Extra Credit

Extra Credit:

Week 1: I donated 1000 grains of rice by picking the right meaning of words. It was kind of addicting and once you started it was hard to stop. This was a wonderful website, because not only was I expanding my vocabulary but it was going to a good cause. The more people that do this activity the more rice will be donated. It will also help expand people's vocabulary.

Week 2: Blink an eye, time speeds by.

Deciding what six words to use was harder than I thought it would be. I decided to talk about how times seems to be moving so fast.This activity forces you to really think about your life. It also helps you practice writing something that gets right to the point. Other people should do this activity because it is really interesting reading everyone else’s stories, and it is amazing how much can be said in only six words.

Week 3: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100296324

This story was about a girl that had trouble learning how to read because she had dyslexia. This story shows how sometimes learning something that is hard for you makes you want to teach it to other people. Also having different challenges throughout your life only help you in the long run when you learn to overcome them. Other people should do this activity because so many of them are inspiring.

Week 4-6- I’m using my get out of jail free card.

Week 7-9-I’m using my 2nd get out of jail free card.

Analysis

The four modes I choose were the movie: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the board game: Candy Land, the song Sugar Sugar by Archies and a photograph of a sugar cube by Uwe Hermann. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory relates to my topic because it is about a candy and how the most of the kids that want it are spoiled and don’t know how to control themselves. This movie does show the negative affects of candy (or sugar) on the kids if they don’t know how to handle it. The audience for this movie would be for children and it shows how the sugar industry targets children. This source uses both Ethos and Pathos by showing Charlie’s relationship with his family and Wily Wonka. When Charlie is offered his business he makes the right choose by choosing his family over owning the entire factory. By making the right decision he gets everything he wants in the end. The Chocolate factory and Wonka try to brain wash him but Charlie is strong enough to see what is right and that his family comes first. The other kids in the movie don’t listen to their parents and do not care about anyone but themselves and they are the ones that suffer the most. I also choose candy land which is a board game meant for younger kids. This game uses pathos by selling candy to children because it is something that appeals to them. This is another example of how candy and sugary foods is marketed to younger children.
The song Sugar Sugar shows how people call things “sugar” that they love or feel addicted too. It is usually more of an infatuation then “love” showing how sugar is not really good for them but just an indulgence. The audience for this song is more of teenager to young adult. The picture is an up close of a sugar cube showing nothing but white crystals. The viewer doesn’t really know what to make of it. The audience can be of any age or education. It could be used to show how this substance that resembles many drugs is what is consumed in such high amounts by Americans. It can also show how it has no nutritional value and if compared to picture of sugar cane the viewer could see how much purifying must be done to make sugar. Having four different modes is useful because they each have a different audience that they are more directed too. This allows me to reach a broader audience then if I just choose one mode.

Toni Morrison Interview

Toni Morrison is a Noble Prize winning American author. Some of her most popular novels include Love, Beloved, The Bluest Eye and the Song of Solomon. She also is a professor and editor. In her interview with Charlie Rose she talks about when she went from an editor to an author and how it was a scary but exhilarating experience. She had two children to support and no stable job and had to take a chance with her writing. She also talks about how glad she is that made that choice. Morrison also talks about how working as an editor before becoming a writer helped her as a writer. She also realized how much writer’s hate their work being critiqued because they fall in love with what they write and don't want to change it. Writers must learn to be more willing to keep changing things because each time they change something it gets stronger. The saying “love is blind” works for a writer’s work too. Just because they love a character or a part of their story doesn’t mean it is well written or that it doesn’t need further revision.

I thought it was very interesting when Charlie rose asks Toni Morrison what she would say at her last lecture. When he suggest that she would talk about being African American women or a writer she replies that she would not want to talk about either, but instead “how hard it is to become and remain human.” This comes through in her writing because she explores this subject within her characters with how they relate to the world and relationships.

The Simpsons as a Critique of Consumer Culture

This article is about the popular T.V show The Simpsons and how it started as short cartoons that were aired by the television network FOX. The Simpsons portray a typical middle class American family with three kids and a dog. This article talks a lot about how the characters in The Simpsons do not have full multi faceted personalities and represent more ideas. An example is how Lisa is the idea of rationality. The Simpsons is a “sarcastic critique of…American life” each episode is about a different issue of the American lifestyle.

I always thought something was strange about the characters from the Simpsons and that their characters were never fully developed. I really agree with the article when it says that the characters represent more of an idea then a personality. I thought it was interesting how Marge represents the modern house wife. She is never fully appreciated by Homer or her kids no matter how much she does for them. This article also makes fun of the role of television and commercials in the American lifestyle. The commercials and advertisements make people think that they need and cannot live without what is being advertised.

Knowledge Nugget

To teach how women used to be treated if they were considered "crazy"
Book: One Thousand White Women: A Journal by May Dodd, by Jim Fergus

To teach how being pessimistic or optimistic changes total outlooks and events in ones life.
The song The Impossible by Joe Nicholes talks about how anything can happen if your optimistic. This book is the opposite where it shows a pessimistic view of life and in result negative things happen.

To teach that love is not always what people imagine it to be.

The Approach/The Ordeal

The first part of this reading starts off with the “Approach To The Inmost Cave”. This starts after the hero has gotten used to the special world. It is right before their ordeal or final test. Sometimes this part of the story can be where a courtship happens. This is also where the hero prepares himself for the ordeal by finding or strengthening ties with allies, weapons or any knowledge they need. Other obstacles may be faced and the hero will usually meet with the Threshold Guardian before he can go any further. The second chapter is the Ordeal. This is where the hero goes through a life changing event that changes him usually for the better. In many stories a lot of the heroes go through a near death experience. The Ordeal is not the Climax of the story. At this point the villain will either be injured and escape or he will be killed. If he is killed that means the hero will have to face another enemy later on in the story.

The “Approach To The Inmost Cave” is a very important part of any story because it builds up background and suspense for the ordeal. Many important events happen in this part of a story. How the hero deals with the Approach can say a lot about his personality and strengths. The Ordeal is the most important part of a story because it is usually the main purpose of the story. If the hero never goes through any personal changes in a story, the story is usually not as powerful. The Ordeal is the perfect opportunity for the hero to go through his transformation. I liked how at the end of the chapter of The Ordeal, Vogler uses an example from the Wizard of Oz. It really helps make me understand how The Ordeal is used in a real movie.

Are there any movies that don’t use an approach and go directly into The Ordeal? How does this change the story?

Explain the difference between the Ordeal and the Climax of a story?

What is an example of an Ordeal in a movie or book?

Tests, Allies and Enemies

After the hero enters the special world he faces tests and meets allies and enemies. There should be a strong contrast between the ordinary world and the special world so that the audience will notice the change. Once the hero is in the special world he will be tested. In some stories he will go through ordeals or challenges preparing her for future more important ordeals. The hero will also start making either enemies or allies. “The Rival” is a kind of enemy that is always in competition with the hero of some kind.

I thought the sidekick was a very interesting character. The sidekick usually serves as the hero’s really good friend who follows and helps him throughout his adventures and challenges. The relationship between these two characters can help create a stronger personality for the hero. The audience can see how the hero interacts with other characters helping them relate to the hero. I also thought using a team instead of using one hero was very interesting. In many movies such as the Fantastic Four there is more than one hero. This helps keep the plot fresh and interesting because there are more than one hero to watch and more of a chance for things to go wrong.

Meeting with the Mentor

Meeting with the Mentor is when the Hero meets a character that prepares him for the Journey. The Mentor is usually some kind of teacher who guides the Hero on her journey. The Meeting of the Mentor usually comes before accepting the call to adventure. The mentor does not always have to be a person it can also be past experiences that the Hero uses to make decisions.

I found it very interesting that the word Mentor comes from the story The Odyssey. Athena disguises herself to Telemachus as his teacher named Mentor. It is interesting how that word has been passed down over centuries and cultures. The Mentor is a very well known archetype and almost every story has one that is easily visible. Giving the Mentor another side or causing them to no longer work in the interest of the Hero can help keep the audience of a story engaged. The Wizard of Oz is an example of a story with many mentors. Toto serves as a Mentor as does the good witch. Almost anyone that the hero learns from could be considered a Mentor. “They reflect the reality that we all have to learn the lessons of life from someone or something”(123). This statement is very true, and makes you realize how stories are so connected to everyday life. By making stories that people can relate to in some way makes them more enjoyable. If the Hero was all knowing right from the beginning then the audience would not find him as easy to relate to.

1. How is the Mentor important in the plot of a story?
2. In what ways can the Mentor not be a person but an object?
3. What are some examples of Mentors from movies that may have changed roles in the middle of the story?

Peer Review

Strengths:
Good focus, development of story, grammar and sentence structure.

Weaknesses:
I need to explain more about what I learned.
I need better transition sentences
Better word choice.

Ordinary World and The Call to Adventure

These two chapters are about the ordinary world and the call to adventure. It talks about the importance of creating a strong contrast between the two worlds. Sometimes a hero will get more then one call to adventure other times they will have no other options but taking the call to adventure. The hero can be forced to answer the call by some event such as the kidnapping of a child or death of someone important to them. The author used the Wizard of Oz as an example of the Ordinary World. In the beginning of the movie it is in black and white. When Dorothy changes worlds the movie changes to color to show the contrast between worlds.

A writer must know how to create a distinct ordinary world so that the reader can identify the switch when the hero begins the adventure. The call to adventure also plays a huge role in the personality of the hero. Some of the heros willing take the call to adventure while others need a push such as a tragic event or some other character to intervene to cause them to answer the call. It is important for a writer to understand how to create these parts of a story because these are the most important parts to keep the reader interested and to keep them reading. I think Volger uses the examples of the different movies to explain his points very well. These examples let the reader see how each ordinary world and call to adventure can range from story to story. There is no specific way to write them.

1. Why is the ordinary world so important when writing a story?
2. How does the call to adventure tell the reader about the Hero?
3. Why is the refusal to the call to adventure so important in many stories?

Vogler 3

The third reading in Vogler included the archetypes: Herald, Shapshifter, Shadow, Ally, and Trickster. The herald is the one who give the challenge to the hero in the beginning of the story. The Herald is usually part of the story during a time of change. The shapshifters are characters who may not be what they seem. There nature can change throughout the story. The Shadow is usually the “dark side” or the enemy of the hero. The Ally is one of the easier archetypes to understand. He/she is usually the friend of the hero. The Ally is important because he helps create a more in depth personality of the hero.

I think it is interesting how each archetype interacts with the hero to create a story. The line “that a story is only as good as its villain” is very true. Without having an obstacle to face the hero would never be the hero that the reader sees. Shapshifters are another archetype that can really make a story more interesting. Those characters that a reader cannot figure out are always intriguing.

To create a stronger personality for the hero, the writer must know how to use all of the other characters. Each one plays a strong role in creating the hero’s personality. The Hero’s relationships with the other characters is important in determining how he is seen and related to by the readers.

1. In what ways can the Shadow be part of the hero and not a separate character at all?
2. How does the Ally help make the hero easier to relate too?
3. What are some examples of the Trickster in modern day movies?

How do the Archetypes relate to the real world?

Why is the growth of the Hero important in a story?

Why are Hero’s with contradictory traits better liked?

The Archetypes

The chapter on Archetypes talks about the different types of characters that usually make up a story. These include: the Hero, Mentor, Guardian, Herald, Shapshifter, Shadow, Ally, and Trickster. Each type has its own unique purpose in the development of the story. A character does not have to have the same archetype throughout the story. It can change to fit the needs of the story. This chapter also goes into great depth about the Hero and the Mentor. Most stories are about the journey of the Hero. He must have qualities that make him easy to relate to by the reader and also qualities that make him admirable. The Mentor is important in stories as a teacher. He helps guide the hero on his journey.

Every fantasy or adventure book I have read has almost all of these archetypes in some kind of form. The better stories had better developed characters who were not rigid and who changed with the story. I thought it was very interesting that the character flaw of a hero is a very important part of the story. If the Hero did not have any flaws it could not grow as the story went on. I also thought it was interesting that the word “Mentor” came from the Odyssey.

The Hero seems to represent every individual. And all of the other Archetypes described are people they meet during their life. The reason these Archetypes are used from story to story is because they are representation of real life and what real people go through. People like reading things they can relate to.

Childhood Hero

Mulan was my childhood hero. Adventurous and intelligent, she is not like the normal Disney princess that must be rescued by her prince charming. She is an independent young girl and can think for herself. I admired her bravery to leave her ordinary life and take her “Call to Adventure”. She risks her life and honor to save her father. She faces the difficulties of passing off as a boy and even when she is discovered she never gives up. She is persistent and keeps trying to help the same people who try to suppress her. Her persistence pays off in the end after she saves the whole nation and gains back her lost honor.

A Practical Guide

The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Volger is a must read guide for any writer. The first chapter A Practical Guide introduces the Hero’s Journey, an extremely important structure of almost any story. The author talks about how almost every story, movie and play, follow a very similar structure. This includes twelve different steps starting with Ordinary World and ending with the return of the Elixir. These steps can be changed rearranged added to and taken away. Vogler talks about The hero with a thousand faces, a very influential book written by Joseph Campel. He is the first one that noticed, or recorded the similar pattern of all of the world’s stories since the beginning of time.
I never realized that almost every story is just the same story told over and over and in many different ways. This reading made me think a lot more about everything I have read. I’m an avid reader and have a hard time finding a book that did not follow this structure at all. Volger compared movies such as Star Wars and the Wizard of Oz. At first glance these movies seem so different, but when he analyzed them I noticed how similar they are. I have briefly been told about the Hero’s Journey but never thought about it before. It was very interesting how this is true. The stories that had the most success where the ones that showed the most change in a character as the story progressed. It is important to understand the structure of stories so that I can learn how to expand from that and create something new. Without a clear understanding of how writing works it is hard to improve on my own style. I like how different movies are used to explain the different steps in the Hero’s Journey. The author uses totally different stories but finds connections in each story that follows the Hero’s Journey.

1. How is the Hero’s Journey changed from story to story but still end up having the same structure?
2. Are there any other structures of writing/stories that do not follow The Hero’s Journey?
3. How does the Hero’s Journey relate to everyday life?