Vogler: 23 - 47

As a section of Vogler's Hero Journey, these three chapters first led into the idea of the different character traits which are exemplified in film and literature.  By setting up different archetypes, Vogler defined what, in his opinion, make up a quality screenplay or story-line.  He first went over and discussed the different types of heroes that can be found in literature and film today.  By presenting examples with each successive idea, Vogler proved that although there are many different types of heroes in literature, they all follow a basic format as the key character in the piece.  He then presented the character who he calls the "mentor."  As a character, Vogler's "mentor" is a person who's role in the story is to provide guidance and lesson's to the hero.

I feel that Vogler's ideas of the different character opportunities that he presents for the reader are well thought up and well backed with examples from famous films.  He gives many different situations with which the reader can not only connect his descriptions of the hero and the mentor to his examples, but also to their own.  By remaining broad in his original description of character traits and focusing in later on the individual traits of the hero and the mentor, Vogler gives the reader the opportunity to see what he feels defines the hero's journey.

To this point in his ideas about the different character traits exemplified in literature and film today, I feel that Vogler is doing an excellent job of describing character types.  Presenting many different possibilities and backing each with real examples from film and text makes his ideas stand out as being viable.  I feel that those two are however the primary characters from his list, and that it will be far more difficult for him to connect the remainder of his character traits to relevant examples.

3 Questions:

1)  Are all of Vogler's personality traits necessary in order to portray the Hero's Journey?

2) Can the mentor, in Vogler's eyes, be an outside source, as in someone the hero never actually meets?

3) How will Vogler continue to connect more obscure personality traits he had listed to examples in film and literature?