Annotation #4

Summary
Every good story is basically centralized on some hero’s journey. This journey needs to have a point and needs to be well defined, which is what the beginning of the story attempts to do. There are various ways to begin a story and no way is perfect for every story. For example, some stories may begin with a prologue that depicts the event that will ultimately propel the hero onto their adventure. Some stories may instead begin in a more linear fashion, beginning in the ordinary world. This is an extremely important part of a story. It is where the stage is set. The ordinary world is established and the heroes role within it. This is also the point where the hero is introduced and we get to find out what their weaknesses, strengths and other attributes are. This is also the point in the story where we see the call for adventure that kicks off the rest of the journey. It is important that the normal world contrasts with the special world, it makes it far more interesting and works to enhance the dramatic effect of the story.

Response.
This is a recurring theme to all my responses, but I cannot help but believe it must be one of the most important aspects of Vogler’s book. That is he makes many references to the audience being able to relate, identify or even emphasize with everything going on. A large role of the normal world (or beginning of the story) is to establish the human reasons are hero is the way that they are and why they must undertake this journey. Everything is targeted to being relatable on a human level.

Reflection
It is kind of interesting how I can take what Vogler is discussing here and apply it even to my own life. For the paper that we had to write, this is obviously something that I had to do. In my case for example, I think often of my ordinary world, which is Vermont. Back there, everything is seemingly normal for me and I know that things would be simpler. Instead however, I am here in a special world. In school, away from my friends and family and certainly facing down a challenge. So it is becoming more and more clear how broadly Vogler’s discussion can be applied.

Questions
1.) How far can a story deviate from the linear journey model that Vogler is setting up?
2.) How can this be applied to non-fiction writing, where perhaps many of these elements being describe simply are not there?