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  • Essay / The practical role played by the structure of the hero's journey in storytelling

    When ancestors first connected the dreams they had last night to their daily lives and created the first myths, then used them in religious rituals or simply as bedtime stories for their children, they did not did not expect such stories to have a strong influence. vitality, and have even become today one of the golden narrative structures of Hollywood plays. Without a doubt, it deserves to be preserved. From Propp and Campbell to Vogler, they gradually made the hero's journey clear and easy to use. Campbell (2001) believed that those who created myths in ancient times are equivalent to artists today, because the mission of artists is to express the environment and the world in a mythical way (p. 107). Writers who created masterpieces would certainly be included in the range of artists. However, how to tell an engaging story is a question that every storyteller thinks about. This is not only a concern of the literary and film industry, but also a proposition that must be discussed in all media areas. Stories spark interaction, attract audiences, and deliver the message the organizer wants to convey. There is no doubt that no narrator will ignore the structure being created. In the film industry, story structure is the heart and key to creating a screenplay. The success or failure of a scenario depends largely on the structure of the story. Even if it is not directly reflected on paper, a great film must have an extraordinary narrative structure (Vogler and McKenna, 2011, p. iii). Campell proposed that the collective unconscious (Jong, 1966, p. 14) provides a natural psychological identity with stories about myths and stories created by mythological structure. And the American Film Institute convened 1,500 experts to vote for the 100 classic films that best represent American film culture. It was found that over 95% of films have a distinct “hero’s journey” narrative pattern (Contemporary Cinema, 2018). In this article, I will use a variety of literature to discover what is important to writers and their works, what should be emphasized in the storytelling process, how the monomyth satisfies these requirements and then justifies that journey of the hero is a very creative writing tool. Three specific aspects of monomyth expression will be proposed: completing a high-quality representation of the story's characters, the plot setting, and defining the theme. At the same time, this centuries-old creative structure based on countless myths and legends also allows the author to reflect on the act of writing itself. It also lists doubts about this structure, which will be interpreted. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay First, the monomyth can help creators create more detailed and vivid characters. Egri (1972), speaking about writing skills, mentioned that Henrik Ibsen required himself to have a complete understanding of the characters in his writing work. The differences between the characters must be significant. “...in the characteristics, not during the treatment” (Egri, p. 33). The difference comes from the layered details of the character's background. Field (2005) suggested constructing a character biography as an exercise (p. 49). Egri (1972) divided three dimensions of character creation, namely physiology, sociology andpsychology (p. 33). The physiological difference is the most obvious, such as appearance and tone of speech. Second, his social situation. For example, family life, religion and education. The two dimensions interact and produce physiology, linked to ambitions, quirks and attitudes. Each component is not imaginary, which is refined by the authors based on the environment the character is in and the things he has experienced. The structure of the hero's journey begins with character design. It is necessary to define the protagonist's conditions in all aspects of the ordinary world and find clues that can motivate him to answer the call of adventure. Additionally, the hero's journey requires screenwriters to think about how to make the audience relatable and realistic to the characters, especially the heroes, such as having the common characteristics of human beings or not being perfect. “A character who possesses a unique combination of contradictory impulses, such as trust and suspicion or hope and despair, seems more realistic and human than a character who displays only a single character trait. " (Vogler, 2007, p. 31). There are eight basic prototypes in the Heroic Journey, which is handy for helping writers understand the functions and characteristics of each archetype so they can create more focused characters . “If you understand the function of the archetype that a particular character expresses, it can help you determine whether the character carries its full weight in the story” (Vogler, 2007, p. 24). do not necessarily have to exist. Different archetypes can also be brought together into a single character. A person who initially has a certain identity can transform into another role with the development of the plots. For example, in Harry Potter, Rubeus Hagrid, as. as herald, announced the change and took Harry into the magical world, but he was also Harry's partner In The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal functions as a shapeshifter, shadow, and mentor. In Avatar, Colonel Max was initially Jack's mentor and later became Jack's enemy. “Your characters cannot be black and white, they can be light gray to dark gray” (Egri, 1972, p. 117). And there are many categories of heroes. With the monomyth structure, writers can have more comprehensive and flexible choices when creating characters. Additionally, successful works require characters to be motivated at all times. “It is not enough, in your study of a man, to know whether he is rude, polite, religious, atheist, moral, degenerate. You must know why” (Egri, 1972, p. 33). “A central character shouldn’t just want something. He must want it so much that he will destroy or be destroyed in the effort to achieve his goal” (Egri, 1972, p. 106). This is the kind of hero shaped by the Monomyth. This structure naturally motivates to complete the character's biography. The lost heroes lived in childhood where the frustration they faced in society would lead them to desire: to leave for the special world. Beginning writers often ignore the importance of motivation, causing the role to suddenly change and be illogical. If a person became an alien, violating his will, he would not immediately go to the opposite side of humanity and decide to fight against the earth or dominate it. This is not consistent with human psychology. The other benefit of the Monomyth for narrators is that it helps to understand the “character arc.” This term often appears in Hollywood drama manuals: "A character is constantly evolving"(Egri, 1972, p. 46). The character arc is your role's process of overcoming his or her flaw (Chitlik, 2015, p. 98). The hero's journey could play a role in writing works when the writer doesn't know how to let the character feel life and grow. Because it is obvious that the structure describes the hero's experience of growth. It focuses on both psychological and physical growth, meaning the monomyth guides writers to provide a clear end goal and add obstacles for the hero. Each time the problem is resolved and the choice is made, those are the parts of the character arc. Finally, the hero can disregard the meaning of the journey and find the value of life. The hero's journey can be used to describe not only a character's entire life, but also a storm over a short period of time. The process from Harry's entry into Hogwarts to Voldemort's destruction, or the story of the Triwizard Tournament, both could be considered a journey. Furthermore, if we choose to compress the time of the journey or to conceive of the reward or elixir as the gamble of this adventure, then the dramatic tension of the character's arc will be stronger. Writers can acquire more methods of writing as they continue to learn from the monomyth. When constructing plots, the hero's journey has an applied arrangement of plots and conflicts, which corresponds to the psychological expectations of the audience. They look for a sense of character identity in sensitivity and check the structure of stories in rationality through transitions and plot climaxes. The characters drive the plot, and they are so complex that the plot will change with unknowns. In the monomyth, the protagonist will first refuse the call of the special world because of his fear. Moreover, he will fail and die in the middle of the journey due to immature thoughts, wrong choices or other factors. “Plot is the writer's choice of events and their conception over time” (McKee, 1997, p. 43). Hartman and Zimberoff (2009) summarized the five main stages of the hero’s journey (p. 7). Conflict can be seen everywhere in these five stages. On the surface, conflicts represent the obstacles the protagonist encounters on the road. The creators follow the circle of the hero's journey, using guardians, enemies, shadow, and other prototypes to define the obstacles. On a deeper level, a story that matches the audience's psychological expectations must include both external conflicts and internal conflicts (McKee, 1997, p. 48). Ballon (2014) divides conflict into three types: people with themselves, people with nature, and people with others (p. 50). People overcome their flaws during the journey. For example, in The Silence of the Lambs, Starling overcomes her childhood nightmare by catching "Buffalo Bill." And science fiction tends to explore the lives and deaths of the smallest humans. Like people's resistance to unknown forces during alien invasions. The most common situation is the struggle between the protagonist and the villain, whether it is the big devil in the action-adventure film or the love rival in the romantic comedy. Additionally, the hero's journey inspires authors and helps them define the main subject even the grand central narrative. Egri (1972) noted the “premise” in story works, it can be used as a keyword for the entire production and as an emotional goal to convey to the audience. A common example of this premise is the "glory of the victor", but it can specifically refer to the victory of winning the game, the joy of successful revenge, the satisfaction ofthe love and comfort of learning something new (p. 2). . McKee (1997) argues that two concepts support the creative process, one is the premise and the other is the guiding idea (p. 115). Since the hero's journey is a structure that has a well-defined goal, it requires the writer to constantly return to the original theme of the story during the creative process and avoid deviations. McKee (1997) described that “theme” is not a very clear word. Like poverty, war and love, these are not themes. These are just words related to context or gender (p. 114). This shows that it would be better if the writer explained the theme with one or two sentences. Therefore, when using the structure of the hero's journey to determine the theme, it can be clearer because it relates to what the hero must accomplish. “The more beautifully you shape your work around a clear idea, the more meaning audiences will discover in your film as they take your idea and follow its implications in all aspects of their lives.” Much like some typical monomyth ideas, if the writer combines too many ideas into one piece, "it doesn't say anything." »(p.115).The monomyth plays a valuable role in creating grand narratives and the world of stories. Joseph Campbell (2008) gave an abundant case of mythological archetypes to summarize the basis of the monomyth. In the long history, with the flow of different countries and regions, different periods of myths and legends have their framework, including geography, politics, art, religious beliefs, and the details of the hero's journey will change accordingly . So, if writers want to make reasonable every aspect of the grand narrative that occurred, they must understand and learn from the myriad myths and legends that lie behind the hero's journey. But the author must consider his logic realistic and cannot make unreasonable concessions on the plot and characters. One example compares ancient mythology between Greece and China. The first is a typical marine civilization, open and enterprising. Daring to take risks and unbridled romance are in the blood of the Greeks. In contrast, ancient Chinese culture originated in the Yellow River Basin, which focuses on agriculture, wrestling with nature, and a way of life that is not exposed and low-key, quiet and tenacious, subtle and conservative. The god of ancient China is a model of the morality people seek (Birrell, 1999). There has been the political influence of ancient China's feudal system for thousands of years. It was a kind of constraint on people, which consisted of better controlling their minds and managing state affairs. In Greece, the national character of the ocean and the democracy of the city-state gave rise to a concept of freedom and equality. They approve of human values ​​and show in myths that their gods also have human weaknesses. The gods of Mount Olympus are addicted to pleasure, dare to love and hate. They can be jealous, angry, selfish, arrogant, and all the flaws of human nature are also reflected in them. Thus, as Karl Marx (2008), referring to the characteristics of the era, considers that the Greek myth and the epic poem develop the most perfect product of human childhood, have a permanent charm. Vogler (2007) observed that critics suspected that the hero's journey was too formulaic and would lead to a repetition of the outdated plot. He pointed out that some professional writers instinctively reject all dramatic theories, oppose principles and advocate creative freedom. "But even this is a principle, and those who say they reject principles and theories cannot avoid adhering to some of them: avoiding,.