Ant. Bib 8

Vogler, Christopher. “Reward,” “The Road Back.” The Writer’s Journey:
Mythic Structure for Writers. 3rd Edition. Studio City, California: Michael Wiese Productions,
2007. 175-194.


Summary:
In stage 9, Reward, after the ordeal or the problem is solved, the hero in often times receives a reward. This reward can be seen through different situations. For instance, through celebration of surviving death or the through a campfire scene where the hero and his friends reminisce about their challenges or perhaps through a love scene or the reward could be the object they were looking for in the first place. Vogler also talks about the hero “seizing the sword” which refers to the hero taking possession of the reward. In often stories there is a sword at the end of the battle that represents the hero’s will. Also Vogler talks about in some cases the hero steals an object called an elixir, which is often known a medicine. This is elixir can revive the hero or create new life. Another type of reward the hero can receive is being initiated into a society because of the great deed he or she did. This society can help in the hero and also give him secrets too. There are other types of rewards the hero can receive like: new perceptions, clairvoyance, seeing through deception, self realization and epiphany. Epiphany is when the hero realizes that he or she is divine. Unfortunately there could be side effects to receiving the reward. The hero may experience distortion of perception. This is where the hero’s ego might increase and his is perception of things might not be right all the time. The next stage, “The Road Back,” is when the hero has dealt with the ordeal, received the reward, and now has the choice to go back home or start a new adventure. The hero can re-motivate themselves to the adventure they once were on. Often in “The Road Back” stage the hero must retaliate against the villain or enemy in the story because the villain might attack again. There is often a chase scene within in this stage. This is where the hero might be running for his or her life. There are different types of chasing scenes, for instance villain escapes or pursuit by admirer or magical flight. Magical flight is the transformation of objects when in a chase. There are also setbacks in that hero might have to endure. His or hers luck might have been striving in the beginning but now the hero must face delays. However the hero must recognize the meaning of the journey and continue on.

Reaction:
I thought Vogler had a fascinating explanation on the two different stages. I really liked when he was talking about the different rewards the hero can receive in the story. However I didn’t exactly understand the seizing the sword section. I thought it was intriguing to read about the variety of chase scenes a hero can have in a story. When Vogler talks about magical flight I had a hard time understanding what he was talking about.


Questions:
1) What are some other rewards that a hero can receive other than the one’s Vogler talked about?
2) Would the story be boring if the hero did not have a chase scene?
3) Name a movie that coincides with Vogler’s explanation about the Magical Flight?