Essay Structure Narrative

Types of Essays: Patterns of Organization

Listing

Time Order

Compare/Contrast

Narrative Assessment: Internal

YOU MUST EXPLAIN HOW: 3 conventions of the Hero’s Journeyhelp to create the narrative. (how the different parts of the Hero’s Journey move the story) USING TWO FILMS to support your answer. (Star Wars & Little Ms SS)


YOU MUST EXPLAIN HOW: 3 conventions of the Hero’s Journeyhelp to create the narrative.

-this can include ARCHETYPES


YOU MUST EXPLAIN:

•How the conventions are used in each film.

•Why they are used in each film. (contribution to the narrative.)

The implications or consequences of the contribution of each feature of the hero’s journey to the narrative.

-effectiveness of the convention (Star Wars/Little Ms SS)

-the usefulness/weaknesses of the use of the Hero’s journey in studying the narrative of films

-the influence of such features on audience expectations or commercial effectiveness

-evaluation of the use in comparison with other films of your own choice or other forms of media.

SuggestionParagraph 1: “Hook” (1st sentence)

You could write: a quoteImagine if…an interesting factSOMETHING to HOOK the reader.

SuggestionParagraph 1: Middle

You could write: a history of your topica brief intro to your topicSOMETHING related to your topic

SuggestionParagraph 1: Middle: Ideas

Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey-explain what it is. -relationship to Hollywood. -as a story telling tradition-use in films-archetypes


Star Wars: A New Hope – director and year completed George Lucas (1977)-interesting facts about Star Wars


Little Miss Sunshine – directors/year completedJonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris(2006)-interesting facts about LMS.

SuggestionParagraph 1: Last Sentence

THESIS STATEMENT

This is WHAT your essay is about!!!This should include the TOPIC and argument of your essay.

Example: HOOK – Paragraph 1

In a galaxy close, close to home a man named Joseph Campbell decoded the Hero’s Journey.

Why does it work?

Example: Middle – Paragraph 1

You’re probably asking yourself, what is this Hero’s Journey? Well it is a journey that is evident in all Hollywood films, across all genres. It has transcended culture and time – it is the prefect recipe for cooking up a story. There are twelve steps within the Hero’s Journey, these steps lay the foundation for a textbook narrative.

Example: Thesis - Paragraph 1

In this essay I will explain (argue, evaluate, etc), using two films as examples, how three of the conventions within the Hero’s Journey are necessary for creating narrative.

Example: Paragraph 2: Choose a convention

Ex: The Ordinary World

Suggestion: Paragraph 2: Main Idea Sentence

The 1st sentence of the second paragraph should be the MAIN IDEA.

M.I. relates BACK to the Thesis, however it is the OVERALL idea of PARAGRAPH 2.

Example: Paragraph 2: Main Idea Sentence

The first convention from the Hero’s Journey that greatly assists the narrative is “The Ordinary World,” it is also the first step.

Suggestion: Paragraph 2: Major Details

Major details are more specific than M.I.’s, however they could be applied to BOTH films.

Example: Paragraph 2: Major Details

1st Major Detail

GIVE A DEFINITION OF THE CONVENTION!!!!!!!

Example: Paragraph 2: Major Details

‘The Ordinary World’ is the world that the hero lives in. It is used to show the audience where the hero (the main character of the story) comes from. Without this convention, the audience would not understand why the challenges the hero faces throughout the narrative are so important.

Example: Paragraph 2: minor details

These details are SPECIFIC. They are narrow. They often begin with: For example, For instance, Such as, To illustration, etc.

Example: Paragraph 2: minor details(following off of last example)

For example, the ‘Ordinary World’ in ‘Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ directed by Andrew Adamson (2005) is London during World War II.

Example: Paragraph 2: Analyze

WHY did the writer/director show the audience this world?

How does it help the narrative?

Example: Paragraph 2: minor details(following off of last example)

The ‘Ordinary World’ in Narnia allows the audience to relate to the characters. It shows why the children have been moved to the country side.During this time there was a mass exodus of children from London to the countryside to protect them from bombings.

Example: Paragraph 2: minor details

Keep expanding.

What does this ordinary world show us about the children? How does it help the narrative?

Example: Paragraph 2: Analyzing

The ‘Ordinary World’ in Narnia is not a happy one. Leaving their parents behind, the children are uprooted to a place where they know no one. Within this world we are introduced to the children, the heroes of the story, as they are, before they cross into the extraordinary and before they complete their journey..

Example: Paragraph 2: Analyzing

Within this world the audience comes to understand the escapism the children and the people of the time period must have craved. From the uncomfortable scenes of bombs dropping and crowded train platforms to the giant, foreboding house in the countryside the audience is left wondering, ‘What will happen next?’Escapism:the avoidance of reality by absorption of the mind in entertainment or in an imaginative situation, activity, etc

Example: Paragraph 3: Continue with next film

Similarly, in the movie Star Wars: A New Hope directed by George Lucas (1977) the ‘Ordinary World’ was the planet of Tatooine, inhabited by the hero Luke Skywalker.

Star Wars: A New Hope

George Lucas

1977

Luke SkywalkerA farm boy living on the desolate planet of Tatooine, Luke dreams of adventure. When a distress call from Princess Leia arrives in the form of a hologram played by R2-D2, Luke must decide if he's ready to answer the call to adventure

HERO

OBI-WAN KENOBIOne of the last Jedi Knights in the galaxy, Obi-Wan Kenobi asks Luke to join him on his mission to rescue Princess Leia from the clutches of Darth Vader, his old enemy. Obi-Wan recognizes Luke's natural ability with the Force, and begins to train him in the Jedi way

MENTOR

DARTH VADERDarth Vader hunts down and captures Princess Leia, who has stolen the plans for the Empire's new planet-killing space station, the Death Star. He will soon be confronted by his old master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, in a lightsaber duel, as well as Obi-Wan's new apprentice, Luke Skywalker, in a starship battle over the Death Star itself

ENEMY/SHADOW

TARKINThe ranking Imperial officer in charge of the Death Star, Tarkin seeks to discover the location of the secret Rebel base, using any means necessary to extract the information from his prisoner, Princess Leia.

ENEMY/SHADOW

C-3POA droid used to interpret the many languages used throughout the galaxy, C-3PO -- along with his counterpart R2-D2 -- become the involuntary couriers of the secret Death Star plans hunted by the Imperials

ALLY

R2-D2R2-D2, a multi-purpose astromech droid, is given the Death Star's secret plans by Princess Leia just before her capture by Darth Vader. His mission is to deliver the plans to Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine, a quest that will ultimately lead him to a fight over the Death Star itself.

HERALD/ALLY

PRINCESS LEIA ORGANACaptured by Darth Vader while attempting to deliver secret plans of the Death Star to the Rebel Alliance, Leia takes charge of her own escape from the battle station with the help of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.

ALLY

HAN SOLOHan Solo is a rogue, a gambler, a scoundrel. He and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca are hired to transport Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, and the droids to Alderaan in his ship, the Millennium Falcon. He soon learns, though, that he gets more than he bargained for in helping the Rebels.

ALLY

TATOOINEA desolate desert planet on the outer rim of the galaxy, Tatooine is the home of Luke Skywalker, who longs to leave his dusty moisture farm and experience a life adventures among the stars.

ORDINARY WORLD

DEATH STARA planet-killing space station the size of a small moon, the Death Star has become the ultimate threat to the galaxy. The Rebel Alliance seeks to destroy the Death Star with secret plans stolen by Princess Leia

Ordinary World: TatooineLiving w/uncle and aunt

Call to Adventure: R2D2’s holograph of Princess Laia.

Denial of the Call: R2D2 wants to find Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Luke resists. His uncle says that he no longer exists.

Meeting Mentor: Obi-Wan

Crossing Threshold: Luke returns to find Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru killed by imperial stormtroopers; now has no reason to stay – answers the call.

Tests/Allies/Enemies: R2D2, C-3PO, Han Solo, Obi-Wan, hiring Han’s spaceship. They escape an imperial blockade.

Approach:Reach Alderaan – it’s been destroyed. Obi-Wan introduces Luke to ‘the Force.’ A tractor beam from the Death Star pulls them in. They hide.

Ordeal: Aboard the Death Star they must fight to survive. Obi-Wan is killed by Darth Vedar and becomes one with the force. Reward: Princess Leia is rescued, they join the rebel forces, Luke gains confidence and

Reward: Princess Leia is rescued, they join the rebel forces, Luke gains confidence and takes his place amongst the rebels.

The Road Back: Luke returns to find family farm burned out by imperial stormtroopers; now has no reason to stay – answers the call. The Death Star is in hot pursuit.

Resurrection: In an epic battle, Luke does the impossible and destroys the Death Star.

Return with the Elixir: Luke is now a rebel fighter, he has learned about the force, he is honored for his part in the destroying of the Death Star.

Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris—a husband and wife team—made their filmmaking debut with Little Miss Sunshine, a critique of the “winner-take-all” outlook in American life.

Father Richard (Greg Kinnear), a motivational speaker trying unsuccessfully to peddle his “Nine Steps to Success,” is the second husband of……

…of chain-smoking, “pro-honesty”, house-wife Sheryl (Toni Collette). Her brother…

…Frank (Steve Carell) has recently attempted suicide after being jilted by his gay student lover and losing his standing as America’s pre-eminent Proust scholar. He now shares a room with…

…teenager Dwayne (Paul Dano), who is immersed in Nietzsche, and has taken a vow of silence until he gets into the Air Force Academy. “Welcome to hell,” is his written greeting to Frank when he moves in with the family which includes…

…slightly pot-bellied, seven-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin) who is single-mindedly bent on becoming a beauty queen. Her coach is…

…Grandpa Edwin (Alan Arkin), a cynic and late-in-life convert to pornography and heroin (“I still got Nazis bullets in my head.”)

The Family Unit…

The Hero…

Ordinary World: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Call to Adventure: Aunt calls and tells the family that Olive has been offered a position to compete at Little Miss Sunshine pageant in California.

Denial of the Call: The family argues about whether or not they can go.

Meeting Mentor: They mentor one another – Grandpa’s life attitude/Olive’s attitude about life guides the family as well.

Crossing Threshold: The family sets off on their trip – Olive’s excitement convinces the family to go – Dwayne and Frank agree to go. (Dwayne needs incentive: flight school.)

Tests/Allies/Enemies: Van’s clutch breaks down; Richard loses his book deal (Stan Grossman); Olive is left behind; Frank runs into his boyfriend.

Approach: The family checks into a motel for the night; Olive confesses to Grandpa that she is scared about the pageant the following day, but is reassured that she will 'blow 'em outta the water." Sheryl and Richard have an explosive argument about the failed book deal, and Richard travels to Scotsdale in the middle of the night to confront Stan Grossman, his partner in the deal. Richard's ideas are rejected again, and he returns to the motel.

Ordeal: Grandfather is dead. They have to go to the hospital and find that they cannot afford the bill. The family decides to risk everything and steal grandpa from the hospital.

Reward: The family is closer than ever. Pulling off the caper of stealing grandpa’s body they are united and the push towards the pageant becomes even more important. Family bonding.

The Road Back: The family is back on the path they started on – they are focused on getting to the pageant on time. Pitfalls: police pull the van over (g-pa’s dead body is in the trunk!!) because the horn won’t stop. Having a family “saves” dad ie the porn in the trunk. Dwayne finds he is colour blind – Olive is mentor again – he supports her dreams.

Resurrection: Dad works to get Olive into the pageant. The family is put to another test – Olive’s performance in the pageant.

Return with Elixir: The family unit is strengthened. Dad realizes you don’t have to be a “winner” to win. The family, having become closer and more confident during the trip, push-start the microbus once again and pile in. They drive into the sunset, back to Albuquerque.

What could the van represent? -breaks down….-needs to be pushed along…

What else in the movie is breaking down?

What is being repaired?Where do these repairs happen within the 12 steps?

Do all the characters change? Who changes the most? Why do you think that is? Who changed the least?

Why do you think this movie appeals to people? Which of the 12 steps can you relate to? How would you compare this film to Star Wars?

COMPARE/CONTRAST

Starter sentences…..

The convention of INSERT STEP reveals ____________ to the audience about the narrative.

Without the INSERT STEP the narrative would lack….

INSERT STEP is one of the most important conventions within the Hero’s Journey, it helps the audience to understand……….

The archetype of the INSERT ARCHETYPE is important to the narrative because…….

The archetype of the INSERT ARCHETYPE can be found in INSERT STEP because…..

The archetype of the INSERT ARCHETYPE enters the narrative within the INSERT STEP in order to….

Starter sentences…..

COMPARE/CONTRAST:

Similarly in INSERT FILM the convention of INSERT STEP is used to….

Compared to INSERT FILM the convention of INSERT STEP works much better/is less successful because…..

Unlike INSERT FILM, INSERT FILM is able to convey the idea of the INSERT STEP much more clearly because…..

For example, within INSERT FILM INSERT STEP allows the audience to experience…..

For instance, the scene where…….happens allows the audience to better understand the INSERT STEP.

Essay Structure Narrative

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