This post is part of a
series of posts sponsored by SCBWI Florida Tampa Bay area writers.
We invite you to join us in this online book study of THE
WRITER’S JOURNEY: MYTHIC STRUCTURE FOR WRITERS, Third Edition by Christopher
Vogler.
Post #11
Appendices, pages 341-365
Contributor: JC Kato
Catharsis
Though referenced throughout The Writer’s Journey, Christopher Vogler
dedicates this chapter to the critical concept of catharsis, which for
effective storytelling should pop, snag, and twist readers into the journey of the
hero.
Medically, catharsis could be
as simple as a sneeze—expunging impurities from the body. In drama, Vogler uses
the contemporary meaning of the word as “a sudden release of emotion.”
Born of ritual, drama leaps
out at us off the walls of ancient caves, flickering rituals of unknown Heroes
who stepped out of endless darkness with the help of one single flame.
Vogler links the swoon and
song of ritual—the world of people
connecting with the world of Gods—to early texts of plays that were intended to
evoke emotion through religious experiences.
From the cave, the author evolves the ritual to “intimate groves of
trees”, Mt. Olympus’s sacred wells, temple pyramids, and on up to the drama
born of Mesopotamia’s emphasis of time and stars, and seasons.
Drama and Seasons
Vogler borrows from the
scholar Theodor Gaster who described four types of ritual in the ancient world—Mortification,
Purgation, Invigoration, and Jubilation. The coinciding of these rituals with
winter, spring, summer, and fall prove practical ways to engage society in
catharsis.
· Mortification: Tragedy. Point of death. Like entering the
cave, there’s a need for society to shut down after a strenuous season of work
at the end of the year.
· Purgation: Cleansing the body. The shedding of skin and ridding
oneself of sour feelings. This season
honors the death and rebirth of the god-king.
· Invigoration: Comedy. Fizz and giggle and erotic merriment
vividly contrasts the tragic catharsis of the previous season. Vogler quotes
vaudeville, “Always leave ’em laughing.”
· Jubilation: Return of the light. Our hero emerges from
the cave with final reward, fortified for the return of yet another season.
The Wisdom of the Body
Joseph Campbell brought to
our attention that the archetypes in our stories “speak to us directly through
the organs.” Vogler qualifies this with a contemporary translation: “Emotions
are complex processes, but on one level they are simple chemical reactions to
stimuli . . .” Certain images illicit primal, intuitive, and maybe even animalistic
levels of emotion.
· From tableau:
These are emotionally charged depictions of images brought on by long
ritualistic tradition. Vogler mentions the image of Egyptian goddess Hathor
nursing her child, the dismembered body of Osiris being gathered by Isis, and
The Last Supper.
· From the stage:
Greek dramas startled their audience with visceral stage effects and bold
language.
· From the arena:
Romans escalated the body’s responses with the bloodied mangling of
gladiators.
· From puppet play: Vogler interestingly credits the brash and violent puppet character
of Guignol from the 1700’s for triggering a new wave of thriller plays.
· From movies:
Throughout The Writer’s Journey,
Vogler references the hero’s journey as depicted in films. And here, close to
the end of the book, he takes us from the French puppet plays to the riveting impact
of moving pictures. In the 50’s and 60’s, Alfred Hitchcock “employ(ed)
everything in the toolbox—story, character, editing, lighting, costumes, music,
set design, action, special effects and psychology—to bring about physical
responses . . .” To represent the 70’s,
Vogler chose Irwin Allen films like Poseidon
Adventure and The Towering Inferno
to show how films played to the body. Later, movies by Spielberg and Lucas
seduced the eye with the arrival of special effects and today we have 3D, IMAX
and buzzers in our theater seats.
The Body as a Guide to Critiquing
In his many years as an
evaluator of stories, Vogler depends on his body to guide him. The more
emotional and physical responses he has, the better the story. Traveling the
body with the seven chakras system, and their corresponding organs, he explains
how their healthy opening can be brought about in a story with vibrations of
sound, emotional breakthroughs, and enhanced climaxes of action.
In closing, he reiterates the
value of catharsis being the “biggest emotional and physical trigger of them
all.” If we read the stories we’re working on and they make us choke and sweat
and laugh, we’ve perhaps popped open a chakra or two. If we haven’t, we may need
to re-read The Writer’s Journey.
Meeting Today’s Contributor—JC Kato
JC Kato segued from singing
to writing and produced three audio storybook
CDs.. Like many first attempts at writing, the three audio storybooks that
she wrote and produced (complete with ear-perking sound effects) now sit in a
cherished place on a shelf. But it was a start. Poetry helped her with economy
of words and she served five years as Anthology Editor for the Florida State
Poets Association. Now she finds her voice in middle grade historical fiction. JC
acknowledges the support of SCBWI, her critique groups, the awesome generosity
of Rob Sanders to the SCBWI Florida Tampa Bay Area Writers, and the illuminating,
magical workshops of Joyce Sweeney. You can contact JC at jckatowrites@yahoo.com.
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