Continuing on the path of the hero's journey, Vogler directs our attention towards two prominent stages, the hero's refusal of the call and the meeting with the mentor. He emphasizes the importance of these stages through describing the impact they have on the audience's connection and understanding of the story. The refusal of the call serves as a dramatic function that indicates the risks of the adventure that they hero will be faced with, regardless of the hero's willingness or rejection. Without this stage, the nature of the adventure would not be defined, therefore leading the audience to believe the hero has very little to overcome or conquer. Within this stage, threshold guardians can serve an important function of alerting the audience and hero of the horrific outcomes that could ensue if the call is accepted due to personal weaknesses they see in the hero. They offer an element of suspense, which is dependent on whether or not the hero will take their advice. Often in the end, Vogler points out that the refusal of the call becomes pointless and the hero must accept it, often with guidance from a mentor. The meeting with the mentor lets the audience and hero know what is to be expected of the hero during her journey through the mental and physical preparation the hero must undergo in order to overcome the adventure placed before her. It is in this stage where most people can connect with the sharing or learning of information in order to deal with a crisis. The mentor also serves to get the story unstuck; when the hero has used all of her own resources to deal with a situation the mentor comes to her aid and provides her with useful tips and tools to help her continue on. The emphasis placed on the mentor archetype dates back to ancient Greek mythology and is extremely important figure that everyone can relate to. In fact, Vogler concludes by tying the role of the mentor to the role of the writer, as providing the reader or audience with metaphors through their work, which people guide their lives by.
Thus far, in the stories we have read in class, the two stages have been incorporated into the hero's journey. Together the stages serve the function of creating a familiar connection between the character/adventure and the audience. Separately, they also serve a useful purpose that allows the writer to define the character and continue the flow of the story. Vogler poses a question concerning the necessity of these stages at the end of his commentary, to which I would answer that they are crucial to the development of an intriguing plot.
What I found very interesting while reading the facets within the two stages, was the hero's refusal of the call often ended as a pointless gesture. Its place in the story is not necessarily to humanize the hero through showing his fear and apprehension, but rather to build up the adventure and draw in the attention of the audience. Vogler mentions how some hero's are very willing and do not refuse the call, but people still stand in their way in order to foreshadow the obstacles that will be present in their adventure. Another one of Vogler's points that I found very interesting, as well as enlightening was that the write, herself, acts like the archetype of the mentor. It is very true that the world utilizes stories as a source of information in order to understand their own personal situations and create a stronger connection with particular interpretations of their life. When I find myself in a problematic situation, I often refer to other similar situations that I have read about in books, seen, or dealt with in the past, which serve as a starting point to guide me through my dilemma and onto the next step of recovery. What Vogler says about these two stages makes a lot of sense in terms of the creation of a good story and their connection to real life.
Questions:
1. What is the purpose of the "Secret Door" in Vogler's explanation of the refusal of the call?
2. Do you believe all hero's come to the point where refusal is pointless?
3. Would you say that the mentor is one of the most important archetypes? Why?
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