Anti bib 9

Jasmine Soule’
Professor Robinson
Analytical and Persuasive Writing
03 November 2008

Vogler, Christopher. “The Resurrection” “Return with the Elixir.” The Writer’s Journey: Mythic
Structure for Writers. 3rd Edition. Studio City, California:
Michael Wiese Productions, 2007. 197-228.

Summary:

The next stage in Vogler’s book is stage 7, The Resurrection; this is where the hero experiences death and rebirth again. Vogler also talks about the hero changing their personalities. This new change should recapture the best part about their old selves and also what they have learned. Another function of The Resurrection is the cleansing of the hero. This is where the hero tries to lose the smell of death. Vogler goes on talking about the two great ordeals. This is the last test for the hero; a hero can go through a physical ordeal. Also this stage is where readers need proof that this part of the story is the resurrection stage. A hero must also sacrifice something he or she believes in the “Resurrection Stage.” Finally, in this stage the hero must show an ultimate change in their lives. Their old selves must be gone by this point. The next stage is “Return with the elixir,” this is where the hero brings back something to share with others when they return from their journey. There are numerous functions to this stage. For instance, the return part of the story must be a surprise or else it will be a flat and uneventful story. Also there is reward and punishment distributed at this point of the story. The punishment is seen as poetic justice. The hero sometimes gets what he or she deserves. Furthermore, the elixir is sometimes used in a metaphoric and physical way. The elixir can be seen as medicine for the hero, so he or she can bring it back to the community. There are different types of elixirs, there are elixirs for love or it could change the world, or it also can give responsibility and strength to the hero at the return stage. Lastly, Vogler talks about the return stage sometimes having numerous ending or sometimes abruptly ending.

Reaction:
I really enjoyed reading about these two different stages but I did have a difficult time understanding some parts of it. For instance I didn’t understand what Vogler was talking about “catharsis.” I had a hard time following that but I think it was interesting about the different climaxes. I also enjoyed reading about the different choices that pertained to the hero. Overall, these two sections helped me identify movies with what Vogler was talking about.

Questions:
1) Does the story always need a climax?
2) What happens if the hero does not change from the “Resurrection Stage?
3) What exactly was Vogler talking about with denouement? Can you give an example that uses this term?