Joseph Campbell developed this idea of the "Hero's Journey" which is applied in many of our myths, stories and our own private dreams. Basically, it is about a person or a hero in the narration who travels into a labyrinth and that eventually changes the hero into a matured and successful person. Or mostly I can say it comes with happy endings like wishful dreams come true. With examples of two animated cartoon movies I have watched, such as "Spirited Away" in my film class and "Barbie and Nutcracker" as one of my favorites to further explain about this "Hero's Journey."
The Elixir and My Belief
These adventure stories, fairy tales and myths, mainly influence to our childhood and especially to the girls. The fact that going into the adventure is generally believed not to be girls' business in the reality, young girls always hope and dream their own fantasy experiences through these stories. This encouraged girls to be brave, to take responsibilities, and to be in leading characters. On their returns in each movie that I have mentioned above, they found their courage deep inside their hearts (even though they only showed their fragility on the outside). The girls found their capability to rescue someone (though it rarely happens in the reality), and finally their love. These adventures changed their lives from an innocent and weak youngsters to mature and strong ladies. And finally as I have written in my introduction once, "Hero's Journey" ends with such happy endings when they found "the love" in their hearts.
Their Ordinary World
In spirited away movie, a young girl named, "Chihiro" who is the hero in this story, was just an ordinary kid like any others in Japan. She was on her way to a new house along with her parents in a car while she was just making a fuss about her parents' plan. Of course, she couldn't refuse to resist her parents even though she missed her old friends, schools and the town. She was such a young and powerless follower after all.
Likewise in Barbie, "Clara" living in a big house together with her brother Tony and her grandpa who she couldn't withstand against both of them. It was the time when they were having a decoration time and a Christmas eve party, her grandpa was making her what to do to welcome the guests and make some preparations in time. Although she was not very much in the mood to do all these, she couldn't just complain about it anymore but did it.
The Call To The Adventure & The Refusal
The adventure began when Chihiro's family found out the ancient ruined tunnel in the middle of nowhere in the movie, Spirited Away. Among them, the father was the most anxious person to see what was on the other side of this long, dark and mysterious tunnel. Because of the father's authority over the family, the mother had to accompany him and thus, she called Chihiro to come along with them. Being so scared as a little girl, Chihiro first refused the call and tried to persuade them to stay back with her.
On the other side, at midnight, Clara was meant to go into a mouse hole (same idea with long and dark tunnel) with a nutcracker, who came to life because of the mouse king's black magic. She too, was shrunk into a size of a mouse by that king and thus they had to go together in order to find the sugarplum princess to make the changes back. But realizing the fact that she was so small and the wooden Nutcracker came to alive, Clara believed that it was supposed to be a dream that is all impossible to come true. So she too, refused the call.
Crossing The Threshold, Double Faces And the Help of Mentors!
Young girl Chihiro had finally been dragged along with her parents to go through the tunnel and cross the river. They were all attracted by the smell of the delicious food that would eventually create the dilemma to them, and trap them in such a spiritual world. By the time the sun went down, Chihiro started realizing the mess, first with their parents turned into pigs, then the spirit ghosts roaming around in the streets. But with the help of one boy named, "Haku" who saved her, encouraged her to stay there and helped her by giving advice to rescue her parents, she decided to accept the task.
Chihiro signed the contract with Yobaba and made her life trapped in this spiritual world. However, she did not have a choice but she had to stay there as another person named "Sen" if she wants to save herself, and her parents from the evil witch.
As well as Clara, who was made to go into the hole, was scared and depressed, thinking that she was not going to be a human again. Again with an encouragement from a little nutcracker, she was finally brave enough to decide to face the challenge, in order to save herself. Along the journey, she was trapped, attacked by the army of the mouse king, but the nutcracker was always there to make sure that she was safe.
Clara soon found out that she (herself) was a sugarplum princess and thus she had no choice but stayed together with the tiny kingdom and helped the citizens to attack the Evil Mouse King to break his spells over the kingdom.
Their Mysterious Boyfriends and growing into adulthood (O.o)
Chihiro who was such a fragile girl at first, had finally learnt all the difficulties, tests and works with furious creatures with the help of her friends and her savior, "Haku." Different feelings that she had never felt before, came to happen with Haku when they were facing the near death and solving it together. Interestingly, Haku and Chihiro met each other before, as Haku, on the other side, is a river dragon spirit who rescued Chihiro once when she fell into the water. There formed this strong bonding between them, at that time, she had no hesitation to save her dragon boyfriend when he was badly hurt. Being not from the same world they each come from, they had to finally be apart with a promise to meet again from Haku when she could finally go home with her parents.
Besides, Clara also was no longer a carefree young teenager anymore, but in fact, she had learnt to take responsibilities, went into this adventure to save the endangered people and finally risked her life to rescue her little nutcracker when he was trapped in the prison by the evil mouse. They both were always there to save each other which made them feel so close together. Clara finally fell in love when she found out her nutcracker was actually Prince Eric from the tiny kingdom when the spell broke. But as soon as Eric said that he loved her, she was slowly disappearing as the spell had broken on her too. Yes, they had to go back to their different worlds but they believed that they could meet again one day somehow.
Crossing The Threshold, Double Faces And the Help of Mentors!
Young girl Chihiro had finally been dragged along with her parents to go through the tunnel and cross the river. They were all attracted by the smell of the delicious food that would eventually create the dilemma to them, and trap them in such a spiritual world. By the time the sun went down, Chihiro started realizing the mess, first with their parents turned into pigs, then the spirit ghosts roaming around in the streets. But with the help of one boy named, "Haku" who saved her, encouraged her to stay there and helped her by giving advice to rescue her parents, she decided to accept the task.
Chihiro signed the contract with Yobaba and made her life trapped in this spiritual world. However, she did not have a choice but she had to stay there as another person named "Sen" if she wants to save herself, and her parents from the evil witch.
As well as Clara, who was made to go into the hole, was scared and depressed, thinking that she was not going to be a human again. Again with an encouragement from a little nutcracker, she was finally brave enough to decide to face the challenge, in order to save herself. Along the journey, she was trapped, attacked by the army of the mouse king, but the nutcracker was always there to make sure that she was safe.
Clara soon found out that she (herself) was a sugarplum princess and thus she had no choice but stayed together with the tiny kingdom and helped the citizens to attack the Evil Mouse King to break his spells over the kingdom.
Their Mysterious Boyfriends and growing into adulthood (O.o)
Chihiro who was such a fragile girl at first, had finally learnt all the difficulties, tests and works with furious creatures with the help of her friends and her savior, "Haku." Different feelings that she had never felt before, came to happen with Haku when they were facing the near death and solving it together. Interestingly, Haku and Chihiro met each other before, as Haku, on the other side, is a river dragon spirit who rescued Chihiro once when she fell into the water. There formed this strong bonding between them, at that time, she had no hesitation to save her dragon boyfriend when he was badly hurt. Being not from the same world they each come from, they had to finally be apart with a promise to meet again from Haku when she could finally go home with her parents.
Besides, Clara also was no longer a carefree young teenager anymore, but in fact, she had learnt to take responsibilities, went into this adventure to save the endangered people and finally risked her life to rescue her little nutcracker when he was trapped in the prison by the evil mouse. They both were always there to save each other which made them feel so close together. Clara finally fell in love when she found out her nutcracker was actually Prince Eric from the tiny kingdom when the spell broke. But as soon as Eric said that he loved her, she was slowly disappearing as the spell had broken on her too. Yes, they had to go back to their different worlds but they believed that they could meet again one day somehow.
The Elixir and My Belief
These adventure stories, fairy tales and myths, mainly influence to our childhood and especially to the girls. The fact that going into the adventure is generally believed not to be girls' business in the reality, young girls always hope and dream their own fantasy experiences through these stories. This encouraged girls to be brave, to take responsibilities, and to be in leading characters. On their returns in each movie that I have mentioned above, they found their courage deep inside their hearts (even though they only showed their fragility on the outside). The girls found their capability to rescue someone (though it rarely happens in the reality), and finally their love. These adventures changed their lives from an innocent and weak youngsters to mature and strong ladies. And finally as I have written in my introduction once, "Hero's Journey" ends with such happy endings when they found "the love" in their hearts.
Basically, what you do in this essay is tell both stories -- back and forth. You really don't discuss the stories in terms of each other. What are the common elements and what do they share? How, for example, was Eric like Haku? What does that have to do with the journey into womanhood? Why do they both vanish? Or do they?
ReplyDeleteIn your last paragraph, you do some analysis, but it is too little, too late.
6.5/8