Vogler Annotated Bib 8

Alexandra L. Minton
October 29, 2008
Vogler
Annotated Bib 8

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Third

Edition. Reward. The Road Back. Studio City. Michael Weise Productions.

2007.

Reward
The ninth step of the Hero’s Journey is Reward. After the Ordeal, where the hero came face to face with death, the hero leaves the Special World with a reward. The hero may think that his or her journey is over. However, it is not. The Road Back may have ordeals and obstacles that the hero needs to face. The Reward sequence consists of celebration, taking possession, seizing the sword, exilir theft, initiation, new perceptions, seeing through deception, clairvoyance, self-realization, epiphany, and distortions. In this stage there may be scenes in which the hero is in a campfire scene where a number of emotions take place: relief, conflict, reminiscence. A scene like this helps the audience get to know the character better. Love scenes also take place in the Reward stage of the Hero’s Journey. During this stage, the hero takes possession of what he or she has been seeking. The hero may act aggressively to get this possession and might even steal it. Facing death may deepen the hero’s perceptions, allowing the hero to see through deceptions, come to self-realization and have an epiphany.

IX. Reward
A. Celebration
1. cook outs/barbeques
B. Campfire Scenes
1. relief
2. conflict
3. reminiscence
4. allow the audience to
a. review the story
b. get to know the characters better
C. Love Scenes
1. heroes don’t deserved to be loved until they have shown their “willingness to sacrifice” (177)
D. Taking Possession
1. heroes take what they have been seeking
2. transaction: hero has risked life and now gets something in exchange
E. Seizing the Sword
1. “active movement of the hero who aggressively takes possession of whatever was being sought in the Special World” (178)
2. Campbell’s term: “The Ultimate Boon”
3. can be a moment of clarity
F. Exilir Theft
1. hero may steal the exilir
2. overcome the forces of death
G. Initiation
H. New Perceptions
1. death may sharpen the perception of life
2. new knowledge may be what the hero seeks
I. Seeing Through Deception
J. Clairvoyance
1. “a hero who has faced death is more aware of the connectedness of things, more intuitive” (181)
K. Self-Realization
1. “the illusion of their lives is replaced with clarity and truth” (181)
L. Epiphany
1. “epiphany is a moment of realizing you are a divine and sacred being, connected to all things” (181)
2. James Joyce
a. “a sudden perception of the essence of something, seeing to the core of a person, idea or thing”
M. Distortions
1. inflation of ego
2. abuse of power and privilege
3. hero may underestimate the significance of the ordeal
4. anger

Questions
1. Explain, heroes don’t deserved to be loved until they have shown their “willingness to sacrifice.”
2. Give some examples of a hero who has dealt with distortions.
3. Explain how seizing the sword can bring moments of clarity.


The Road Back
In the tenth stage of the Hero’s Journey, The Road Back, the hero may face obstacles and more ordeals. The steps of the journey include motivation, retaliation and setbacks. There can be chase scenes, magic flight motif, chase variation and villain escape in this stage. The hero needs to rededicate him or herself to the adventure. By this stage of the journey, the hero feels comfortable. The hero needs to be “pried” off of the “comfort plateau” by inner or external resolves. Retaliation follows, as do setbacks. Chase scenes offer a build up of momentum for the end and in chase scenes, the hero may use transformation to get out of a sticky situation, whether it be by outer transformation or inner transformation. The Magic Flight Motif may manifest itself in this stage with an object that transforms itself. Joseph Campbell suggested that the motif stands for a hero’s attempts to stall the avenging forces in any way possible. Chases may be enacted by the hero’s admirers, as opposed to the hero being chased by villains. Villains may escape and come back stronger than before when the hero did not “finish” them off.

X. The Road Back
A. Motivation
1.heroes rededicate themselves to the adventure
2. heroes must be pried off of their plateau of comfort by,
a. inner resolves
b. external resolves
B. Retaliation
1. Finish your opponent.
2. “neuroses, flaws, habits, desires, or addictions we have challenged may retreat for a time, but can rebound in a last-ditch defense or a desperate attack before being vanquished forever” (190)
C. Chase Scenes
1. useful for torquing up a story’s energy
2. you want to pick up pace and build momentum for the finish
3. end of Act Two is a common place to see chase scenes
4. transformation may be used to escape a situation
a. outer transformation
b. inner transformation
D. Magic Flight
1. “a whimsical transformation of objects” (191)
2. Joseph Campbell
a. suggests the motif stands for a hero’s attempts to stall the avenging forces in any way possible
E. Chase Variation: Pursuit by Admirers
F. Villain Escape
G. Setbacks
H. Functions
1. “represents the resolve of the hero to return to the Ordinary World and implement the lessons learned in the Special World” (189)
2. the road back is a turning point
3. causes the third act

Questions
1. Give an example of the magic flight motif that does not involve enchanted carpets, genie bottles, etc.
2. Give an example of pursuit by admirers.
3.