Emily Wiemken
Analytical and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
Annotation
Annotation for Vogler’s “The Writer’s Journey/Stories Are Alive”
In the writer’s journey, Vogler summarizes the journey writers and audiences go through in a story. He explains that this isn’t just a journey through stories, but a journey throughout life as well. “The boundaries of space and time and even the limitations of death can be transcended (239)”. Vogler then goes on to explain how Disney came to remaking and reanimating old stories from The Brothers Grimm and Perrault. He explains how he got to examine the same story from many different cultures, and examining the inner and the outer journey the hero goes through. He then talked about Rumpelstilskin and how powerful the element of wishing is to a story claiming it gives the story a strong “throughline…organizing the forces in and around the hero to achieve a clear goal” (304). Also sometimes the hero wishes for something he or she really wants at the moment, but the journey they go through forces the hero to look beyond to what he or she really needs. It is also important to think about what the audience wishes for in a story. In the end, the wishes of the audience usually are granted and achieved by struggle, overcoming obstacles, and by reconsidering them. Willing is quite different from wishing. While a wish can evaporate at the first setback, the will endures. The will is a wish that is concentrated and focused into a firm intention to achieve a goal step by step, that becomes more and more resilient and accustomed to conflict and opposition.
I thought this final Vogler was very interesting, especially the aspect of wishing and willing, and feeling unsatisfied at the end. When the hero receives awards proportionate to his struggle, and the villain receives his appropriate fate depending on what heinous crime he or she committed. If the lessons and punishments don’t add up to what we expect or wish for, then we leave feeling unsatisfied. Thinking about it, I feel this must be very tricky for a writer to do. They want to keep the audience on their toes, but can’t deviate too far from what they expect or the audience wont enjoy it as much.
1. Are there any movies you can think of that didn’t satisfy because you feel the hero or villain didn’t get what they deserved? Which and why?
2. Is there another popular fairy tale where wishing is a major underlying principle?
3. Do you personally think the story needs to start out with wishing to set a tone, or do you feel most stories tend to satisfy without wishing?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Project Plan
Reflection and Action
Rhetorical Analysis: Song: American Girl by Estelle, Movie: Borat, Image: ?!, Book: ?!!?
DO: figure out what to use as a visual and a book.
Interviews: Interview Lila about her trip to Israel. Talk about how impressions of the country is actually different from how it really is.
Volunteering: Volunteer at the YMCA. Ask kids what they think about other countries based on TV shows and movies. November 23.
From my rhetorical analysis' I chose the movie and and song that I did, because both provided a different interpretation and impression about the people of a different culture.
From the interview I expect to gain some first hand knowledge of someone's experience when they went to a foreign country that I've never been to, and about a place that has a lot of different stigma's surrounding it.
Rhetorical Analysis: Song: American Girl by Estelle, Movie: Borat, Image: ?!, Book: ?!!?
DO: figure out what to use as a visual and a book.
Interviews: Interview Lila about her trip to Israel. Talk about how impressions of the country is actually different from how it really is.
Volunteering: Volunteer at the YMCA. Ask kids what they think about other countries based on TV shows and movies. November 23.
From my rhetorical analysis' I chose the movie and and song that I did, because both provided a different interpretation and impression about the people of a different culture.
From the interview I expect to gain some first hand knowledge of someone's experience when they went to a foreign country that I've never been to, and about a place that has a lot of different stigma's surrounding it.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Emily Wiemken
Analytical and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
Annotation
Annotation for Vogler’s “Resurrection/Return with the Elixir”
The resurrection as Vogler explains it, is the villain’s last ditch attempt to return and foil the hero. This is when all that the Hero has learned comes in to play to finally vanquish the villain once and for all. Vogler related this to a smoker trying to quit. The smoker does good for a while, he has resisted all the initial temptations, but there has to be a final closing of the time when he smoked for good. One last final temptation that the smoker has to get through to where he can finally feel rid of the desire to smoke ever again. For the hero, this is like going through a final purging and purification before they reenter the ordinary world. Writers have to show a change in the Hero before and after this stage. Vogler also relates this stage as the final exam in a class. The Ordeal in the case is considered as the midterm. After the hero gets through the Resurrection, there should be a sense of closure, of starting a new life. Sometimes the hero will actually return with an elixir that they bring back for the ordinary world. This is in a sense the “unknotting” of a story, where all the loose ends are tied together and all the questions are answered. There are two common endings present in a story. In the Circular story form, the story tends to go full circle back to the beginning where it might restate a line of dialogue or show and image to show how much the hero has grown and provide a contrast which helps the story feel complete. The other type of story is the Open-ended story form which some story tellers prefer because it tends to leave some of the unanswered moral questions up to the audience. They end by posing new questions that resonate with the audience long after the movie and often tends to turn up in arguments over coffee or in the office.
I enjoyed this section of Vogler and thought it was interesting how he said that the closed endings were more preferred in our western culture, and open ended endings where more preferred in European cinema. He said that Hollywood films are often criticized for their unrealistic fairy tale endings leaving the audience undisturbed so they don’t have to think about it after. Europeans tend to enjoy the sophisticated, realistic, and ambiguous edge that open ended stories often bring to the table.
1. Are there any stories that you feel end too abruptly and if so, why do you think that is?
2. What type of ending do you prefer in a story and why?
3. Do you feel there is a need for an epilogue? Why or why not?
Analytical and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
Annotation
Annotation for Vogler’s “Resurrection/Return with the Elixir”
The resurrection as Vogler explains it, is the villain’s last ditch attempt to return and foil the hero. This is when all that the Hero has learned comes in to play to finally vanquish the villain once and for all. Vogler related this to a smoker trying to quit. The smoker does good for a while, he has resisted all the initial temptations, but there has to be a final closing of the time when he smoked for good. One last final temptation that the smoker has to get through to where he can finally feel rid of the desire to smoke ever again. For the hero, this is like going through a final purging and purification before they reenter the ordinary world. Writers have to show a change in the Hero before and after this stage. Vogler also relates this stage as the final exam in a class. The Ordeal in the case is considered as the midterm. After the hero gets through the Resurrection, there should be a sense of closure, of starting a new life. Sometimes the hero will actually return with an elixir that they bring back for the ordinary world. This is in a sense the “unknotting” of a story, where all the loose ends are tied together and all the questions are answered. There are two common endings present in a story. In the Circular story form, the story tends to go full circle back to the beginning where it might restate a line of dialogue or show and image to show how much the hero has grown and provide a contrast which helps the story feel complete. The other type of story is the Open-ended story form which some story tellers prefer because it tends to leave some of the unanswered moral questions up to the audience. They end by posing new questions that resonate with the audience long after the movie and often tends to turn up in arguments over coffee or in the office.
I enjoyed this section of Vogler and thought it was interesting how he said that the closed endings were more preferred in our western culture, and open ended endings where more preferred in European cinema. He said that Hollywood films are often criticized for their unrealistic fairy tale endings leaving the audience undisturbed so they don’t have to think about it after. Europeans tend to enjoy the sophisticated, realistic, and ambiguous edge that open ended stories often bring to the table.
1. Are there any stories that you feel end too abruptly and if so, why do you think that is?
2. What type of ending do you prefer in a story and why?
3. Do you feel there is a need for an epilogue? Why or why not?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Emily Wiemken
Analytical and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
Annotation
Annotation for Vogler’s, “Reward/The Road Back”
With the Ordeal dealt with, heroes are now able to experience the reward, the fruit of their labors. The Reward could take form in many different ways. It could be a love scene from the romantic connection in the story. It could be some little tidbit of knowledge that the hero comes across that helps them throughout the rest of their journey. Either way, post ordeal can be seen as the end of their initiation into the new world. They have emerged and are seen as special and different. Their reward can also come as a distortion instead of an epiphany or self discovery. They could get a swelled head, or all the evil they had encountered can push them off the edge and they become as bad as the criminal themselves. After having fully enjoyed the reward, Heroes now have to continue on their journey experiencing, The Road Back. Motivation can come from their inner resolve to return home to impart their wisdom, or an external force, prying the hero off of the plateau of comfort they have come to enjoy after the ordeal. On the road back there can be many different experiences. The hero can be chased, which authors or producers often use as a way to reengage the audience, or the villain can escape making off with a loved one or some sort of treasure.
I didn’t really care for this section of Vogler very much. There were several parts that I didn’t really see applied to whatever section he was talking about. For example, how he talks about campfire scenes during the reward stage. I tend to find those more in the tests and allies stage, where the hero is still trying to find his way in the new world. I did like once again, how Vogler applied psychology to the section of the Road Back. How he talked about neuroses and addictions, and how they can rise up one last time as a final effort to reemerge.
1 What are some examples of heroes that have become as bad as the villain?
2 Do you find yourself reengaged after a chase scene? Is this something you would put into your own story?
3 Are there any advantages or disadvantages for a hero who decides to leave the special world voluntarily to those that are chased out?
Analytical and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
Annotation
Annotation for Vogler’s, “Reward/The Road Back”
With the Ordeal dealt with, heroes are now able to experience the reward, the fruit of their labors. The Reward could take form in many different ways. It could be a love scene from the romantic connection in the story. It could be some little tidbit of knowledge that the hero comes across that helps them throughout the rest of their journey. Either way, post ordeal can be seen as the end of their initiation into the new world. They have emerged and are seen as special and different. Their reward can also come as a distortion instead of an epiphany or self discovery. They could get a swelled head, or all the evil they had encountered can push them off the edge and they become as bad as the criminal themselves. After having fully enjoyed the reward, Heroes now have to continue on their journey experiencing, The Road Back. Motivation can come from their inner resolve to return home to impart their wisdom, or an external force, prying the hero off of the plateau of comfort they have come to enjoy after the ordeal. On the road back there can be many different experiences. The hero can be chased, which authors or producers often use as a way to reengage the audience, or the villain can escape making off with a loved one or some sort of treasure.
I didn’t really care for this section of Vogler very much. There were several parts that I didn’t really see applied to whatever section he was talking about. For example, how he talks about campfire scenes during the reward stage. I tend to find those more in the tests and allies stage, where the hero is still trying to find his way in the new world. I did like once again, how Vogler applied psychology to the section of the Road Back. How he talked about neuroses and addictions, and how they can rise up one last time as a final effort to reemerge.
1 What are some examples of heroes that have become as bad as the villain?
2 Do you find yourself reengaged after a chase scene? Is this something you would put into your own story?
3 Are there any advantages or disadvantages for a hero who decides to leave the special world voluntarily to those that are chased out?
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Refusal of the Call/Meeting with the Mentor
Emily Wiemken
Analytical and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
Annotation
Annotation for Vogler’s. “Refusal of the Call/Meeting with the Mentor”
After the hero is met with the call to adventure, it’s human nature for any believable character to go through some hesitation before embarking on their adventure. This stage in a hero’s journey is called the Refusal of the Call. Storytellers also use this stage as a way to show the audience that the adventure the hero is about to go on, isn’t just a frivolous thing and in fact is going to be very dangerous, threatening their heart, a large fortune, or their life. This protest can be made in several different ways, and usually lasts until an even bigger motivation comes along that overrides the hero’s fear, such as the kidnapping of a loved one. Some hero’s don’t refuse the call at all, and they’re called Willing Heroes. In this case, other characters will take over the role and try to hold the hero back and show how dangerous the adventure will be. This leads to the character type of the Threshold Guardian. These characters are used in stories to test the hero, usually after they have already decided to go on the adventure, to see if they are really dedicated to it. The next stage in the journey is called the Meeting with the Mentor. This is the time in the story where the hero almost has to make contact with some sort of wisdom before the adventure begins. This form of wisdom most commonly comes in the form of a Mentor who give the hero the supplies, knowledge, and confidence needed to overcome fear and commence the adventure. For the storyteller, it’s a great chance to immerse the reader even more by providing the popular type of relationship in which the wisdom and experience of one generation is passed. The mask of the Mentor can also turn into other types of characters at any point of the story. It could be used to trick the hero into a life of crime, or they could turn against the hero becoming the shadow.
I enjoyed reading this section of Vogler, and enjoyed looking back at my own refusal of the calls before embarking on changing events of my life. Also with the mentor, I liked thinking back to Greek myth and the different mentors used in the various myths. As for the type of mentor that can trick a hero into a life of crime, I thought of Robin Williams character in August Rush.
1.Would the gods in Greek Mythology be considered mentors? Why or why not?
2.What other types of mentors can you think of that tricked the hero into a life of crime?
3.Do threshold guardians and refusal of the call go hand in hand? Why or why not?
Analytical and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
Annotation
Annotation for Vogler’s. “Refusal of the Call/Meeting with the Mentor”
After the hero is met with the call to adventure, it’s human nature for any believable character to go through some hesitation before embarking on their adventure. This stage in a hero’s journey is called the Refusal of the Call. Storytellers also use this stage as a way to show the audience that the adventure the hero is about to go on, isn’t just a frivolous thing and in fact is going to be very dangerous, threatening their heart, a large fortune, or their life. This protest can be made in several different ways, and usually lasts until an even bigger motivation comes along that overrides the hero’s fear, such as the kidnapping of a loved one. Some hero’s don’t refuse the call at all, and they’re called Willing Heroes. In this case, other characters will take over the role and try to hold the hero back and show how dangerous the adventure will be. This leads to the character type of the Threshold Guardian. These characters are used in stories to test the hero, usually after they have already decided to go on the adventure, to see if they are really dedicated to it. The next stage in the journey is called the Meeting with the Mentor. This is the time in the story where the hero almost has to make contact with some sort of wisdom before the adventure begins. This form of wisdom most commonly comes in the form of a Mentor who give the hero the supplies, knowledge, and confidence needed to overcome fear and commence the adventure. For the storyteller, it’s a great chance to immerse the reader even more by providing the popular type of relationship in which the wisdom and experience of one generation is passed. The mask of the Mentor can also turn into other types of characters at any point of the story. It could be used to trick the hero into a life of crime, or they could turn against the hero becoming the shadow.
I enjoyed reading this section of Vogler, and enjoyed looking back at my own refusal of the calls before embarking on changing events of my life. Also with the mentor, I liked thinking back to Greek myth and the different mentors used in the various myths. As for the type of mentor that can trick a hero into a life of crime, I thought of Robin Williams character in August Rush.
1.Would the gods in Greek Mythology be considered mentors? Why or why not?
2.What other types of mentors can you think of that tricked the hero into a life of crime?
3.Do threshold guardians and refusal of the call go hand in hand? Why or why not?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Annotated Bibliography for 9/29/08
Emily Wiemken
Analytical and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
9/29/08
Annotations for Vogler’s, “The Ordinary World/The Call to Adventure” pg. 83-105
This weeks reading began with a description of “the ordinary world” of a story. This crucial beginning is the writer’s opportunity to create an impression upon the audience, not only about what the story will be about, but to hook the audience and make them interested in where the story is going. The opening image is a great example of setting the tone for the rest of the story. It creates mood, and can be a “visual metaphor that…conjures up the Special World of Act Two and the conflicts and dualities that will be confronted there” (85). For most adventures and stories, the ordinary world provides a stark contrast to the special world that will follow it. It provides a sort of home base for the hero where he/she begins, and usually returns to after their ordeal, where the audience can see how much the hero changed. Vogler also stressed that the needs of a story will usually dictate the best approach to structure. Another big part of The Ordinary World is making an entrance. This is an important part of building a character’s relationship with the audience and provides a first impression upon viewers or readers that should be a model of the hero’s characteristic attitude and future problems or solutions that will occur. Establishing a “so what?” in the beginning is important because it gives not only the hero something huge to lose whether it’s life/death, or big money, but also the audience something to lose as they should be able to relate to the hero emotionally by this point. The Call to Adventure in a story is the event that gets the story going once the ordinary world and the hero is established. This can be called forth by a messenger or Herald archetype, or just simply a catalyst event that brings forth a need for change required by the hero. The call can also begin as a simple stirring from within the hero, the unconscious mind bearing news that it’s time for a change in the form of a dream or vision. Temptation can also be a driving forth in the call to adventure. It could be a tantalizing lover that the hero can’t resist, or a rumor of treasure. Sometimes the call could just be the hero running out of options, and the only way to get out of being killed or saving a loved one, is going on that adventure.
I enjoyed reading about the different aspects of the ordinary world, and how they relate to a writer’s interaction with its readers. Like for example how the beginning of the story can be brought down to just those simple few metaphors and symbols that puts the audience into the mood you want to create for your story. A great opening image that I thought of was during the movie O Brother Where Art Thou? With all the prisoners singing and working. An example of a Prologue in a movie that I thought of was in the movie Shrek. I really enjoyed reading about the back-story in this section as well because I automatically thought of the show Lost, where as the show progresses and we get to know the characters as they are on the island, we suddenly get transported into scenes that show them as they are in their “ordinary world” back home. In this show, the ordeal happened before we get shown what their normal life was like.
1. What kinds of metaphors/symbols have you noticed in some popular movies during the Ordinary World?
2. For a character you were writing, would you add more characteristics from yourself? Which ones do you think your character would have?
3. Can you think of any perfect, flawless characters that you don’t think are realistic at all?
Analytical and Persuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
9/29/08
Annotations for Vogler’s, “The Ordinary World/The Call to Adventure” pg. 83-105
This weeks reading began with a description of “the ordinary world” of a story. This crucial beginning is the writer’s opportunity to create an impression upon the audience, not only about what the story will be about, but to hook the audience and make them interested in where the story is going. The opening image is a great example of setting the tone for the rest of the story. It creates mood, and can be a “visual metaphor that…conjures up the Special World of Act Two and the conflicts and dualities that will be confronted there” (85). For most adventures and stories, the ordinary world provides a stark contrast to the special world that will follow it. It provides a sort of home base for the hero where he/she begins, and usually returns to after their ordeal, where the audience can see how much the hero changed. Vogler also stressed that the needs of a story will usually dictate the best approach to structure. Another big part of The Ordinary World is making an entrance. This is an important part of building a character’s relationship with the audience and provides a first impression upon viewers or readers that should be a model of the hero’s characteristic attitude and future problems or solutions that will occur. Establishing a “so what?” in the beginning is important because it gives not only the hero something huge to lose whether it’s life/death, or big money, but also the audience something to lose as they should be able to relate to the hero emotionally by this point. The Call to Adventure in a story is the event that gets the story going once the ordinary world and the hero is established. This can be called forth by a messenger or Herald archetype, or just simply a catalyst event that brings forth a need for change required by the hero. The call can also begin as a simple stirring from within the hero, the unconscious mind bearing news that it’s time for a change in the form of a dream or vision. Temptation can also be a driving forth in the call to adventure. It could be a tantalizing lover that the hero can’t resist, or a rumor of treasure. Sometimes the call could just be the hero running out of options, and the only way to get out of being killed or saving a loved one, is going on that adventure.
I enjoyed reading about the different aspects of the ordinary world, and how they relate to a writer’s interaction with its readers. Like for example how the beginning of the story can be brought down to just those simple few metaphors and symbols that puts the audience into the mood you want to create for your story. A great opening image that I thought of was during the movie O Brother Where Art Thou? With all the prisoners singing and working. An example of a Prologue in a movie that I thought of was in the movie Shrek. I really enjoyed reading about the back-story in this section as well because I automatically thought of the show Lost, where as the show progresses and we get to know the characters as they are on the island, we suddenly get transported into scenes that show them as they are in their “ordinary world” back home. In this show, the ordeal happened before we get shown what their normal life was like.
1. What kinds of metaphors/symbols have you noticed in some popular movies during the Ordinary World?
2. For a character you were writing, would you add more characteristics from yourself? Which ones do you think your character would have?
3. Can you think of any perfect, flawless characters that you don’t think are realistic at all?
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Annotated Bibliography for 9/22/08
Emily Wiemken
Analytical and Pursuasive Writing
Prof. Robinson
9/22/08
Annotations for Vogler’s, “Different Archetypes” pg 49-80
In this section Vogler identifies and explains several different archetypes including the Theshold Guardian, The Herald, The Shapeshifter, The Shadow, The Ally, and the Trickster. First the Threshold Guardian. It is not the main antagonist in the story, but it is usually a person or thing that places itself as an obsticle between the hero and its goal. The Threshold Guardian could be a bodyguard, or a simple mindless minion, or even an omnious cliff that the hero has to climb to get to the captured princess. They usually test the hero, and always tend to make the hero stronger before he or she has to face their final advisary. The Herald is the character who issues a challenge and announce the coming of a significant change. This character can be employed at any time, but is usually introduced at the beginning of the story in act one. The Shapeshifter is a figure who constantly changes and shifts, which the audience has continual difficulty pinning down exactly where their allegiance lies. Often times it could just be our own projection upon that character that we as an audience see. The funtion of the Shapeshifter is usually to bring drama and suspense into the story, to continually keep the hero and the audience guessing. The Shadow is the character who represents the energy of the dark side, the unexpressed, unrealized, or rejected aspects or something. It represents the antagonish, villan or enemy that is hell bent on the hero’s destruction. However, this just like any other archetype, is just a mask. It can be slipped on and off by any other type of character. For example, the mentor can also slip into the shadow role, or the ally, who becomes jealous of the hero’s successes. The Shadow usually also has some kind of humanizing aspect which appeals to the audience and makes them sympathetic to the evil character. An Ally is the character who helps and accompanies the hero on his or her journey. They do “many mundane tasks but also serve the important function of humanizing the heroes, adding extra dementions to their personalities” (71). The Ally is also known as the “sidekick”, like Robin from Batman and Robin. Finally, the Trickster is the character who often provides comic relief to a story. They often bring about healthy change and transformation, often by drawing attention to the imbalance of absurdity of a stagnant psychological situation.
I enjoyed reading about these different personalities and trying to pin them to popular stories and characters I know. I also absolutely loved the psychological aspect Vogler brings into the descriptions of the characters. Like the Threshold guardian who represents our own inner neuroses and inner demons that rise up to test us to see if we are really determined to make a major change in our lives. Another example would be the Herald, who symbolizes either a dream figure, a real person, or a new idea that we encounter that calls forth a change in ourselves that eventually becomes inevitable. Vogler also gave the example of Carl Jung’s Anima and Animus that symbolize the corresponding male or female qualities that each of us have within us.
1. Do shape shifters always have to be the antagonist? Or could a shape shifter also be like, a constant hero figure that continually shifts and in turn brings about change into the other characters?
2. Could there be any modern day major theshold guardian figures serving as a kind of test to see if we are really resolved to change?
3. Could any character in Vogler’s list of character become a shadow figure at any point in a story?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
I thought this was a great example of Ethos, because it invokes some "shared values" that different people have.
I think this is a fantastic example of pathos because it envokes emotion full of ecstacy and freedom.
I absolutely love this political cartoon drawn by Dr. Sues on America's stance in WW2.
Songs for Ethos, Logos, and Pathos:
Ethos: Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer
Pathos: I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
Logos: The Bare Necessities - The Jungle Book
Monday, September 8, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Nala from The Lion King
If I were to define myself to any Disney character, I would choose Nala from The Lion King. Nala is a main supporting character for Simba, from his childhood when she was his best friend, to his adult life, appearing at the most opportune time, after he had grown up in the jungle with Timone and Pumba.
When they were kids, she evoked his adventurous side when she convinced him to go to the elephant graveyard with her. They teased and bantered and when the coyotes showed up, they battled them together. Then when they grew up she stayed by his side, forcing him to choose between staying in the jungle or going back with her to face his past.
I would like to think I was most like Nala because I stick with my friends "in the face of danger". My friends can rely on me and when they need a push in the right direction, I'm usually the one to give them that push. Plus The Lion King is like, my favorite Disney movie EVER.
When they were kids, she evoked his adventurous side when she convinced him to go to the elephant graveyard with her. They teased and bantered and when the coyotes showed up, they battled them together. Then when they grew up she stayed by his side, forcing him to choose between staying in the jungle or going back with her to face his past.
I would like to think I was most like Nala because I stick with my friends "in the face of danger". My friends can rely on me and when they need a push in the right direction, I'm usually the one to give them that push. Plus The Lion King is like, my favorite Disney movie EVER.
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