Vogler, Annoted 4

Summary:
In the Volger reading he went through and explained the meaning and importance of the ordinary world.  He also explained each section in a story, and its purpose.  Some stories have a prologue which is a section in the beginning of the story that gives the audience background information about the hero’s ordinary world, life before he/she is called to adventure.  Not all stories have a prologue, some stories the title or the opening image tells the audience all they need to know about the story, and the hero’s background.  Volger also talks about the importance of the contrast between the ordinary world and the special world.  The example given is about the Wizard of Oz, how the Dorothy’s ordinary world is in black and white where the special world is in bright vibrant colors.  Vogler also states that it is important for the hero to have an inner and outer problem, the purpose of the problems are to give the character some way to relate to the audience, that the audience has been in the characters same position. If there is only an outer problem it makes it harder for the audience to connect with the hero.  Vogler states that every character no matter what role they play in the story must have an exciting entrance, one that speaks to the characters personality.  Once the audience has connected with the hero either through the opening scene and identification then the story gets started.  The hero is usually called to adventure when he loses something important in his life such as a family member or some type of subtraction from his/ her family.  This is called the hero’s lack.  Another way in which Volger says that the audience can connect with the hero is by wounding the hero.  To humanize the hero or any character give him or her a wound, a visible, physical, injury or a deep emotional wound.  The wound allows the audience to understand the pain the hero is going through and shows the audience that heroes can get hurt and not everything is perfect for them.  Another important development in a story is establishing what is at stake for the hero if he succeeds, or fails in his mission and what his success or failure means to himself and the hero’s society.  Vogler also talked about the use of the herald in the story and how they are responsible for getting the story rolling. 

 

Reflection:
I am having a hard time determining what is the ordinary world and what is the special world in the story A Good Man is Hard to Find.  I think that the special world is while the family is driving in the car and meet the convicts.  I also feel as though the videos we watch in class on Fridays are like a special world, with the way the society and women were treated and what was expected of them compared to today’s world as the ordinary.  The way the women didn’t have to work, and how life almost seemed like a dating show, where everyday men were looking to court women into marriage, and the women looked pretty and were educated.  It is obviously that in the story The Offshore Pirate, that the ordinary world was New York, and the special world was on the boat. However insisde the special world I felt that there was almost an ordinary world, which was on the boat with Ardita’s uncle and the second special world was when Ardita was on the boat with Carlyle. 

Reaction:
I understand the ordinary and special world but I also feel like these worlds are not only seen in movies, fairy tales, novels, and myths but also in real life.  I think that in every movies, novel, myth, and fairy tale there is a special and ordinary world, I think what if such a work had an absence of the special world then the audience would have nothing to compare the ordinary world to.  The special world and the ordinary world are what show the audience that the hero is going through a change.  One can tell this by comparing the way the hero is portrayed in the ordinary world before he enters the special world and then comparing the way the hero is portrayed after he enters the special world and returns to the ordinary.  I personally think that the prologue makes sense and I understand why it is in a book, or movie but as a reader I personally hate reading them.  I am so interested in the story that I want to just read the story, and I am no one for reading so having to read the extra prologue, aggravates me sometimes, but it does help me understand what is going on while I am reading a book or watching a movie.  I feel like the title is the hook, of the story of the movie before one has read or watched the work.  If the title is good one is going to be interested and intrigued and want to watch or read the work. 

 

Questions:
1. Why does a hero need to have an inner and outer problem in order for the audience to connect well with them? 
2. What other problems can initiate the hero’s call to adventure other then the death or kidnapping of a family member?
3. What is the difference between an action question and a dramatic question?