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?