Topic (Genre) of the Month: Tragic Hero*

Hello, Archetypal Characters.

Today, we are looking at tragic heroes. To not offend anyone and keep this interesting for everyone, we are sticking to fictional characters. I just realized I haven't posted about tragic heroes before. I will devote an entire post to the definition of a tragic hero later. For now, though, a tragic hero is basically someone who could be a traditional hero, but makes the wrong decision and usually dies as a result.

Beware! Spoilers included!

Bellerophon

Bellerophon was sent to accomplish multiple strenuous tasks, and once he came back victorious, received much glory and honor. However, he got increasingly prideful, and decided to fly Pegasus to Mount Olympus. The gods got mad at him because no mortal was as great as a god. So, they sent a fly to sting Pegasus, and Bellerophon got thrown off Pegasus's back, crippled for the rest of his life.

Anakin Skywalker

In the chronological first three Star Wars movies, we meet Anakin Skywalker, a young slave. As Anakin grows up, it is apparent he has great power in the Force, and as a result, has great potential. However, he continually lets his anger get out of control and makes the wrong choice. Eventually, the lure of the Dark Side is too strong for him, and he joins the Dark Side.

Gatsby

Jay Gatsby, in The Great Gatsby is a millionaire, and moves into a mansion near Daisy and Tom Buchanan. The story is told from the viewpoint of Nick Carraway, Daisy's cousin. Daisy and Gatsby dated when they were younger, and Gatsby hopes Daisy will fall in love with him again. They have an affair, and in the end, Gatsby is killed because of this.

Macbeth

Macbeth, from William Shakespeare's Macbeth, starts out as an honorable noble, but when he receives a prophecy he will become king, he kills the king to fulfill the prophecy and makes himself a tyrant. He continues to spiral downward, and is eventually killed.

Who are some tragic heroes you've heard of? Who's your favorite tragic hero?

Spruce Nogard

*Actually posted on June 1st. See here for details.

Source: http://www.uexpress.com/tell-me-a-story/2008/9/21/bellerophon-and-pegasus-a-greek-legend

Attributions: 

https://pixabay.com/en/pegasus-rodos-horse-greece-white-1542716/ 

https://pixabay.com/en/star-wars-darth-vader-cult-space-1204193/

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Gatsby-F-Scott-Fitzgerald/dp/0743273567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496345383&sr=1-1&keywords=the+great+gatsby 

Topic (Genre) of the Month: Heroes

Hello, Friends.

We're kind of running out of ideas for Genre of the Month, so instead I'm going to pick a topic for the month. There are probably lots of lesser known genres also, so we're just combining the two.

Today's topic is heroes. Have you read any good books with heroes in them lately? What makes them a hero? Why?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions:

https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Sorcerers-Stone-Rowling/dp/059035342X 

https://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-There-Back-Again/dp/061815082Xhttps://www.amazon.com/Disney-Beauty-Beast-Design-Doodle/dp/1474877796/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488055397&sr=1-11&keywords=emma+watson 

https://pixabay.com/en/martin-luther-king-jr-i-have-a-dream-393870/ 

Mental Library: Archetypes

Hello, heroes, mentors, and villains.

Today, we are talking about archetypes.

Archetypes are things that are found throughout literature and mean the same thing (almost) every time you find it. For example, there are archetypal colors (red=danger,etc.), archetypal themes (good v. evil etc.), and archetypal characters (damsel in distress, sidekick, etc.). Also, take note that any of these can be flipped to deliberately mean the opposite of what they're supposed to mean.

Here are some basic ones:

Characters:

Damsel in Distress: The helpless woman who is saved by the man. Sleeping Beauty and Snow White are examples of this.

Hero: The person who goes on a journey. . . which has many specifications. I wrote a post about the archetypal hero's journey here. Example: Harry Potter

Mentor: The person who teaches the hero. Example: Dumbledore

Villain: The person who is against the hero. Example: Darth Vader

Themes:

Light v. Dark: This is self-explanatory. An example of this is in Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series.

Coming of Age: This is when a character moves from childhood to adulthood.

So many more archetypes exist, but you'll have to look into them on your own. :)

Happy New Year!

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: 
https://pixabay.com/en/harry-potter-warner-bros-1132332/ 
https://pixabay.com/en/snow-white-princess-prince-933491/
https://pixabay.com/en/star-wars-darth-vader-cult-space-1204193/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone-j-k-rowling/110003632
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Rising-Susan-Cooper-Cober/dp/B002WXOQ5I/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480800949&sr=1-8&keywords=the+dark+is+rising

Mental Library: Archetypal Hero Journey

Welcome, Wanderers.

We've all heard of heroes, right? They're the people who go on quests, fight evil, and gain wisdom.

However, a lesser known concept is the archetypal hero's journey.

To start, I need to define archetype. As Google defines it, and archetype is: “a recurrent symbol or motif in literature, art, or mythology.” Some examples of archetypes are: the hero, the damsel in distress, the theme good vs. evil, the quest, and colors. However, I will save archetypes for a different post.

There are six parts to a hero's journey: The Departure, Crossing the Threshold, the Temptations, the Trials, Descent into the Abyss, and Return to Society. You can find the archetypal hero's journey just about anywhere. For example, Luke in Star Wars goes on the archetypal hero's journey, as well as Odysseus in The Odyssey. I am going to use Luke and Odysseus as examples, so if you don't want to read plot spoilers for Star Wars, or The Odyssey, or haven't seen/heard of either of them, don't read the rest of this post. :)

1. Departure: This is where the hero is called to adventure. In A New Hope, this is when Obi Wan Kenobi asks Luke to come with him on Tatooine. I've only read The Odyssey, not The Iliad, where Odysseus's adventure begins, so I'm not sure about this part of Odysseus's journey.
   
   
2. Crossing the Threshold: This is the point of no return. After the hero crosses this point, they cannot turn back. In A New Hope, this is when Luke finds his aunt and uncle dead, and has nothing left for him on Tatooine. Again, I'm not sure about this part of Odysseus's journey.
   
   
3. The Temptations: There are three temptations: Wealth, Beautiful People, and Giving Up. Odysseus isn't really tempted by wealth, but he is tempted by beautiful women on Circe's island and on Calypso’s island. He and his men are tempted to give up by eating the Lotus flowers. Luke is tempted over and over to give up and join the Dark side.

 

4. Trials: These are the trials a hero endures. One trial Luke endures in A New Hope is the trial to destroy the Death Star. One trial Odysseus endures is crossing into the Sea of Monsters through the gateway, and facing Scylla and Charybdis.
   
   
5. Descent into the Abyss: This is where the hero descends into the underworld, either literally or figuratively. This is a place that tests the hero greatly. The hero changes from this experience. In The Empire Strikes Back, while Luke is training with Yoda, he enters a cave and sees Darth Vader. There, he defeats Darth Vader, only to realize it is himself, Luke, under the mask. Odysseus must go to the Underworld and speak with dead people.

6. Return to Society: This is when the hero returns with new wisdom to society. At the end of Return of the Jedi, everyone celebrates the fall of the Empire. Odysseus returns home.

What movies/books do you see the archetypal hero journey in? Do you like the archetypal journey, or would you prefer heroes' journeys all be different?

By the way, I'm sorry, but there are no free pictures of Luke, and no good free pictures of the Star Wars logo. It's driving me crazy. However, Darth Vader seems to be very popular. :)

Spruce Nogard

Sources:

http://www.hccfl.edu/media/724354/archetypesforliteraryanalysis.pdf

Attributions: 

https://pixabay.com/en/lotus-pink-nature-flowers-614494/

https://pixabay.com/en/darth-vader-star-wars-geek-1207142/  

https://pixabay.com/en/star-wars-darth-vader-cult-space-1204193/