Monday, September 29, 2014

Blog Post #6 Pan's Labyrinth Chart


The Hero's Journey
Explanation


Example from Pan’s Labyrinth:


I: Departure (The protagonist is separated from the known and steps into the unknown.)
Home Culture
The protagonist has a "home," a place that s/he thinks is normal, familiar, and common to others in his/her culture.
-        Ofelia looks at the statue and seems to get acquainted with its structure

Call to Adventure from the Ordinary World
A normal occurrence motivates the protagonist to acknowledge an unknown aspect of his/her world, feel a restlessness with the constraints of his/her life, or find a new world that s/he was not aware existed.
-        Ofelia see’s a flying bug when observing the statue, in addition, Ofelia sees the bug following her to Captain Vidal’s house
Refusal of the Call; Arrival of the Mentor
The protagonist chooses not to move forward in life because s/he chooses to not give up his/her position, power, ideals, goals, or responsibilities; the refusal is often based on his/her fear of the unknown and comfort in the familiar. Usually secondary characters support the protagonist's refusal.
-        Ofelia does not accept Captain Vidal as her father, therefore she refuses to move from the past like her mother Carmen
-        Ofelia also refuses to give up her obsession with fairytales
Supernatural Aid (Can be the Mentor)
The inexperienced protagonist is provided a supernatural, guiding, and/or guarding character, or an instrumental item (sword, encouragement, etc.) to assist his/her step forward into the unknown.
-        Ofelia has two supernatural mentors one serves to be the fairy who guides her into the Labyrinth
-        Another mentor is seen to be the Faun who assigns her tasks in order for Ofelia to return to the kingdom
Crossing the First Threshold to enter the Special World.
The protagonist moves out of his/her comfort zone and walks alone. S/he is confronted with an obstacle that must be overcome before s/he can fully enter the dangers of the unknown journey.
-        Ofelia crosses her comfort zone when she must remove a key within a toad as part of the Faun’s first task
II: Initiation (By crossing the threshold, the protagonist's world is changed forever. A mental journey merges with the physical journey to result in a spiritual revelation of purpose and self.)
Road of Trials
The protagonist is tested and found vulnerable, but the outcome reveals a part of him/her that s/he did not know existed. The assistance given the protagonist under the "Supernatural Aid" section of "Departure" begins to come into play in the story, and s/he is not expected to face the trials alone.
-        Ofelia finds herself to be lonely when she is unable to be along with her mother
-        In this particular moment, Ofelia see’s her imagination sore as she imagines the Faun being in her room at certain times
Meeting a Soul Mate
(mother-figure)
The protagonist meets an ideal (in ancient myths a goddess; in modern stories a soul mate) and sees the possibilities of his/her journey. This supernatural, human, or symbolic ideal encourages him/her forward.
-        Ofelia meets Mercedes, a rebel informant
-        Mercedes is a character that encourages Ofelia to follow her imaginations
-        In addition, Ofelia also protects Mercedes’s true identity from Captain Vidal
Overcoming Temptation
(father-figure)
Someone or something tries to destroy the journey itself. Often the destroyer has been sent by a larger evil to stop the protagonist. The protagonist is often misled, but eventually overcomes his lack of knowledge, prejudices, and fears as s/he grows in the acceptance of his/her role as hero.
-        Ofelia during the second task finds herself tempted to eat the grapes despite the presence of a Cyclops like monster
-        This causes for the fairies to be eaten
- Also, Ofelia must be careful of Captain Vidal's action 
Approaching the Inmost Cave & The Ordeal
The protagonist, having made the adjustment to the Special World, now goes on to seek its heart.  They pass into an intermediate region between the border, and the very center of the Hero’s Journey.  As the hero near the gates of a citadel deep within the Special World, they may take time to make plans, do reconnaissance on the army, reorganize or thin out the group, fortify and arm themselves, and have a last laugh before entering.   During the Ordeal itself, the hero will enter into the “belly of the whale”, and then die so they can be reborn. The hero will face his greatest fears, the failure of an enterprise, the end of a relationship, the death of an old personality.
-        Ofelia will face the death of her mother which was the greatest failure to Ofelia by far
-        Captain Vidal found Ofelia’s mandrakes root and threw them into the fire, Ofelia was unable to protect her mother as well as finish the Faun’s second task
The Ultimate Goal: Reward (Treasure)

The protagonist becomes self-assured and often receives physical gifts and/or emotional rewards. Since personal limitations are broken, the protagonist can see the big picture not only in relation to him/herself but also in relation to others. The protagonist understands how the ultimate goal can be accomplished and the mission completed.
-        When the Faun returns to Ofelia’s bedroom, he allows her to receive another chance to finish her tasks before the full moon
-        Ofelia then realizes the she is very desperate to reach the kingdom in order to lead a peaceful life
III: Return (Through the protagonist's ultimate sacrifice of self, s/he walks in an enlightened state.)
Refusing to Return
Although seldom a true refusal, the protagonist, who should return "home" with his/her powers, ability, or wisdom, remains isolated and often faces a death of sorts. Sometimes s/he prefers to live in the enlightenment than return to a "home" that might not accept the ultimate gift.
-        The death of Ofelia’s mother sparked a sort of discouragement within Ofelia to use her attempts to return to the kingdom
-        She believes that further carrying these tasks would harm the ones she cares about
The Chase
The protagonist flees toward safety to thwart the attempts to take back the treasure, power, ability, or wisdom. Because the protagonist has changed, the chase characterizes his/her courage and confidence.
-        Ofelia initially flees with Mercedes from Captain Vidal however this attempt fails
-        On the second attempt Ofelia flees with her baby brother from Captain Vidal
The Rescue
The protagonist is unable to save him/herself. Others help him/her return "home," which may deflate his/her ego, but since s/he sees the entirety of the mission, s/he understands the importance of what is accomplished.


- Ofelia is saved by the Spanish Rebels when they massacre Captain Vidal's house 
Crossing the Return Threshold
The protagonist must face the evil or its leader and the realization that home is no longer a place but a state of being. Those in his/her past may not accept his/her new ability, power, or wisdom and may test it as a final trial to the protagonist.
-        Ofelia in order to finish the Faun’s third task must confront Captain Vidal himself
-        Ofelia realizes the after her mother’s death and Mercedes fled, she does not have anyone to care for her therefore she takes desperate steps to get back to the kingdom



Master of Two Worlds
The protagonist has the ability, power, or wisdom without limitations to relax in whatever world (physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual) s/he finds him/herself. S/he can adjust to who s/he was in the past and who s/he might be in the future.
-        When Ofelia arrives at the kingdom she sees her dead father and mother back alive
-        This shows that the kingdom carries its own components of imagination and realism


Freedom
(Often the theme of the quest)
The protagonist is able to combine the workings of unenlightened (old) and enlightened (new) societies into one world, the world where the protagonist now resides. S/he understands that his/her old self had to "die" in order for the new way of life to begin. S/he no longer fears change because s/he has learned to live in the moment regardless of what that means.
-        Ofelia’s kingdom is all she imagined while reading her fairytales
-        This shows that the Ofelia has reached her final place of solitude which is within her imagination

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