Over the weekend I had some extra time (which was gained by stopping in my reading of the Golden Ass just after the story of Eros and Psyche) so I decided to view the original Star Wars trilogy (4,5,6) in one sitting. Somewhere between Luke Skywalker learning to levitate rocks and Princess Leia feeding what appeared to be a power bar to an Ewok, I had a minor epiphany on the basic yet pervasive structure underlying the most captivating stories in history.
To illustrate my point I will use two of the most captivating stories ever told in my analysis, Star Wars and the story of Cupid and Psyche. There is, in my humble opinion, three essential components to any captivating story. They are: Initiation, Separation, and Return (these terms are taken from a discussion with another story telling enthusiast who shall remain unnamed).
Initiation
In this stage the protagonist is introduced as a young, sheltered, and naive character (obviously both Psyche and Luke Skywalker qualify). During this stage the protagonist endures difficult events (Luke's aunt and uncle being killed or Psyche being abandoned on a mountain) which leads to a new an exciting adventure or experience (Luke going with Obi-Wan to rescue Princess Leia or Psyche being whisked away to live in splendor with her invisible husband). This stage involving a tragic or frightening experience followed by a new and exciting adventure or experience is what I call initiation.
Separation
This is the stage in which the main character abandons or upsets the idyllic environment of the initiation stage by acting impulsively or against their better judgment (Luke abandons his training with Yoda, despite Yoda and Obi-Wan's warning, to go save his friends in Cloud City or when Psyche heeds the advice of her evil sisters and, ignoring the words of Eros, looks upon her husband while he sleeps). This action leads the protagonist to discover the ironic truth of their situation ("Luke I am your father" or Psyche discovering her husbands true identity) which results in tragic circumstances for the protagonist which separate and isolate them from the rest of society (Luke's depression over being lied to about his father's true identity or Psyche's depression at having lost the love of her life because of her own foolishness).
Return
In the final stage, the protagonist seeks the counsel of those wiser than themselves about what they should do next (Luke speaking to Yoda and the ghost of Obi-wan or Psyche speaking to Pan, Demeter, and Hera) the Protagonist comes to terms with the tragic reality of their situation and attempt to confront the problem and rectify the situation (Luke deciding to face Darth Vader and the Emperor or Psyche deciding to confront Aphrodite). The protagonist then struggles and suffers as a result of their confrontation (Luke dueling Vader and being tortured by the Emperor or Psyche attempting to completing Aphrodite's impossible tasks). It is during this struggle that the secondary character, who has some type of bond or connection to the protagonist takes pity on the protagonist and aids them in their struggle (Vader killing the emperor to save Luke or Eros rescuing Psyche). It is through this action that the protagonist is restored or returned to their rightful place- regaining the innocence of their initiation while retaining the wisdom gained through their separation (Luke becoming a Jedi knight and helping to redeem his father or Psyche gaining Eros's forgiveness and becoming immortal).
These are the essential stages that embody the most captivating stories in our history.
Relearning What I Have Forgotten
A tool for the Future
Although my blogging is inhibited by my busy schedule and my consistent and predictable torpor when it comes to artistic expression, I intend to use my blog as a tool for one overarching purpose, to aid in the relearning of that which I have forgotten.
A Note on my Blogging Process
Please Don't Pay Attention the dates on which I post on my blog.
If you can't help but continue to pay attention however, I will provide a short explanation of my creative process.
When I engage in the creative process of writing for this blog, I am simply an instrument of the muses. As such the timeline and execution for that creative process is completely outside my control. It seems that the muse that most frequently sings through me, does so in a very unpredictable fashion. Because of this I often find that the interval between an Idea that I have for a blog entry and it's eloquent electronic expression can be surprisingly long. The result is that an idea for a blog entry I had when we were discussing Antigones might come to fruition two months after we finished reading Antigones.
Despite the timing problems sometimes imposed by this process, I believe that the end result is usually of a high caliber and of an insightful nature. It is that end result that I hope you focus your attention on.
Metamorphosis Picture
Phaethon Drives Apollo's Chariot
Quotes
"Don't take life too seriously; you'll never get out of it alive." ~ Elbert Hubbard
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