Pick out 3 quotes from the text and write one paragraph of response for each quote. Pick out the things that do and do not make sense to you, things you do - or do not agree with. Find the main takeaway form the article for you personally.
“ Every storyteller bends the mythic pattern to his or her own purpose or the needs of a particular culture. That's why the hero has a thousand faces.”
This quote makes sense to me after reading the context behind why it’s called “the hero with a Thousand Faces”. This quote tells me that almost, if not every story in every culture follows this rule of the hero’s journey. Different cultures have different histories and backgrounds, which makes storytelling interesting and solidifies how good the hero’s journey formula is. I thought of many hero stories from different cultures with the same themes and patterns, stories like Hercules, Mulan, Star Wars, and more.
“The ideas expressed in Campbell's book are having a major impact on storytelling.”
I agree with this quote and think it holds a lot of truth in it and is noticeable if we look closely. When I read this quote, I thought of many major Hollywood movies and stories that I happened to watch, and I think Hollywood is influenced and took inspiration from this formula. However these days I feel more movies are trying to deviate from this formula and try to go to a different path in the storytelling of the hero’s journey. It would be interesting to watch a movie about a hero’s journey that does not follow this formula, it just feels like a fresh breath to breathe.
“Every story needs such a life-or-death moment in which the hero or his goals are in mortal jeopardy.”
I do not agree with this quote. When I read this part of the chapter, I had to double-check and think of the stories I remember. I think there are many cases where the hero confronts his or her mortal jeopardy without having to face a life-or-death moment. There are some cases where the hero just witnessed something impactful to them and sits down alone to think about what happened and what’s going to happen next, and can proceed to do what they must do. My point is that I think this statement is not true and there are many ways the hero gains wisdom without a life-or-death situation.
My Main Takeaway from reading this chapter of "Practical Guide" from Vogler's Writer's Journey is that this book equips or gives insight to readers about the influential Hero's Journey and how it's structured. This chapter is really well written and purposeful, it can also be used for a guide and manual when one wants to create a Hero's Journey story. Every stage from Departure to Return is thoroughly explained with examples, which makes reading and learning the chapter much more enjoyable. I think we all can learn valuable lesson from this chapter. I enjoyed reading this week's reading.
