Get This Ball Rolling

Rolling, rolling, rolling.

I have two working theses right now and can't decide which is better. I put down my ideas in a simple comparison outline (image shown) and then was able to organize them into the thesis I thought was the best fit. Here it is in my paper shell.

It's just a beginning, but sometimes the beginning is the hardest part. I am excited, actually, to work on this and post it because it is getting the ball rolling.

Really rolling.

I hope it starts to snowball soon, but right now I am not getting very much from the enthusiasts I've contacted. I've gone to Goodreads, blogs, and even had an online interview with a screenwriter/enthusiast which unfortunately was cut short. I suppose it will pick up again soon. I'll keep working at it. 

I guess the best thing to say here is that this quest is to be continued...

Gearing up for the Journey

By this point I think I've made it clear how much I love the Hero's Journey (or at least the idea of it). I'll admit that the reason why I chose my thesis is because I love The Phantom Tollbooth, and I love adventures, and since the Tollbooth is an adventure story... Well, everything just fit together a little too perfectly, so I seized the chance.

My sketchbook. Click for a closer view.

I know that I'm going to have to do a lot of research into Joseph Campbell's theories about the Hero's Journey. To be honest, I've only really looked over the Wikipedia article, but I've heard about it a lot through word of mouth and the idea fascinated me. I think it's worth looking into.

For the purposes of the paper I'm going to write, I must talk about a book of my choice and one of Lewis Carroll's books about Alice, so I decided to contrast the two. The Hero's Journey is supposed to explain why popular stories become popular: they simply incorporate the Journey pattern into their plot. Through the Looking-Glass is certainly enjoyable (at least it is to my odd sense of humor) and it's one of my favorite books, but not because of any journey of growth that Alice embarks on. Here is a working shell for my final paper.

(I must also acknowledge the possibility that while I am researching the Hero's Journey and analyzing Through the Looking-Glass, I will realize that it actually does contain the Hero's Journey... at which point I'll simply have to change my thesis. We'll see what happens!)

I think it will be a lot of fun to sit down and analyze Milo's trek through the Lands Beyond. It's something that I've always secretly wanted to do.

Is Alice Wonderland's Morrie?

My horrible brainstorm web thing.

Here's my train of thought. I've been considering the role that the "Morrie figure" plays in other literary works. Many works have a figure like Morrie--the guiding force, the supremely wise one with compassion for the younger, more inexperienced characters. Gandalf and Dumbledore are prime examples of Morrie figures in literature. So I started considering who that figure is for Alice. The more I thought about it, the less I was sure that Alice even had a Morrie. But THEN I realized that maybe Alice is the Morrie of the Wonderland stories.