Vogler’s Writer’s Journey
The pattern of the Hero's Journey is universal, occurring in every culture, in every time.
I think it’s very bold (and also incorrect) to make a statement that Josh Campbell's Hero’s Journey is a universal creation that exists throughout time. By looking at myths across cultures one can definitely see the similarities, but to simplify everything into one overarching narrative is far too reductive for my liking. What makes cultures unique and stories so compelling are the very nuances that arise from their creators; Then, to ignore said nuance in favor of projecting one's own socialized values is harmful. No model is made in a vacuum and the values we have in society are not the same throughout time and space. In particular, reducing women into their biological functions as mother is a framework laden in sexism and the objectification of women found in contemporary, western cultures that are not found in many Indigenous and nonwestern cultures. There’s other examples to critique its universality, and I think they’re valid points. If we truly want to create a pattern, it needs to have a more diverse and humane approach.
Sometimes the Elixir is treasure won on the quest, but it may be love, freedom, wisdom, or the knowledge that the Special World exists and can be survived. Sometimes it's just coming home with a good story to tell.
I really enjoy these lines as they show how transformable the Elixir can be, and how it exemplifies how interchangeable the Hero’s Journey framework is overall. Switching up between a physical or metaphorical elixir allows for variations in storytelling that are intriguing to me as a reader. It allows for simpler or more complex understandings of the stories. The earlier portions of the chapter are written similarly with their flexibility, and makes the variability of the form that much more enticing. Hollywood pumps out movie after movie and still is able to call forth differences within its stories by changing up the manifestations of each point. The chapter is written clearly and makes creating journey maps simple enough to do on our own.
The Hero’s Journey is easily translated to contemporary dramas, comedies, romances, or action-adventures by substituting modern equivalents for the symbolic figures and props of the hero’s story.
It’s undeniable to see the impact the Hero's Journey has had in contemporary media. While I don’t believe that the framework is universal, I do agree that it’s a great tool that we can utilize for storytelling and writing (just not the be-all and end-all to human mythos). I like Vogler’s approach that he outlines in the book compared to Campbell’s as it simplifies the myth a bit more and makes it a bit easier to approach. The Hero’s Journey is so easily translatable that I can think of many examples off the top of my head from the many different components of the journey. The Crossing of the Threshold marked by Barbie’s departure from Barbieland into the real world in Barbie, the Refusal of the Call when Shrek initially denies Lord Farquad’s request to find the princess in Shrek, and the Meeting with the Mentor with Neo meeting Morpheus in The Matrix are some movie examples to name a few. It cannot be understated how this story is utilized in Hollywood and beyond. I cannot wait to experiment with it in my own writing.