1. Happy Tuesday!
Warm Up: Grab a marker from the front table, and write down at least one example of each type of archetype on the correct blue paper across the room.
Your example should look like this:
Damsel in Distress = Sleeping Beauty

2. Hero’s Journey

3. TED Talk Hero’s Journey
After watching the video, jot down at least 3 things you learned about Hero’s Journey

4. What is Hero’s Journey?
“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won.”
There are 5 stages

5. Stage 1: Separation
This is the moment where everything changes for the hero
Sometimes they are physically separated from their surrounding
Also known as the “call to adventure” – the thing that starts the journey

6. Stage 2: Initiation
Usually linked to the appearance of the Wise and Helpful Guide
Happens almost immediately after separation
This is where the hero learns the rules – there’s usually pain involved

7. Stage 3: Belly of the Beast
Transformative event
This is when the character hits rock bottom. The hero can’t go forward until he/she learns something or lets go.

8. Stage 4: Discovery
Usually made possible by the disappearance of the Wise and Helpful Guide
This enables the return

9. Stage 5: Return
Something forces the hero to return, often from the ordinary world
The hero returns from the extraordinary to the ordinary world
Sometimes death is the return

10. SEPARATION
INITIATION
BELLY OF THE
BEAST
DISCOVERY
RETURN

11. Other Elements
Extended Search: The character may not know what they’re searching for. They start searching for one thing, but then they find something better.
Supernatural Forces: Character wishes for something and it appears! These could also be gods and goddesses.

12. Other Elements Decisive Victories: Usually triumphing over evil
Act of Selflessness: The character puts himself in harm’s way for someone else
Rescue of the Princess (or other helpless person): Does this really need explaining?

13. Other Elements
Call to Adventure: The moment or event that starts the hero’s journey
Wise and Helpful Guide: Appears sometime around the “initiation” stage
Into the Unknown: The character travels into an unknown place

15. Hero’s Journey in Finding Nemo
Stage 1: Separation DUH. The divers take Nemo away from the reef. This is part of another separation that began on the same day since it was his first day of school, his first time to be separated from his father and the divers make the separation complete and nearly permanent. It is important to note that this separation at the hands of the divers happens because Nemo is trying to prove to his father that he CAN do things for himself.

17. Hero’s Journey in Finding Nemo
Stage 2: Initiation When Nemo first lands in the tank, he slams into the glass sides, trying to escape. He is breathing hard, calling for his daddy. He sounds and looks scared, gasping and wide-eyed, backing away from things that frighten him and jumping when he bumps into something new. The scene is painted as quite scary looking with lots of dark corners and things that seem to be hiding. The tank gang characters are in silhouette and approaching Nemo menacingly. This is initiation.

19. Hero’s Journey in Finding Nemo
Stage 3: Belly of the Beast Darla is in the dentist’s office, holding Nemo’s baggie. “Fishy? Why – are – you – slee – ping?” It looks as if Nemo will suffer the same fate as the fish who went before him (“Chuckles”). How could he have fought so hard and come so far just to be bludgeoned to death by ziploc bag?

21. Hero’s Journey in Finding Nemo
Stage 4: Discovery Now Nemo has a strength that he didn’t possess before. He is able to stand up to his dad and this time, he does it straightforwardly instead of in a passive-aggressive way. This time he says, “I can do this dad” instead of swimming out to the boat and getting scooped up by a goofy dentist.

23. Hero’s Journey in Finding Nemo
Stage 5: Return If it’s a Disney movie, you can bet there will be an actual, literal return to the place where the whole thing began…and everyone will be fine. So here we return to the reef and we get to see someone who represents nearly every chapter of the film. Marlin is finally able to tell the joke and make his friends laugh. Dory has a home now. Squirt is visiting from the EAC, dude. We learn that even the sharks escaped the explosion. Very Hollywood happy ending.

24. Other Elements in Finding Nemo
Discuss with your shoulder partner and write down what might represent the “other elements” in Finding Nemo – YOU HAVE 15 MINUTES!
Extended Search
Supernatural Forces
Decisive Victories
Acts of Selflessness
Rescue of the Princess
Call to Adventure
Wise and Helpful Guide
Into the Unknown

25. Other Elements in Finding Nemo
Extended Search
Marlin and Dory travel a very long way looking for Nemo/Paco/Harpo/Elmo, whatever his name is
Supernatural Forces/Powers
A school of fish can do impressions…good ones.
The jellyfish come out of nowhere
The whale has supernatural goodness to pick up a couple of hitchhikers so readily. They were strangers to him, after all.
Dory’s ability to “speak whale” borders on the supernatural as well

26. Other Elements in Finding Nemo
Decisive Victories (usually triumphing over evil)
Nemo is invited to join the tank gang. He is able to get the pebble into the filter
Marlin and Dory defeat the sharks and the monstrous and definitely evil angler fish

27. Other Elements in Finding Nemo
Acts of Selflessness
Dory gives completely of herself and helps Marlin learn what it really means to be a friend
Nemo helps the fish (and Dory) free them
Rescue of the Princess
Nemo helps Dory get out of the net
Call to Adventure
“Let’s see you go farther.” The little fish are daring each other to get closer and closer to the butt boat

28. Other Elements in Finding Nemo
Wise and Helpful Guide
Dory doesn’t seem very wise or helpful at times. Marlin certainly wouldn’t call her wise and helpful while they are having their adventure, but when we study the situations of their journey, we see that Dory is the one who rescues them from each situation. The shark has the mask: Dory gets it for them. The mask has markings on it: Dory can read. The school of fish has information they need: Dory is the only one they’ll talk to. The trench appears: Dory knows to go through it not over it. A whale appears when they are lost: Dory can speak whale to enlist his help. Dory is the wise and helpful guide.

29. Other Elements in Finding Nemo
Into the Unknown
Literal: Marlin and Nemo have never been off the reef
Figurative: Marlin and Nemo have never really been faced with the realities of life. Since the death of Coral, Marlin has tried to hide from danger, but that isn’t really possible, and now they don’t have any choice.

30. THIS IS DUE AT THE END OF CLASS!
Your Turn
decide on a movie or book you’ve seen or read that you enjoy.
On a separate sheet of paper, write down a brief summary of the book or movie (4-5 sentences)
Write down the stages of hero’s journey and provide a brief description (2-3 sentences) of how that scene represents that stage of the journey.
Write down the “other elements” that show up as part of the hero’s journey in your book or movie.
THIS IS DUE AT THE END OF CLASS!