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    Narrative structure

    Vogler's Map of the Journey

    Vogler breaks down the "Journey" into seven archetypes and twelve stages:

    The Seven Archetypes:1

    1. Hero: "The Hero is the protagonist or central character, whose primary purpose is toseparate from the ordinary world and sacrifice himself for the service of the Journey at

    hand - to answer the challenge, complete the quest and restore the Ordinary World'sbalance. We experience the Journey through the eyes of the Hero."

    2. Mentor: "The Mentor provides motivation, insights and training to help the Hero."

    3. Threshold Guardian: "Threshold Guardians protect the Special World and its secretsfrom the Hero, and provide essential tests to prove a Hero's commitment and worth."

    4. Herald: "Herald characters issue challenges and announce the coming of significantchange. They can make their appearance anytime during a Journey, but often appear

    at the beginning of the Journey to announce a Call to Adventure. A character maywear the Herald's mask to make an announcement or judgment, report a news flash, or

    simply deliver a message."

    5. Shapeshifter: "The Shapeshifter's mask misleads the Hero by hiding a character'sintentions and loyalties."

    6. Shadow: "The Shadow can represent our darkest desires, our untapped resources, oreven rejected qualities. It can also symbolize our greatest fears and phobias. Shadows

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    may not be all bad, and may reveal admirable, even redeeming qualities. The Hero'senemies and villains often wear the Shadow mask. This physical force is determined to

    destroy the Hero and his cause."

    7. Trickster: "Tricksters relish the disruption of the status quo, turning the OrdinaryWorld into chaos with their quick turns of phrase and physical antics. Although they

    may not change during the course of their Journeys, their world and its inhabitants are

    transformed by their antics. The Trickster uses laughter [and ridicule] to makecharacters see the absurdity of the situation, and perhaps force a change."

    The Twelve Stages of the Journey1

    1. Ordinary World: "The Hero's home, the safe haven upon which the Special World andthe Journey's outcome must be compared." The Journey begins in the Ordinary World,

    travels to the Special World, and returns to the Ordinary World.

    2. Call to Adventure: The Call to Adventure sets the story rolling by disrupting thecomfort of the Hero's Ordinary World, presenting a challenge or quest that must be

    undertaken.3. Refusal of the Call: "A Hero often refuses [or is reluctant] to take on the Journey

    because of fears and insecurities that have surfaced from the Call to Adventure. TheHero may not be willing to make changes, preferring the safe haven of the OrdinaryWorld. This becomes an essential stage that communicates the risks involved in theJourney that lies ahead. Without risks and danger or the likelihood of failure, the

    audience will not be compelled to be a part of the Hero's Journey."

    4. Meeting with the Mentor: "The Hero meets a Mentor to gain confidence, insight,advice, training, or magical gifts to overcome the initial fears and face the Threshold

    of the adventure. The Mentor may be a physical person, or an object such as a map, alogbook, or other writing."

    5. Crossing the Threshold: "Crossing the threshold signifies that the Hero has finallycommitted to the Journey. He is prepared to cross the gateway that separates the

    Ordinary World from the Special World."

    6. Tests, Allies, Enemies: "Having crossed the threshold, the Hero faces Tests,encounters Allies, confronts Enemies, and learns the rules of this Special World. TheHero needs to find out who can be trusted. Allies are earned, a Sidekick may join up,or an entire Hero Team forged. The Hero must prepare himself for the greater Ordealsyet to come and needs this stage to test his skills and powers, or perhaps seek furthertraining from the Mentor. This Initiation into this Special World also tests the Hero's

    commitment to the Journey, and questions whether he can succeed."

    7. Approach to the Inmost Cave: "The Hero must make the preparations needed toapproach the Inmost Cave that leads to the Journey's heart, or central Ordeal. Maps

    may be reviewed, attacks planned, a reconnaissance launched, and possibly theenemies forces whittled down before the Hero can face his greatest fear, or the

    supreme danger lurking in the Special World." The Approach may be a time for someromance or a few jokes before the battle, or it may signal a ticking clock or aheightening of the stakes.

    8. Ordeal: "The Hero engages in the Ordeal, the central life-or-death crisis, during whichhe faces his greatest fear, confronts his most difficult challenge, and experiences

    "death". His Journey teeters on the brink of failure. The Ordeal is the central magicalStage of any Journey. Only through "death" can the Hero be reborn, experiencing a

    resurrection that grants greater power or insight to see the Journey to the end."

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    9. Reward (Seizing the Sword): "The Hero has survived death, overcome his greatestfear, slain the dragon, or weathered the crisis of the heart, and now earns the Reward

    that he has sought. The Hero's Reward comes in many forms: a magical sword, anelixir, greater knowledge or insight, reconciliation with a lover. Whatever the

    treasure, the Hero has earned the right to celebrate. The Hero may have earned theReward outright, or the Hero may have seen no option but to steal it. The Hero may

    rationalize this Elixir theft, having paid for it with the tests and ordeals thus far. Butthe consequences of the theft must be confronted as the Shadow forces race to reclaimthe Elixir that must not see the light of the Ordinary World."

    10. The Road Back: "The Hero must finally recommit to completing the Journey andaccept the Road Back to the Ordinary World. A Hero's success in the Special World maymake it difficult to return. Like Crossing the Threshold, The Road Back needs an event

    that will push the Hero through the Threshold, back into the Ordinary World. TheEvent should re-establish the Central Dramatic Question, pushing the Hero to actionand heightening the stakes. The Road Back may be a moment when the Hero mustchoose between the Journey of a Higher Cause verses the personal Journey of the

    Heart."

    11. Resurrection: "The Hero faces the Resurrection, his most dangerous meeting withdeath. This final life-or-death Ordeal shows that the Hero has maintained and can

    apply all that he has brought back to the Ordinary World. This Ordeal and Resurrectioncan represent a "cleansing" or purification that must occur now that the Hero hasemerged from the land of the dead. The Hero is reborn or transformed with the

    attributes of the Ordinary self in addition to the lessons and insights from thecharacters he has met along the road. The Resurrection may be a physical Ordeal, orfinal showdown between the Hero and the Shadow. This battle is for much more thanthe Hero's life. Other lives, or an entire world may be at stake and the Hero must now

    prove that he has achieved Heroic status and willingly accept his sacrifice for thebenefit of the Ordinary World. Other Allies may come to the last minute rescue to lendassistance, but in the end the Hero must rise to the sacrifice at hand. He must deliver

    the blow that destroys the Death Star (Star Wars), or offer his hand and accept the"magic" elixir of love."

    12. Return with the Elixir: "The Return with the Elixir is the final Reward earned on the

    Hero's Journey. The Hero has been resurrected, purified and has earned the right to beaccepted back into the Ordinary World and share the Elixir of the Journey. The true

    Hero returns with an Elixir to share with others or heal a wounded land. The Elixir canbe a great treasure or magic potion. It could be love, wisdom, or simply the

    experience of having survived the Special World. Even the tragic end of a Hero'sJourney can yield the best elixir of all, granting the audience greater awareness of us

    and our world (Citizen Kane)."

    To recap the Hero's journey2:

    1. Heroes are introduced in the ORDINARY WORLD, where2. they receive the CALL TO ADVENTURE.

    3. They are RELUCTANT at first or REFUSE THE CALL, but4. are encouraged by a MENTOR to

    5. CROSS THE FIRST THRESHOLD and enter the Special World, where6. they encounter TESTS, ALLIES, AND ENEMIES.

    7. They APPROACH THE INMOST CAVE, crossing a second threshold8. where they endure the ORDEAL.

    9. They take possession of their REWARD and10. are pursued on THE ROAD BACK to the Ordinary World.

    11. They cross the third threshold, experience a RESURRECTION, and are transformed bythe experience.

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    12. They RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR, a boon or treasure to benefit the Ordinary World.

    Vladimir Propp

    Posted by jerry on February 12th, 2007 Posted in

    Jerry Everards Introduction to Vladimir Propp

    Vladimir Propp extended the Russian Formalist approach to narratology (the study of narrative

    structure). Where, in the Formalist approach, sentence structures had been broken down into

    analyzable elements morphemes Propp used this method by analogy to analyze folk tales.

    By breaking down a large number of Russian folk tales into their smallest narrative units

    narratives Propp was able to arrive at a typology of narrative structures. By analyzing types

    of characters and kinds of action, Propp was able to arrive at the conclusion that there were

    thirty-one generic narratives in the Russian folk tale. While not all are present, he found that

    all the tales he analyzed displayed the functions in unvarying sequence.

    Try applying these to Star Wars or episodes ofX-Files or Star Trek It can be

    interesting to see how powerful are the narrative structures of folk mythology, and

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    how they are continually reinserted into contemporary popular culture. The functions

    he described were as follows:

    After the initial situation is depicted, the tale takes the following sequence:

    1. A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced);

    2. An interdiction is addressed to the hero (dont go there, go to this place);

    3. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale);

    4. The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the

    children/jewels etc; or intended victim questions the villain);

    5. The villain gains information about the victim;

    6. The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victims

    belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim);

    7. Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy;

    8. Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent,

    spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone,casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, commits murder, imprisons/detains

    someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a

    member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc);

    9. Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/

    alternative is that victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment);

    10. Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action;

    11. Hero leaves home;

    12. Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving

    magical agent or helper (donor);

    13. Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive,reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversarys powers against them);

    14. Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased,

    prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);

    15. Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;

    16. Hero and villain join in direct combat;

    17. Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);

    18. Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);

    19. Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain

    person revived, captive freed);

    20. Hero returns;

    21. Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);

    22. Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero

    transforms unrecognizably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);

    23. Hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country;

    24. False hero presents unfounded claims;

    25. Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance,

    other tasks);

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    26. Task is resolved;

    27. Hero is recognized (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);

    28. False hero or villain is exposed;

    29. Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc);

    30. Villain is punished;

    31. Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).

    For further information, look for:

    Vladimir Propp Morphology of the Folktale

    University of Texas Press:Austin and London (1968)

    Characters

    He also concluded that all the characters could be resolved into 8 broad charactertypes inthe 100 tales he analyzed:

    1. The villain struggles against the hero.

    2. The dispatchercharacter who makes the lack known and sends the hero off.3. The (magical) helper helps the hero in the quest.

    4. The princess or prize the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable

    to marry her because of an unfair evil, usually because of the villain. the hero's

    journey is often ended when he marries the princess, thereby beating the villain.5. her father gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero, marries the hero,

    often sought for during the narrative. Propp noted that functionally, the princess

    and the father can not be clearly distinguished.6. The donorprepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.

    7. The hero or victim/seeker hero reacts to the donor, weds the princess.

    8. False hero takes credit for the heros actions or tries to marry the princess.[4]

    These roles could sometimes be distributed among various characters, as the hero killsthe villain dragon, and the dragon's sisters take on the villainous role of chasing him.

    Conversely, one character could engage in acts as more than one role, as a father could

    send his son on the quest and give him a sword, acting as both dispatcher and donor.[5]

    Other formulations

    Campbell's proposed structure has been expanded and modified since its conception.Many modern characterizations of it add in new steps (such as the hero having a

    miraculous birth) or combine or prune others. For instance, Phil Cousineau, in his book,

    The Hero's Journey, divides it up into the following eight steps:

    1. The Call to Adventure

    2. The Road of Trials

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    3. The Vision Quest

    4. The Meeting with the Goddess

    5. The Boon

    6. The Magic Flight

    7. The Return Threshold

    8. The Master of Two Worlds[6]

    Another eight-step formulation was given by David Adams Leeming in his book,Mythology: The Voyage of the Hero:

    1. Miraculous conception and birth

    2. Initiation of the hero-child

    3. Withdrawal from family or community for meditation and preparation

    4. Trial and Quest

    5. Death

    6. Descent into the underworld

    7. Resurrection and rebirth8. Ascension, apotheosis, and atonement[7]

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