...In the book Mosquitoland by David Arnold, the adventure of a 16-year-old girl Mary Iris Malone, or more often recognized by her acroname Mim, is featured. The plot follows the common storytelling pattern called the monomyth; others may call it the hero’s journey. The hero’s journey has eight steps, and most of the events in Mosquitoland fall into one of these stages. The primary stage of the hero’s journey is when the hero receives a call to adventure before he or she begins their expedition. In the case of Mosquitoland, Mim’s call to her adventure is when she discovers that her mother is sick, and she decides that her mom needs her. This news is her beginning phase of her campaign, which led to the expedition to find her sick mother, who is...
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...A Modern Hero’s Journey: A Short Play due dates: brainstorming due 4/7 Dr. Harrison cover letter, map, setting, character list due 4/11 English 1h formal essay, inc. WC page due 4/16 Spring 2014 You, or you and one partner, are Hollywood screenwriters who have a brilliant idea for a movie about a modern hero’s journey, modeled on Odysseus’s journey, and given a structure by Joseph Campbell: in other words, you will be showing your hero’s origin and his separation (you’ll have to create your own back story since we don’t observe Odysseus’s origin in The Odyssey), and his initiation and return to his homeland. Your job is to make the story your own by creating your own character names, setting, and back story, and then modeling your journey on the specific encounters Odysseus has, as he makes his way home. You will pitch your story to me (I’m really a famous Hollywood director—my stage name is dr.h--traveling incognito as a San Jose high school English teacher): For me to consider your story and launch you to stardom, your pitch, uploaded to your website(s) must accomplish all of the following: Cover letter: please find a template for cover letters, or create your own, to address me and give me a brief one-paragraph pitch: what is your story and why should I want to read on? Brainstorming: During class time, you will create a googledoc in which you (or you and your partner) brainstorm each of the following. Upload this googledoc to your website(s)...
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...archetypal hero has some “…form of journey (the hero's journey archetype); these needn't be physical journeys like Homer's epics, but also spiritual journey(s)…” In the Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf slays dragons and monsters, as well as becomes king, and sails across vast oceans—however, Beowulf’s ultimate purpose to his journey is to be remembered for what a renowned hero he once was, as well as gain recognition from others for his heroic battles. Beowulf can be considered an archetypal hero because he possesses attributes that would be considered heroic, and also goes on a physical as well as spiritual journey. In the story of Beowulf, Beowulf has an ultimate journey that involves a call to adventure, followed by a refusal of the call, as well as reward (seizing the...
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...Meranda West Essay #1 Creation/The Hero’s Journey Neo’s Journey into his Real Life The Matrix shows Neo as he travels through a journey into the unseen and unknown to learn the truth about the life he has been living. Neo, otherwise known as Thomas Anderson, goes through an intense journey with the help of his mentor Morpheus. Thomas Anderson, Neo, works for a high end company in the day but at night he is a talented computer hacker and doing his side job of selling secret computer programs. One night as he is asleep at his desk, a message pops up one his computer that reads “The Matrix has you…”. It goes further in telling him to follow the little white bunny. As some people come through to buy something from Neo, he is asked to join them for a night out on the town. At first he denies the invitation, but then he sees a little white rabbit tattoo on the back of one of their shoulders and soon accepts. The nightclub that he goes to with them is where Neo meets Trinity. Trinity acts as a herald to Neo in The Matrix because she is the one that takes him to meet Morpheus. She, in a sense, called him to the call of adventure by messaging him online and having him come to the nightclub. When Neo is taken to meet Morpheus, he is given a choice between taking a red pill and a blue pill. He chooses the pill that will “show him how deep the rabbit hole goes” and at this point, this is where the creation myth of the matrix comes into play. Morpheus explains to Neo that the...
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...The Odyssey and Heros Journey Essay “You don’t choose your destiny, your destiny is already chosen and handed to you.” In each story the main character takes certain steps in life that lead to the same ending. The Odyssey by Homer explains Odysseus's return to home. In the Odyssey by Homer through chapters nine through twelve, Odysseus displays some of Joseph Campbell’s seventeen steps of the Hero’s Journey. On the subject of the 17 steps Odysseus takes, one of them is Belly of the whale. Belly of the whale means that the hero willingly crosses the point of no return. “But I would not listen to them, and shouted out to him in rage, ‘Cyclops, if anyone asks you who it was that put your eye out and spoiled your beauty say it was the valiant warrior Ulysses, son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca.” (Homer 77) None of Odysseus men are still with him because Odysseus was unable to save his comrades lives because the “recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all”, by devouring the cattle of the sun, so the sun god took...
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...clarify the sense in which Faustus’ fall is tragic. Faustus withstands the words of Bad Angel and it becomes clear that Faustus is going beyond despair to impenitence. Kaula, David. “Time and the Timeless in Everyman and Dr. Faustus”. College English 22.1 (1960): 9–14. This article compares the two morality plays and the time represented in each play. In Everyman play, moral time replaces astronomical time with human freedom, which also means that humans can control their destinies in any way they want. Both plays have their main themes as the eschatological predicament confronting each and every Christian individual. Besides, both plays are concerned with only one character and his spiritual destiny while other characters symbolize the hero’s personal conflict. Everyman is the representative individual while Dr. Faustus is the exceptional individualist. In Everyman, the soul unites the hero with the rest of his kind. In Dr. Faustus, the hero receives more emphasis when there is a...
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...Seth Wilson Barrick English 9/ Period 1 3/13/12 Odysseus Hero Essay We consider heroes as crime fighters like Spiderman, Batman, a soldier, or a cop. Someone who does something courageous. My definition of a hero is someone who does something that no one or a few people would do. Even if it’s something small like quit smoking to save money for rent like my mom did, or something big. A man named Leonard Skutnik was just walking home from work and witnessed a plane crash straight into the ice covered waters of the Polomac River, an as people watched the passengers start being rescued they noticed one woman start to drown, and that’s when Leonard jumped into the freezing water...
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...Fifth Business Essay There are paths that many people can take throughout their lives. “Fifth Business”, a story written by Robertson Davies, focuses on one person, and that is the main character, which is Dunstan Ramsay. In the novel, he takes the path of the Canadian hero, which helps his personality/character change by doing the following: searching for little Madonna; going through the underworld; and leaving his old life behind to begin a new one, and to discover who he truly is. These are the different steps to be taken by the hero and Dunstan follows his path by completing each step. One way that Dunstan’s personality/character changes is by going on a search for little Madonna. His journey begins when he gets his call for adventure. The call for adventure lets the him know that his life is about to change. Dunstan’s call for adventure comes when he leaves for Europe for the second time to search for the little Madonna. The little Madonna was what called him to come back to Europe. “The little Madonna was a bee in my bonnet; I wanted to see her again, and quite unreasonably (like a man I knew who lost a treasured walking -stick in the London Blitz and still looks hopefully in every curiosity shop in case it might turn up) I kept hoping to find her” (pg. 123). Dunstan had to leave the life he was living in order to begin his journey. Even though he knew he might never find the little Madonna again, he had to keep looking. While searching for the little Madonna...
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..."Monomyth" is a simplistic pattern for stories that has been used for many years worldwide. Yann Martel's Life of Pi is an excellent story about the life altering journey of a 16 year old boy Pi Patel. B. Thesis Statement (Includes Life of Pi and poem that you close read): C. Life of Pi is an exquisite example of a Monomyth. Pi's journey is sequenced into 3 sections. Each containing one of the elements of the Monomyth; the Call to Adventure, the Initiation, and the Return. D. Three Supporting Arguments (Your Blueprint) : 1. Pi's vast and scholarly ambience allows him to measure up as the hero of the story and welcome the Call to Adventure with supervision from Supernatural Aid. 2. Pi's dedication to his faith allows him to endure the stage of Initiation with his monotonous indemnification with his Spiritual Father. 3. Pi's adequacy to acclimate and welcome the position he is in allows him to embark on the Return stage while using the point of view of Freedom to Live (Living within the moment). II. Body 1st Idea E. Topic sentence: Your topic sentence will consist of your Thesis and supporting argument. You must write out the entire topic sentence as it would appear in your actual essay. : F. Life of Pi is an exquisite example of a Monomyth. Pi's journey is sequenced into 3 sections. Each containing one of the elements of the Monomyth; the Call to Adventure, the Initiation, and the Return. Pi's vast and scholarly...
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...Diasporic Cross-Currents in Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost and Anita Rau Badami’s The Hero’s Walk HEIKE HÄRTING N HIS REVIEW of Anil’s Ghost, Todd Hoffmann describes Michael Ondaatje’s novel as a “mystery of identity” (449). Similarly, Aritha van Herk identifies “fear, unpredictability, secrecy, [and] loss” (44) as the central features of the novel and its female protagonist. Anil’s Ghost, van Herk argues, presents its readers with a “motiveless world” of terror in which “no identity is reliable, no theory waterproof” (45). Ondaatje’s novel tells the story of Anil Tessera, a Sri Lankan expatriate and forensic anthropologist working for a UN-affiliated human rights organization. Haunted by a strong sense of personal and cultural dislocation, Anil takes up an assignment in Sri Lanka, where she teams up with a local archeologist, Sarath Diyasena, to uncover evidence of the Sri Lankan government’s violations of human rights during the country’s period of acute civil war. Yet, by the end of the novel, Anil has lost the evidence that could have indicted the government and is forced to leave the country, carrying with her a feeling of guilt for her unwitting complicity in Sarath’s death. On one hand, Anil certainly embodies an ethical (albeit rather schematic) critique of the failure of global justice. On the other, her character stages diaspora, in Vijay Mishra terms, as the “normative” and “ exemplary … condition of late modernity” (“Diasporic” 441) — a condition usually associated...
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...Whittaker, Helene. (1995) Renowned professor of classical Archeology and Ancient History at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Helene whittaker is known for mainly being concerned with the Greek Bronze age. She wrote about the Gender role in The Odyssey, specifically focusing on the women's role and how women's treatment by men can be indicated as sexist. They are usually identified by their looks and treated based on how their physical appearance is, and whether they have power over any men. She makes it clear that throughout Odysseus’ journey to the underworld, he spots and gets a glimpse of different variety of women. She says that throughout the Odyssey, they do not state anything about the women’s accomplishments in their lifetime, but only about their important son's, good looks and pleasingness, and their affairs with gods. She also talks about how women are known for their action and activity towards their sons and husbands, but never for the action and deeds of their own, or how they are, nor what accomplishments they did for themselves. Helene states that it seems in the book Odyssey, the only achievements women could achieve was being pretty and attractive to they eyes of the men. She proves throughout her paper that even Homer made it sound as...
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...Literature Essay - Draft Throughout the four poems; "To his Coy Mistress" "My Last Duchess" "Porphyria's Lover" and "Havisham." there is a constant attitude towards women and themes such as violence, possession and patriarchal society are present. However these all differ in nature and theme despite the resounding attitude towards women. THCM is written in 17th Century and the poem depicts a man's urges to will a woman into bed with him. The poem has a light tone and humorous aspects throughout. In contrast MLD which is written in 19th Century has a much darker and menacing tone; it is about a controlling Duke and his previous duchess and unravels the dark story behind them. PL is a Victorian poem, the poem is gothic, crude and perverted in parrts with a man's strange insane intentions. However all these poems are linked by the idea of the male possessing and controlling a woman. H on the other hand is a woman's interpretation of a 19th century fictional character and how this character is left with feelings of violent hatred after being let down in marriage by her fiancé who has wed her to gain some of her riches. The theme of the poem is violent and confrontation but does compare and contrast with PL with the gothic nature. These four dramatic monologues do vary in storyline and tone however he same themes are made apparent in all of them and is what gives these poems a link and comparisons. Desire, death, domination and obsession as well as the balance of control between...
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...Ancient Literature Essay Ancient literature includes many themes that are relevant today. Many of these stories include a hero, villain, and epic battle or journey that leads to a resolve. Often, you can see similar characteristics among these ancient writings. These ancient peoples were not much different than we are today, and that is depicted by the themes that continue to be relevant in the Common Era. An analysis of the two ancient writings The Aeneid and Agamemnon show many similar themes and blatant differences apparent in each story. By examining these two stories in detail, a greater understanding and appreciation of ancient literature can be acquired. Since man first began engaging in religious practices, stories with religious elements and themes have resulted. These two stories are no exception. Ancient Greek and Roman religious themes are present in both The Aeneid and Agamemnon. Both stories revolve around the philosophy that what we do with our lives is controlled by the Gods and to disrespect and dishonor the Gods is blasphemy, which will automatically lead to punishment. Both stories are similar in that the Gods are the beholders of the ultimate supreme power and the deciders of our hero’s fates. In other words, if it is not written by the Gods, then it is not the will of the Gods, and is therefore not to be done. It is also apparent in both stories that pleasing the Gods is everything to the characters and ultimately a deciding factor in their roles...
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...Qualities of an Epic Story in The Notebook What is an epic? An epic, by definition, is the telling of an epic hero’s story through the vast journey and sacrifices he makes. The Notebook would be considered an epic for many reasons. Some may disagree and say it’s just a love story that contains no characteristics, and no proof of being an epic. But in this paper the characteristics of an epic will be explored through facts and examples from the text and from today’s present life and culture. The epic hero, Noah Hamilton in Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook states, “I am no one special, just a common man with common thoughts. I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me. And my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect, I've succeeded as gloriously as anyone who ever lived (The Notebook).” Some examples of the characteristics in The Notebook that proves this is an epic would include vast settings, the story begins in medias res, the characters have epic digressions and that the hero embodies the values of the culture. Because of how the story starts, media res would be considered the first characteristic of an epic that can be noticed in The Notebook. Our story begins at a nursing home in the south where Allie is being looked after due to her dementia. The nurse is in her room, attempting to have Allie come out and go outside for a little while until a mysterious man shows up. Now, we don’t know who this man is that has just entered her room, and we’re not...
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...smile and wince, because I am one of those humans. Sort of. Here’s the case for my thesis. You be the judge. My love affair with hot tubs started, appropriately, with sex. Not just any sex, but passionate, sensual, first-of-its-kind cosmic sex in a backyard Jacuzzi. You don’t have to be a brain scientist to imagine the neurological frenzy that ensued of mapping the erotic pleasuring of the body with heated water and air jets. Scientifically speaking, repetition of the experience created a finely tuned sequence of synaptic firings that ensured a conditioned response. In other words, just dipping my toe into hot water began to make me feel happy. And this was good. Then came the first visit to Esalen, where I went to look for myself during my early 30’s. I was transfixed by the nirvana of those mineral baths, perched above the cliffs, full of contentedly naked people. Being considerably “plus-size”, it took a lot of courage to bare all in order to join the Esalenites in their sacred spring. But this act of bravery proffered the most important gift of that trip. The implicit acceptance of all body types—fat, old, skinny, dangly, wobbly bodies relaxing together without a care in the world—radically shifted three decades of internalized shame around being fat. Facilitating that enlightened view of our physical being was a level of consciousness and intelligence I had never experienced before. My brain map of hot tubs acquired an enduring...
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