing for the journey. The feminine hero has realized she has been betrayed and is ready to do something about it. Her coping method has failed her and she sees that her perfect world was nothing more than an illusion the entire time. So now she begins to prepare. This is the time where she says goodbye if her journey is a physical one and usually faces discouragement or ridicule as she goes. Also, she may gather together items she thinks she will need for the battle ahead: weapons, money, cosmetics, documents, data--anything she thinks will be helpful for her as she goes forward. The preparation makes her feel good about herself; she feels like she's girding herself for battle. There's only one problem--"

"None of this stuff will help her. In the end, the feminine hero needs to realize that it's her own intelligence, strength, determination, and abilities that will get her through whatever trials are coming. We'll see what happens to the preparations she makes when we discuss Act Two, but this step is important for the feminine hero because everything that she gathers needs to be taken away from her on her journey." Cindy gave her students a shrug and an apologetic smile. "It's safe to say, the feminine hero gets the fuzzy end of the lollipop. Nothing she acquires in this step can stay with her. Some authors even give the hero a mentor during this stage, one that won't have enough information or training for her. It's all part of the larger lesson: the feminine hero must learn to rely on herself instead of outside factors like other people or possessions."

"But before you start thinking it's all bad here, this is also when we start seeing the feminine hero's own resolve. She decides to leave, to pack, to rebel, to escape. She is no longer passive and waiting--she has taken charge of her own destiny. Granted, she makes mistakes in this step, but the important thing to remember is this is when the hero finally realizes there's more to this world than just what she's seen so far. This is a really important moment in her emotional make up--it's the beginning of agency."

Agency. What a lovely word. Not that Cindy had time to dwell on it. She was too busy moving onto the last stage of the masculine journey. "Of course, the obvious contrast to this is the final stage of the masculine journey, which is basically when a friend or an enemy comes on the scene, encouraging the masculine hero to accept the Call. If they are allies, they may stay with the hero throughout the entirety of his journey. These characters provide assistance and information to the hero; offering him guidance or even just friendship. If the masculine hero is leaving his home town, often people will gather around him, wishing him luck and providing him with supplies as he makes his way."

"Again, this is related to the long-held view of what a man's place is in the world and what a woman's place is," Cindy explained, as a review for the students from earth and as an explanation for those who were from other places and times. "It is much more acceptable--even considered laudable--for a man to leave home and seek his fortune, or even just adventure. For centuries, a woman's place was considered to be in the home; she was the property of her father and then her husband. Her job was to produce and tend children and keep the home tidy. For her to leave was considered a distortion of the proper way of things. A lot of that has changed, but vestiges of that old belief still linger on."

[~~Please to be waiting for~~ OCD up! Sorry for the delay--my power cord had gotten pulled out without me noticing till it was too late.]

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Like a boss!

Do lecture-y things. Ask questions. Take notes. Hit on Debra. Get rejected.

"When last we left our intrepid adventurers (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhigh/2370322.html?thread=154388754#t154388754), Inanna, she had just been given the mes of power and then they were demanded back by the god Enki. Realizing that Enki thought so little of her to just give them and then take them back, Inanna ran back home and presented them to her people. There was much rejoicing. However, that made Inanna realize that, though she was queen, all of her power had been given to her and could be taken away just as easily. So, she dolls herself up, making herself as beautiful and regal as possible, transforming the mes, the seven symbols of civilization (http://www.jameswbell.com/m010inannasdescent.html) into a crown, a necklace, a dress, and several other accoutrement and heads to the underworld. (http://www.matrifocus.com/BEL05/spotlight.htm)"

"Gilgamesh, on the other hand, has his stalwart friend, Enkidu, who is strong and wise and the epitome of the Noble Savage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_savage) He had come to challenge Gilgamesh (http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/tab1.htm), in order to stop Gilgamesh from being a tyrant, and stayed on as Gilgamesh's blood-brother after they fought. accompanies Gilgamesh on all his journeys (http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/tab3.htm), aiding him whenever possible."

Edited 2010-02-09 03:57 (UTC)

In both the masculine and feminine journey, the hero collects people and equipment to guide them along their way. The feminine hero loses everything she starts out with, while the masculine hero gets to keep his. Why is this? Is it unfair?

Looking at some of the movies and novels we've discussed in class, talk about where in the works you see this stage happening. What's going on? Why does the director or author choose what details to include. If you know what happens next in the book or movie, try to guess what the next stage will be.

Try to guess what journey they're on!

Bet they'd love that.

Don't try to guess

This is relevant in the real world! Just as

ancientbschamp about Xena-con!

Trufax.

Lucy Lawless to the audience, on stage: "Of course, you realize the whole show is actually all about Gabrielle's hero's journey."

Renee O'Connor: "Oh, yeah . . ."

The two of them: *dork out*

I: *am in my seat rocking back and forth containing my laughter*

Gabrielle

Francine Peters

Zayne Carrick

Arthur Pendragon

Anemone

No, Anemone does not want you guessing what journey she's on, thank you very much. But she will answer questions to the best of her ability.

Claire Bennet

Claire was mostly listening and scribbled down a few notes.

Liir Thropp

Liir was starting to wonder why this class and his class on Monday were sort of melding and melting inside his head into a very strange kind of perception of his own life.

...also if this was a good or a bad thing.

"I don't think so. After all, those things she started out with prove ultimately useless. If she gets to shed what was holding her back, and her strength is within her, as opposed to some external force, is she not at heart in a better position? Her truest tools can never be taken."

Sookie Stackhouse

Robin

"But even in the masculine journey doesn't the hero generally still have to face the final challenge alone? Or am I skipping ahead?"

Play at Fandom High, learn valuable life lessons!

"Why do you think they both get to gather them, then?" Cindy asked, smiling a bit. "Can you guess what role those allies or items play in both journeys? It's looking ahead a bit, so don't stress about the answer too much."

"Jumping ahead," Cindy said with a nod, trying very hard to keep from thinking of any frog-related puns. "And not entirely accurate. But we'll get to that in the last act of the journey. But, even if it were true, why does the masculine hero get to start off with friends and allies first?"

He had an answer, but he wasn't sure of the rightness of it.

"Because people need things. It's easier to focus on qualities of something outside than something within. A stone, a necklace, a broom."

His own hand settled on the end of that very object in it's usual sling at his hip.

"You can blame a destined ring for finding you... but eventually, you will have to admit that it found you because it was your destiny. The responsibility can be terribly overwhelming."

Edited 2010-02-09 20:38 (UTC)

"Maybe people are more inspired by stories about women overcoming a lot of adversity and becoming self reliant, and entertained by buddy cop-like stories."

Cindy mulled that over. It was a very interesting argument. "I would say that, especially in the case of the feminine journey, you're spot on," she said. "It is much easier to focus on the without than the within. And, yes, the problem with destiny is the difficulties living up to it."

Cindy laughed a bit at that. "Perhaps, but remember, these stories are thousands of years on, long before the advent of buddy cop movies. Keep thinking though. You're coming up with good points."

"Well yeah but the genre had to come from somewhere didn't it? Gilgamesh and Enkidu started out as enemies right?"

Menolly

"They did," Cindy nodded. "Though there was perhaps less an emphasis on both of them teaching each other life lessons than there is in modern day movies. But think less about the audience and more about the heroic journey. What is the end result of the masculine journey versus the end result of the feminine journey?"

Morgana

Robin thought about that, trying to think beyond the 'saving the world' aspect of a hero's journey. Not all stories were about that after all. The journey was in all sorts of genres after all.

"Well..." he said. "A lot of masculine hero journeys seem to be about, preserving the hero's world, even if his own place in it, or his view of it might change. But the feminine journey is...more about, change?"

Francine would stick with the note-taking; she had the feeling her girlfriend might have a few choice words if she hit on Debra.

Mulan

Tara Maclay

Merlin

Dru Anderson

Claudia Donovan

Firekeeper still was convinced her own journey wasn't entirely one or the other. That didn't mean she was all that interested in other people speculating on it, though.

Hypocritically, she did have a few questions about Blind Seer's journey. Though, at least she was keeping them to herself for now.

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Monomyths [Tuesday, February 9, Period 3]

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