The Protagonist's Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling 9783030796815, 9783030796822

Citation preview

Scot t Myer s

Y E N R U O J S ’ T S I N O G A T O R P THE n e v ri D rte c ra a h C to n o ti c An Introdu telling ry to S d n a g n ti ri w n e re c S

The Protagonist’s Journey

Scott Myers

The Protagonist’s Journey An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling

Scott Myers DePaul University Chicago, IL, USA

ISBN 978-3-030-79681-5 ISBN 978-3-030-79682-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2

(eBook)

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

This book is dedicated to storytellers

Foreword

To those about to have the pleasure of reading this book, I’ve known Scott Myers personally for just over a decade. I know this because my inbox tells me that my first email to him was on May 14, 2011 to say that I had long been a fan of his blog and asking if there would be an opportunity in the near future to meet face to face. We got on the phone shortly thereafter, and his blog, Go Into The Story, was announced as the official screenwriting blog of the Black List mere months later. As certain as I am about how long I’ve known Scott Myers, I have no idea when I actually became a fan of his, though I can be certain that it’s some time after May 16, 2008, and it was near immediate. How was I not immediately going to be a fan of the kind of person who writes about screenwriting and goes all the way back to Aristotle’s Poetics to try to understand where screenwriting exists in the history of storytelling? In the years since, there are some things that I’ve learned about Scott that would be valuable for you to know as you read this book: Scott Myers cares about screenwriting, and that’s probably one of the larger understatements I’ve ever put to keyboard. After starting in May 2008, Scott didn’t stop–once–until June 2020. 4,428 consecutive days of writing about screenwriting. Never once interrupted by “pneumonia, flu, hamstring strains, a chaotic variety of technical issues, world travel and confusing schedule changes, and various other roadblocks.” He says it’s to make the point that “if I can write every day, you can write every day.” But let’s be

vii

viii

Foreword

honest: no one does anything for more than 4,000 consecutive days for someone else’s benefit. No one. His point about your writing easily could have been made after 1,000 days, or 2,000 days, or after he broke Cal Ripken’s Iron Man record at 2,632. But he didn’t. He kept writing, every single day, about screenwriting, about storytelling, about character, plot, conflict, and the business of screenwriting, because he cares about it deeply. (And then a rotator cuff surgery did him in, but that’s a story for another time.) Scott Myers cares about screenwriters. The first year of any new venture is especially important, and that was particularly true of the Black List screenwriters lab when we launched it in 2013. The Black List Web site was already a wholly new concept in the film industry, and so inviting eight screenwriters selected from it to join us for an all expenses paid trip was a potentially make or break moment for my fledgling company. There’s a natural instinct in those cases to shoot the moon by getting as many bold faced names as humanly possible (and to be sure, we did, eventually.) Scott’s name, though, was the first on my team sheet, as they say in soccer, and it has been for every single lab we’ve ever done. I’m just not sure you can find someone more personally and authentically invested in screenwriters living up to the potential of their ideas, whatever form they take. “The streak” is evidence of that, sure, but it’s never more clear than when you have the privilege of listening in on Scott working with screenwriters. I’m lucky to have that opportunity. Most of you never will, but fortunately, this book now exists. Scott Myers cares about people. If it wasn’t screenwriting, it would be something else. Which is to say that even if you take away the profound generosity of twelve years of literal non-stop writing about writing and making it available for free and the personal investment in the success of screenwriters that I’ve personally witnessed, I’d still just be thankful that Scott Myers is my friend. He cares deeply about other people. He wants joy for them, fulfillment for them, resilience for them, and he’s willing to give of himself so that they can have it. It’s there in his ribbing me about by beloved Los Angeles Football Club’s utterly terrible record against his Los Angeles Galaxy. It’s there in our trading articles about the US Mens and Womens national soccer teams. It’s there in his pride in his sons and his wife’s myriad very cool accomplishments in the world, and his patience, grace, and counsel when things are going sideways in mine. And so a guide to storytelling through the lens of caring about people (even fake ones) probably shouldn’t come as too much a surprise. Except that maybe it should be. For years, I have encouraged Scott to monetize the gargantuan work that he does for screenwriters. A rough approximation of our conversations has

Foreword

ix

gone something like this: “What if we paid you to write the blog?” “No, that doesn’t feel right.” “Well can we build an infrastructure so you can put ads on the blog?” “No, that doesn’t feel right either.” “Scott, I respect the altruism, but you deserve compensation for this! It’s a lot of work.” “Maybe, but you should see the emails I get from writers expressing their appreciation for the blog. What better compensation is there than that?” “I get that, but... okay, if you ever change your mind, please let me know.” Simply put, I am overjoyed that Palgrave Macmillan changed his mind. We are all better off for it. Screenwriters who want to explore a different way into telling the stories they want to tell. Film and television industry professionals like me who get excited about working with writers who can deliver good stories, well-told. Audience members like all of us who just want to watch something good. All of us will be better off for the book you now hold in your hands. So enjoy, and remember what Scott would tell you: Read scripts. Watch movies. Write pages. And remember: This is just one point of view on how to write a screenplay. The right way is, ultimately, whatever way works for you. Sincerely, Franklin Leonard Founder, The Black List

Preface

This book is the result of over three decades of my work as a screenwriter and educator. Since 1987 when the spec script K-9, which I co-write, sold to Universal Studios, going on to become a hit movie with two sequels, I have written over thirty film and television projects for nearly every major Hollywood studio and broadcast network. Through my blog GoIntoTheStory.com, named Best of the Best Scriptwriting Website by Writers’ Digest, I have interviewed hundreds of professionals in the film and television business, and interfaced with thousands of writers. After teaching screenwriting as a hobby since 2002, I am now an assistant professor at the film school at DePaul University. During that time, I have taught countless writers from beginners to advanced, undergraduate, and graduate students. Based upon my experience as a writer and educator, here is what I have discovered: The best writing is character-driven writing. The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling is aimed at students of the craft who want to go beyond formulaic approaches which reduce story structure to plot. Plot is essential, but it is only half the story. For it is the world of characters and their inner lives which gives meaning to the events they experience. Indeed, it is by engaging characters, getting curious about them, and following their lead that plot comes to life. In the words of that age-old adage: Character equals plot. I believe that to be true. This book is divided into three parts. Part I explores story as Narrative Imperative, how there is a profound connection between the psychological

xi

xii

Preface

state of the Protagonist and the unfolding plot. The journey the Protagonist takes is the journey they need to take. Part II examines the Family of Characters, five archetypes seen with great frequency in movies and television series—Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster—and how this assembly of a story’s characters exists to support the Protagonist’s physical and psychological journey. Part III presents a proven professional approach to Breaking Story through a series of character development and plotting exercises resulting in a scene-by-scene outline. Theories explored here are influenced by Aristotle, Joseph Campbell, and Carl Jung, but are also grounded in my many years of experience as a working writer and teacher. The content in these pages has been road-tested in workshops in the United States and Europe, as well as what I have learned as a mentor at multiple feature writer labs under the auspices of the Black List in Los Angeles. In addition, the theories and practices detailed here served as the inspiration for story development classes in the B.F.A. and M.F.A. programs in screenwriting at DePaul University. As I often remind students and writers, there is no right way to write. Every writer is different. Every story is different. It is incumbent for each individual to find their own way into who they are as a writer and how to best navigate the story-crafting process. That said, a character-driven approach engages the writer with the very individuals whose story it is: the Protagonist and the characters with whom they intersect. Thus, we start our journey in these pages with a mantra I coined many years ago: Begin with character. End with character. Find the story in between. Chicago, Illinois June 2021

Scott Myers

Acknowledgments

My thanks to DePaul University for its backing of this project, including a generous research grant in combination with a paid leave. This allowed me to analyze hundreds of movies and television series, and organize the structure of the book. My special thanks to the university’s David Miller, Dean of the College of Computing and Digital Media, and Gary Novak, Director of the School of Cinematic Arts for their continual support during my time as an assistant professor at DePaul. I am grateful for my colleagues in the program, especially the screenwriting faculty, who daily demonstrate their commitment to academic excellence and serving the needs of our diverse and talented student body. My thanks to Dr. Linda Venis, former Director of the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, David Sontag, former Director, and Dana Coen, current Director of the Writing for the Screen and Stage program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My years teaching at these institutions not only helped me explore much of the content of this book, but also grow as an educator. I thank Tom Benedek, co-founder of ScreenwritingMasterClass.com, a unique educational resource for writers we launched in 2010. Tom was the very first screenwriter I met in Los Angeles and we have been friends ever since. Of special note, my thanks to Franklin Leonard, founder and CEO of The Black List, and the entire Black List team for the opportunity to help create, shape, and grow their annual feature film writer labs, both as a mentor and workshop facilitator. To all the students I have taught over the years, I appreciate the opportunity to explore your creativity with

xiii

xiv

Acknowledgments

you and how the theories and practices encompassed in this book evolved through our conversations about the craft. There are hundreds of screenwriters, filmmakers, television writers, and producers I have either interviewed or gotten to know through my role as host of the blog GoIntoTheStory.com. I am grateful how our talks have contributed to my ongoing education about the writing life. In addition, I appreciate the many opportunities I have had to share my passion for character-driven storytelling as a presenter, panelist, moderator, and master class teacher with programs such as the Austin Film Festival, the London Screenwriters’ Festival, and the Willamette Writers Conference. My thanks to Lina Aboujieb, executive editor, and Emily Wood, editorial assistant for their patient oversight of this project for Palgrave Macmillan. Also to Sebastian Smith, who designed and created the Family of Characters illustrations, Lisa Rivero, who handled the book’s index, and Trish Curtin, who was kind enough to copyedit the entire manuscript. A special acknowledgment goes out to Jule Selbo, Ph.D., professor of screenwriting at California State University, Fullerton for introducing me to the Palgrave Macmillan editorial team. Finally, a personal note of gratitude to my family. To my brother Sam Myers and his family for their support and the use of their Hovland, Minnesota cabin for a writing retreat; to Will and Luke Myers for reading the manuscript and providing their insightful feedback; to Rebecca McMillan for listening to me year after year as I worked through the ideas that eventually resulted in the writing of this book. My family has made considerable sacrifices as I have devoted countless hours to studying, writing, and teaching, day and night, weekdays and weekends. My endless thanks for their patience, encouragement, and love.

About This Book

Character drives plot. Based on this principle, this book walks aspiring writers through the fascinating world of character-driven screenwriting. When a writer engages their characters, they start a process which naturally leads to the story’s structure and everything else that makes for a well-written narrative. Exploring the protagonist’s journey and their “unity arc,” Myers explains how a family of characters surrounds the protagonist and influences their transformation process. This easy-to-follow guide features activities that will help writers of any level develop their stories from concept to scene-by-scene outline. Based upon a popular workshop Myers has led with over a thousand writers at all levels of experience, this book is a must-have for screenwriting students, both undergraduate and graduate, and those looking at advanced story development. Scott Myers has written over thirty projects at nearly every major Hollywood studio and broadcast network. He hosts GoIntoTheStory.com, which Writers’ Digest named “Best of the Best Scriptwriting Website.” An assistant professor at DePaul University, USA, Scott is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Yale University Divinity School, USA.

xv

Praise for The Protagonist’s Journey

“My training as a film and tv writer consists of one online class I took with Scott as my teacher. And the lessons I learned from him have lasted me to this day. Scott is a brilliant guide for anyone looking to get into screenwriting. Regardless of the genre, budget, or style of the film—character is everything. It is the bedrock of all drama, laughter, love, passion, and loss. Get to know your characters well enough—and they tend to tell you the story they want to be in. Scott’s book is an indispensable tool for unlocking scripts through character and a great tool for any screenwriter.” —Lisa Joy, Westworld, Reminiscence “The Protagonist’s Journey is a remarkable book. Scott Myers is an extremely rare creative talent, a gifted writer and a brilliant teacher. You can learn so much from him. This is a special book.” —Shane Salerno, Armageddon, Avatar 2-5, New York Times bestselling author, Salinger “Scott Myers’ love of film, of story, of film characters and his mastery of the art and craft of screenwriting are well-reflected in his wonderful new book, The Protagonist’s Journey. Myers sets forth a clear path to impactful screenwriting in this illuminating guide for storytellers at all levels for bringing honest human emotion to the lives of their on-screen characters. Effectively citing accessible examples from film and TV, this book demonstrates how the interrelationship of character and plot functions in the script form. Scott

xvii

xviii

Praise for The Protagonist’s Journey

provides a concrete set of tools – a clear, concise methodology for the craft and effective ways to use character, emotion, human behavior to build story.” —Tom Benedek, screenwriter, Cocoon; Professor of Screenwriting, University of Massachusetts at Amherst “The Protagonist’s Journey is a superb resource for writers: sharp, engaging, and brimming with insight. Scott Myers illuminates techniques for character development that not only kickstart creativity, but enable writers to deepen their work and to craft gripping, emotionally satisfying stories. A gem.” —Meg Gardiner, author of the best-selling UNSUB novels “Scott Myers’s analytical gifts deftly lay bare the narrative underpinnings of movies that we love. The Protagonist’s Journey is foundational for screenwriters, and even certain fiction writers. Myers illuminates a core principle of writing for the screen: All story rises from character. Bookstores have been too well-supplied with “paint-by-plot-point” screenwriting manuals that encourage schematic writing and single-trait characters. For me, it’s a keen pleasure to see Scott Myers’ fresh approach. He profoundly understands that the most essential thing in a performance-based art is our experience of the central character’s personal transformation, and what is gained and lost—inevitably—along the way. Myers draws from a broad grasp of classic, Aristotelian story-telling, as he expands our own understanding with deep insights that he has gleaned from masters of mythology and human psychology. What a resource this book is! I’m envious of the lucky writer who’s just starting out, with this book on their nightstand.” —Robin Swicord, Little Women, Memoirs of a Geisha, When They See Us “When Scott Myers talks about screenwriting, I listen. So many writing guides focus on structure, but Scott persuasively preaches that well-drawn characters drive our best stories. In The Protagonist’s Journey, Scott gives us practical steps to shape powerful narratives around protagonists, offers a multitude of teaching illustrations from great movies, and gently invites us into this process he understands so well. It’s a terrific book I can’t wait to share with my students.” —Greg Garrett, Author of Bastille Day and four other novels, and of A Long, Long Way: Hollywood’s Unfinished Journey from Racism to Reconciliation; Professor, Baylor University “I’ve been reading and learning from Scott’s column for years now, but The Protagonist’s Journey is his greatest achievement yet. It offers a smart, comprehensive guide to writing memorable characters and, most of all, reminds

Praise for The Protagonist’s Journey

xix

us that characters are why people seek out stories and characters, not plot, remain with audiences long after the credits roll. An essential read.” —Brad Ingelsby, Mare of Easttown, Out of the Furnace, Run All Night “In a sea of great books about writing, The Protagonist’s Journey stands out. Scott Myers has a gift for distilling information into its purest and simplest form, and this book is no different. We’ve seen so many books on screenwriting being framed through the lens of structure, and it’s refreshing to see someone tackle it from the most fundamental part of story: Character.” —Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, A Quiet Place “Finally, there is a screenwriting book that focuses on the most important and most overlooked element of good storytelling. The characters really are everything. The Protagonist’s Journey gives you the tools to craft emotional, character-driven stories that are the bread and butter of any professional screenwriter. If you want some genuine screenwriting advice, look no further than Scott’s book.” —Stephany Folsom, Toy Story 4, Paper Girls “If characters are the lifeblood of stories, The Protagonist’s Journey takes you directly into the heart of the matter. As inspirational as it is informational, Scott Myers has created nothing less than a path for writers to immerse themselves in the lives of their characters and enable them to drive the story-crafting process.” —Don Winslow, author of the best-selling City on Fire, Broken, The Border, The Force, The Cartel “In his decade of teaching, culminating with this book, Scott has pulled off a remarkable feat. He’s made a complete compendium of the screenwriting craft while continuing to encourage the antithesis of formulaic writing.” —Peter Craig, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Top Gun: Maverick, The Batman “The chicken or the egg equivalent for screenwriters (and all storytellers) is what comes first: Plot or character. What should come first is reading Scott Myers’ book, The Protagonist’s Journey. It’s a rare gem. A book that focuses on character development, and how characters impact the plot. Each chapter provides specifics of character using modern film and tv references. Too many

xx

Praise for The Protagonist’s Journey

books teach structure with the protagonist as an afterthought. The Protagonist’s Journey is a must-have, must-read for all screenwriters, and a must-teach for all screenwriting professors.” —Keith Giglio, screenwriter, Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune, A Cinderella Story; Professor, S.I. Newhouse School, Syracuse University “Scott Myers is a canny and thoughtful teacher of the craft of screenwriting, and brings all of his impressive knowledge, insight and experience to The Protagonist’s Journey: this book is full of essential lessons for the novice, and crucial reminders for the professional.” —Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Lost, The Dark Crystal, The Middleman “You can tell from reading the first chapter of The Protagonist’s Journey that it was written by someone who knows how to communicate with an audience as varied in its interests as its abilities. With years of storytelling experience behind him, Scott Myers has written a book easily graspable by the beginning writer but complex enough to interest even the most sophisticated of writers. Everyone setting out to write narrative—whether screenplay, novel, or even history—will want to have Myers’ book along for the ride.” —Becky McLaughlin, Professor of English, University of South Alabama “Every movie lives or dies by their characters and no one understands that better than Scott. Whether you’re a seasoned screenwriter or writing “fade in” for the first time, The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to CharacterDriven Screenwriting and Storytelling is required reading. The perfect torch to navigate the dark abyss that is crafting a screenplay. A masterclass.” —David Guggenheim, Safe House, Designated Survivor “Scott Myers has distilled his years of successful screenwriting and teaching into convenient book form. Scott’s approach is a refreshing move away from static formulas and toward character-driven decision-making. Practical exercises provide strategies for brainstorming, breaking story, and creating characters with nuance and depth. Examples from accessible contemporary film and television run throughout Scott’s text, making this a book students will truly connect with. The Protagonist’s Journey will likely be widely adopted in screenwriting courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.” —Theo Lipfert, Professor, School of Film & Photography, Montana State University “A fresh (and refreshing) way to look at storytelling. Scott expertly crystallizes the most important concept in screenwriting: that character and story are one

Praise for The Protagonist’s Journey

xxi

in the same. I’ll be keeping this book nearby so I can easily crack it open next time I’m stuck on a script.” —David Rabinowitz, Academy Award, BlacKkKlansman “Screenwriting is not an innate skill (I wish) but story sense is, and every human has it. In this book, Scott mercifully provides an entrance to the craft of screenwriting through our natural sense of story and human behavior. Follow your protagonist, and her wants, needs, skills and deficiencies will lead you where your screenplay needs to go, so the book shows us. In guiding the reader/writer through understanding their protagonist, Scott shows us how to better understand ourselves, the #1 skill no screenwriter can go far without.” —Liz W. Garcia, The Lifeguard, Cold Case, Memphis Beat “The Protagonist’s Journey is a focused, well-written, and welcome insistence on character development as the primary source of storytelling energy. Using Aristotelian logic, Jungian psychology, and Campbellian mythology to comprehensively explore and unlock the secrets of effective, character-driven screenwriting, Myers not only provides his readers with a clearly defined map on how to properly navigate story, but reveals, to this author’s approval, that plot without person is a journey to mediocrity.” —Dana Coen, Co-Executive Producer, JAG; Director, Writing for the Screen and Stage Program, Professor of the Practice, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill “The Protagonist’s Journey is a nod of respect to the craft of screenwriting. Equal parts contemplative and practical, Myers’ straightforward approach turns dense concepts into readily accessible ideas.” —T. J. Newman, author of the best-selling novel Falling “Scott Myers understands the craft of screenwriting. The Protagonist’s Journey is an excellent resource for writers seeking to create more multilayered, evocative characters in their storytelling process.” —Scott Derrickson, Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil, Dr. Strange “Building on his vast expertise as a writer and a screenwriting teacher, with The Protagonist’s Journey, Scott Myers provides a comprehensive, contemporary standard work for screenplay analysis and its application, focusing on the core belief: that character is plot and plot is character.” —Carolin Große Hellmann, Head of Serial Storytelling / Professional Training Screenwriting, Internationale Filmschule Köln

xxii

Praise for The Protagonist’s Journey

“We care more about the person driving the car than we do the road they’re on. All too often, plot and so-called plot points become the drivers of narrative. What results are cruise-control stories that are formulaic and predictable. What Scott instead does here is guide the reader through an inside-out approach, starting with the unique wants and needs of the main character, and how the actions they take to fulfill them are what keep the reader turning to the next page.” —Chris Sparling, Buried, The Sea of Trees, Greenland “Scott’s book gives clear and valuable guidelines to develop organic stories that are driven by complex, empathetic characters. This is a much-needed book in a field that has long been centered on plot. Whenever I feel lost in a script, I will go back to The Protagonist’s Journey and use it as my compass to find my way through!” —Alireza Khatami, Award-winning writer-director, Oblivion Verses; Assistant Professor, Ryerson University “With The Protagonist’s Journey, Scott has unlocked a whole new way of telling stories by focusing on characters and the psychological forces that drive them to action. It not only changed how I viewed my current work-in-progress, it also inspired a few brand new ideas along the way.” —Mickey Fisher, Extant, Reverie, Jack Ryan “Maybe you have an interesting character, or a compelling premise, and then what? If you’ve ever struggled to integrate character with plot, The Protagonist’s Journey is for you. Scott Myers holds an unwavering lens on character (protagonists, supporting character archetypes, nemesis) and then leads us through an actionable framework for creating transformational plots. The result is an essential read for any professional writer, teacher, or student who wants their stories to journey purposefully.” —Ryan Woldruff, Associate Professor of English, Central Methodist University “Scott brings vast experience and skill to The Protagonist’s Journey. Brimming with examples from film + TV, this book will help any aspiring screenwriter to level up their script mechanics from the inside out. Recommend!” —Jessica Bendinger, Bring It On, Stick It “Every book can offer something. Some offer more. Way more. And The Protagonist’s Journey is one. Scott has a profound understanding of craft and most importantly, the ability to convey his deep knowledge in a way that

Praise for The Protagonist’s Journey

xxiii

people REALLY get it. He is a master of story and HOW story works. We have had over 1,000 speakers pass through the London Screenwriters’ Festival in the past decade and Scott remains in the top three. He is that good and this book is a steal.” —Chris Jones, Founder, London Screenwriters’ Festival

Contents

Part I

The Protagonist’s Journey as Narrative Imperative

1

The Protagonist’s Journey Further Study

3 17

2

Character Arc The Protagonist: Change Agent The Protagonist: Refuse Change The Protagonist: Disintegration Further Study

19 23 25 28 33

3

Disunity Disunity: Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs Disunity: Walter White in Breaking Bad Disunity: William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love Disunity: Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Disunity: Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Summary Further Study

35 40 42 44 46 50 51 52

4

Deconstruction Deconstruction Explored Deconstruction: Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs Deconstruction: Walter White in Breaking Bad Deconstruction: William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love

55 56 59 62 64

xxv

xxvi

Contents

Deconstruction: Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Deconstruction: Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Summary Further Study 5

Reconstruction Reconstruction Explored Reconstruction: Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs Reconstruction: Walter White in Breaking Bad Reconstruction: William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love Reconstruction: Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Reconstruction: Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Summary Further Study

66 69 72 72 75 76 80 82 85 87 90 92 94

6

Unity Unity Explored Unity: Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs Unity: Walter White in Breaking Bad Unity: William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love Unity: Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Unity: Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Summary Further Study

95 96 99 101 103 106 110 113 114

7

The Screenplay Universe The External World and Internal World: Finding Nemo Summary Further Study

117 119 125 126

Part II 8

The Protagonist’s Journey as Family of Characters

Primary Character Archetypes Primary Character Archetypes: Classic Movie Examples Primary Character Archetypes: Contemporary Movie Examples Primary Character Archetypes in Television Series Character Archetypes as “Masks” Primary Character Archetypes: The Family of Characters Further Study

131 133 134 137 139 142 143

Contents

xxvii

9

Nemesis Nemesis as Opposition Nemesis as Conflict Nemesis as Shadow Summary Further Study

145 148 150 153 156 157

10

Attractor Attractor as Lover Attractor as Family and Friends Attractor as Inspiration Summary Further Study

159 162 165 169 172 173

11

Mentor Mentor as Guide Mentor as Guardian Mentor as Insight Summary Further Study

175 179 184 187 190 191

12 Trickster Trickster as Shapeshifter Trickster as Test Trickster as Will Summary Further Study

193 197 202 203 206 207

13

Subplots Protagonist-Attractor Subplots Protagonist-Mentor Subplots Protagonist-Trickster Subplots Summary Further Study

209 210 213 217 223 223

14

Character Map Constructing the Character Map Character Map: The Silence of the Lambs Character Map: Shakespeare in Love Character Map: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Summary Further Study

225 226 230 233 234 236 237

xxviii

Part III 15

Contents

The Protagonist’s Journey as Screenplay

Breaking Story I Protagonist Character Treatment Who Is the Protagonist? What Does the Protagonist Want? What Does the Protagonist Need? What Is the Resolution of the Protagonist’s Want and Need? What Is at Stake for the Protagonist? Who or What Opposes the Protagonist? What Does the Protagonist Fear the Most? Why Does This Story Have to Happen to This Protagonist at This Time? Summary References

241 242 243 245 246 247 249 250

16

Breaking Story II Master Brainstorming List Questionnaire Biography Free Scene Interview Monologue Stream of Consciousness Top Sheets Brainstorming Strategies Summary References

257 259 261 261 262 262 263 264 265 266 274

17

Breaking Story III Four Primary Plotline Points Aristotle and Three Act Structure Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey Four Primary Plotline Points Summary References

275 276 277 279 280 282

18

Breaking Story IV Four Themeline Movements Four Themeline Movements Summary References

283 285 288 290

19

Breaking Story V Ten Major Plotline Points Ten Major Plotline Points Notes on Ten Major Plotline Points

291 294 296

251 252 255

Contents

20

xxix

Summary References

299 302

Breaking Story VI Scene-By-Scene Outline Working with Subplots Working with a Character Map Working with the Sequence Approach Working with Index Cards Scene-By-Scene Outline Summary References

303 305 308 310 311 312 315 316

21 Writing the First Draft Attitude Strategies Tricks Two Final Pieces of Advice

317 318 319 320 321

Index

323

About the Author

Scott Myers has written over thirty projects at nearly every major Hollywood studio and broadcast network. He hosts GoIntoTheStory.com, which Writers’ Digest named “Best of the Best Scriptwriting Website.” An assistant professor at DePaul University, Scott is a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.A.) and Yale University Divinity School (M.Div.).

xxxi

List of Figures

Fig. 1.1 Fig. 1.2 Fig. 1.3 Fig. 1.4 Fig. 1.5 Fig. 2.1 Fig. 2.2 Fig. 2.3 Fig. 2.4 Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig.

2.5 2.6 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7

Jamal Malik in Slumdog Millionaire (2008) Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977) Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones (2011–2019) Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972) Andy Dufresne and Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Dash, Violet, Bob, and Helen Parr in The Incredibles (2004) The Priest and Fleabag in Fleabag (2016, 2019) R. P. McMurphy rousing his fellow inmates in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1979) Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1968) Charles Foster Kane as a youth in Citizen Kane (1941) Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976) Camille Preaker in Sharp Objects (2018) Chiron in Moonlight (2016) Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Walter White in Breaking Bad (2008–2013) William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love (1998) Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019) Miles Morales and Uncle Aaron in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

7 8 10 11 14 20 22 25 27 28 31 37 39 40 44 45 49 51

xxxiii

xxxiv

List of Figures

Fig. 4.1

Dorothy flanked by Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow with Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz (1939) Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Walter White in Breaking Bad (2008–2013) William Shakespeare and Viola de Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love (1998) Rebecca Bunch as a fantastical witch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019) Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) Frank Galvin in The Verdict (1982) Miriam “Midge” Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2019, 2021) Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Walter White (a.k.a Heisenberg) in Breaking Bad (2008–2013) William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love (1998) Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019) Miles Morales as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) Holly McClane and John McClane at the end of Die Hard (1988) Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017) Clarice Starling talking with Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Walter White (a.k.a. Heisenberg) at the end of his life in Breaking Bad (2008–2013) The ink-stained fingertips of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love (1998) Rebecca Bunch and Paula Proctor in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019) Miles Morales as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) Marlin in Finding Nemo (2003) Crush in Finding Nemo (2003) Nemo and Marlin in Finding Nemo (2003) Fran Kubelik and C.C. “Bud” Baxter in The Apartment (1960) Harvey Dent (a.k.a. Two-Face) in The Dark Knight (2008) Barry Berkman and Sally Reed in Barry (2018–present) Eve Polastri and Villanelle in Killing Eve (2018–present) Photo by Finan Akbar courtesy Unsplash Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Fig. 4.2 Fig. 4.3 Fig. 4.4 Fig. 4.5 Fig. 4.6 Fig. 5.1 Fig. 5.2 Fig. 5.3 Fig. 5.4 Fig. 5.5 Fig. 5.6 Fig. 5.7 Fig. 6.1 Fig. 6.2 Fig. 6.3 Fig. 6.4 Fig. 6.5 Fig. 6.6 Fig. 6.7 Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig.

7.1 7.2 7.3 8.1

Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig.

8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6

57 60 63 66 67 69 78 79 81 85 86 89 93 98 98 100 104 106 109 113 121 123 124 135 137 138 140 141 142

List of Figures

Fig. 9.1 Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig.

9.2 9.3 9.4 10.1

Fig. 10.2 Fig. 10.3 Fig. 10.4 Fig. 10.5 Fig. 10.6 Fig. 10.7 Fig. 11.1 Fig. 11.2 Fig. 11.3 Fig. 11.4 Fig. 11.5 Fig. 11.6 Fig. 11.7 Fig. 12.1 Fig. 12.2 Fig. 12.3 Fig. 12.4 Fig. 12.5 Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig.

12.6 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4

Fig. 13.5 Fig. 13.6

Richard Strickland and the Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water (2017) Nadia Vulvokov in Russian Doll (2019–present) Ellen Ripley and the Alien Queen in Aliens (1986) Batman and the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) Katarina “Kat” Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Frances “Baby” Houseman and Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing (1987) Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind (1939) Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson in Lady Bird (2017) The TV crew’s group hug in the finale of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977) Imperator Furiosa and the Wives in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Louise Banks and the baby Hannah in Arrival (2016) Eliot Ness and Jim Malone in The Untouchables (1987) Fred Rogers and Lloyd Vogler in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) Edmund Kemper in Mindhunter (2017–2019) Clarence Oddbody and George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Alexis Zorba and Basil in Zorba the Greek (1964) Beth Harmon and Mr. Shaibel in The Queen’s Gambit (2020) The Spirit of the West in Rango (2011) Jack Sparrow and Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) Vanessa Loring and baby in Juno (2007) Andy and Booker in The Old Guard (2020) Riggan Thomson and Mike Shiner in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) Bruno Wolter and Gereon Rath in Babylon Berlin (2017–present) Roy Hobbes in The Natural (1984) Jerry Maguire and Dorothy Boyd in Jerry Maguire (1996) Boo and Sulley in Monster’s, Inc. (2001) Mark Hanna in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Bakary “Driss” Bassari and Philippe in The Intouchables (2011) John Nash in A Beautiful Mind (2001) Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman in Adaptation (2002)

xxxv

147 149 153 156 160 163 164 166 169 171 172 178 179 182 184 186 189 191 196 199 200 201 203 206 213 214 216 217 220 222

xxxvi

List of Figures

Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig.

Protagonist icon Nemesis icon Attractor icon Mentor icon Trickster icon Existential connection: Protagonist - Nemesis Behavioral connection: Attractor - Mentor Character map: Family of characters The Silence of the Lambs character map Shakespeare in Love character map Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse character map Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate (1967) Leonard in Memento (1967) Ma and Jack in Room (2015) Carl Fredricksen in Up (2009) The Ellie Badge in Up (2009) Dug, Carl, and Russell flying in the dirigible in Up (2009) Russell, Carl, and Dug eating ice cream and counting cars in Up (2009) Balloon house atop Paradise Falls in Up (2009) The index card outline for this book Character Map of the movie Up (2009)

14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 14.9 14.10 14.11 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 16.1 17.1 18.1

Fig. 19.1 Fig. 20.1 Fig. 20.2

226 227 227 228 228 229 230 231 232 234 236 245 247 248 252 267 280 289 300 304 308

Part I The Protagonist’s Journey as Narrative Imperative

1 The Protagonist’s Journey

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Protagonist: Typically a story’s central character, it is their journey which dictates the direction and shape of the narrative. • Journey: The geographical, psychological, and/or metaphorical adventure the Protagonist experiences over the course of the narrative. • Metamorphosis: The nature and process of a character’s psychological change over the course of the narrative, especially the Protagonist. Also: Transformation. • Narrative Imperative: The journey the Protagonist pursues is the journey they need to experience. • Old World: The personal, cultural, and familial context in which the Protagonist exists at the beginning of the story. Also: Ordinary World. • New World: The environment into which the Protagonist moves as they embark upon their journey. Also: Extraordinary World.

Of all the characters in a story, there is one which rises above the others, whose importance is so great that they demand a writer’s immediate and sustained attention. That character is the Protagonist. Their Journey is the foundation of a story. Hero or antihero. Underdog or overlord. Lone figure or multiple accomplices. Whatever their manifestation in a screenplay, teleplay, novel, or short story, the role of the Protagonist is of such influence, it touches all aspects of the unfolding narrative.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_1

3

4

S. Myers

Consider the word itself: Protagonist, derived from the Greek protos (“first”) + agonistes (“actor”), signifies the lead character in a story. What is it about who they are that gives them such a prominent role? The very nature of the Protagonist’s function within the context of a story imbues the character with a kind of superhuman power to impact every narrative choice: • The Protagonist is the story’s central character . Whether it is Clarice Starling who, while tracking down a serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), is compelled by Hannibal Lecter to confront her own inner “demons” or Holden Ford and Bill Tench in Mindhunter (2017–2019), a pair of FBI agents in the 1970s interviewing convicted sociopaths to develop the criminologist practice of psychological profiling, the Protagonist exists in the middle of the action. • The Protagonist embarks on a journey. Whether it is Indiana Jones traversing the globe in pursuit of the holiest of ancient relics in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) or the women of La Belle, New Mexico in Godless (2017), who in the 1880s, band together to defend their town against a murderous gang, the Protagonist departs their Old World and experiences a New World , even if their sojourn is metaphorical in nature. • The Protagonist’s journey creates the spine of the plot . Whether it is Annie’s infantile notions about romance which are put to the test when she is selected to be a maid-of-honor in Bridesmaids (2011) or Michael Dorsey’s chauvinist attitudes toward women which he is forced to confront while taking on the role of actress Dorothy Michaels in Tootsie (1982), the trajectory of the Protagonist’s psychological journey generates the building blocks of the story’s plot. • The Protagonist’s journey is a reflection of that character’s psychological arc . Whether it is Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939) swooped up into a fantastical world to learn “there’s no place like home” or Eleanor Shellstrop in The Good Place (2016–2020) mistakenly transported to a heaven-like afterlife and forced to hide her unethical earthly existence while trying to become a more righteous soul, the story’s plot is tethered to the Protagonist’s metamorphosis. • The Protagonist’s goal dictates the story’s end point. Whether it is Benjamin’s quixotic infatuation with Elaine in The Graduate (1967) which leads him to intervene at her wedding or Andrew’s obsession with becoming a star drummer resulting in a final rebellious performance in Whiplash (2014), the Protagonist’s object of desire steers the story toward a dramatic climax. • All of the other major characters are linked to the Protagonist and their journey. Whether it is Ian Donnelly, Colonel Weber, Hannah, and the

1 The Protagonist’s Journey

5

aliens to Louise Banks in Arrival (2016) or Nick, Schmidt, Winston, and Cece to Jess in New Girl (2011–2018), the Protagonist is surrounded by characters, each contributing in their own way to the overall storyline. • Of all the story’s characters, the Protagonist undergoes the most significant personal metamorphosis. Whether it is Will Hunting learning to forgive himself, embrace his genius, and open up to the possibility of love in Good Will Hunting (1997) or Dexter Morgan, a serial killer turned avenging angel attempting to fit into normal life as a forensics analyst, husband, and father in Dexter (2006–2013), the Protagonist traverses a psychological gulf in moving toward who they are meant to be. Beyond their importance within the story universe, the Protagonist serves a critical function to the reader or audience member: The character is their primary conduit into the story. Symbolically, the Protagonist functions as us, our identification with them shrinking the distance between printed page and screen as we live vicariously through their exploits. For all these reasons, the Protagonist holds a preeminent position among any story’s array of characters. Therefore, because of the centrality of who they are, what they mean in terms of the overall narrative, and their role in drawing readers or viewers into the story, writers are well-advised to engage the Protagonist as early as possible in their character development and storycrafting process. Where to start? By examining the state of the Protagonist’s life at the beginning of the story. For guidance, we may seek the insights of Joseph Campbell, the renowned scholar in the field of comparative mythology. His seminal work The Hero with a Thousand Faces has had a profound influence on contemporary storytelling, extending even into Hollywood filmmaking, most notably George Lucas and the creation of the Star Wars universe.1 In the six-part interview series The Power of Myth with host Bill Moyers, Campbell describes the beginning of the hero’s adventure this way: The Hero is found in the ordinary world. In ancient myths, it used to be the cottage or village. In films, it is usually the suburbs or common urban environment.

1 “…it came to me that there really was no modern use of mythology…so that’s when I started doing more strenuous research on fairy tales, folklore and mythology, and I started reading Joe’s books. Before that I hadn’t read any of Joe’s books…. It was very eerie because in reading ‘A Hero with a Thousand Faces,’ I began to realize that my first draft of Star Wars was following classical motifs.” George Lucas interview in Joseph Campbell: A Fire in the Mind , Larsen, Stephen and Larsen, Robin; Inner Traditions; Reprint edition, April, 2002, p. 541.

6

S. Myers

The Hero is making do, but feels something missing, a sense of discomfort or tension. The Hero needs to change, even if they are unaware of that need. a aThe

Power of Myth, Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell, Episode 1, Mystic Fire Video/Wellspring, 1988.

Before the actual story begins, before “Once upon a time”—or in the parlance of the screenplay, before Fade In—the Protagonist has cobbled together a semblance of a life. During this period of the character’s personal history, they develop a complex of belief systems and behaviors, coping skills and defense mechanisms, all as a means of making their way in what Campbell calls the Ordinary World . They may exist at the apex of societal standing, revered and powerful, a lost soul clinging to the bottom rung, or anywhere in between. The simple fact is that in a story, no matter where the Protagonist begins in the first sentence of their existence on the pages of a novel or screenplay, they are just “making do,” whether they acknowledge it or not. Psychologically speaking, they are leading an inauthentic life, not the one they are supposed to be living. The Protagonist “needs to change.” It is this opening state of “discomfort or tension,” what we may refer to as disunity, and their accompanying need to transform that provides both the foundation of the narrative and the impetus to propel it forward. If we ground our perspective in that of the Protagonist, we can see how a story evolves into being because this central character must change. Again referring to The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell says: Something happens… Maybe the Antagonist enters the Protagonist’s world, disrupting it. Or maybe someone comes, a Herald, who calls the Protagonist to action. The call to adventure is about transformation and that’s terrifying. The Hero has to confront fear. Will the Hero survive? Will they change for the Good or the Bad?b b Ibid.

The Protagonist is going about their daily life in the ordinary world. Suddenly, “something happens,” a call to adventure. This event “drops” into the center of the Protagonist’s existence and forces them to make a choice: accept the call or refuse it. In the halls of Hollywood development executives, the Protagonist has no option: Reluctant or not, they plunge into a new world or else there

1 The Protagonist’s Journey

7

Fig. 1.1 Jamal Malik in Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

is no story, no movie, no television series. In the business domain of film and TV, the Protagonist must go on their journey. Forces within the story universe compel the Protagonist out of the relative comfort of their familiar life, separating them from their routine, friends, families … and onto their path toward Metamorphosis. Campbell intimates this in The Power of Myth: “In the end, the hero is a transformed individual.” Movies and long-form television series are awash with such examples of character metamorphosis. In Groundhog Day (1993), Phil is transformed day after repeated day from a narcissistic TV weatherman, who only cares about himself, into someone who demonstrates a genuine sense of selflessness, ultimately manifested in his care and concern for a variety of Punxsutawney residents. Over the course of the first three seasons of Westworld (2016– present), Dolores Abernathy evolves from the park’s original robot host, programmed to play the role of a rancher’s sweet daughter, into a leader of a revolt against humans, seeking retribution for the violence perpetrated against her android peers by park visitors and administrators. In Slumdog Millionaire (2008), over the years Jamal Malik transitions from an impoverished childhood to living in an orphanage run by a gangster to working as a “chai-wallah” serving tea to employees at a telephone call center, and finally, a fateful appearance on India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. All those changes mirror his personal metamorphosis, which eventually pits him against vicious crime lord Javed to free Latika, the object of Jamal’s lifelong, undying affection (Fig. 1.1). A Protagonist’s metamorphosis is not arbitrary—rather, its roots exist within that individual’s being even at the start of the story. It is the specific

8

S. Myers

Fig. 1.2 Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977)

articulation of that character arc, emerging from the interplay of events and responses, which provides the substance of the story’s structure. In some cases, the end point of the Protagonist’s journey is so deeply ingrained, it is akin to the character’s DNA, informing and influencing the nature of their fate. When we first meet Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977), he is living with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru on the planet Tatooine. Although his job assisting with the family’s moisture farm is an important one, it is far from fulfilling for young Luke. As Aunt Beru says, “Luke’s just not a farmer, Owen. He’s got too much of his father in him.” As it turns out, his father was a Jedi knight, so quite literally, Luke has inherited that DNA. No wonder he is itching to venture forth from the desert planet (“I want to transmit my application to the Academy this year”). He is drawn toward the destiny which resides latent within him: to become a Jedi. Therefore, is it surprising that R2-D2 and C-3PO find their way to him? That R2-D2 runs away? That Luke heads off to track down the errant droid? That this escapade leads Luke to Obi-Wan Kenobi, his Mentor-to-be in the ways of The Force? Against all odds, this series of events occurs on a tiny speck of rocks and dust at the edge of the galaxy. As Luke remarks, “If there’s a bright center of the universe, you’re on the planet that it’s farthest from.” This remarkable fact reinforces the presence of fate in Luke’s existence, his unrealized potential responding to a call from his authentic nature (Fig. 1.2). Luke’s journey is to become what in effect he already is. All of the experiences he has subsequent to meeting Obi-Wan—discovering the corpses of his murdered uncle and aunt; a fish-out-of-water in the Mos Eisley cantina; heading off with Obi-Wan in the Millennium Falcon helmed by Han Solo;

1 The Protagonist’s Journey

9

training with Obi-Wan in the ways of The Force; fending off TIE fighters while manning quad laser cannons; entering the Death Star to rescue Princess Leia; nearly drowning in the trash compactor; watching Obi-Wan sacrifice himself in a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader; escaping to the Rebel base— prepare him for a single moment in time: While piloting an X-wing fighter, instead of using the onboard computer system to target the narrow entrance to the Death Star’s reactor core, Luke responds to Obi-Wan’s ethereal voice (“Use The Force, Luke. Let go.”) and gives himself over to what he has learned about the ways of the Jedi and who he is in the process of becoming. As a result, he succeeds in delivering the fatal blow which destroys the Death Star. The roots of Luke’s actions in that culminating event existed within his psyche all the way back to his days on Tatooine: He is a Jedi knight in waiting. His fate is inevitable. In Game of Thrones (2011–2019), Daenerys Targaryen is the daughter of King Aerys II Targaryen, known as the “Mad King,” who was killed during the sack of King’s Landing and whose position on the Iron Throne was stolen by Robert Baratheon. These events transpired before Daenerys was born. When the television series begins, she lives under the tyrannical rule of her older brother Viserys who beats her whenever she “awakes the dragon” (i.e., his rage). As a result when we first meet Daenerys, she cowers in fear of her brother. In Season One, Episode 1 (S1, Ep1): “Winter is Coming,” Viserys has arranged for his sister to be married to warlord Khal Drogo in exchange for forty thousand Dothraki fighters.2 Viserys intends to use these forces to defeat Robert Baratheon and reclaim the Targaryen throne. At first, Daenerys is reluctant to become Khal Drogo’s bride, but she not only tames the warlord’s heart, she grows in status as the equivalent of a queen. In S1, Ep4 (“Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things”), when Viserys strikes her, she proclaims, “I am a Khaleesi of the Dothraki. I am the wife of the great Khal and I carry his son inside me. The next time you raise a hand to me will be the last time you have hands!” (Fig. 1.3). Over the course of the series’ eight seasons, Daenerys transforms into a powerful figure, the “mother” of three dragons, leading a growing army of followers to conquer cities and kingdoms, all with a singular purpose: reclaim the Iron Throne.3 The seeds of that power, however, reside within Daenerys

2

Television episodes are referred to as follows: S for season followed by the number signifying which season, comma, space, Ep for episode followed by the number signifying which episode during that season. Example: S3, Ep4 signifies the fourth episode of the third season. 3 With each conquest, her official title keeps growing to the point where she is formally known as Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First

10

S. Myers

Fig. 1.3 Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

from the beginning of her life’s journey as the daughter of a king. The choices she makes are grounded in the belief that it is her destiny to reign as Queen. Initially, her motives seem to be pure: to liberate those who are enslaved as she once was symbolically to her brother. However, by S5, Ep8 (“Hardhome”), she announces, “I’m not going to stop the wheel. I’m going to break the wheel.” Her commitment to liberation increasingly feels more like a pretense for her desire for dominion over Westeros (“I was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms, and I will”—S7, Ep3: “The Queen’s Justice”). By the time Daenerys unleashes a brutal assault on innocent civilians in King’s Landing (S8, Ep5: “The Bells”), even after they had surrendered, her actions align with the legacy of her father: She has become the “Mad Queen.” In seeking to rid the world of tyrants, she has transformed into one herself, the end point of her destiny.4 In The Godfather (1972), Michael Corleone has been groomed to be a “civilian,” avoiding the criminal business of his father, Vito, a Mafia don. Yet as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that criminal life is the son’s fate, no matter his college education, years in the military, combat medals, or the express wishes of his father for Michael to avoid following in his footsteps. When Michael returns home after World War II, he finds himself inexorably pulled into the brewing battle between Mafia families. Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains. Even her name reflects her metamorphosis. 4 While the execution of Season Eight has been the center of much debate and criticism for Game of Thrones fans, tracking the arc of Daenerys’ character all the way through the series strongly suggests her lust for power would override her instincts to make the world a better place.

1 The Protagonist’s Journey

11

Fig. 1.4 Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972)

This feud results in an assassination attempt on Don Corleone. While visiting his father in the hospital, Michael demonstrates his innate strategic instincts by ordering the nurse on duty to move Vito to a different room, staving off another hit attempt. This event seems to awaken something inside Michael. He convinces his older brother Sonny that because Michael is not perceived to be a part of the family business, he is in a position to cozy up to rival don Sollozzo and kill him, along with corrupt police chief McCluskey—which Michael does (Fig. 1.4). Exiled to Sicily for his own safekeeping, Michael falls in love with a local woman named Apollonia. They wed and it appears Michael may be able to skirt any further intersection with criminality. That turns out to be an illusion as fate intervenes in his bucolic existence. When his father’s enemies discover Michael’s whereabouts, they kill his young wife in a bombing intended for him. With Sonny dead, middle brother Fredo incapable of a leadership role, and Vito incapacitated due to his declining medical state and eventual death, Michael returns home and takes charge. He orders the assassination of five rivals. The fact the murders happen during a baptism ceremony at which Michael appears in the role of the infant’s godfather is both ironic and profound: Through his ruthless leadership, Michael embraces his essential nature as a Mafia don. Vito had hoped Michael could lead a “legitimate” life and become a senator or governor, but it was not to be as his destiny existed in a nascent form from the start of his adulthood. That sense of inevitability, what we may call Narrative Imperative, is a core dynamic of the Protagonist’s journey. Sometimes, as with characters like Luke Skywalker, Daenerys Targaryen, and Michael Corleone, their fate may

12

S. Myers

emerge in the writing process like some sort of metaphorical DNA, clearly marking their personal trajectory. Other characters have a more complex set of dynamics at work within them. In that case, a writer must consider the character’s psyche, the totality of their psychological being: memories, associations, emotions, passions, instincts, behaviors, beliefs, flaws, wounds, and the like. These are the base elements constituting a Protagonist’s initial state of disunity necessitating the journey upon which they are about to embark. Consider the reflections of Carl Jung, founder of analytical psychology: The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains undivided and does not become conscious of his inner contradictions, the world must perforce act out the conflict.5

This is a powerful idea when applied to storytelling. If a Protagonist does not engage their “inner situation,” their “inner contradictions,” if they remain “undivided,” that conflict “happens outside, as fate.” This means there is a direct connection between the Protagonist’s specific state of disunity and the events which transpire in their ensuing journey: “the world must perforce act out the conflict.” Thus, viewing the hero’s journey through this “lens” provided by Jung, the call to adventure is not merely some random event which launches the plot into action, but rather it is intrinsically tied to the nature of the Protagonist’s psyche: inner conflict manifest outside as fate.6 Indeed, one way to look at the Protagonist’s journey is that every occurrence in the plot serves and supports this central character’s metamorphosis. In The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Andy Dufresne is introduced sitting in a parked car near a cabin in the woods. Inside, his wife is having sex with a golf pro. Drinking heavily, Andy loads bullets into a pistol and staggers toward the cabin, violent intent in mind. His wife and her lover end up dead, but on the witness stand at his murder trial, Andy proclaims his innocence. The jury is not swayed and he is found guilty of a double homicide. At his sentencing, the judge declares to Andy, “You strike me as a particularly icy and remorseless man, Mr. Dufresne. It chills my blood just to look at you.” It is a noteworthy articulation of this Protagonist’s opening state of being. Andy’s call to adventure occurs with his entrance into Shawshank prison for it is here that he intersects with a set of characters who over the years 5

C. G. Jung, “Aion,” Collected Works 9ii (Princeton University Press, 1970), p. 126. Joseph Campbell was significantly influenced by the work of Jung to the point he edited The Portable Jung (Penguin Books, 1971). 6

1 The Protagonist’s Journey

13

become a kind of surrogate family, including allies like Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding, his Mentor and best friend, and enemies Warden Norton, Captain Hadley, and The Sisters, who all cause Andy physical and mental anguish. The cumulative effect of these ongoing experiences is to break down Andy’s defenses. This deconstruction of his original way of being lays the groundwork for him to reconnect with aspects of human experience which revitalize him: love of the arts (music, books, chess), hobbies (carving chess pieces, upgrading the library, helping Tommy with his education), and simple pleasures (listening to a Mozart opera, watching his fellow prisoners, now friends, drink beer on a rooftop). After his hope for parole has been snuffed out when Norton orders Hadley to assassinate Tommy, Andy spends a few quiet moments with Red in the prison yard. This is the final time the two will talk before Andy escapes that night. It is a crucial scene for many reasons, including this: Andy makes a confession. EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DAY (1966) Red finds Andy sitting in the shadow of the high stone wall, poking listlessly through the dust for small pebbles. Red waits for some acknowledgment. Andy doesn't even look up. Red hunkers down and joins him. Nothing is said for the longest time. And then, softly: ANDY My wife used to say I'm a hard man to know. Like a closed book. Complained about it all the time. (pause) She was beautiful. I loved her. But I guess I couldn't show it enough. (softly) I killed her, Red. Andy finally glances to Red, seeking a reaction. Silence. ANDY I didn't pull the trigger. But I drove her away. That's why she died. Because of me...c cThe

Shawshank Redemption, screenplay by Frank Darabont, novella by Stephen King. Movie script, undated, Scene 205.

Andy admits to culpability in the failure of his marriage, how he used to be, an “icy and remorseless man,” a “hard man to know,” contributing to his

14

S. Myers

Fig. 1.5 Andy Dufresne and Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding in The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

wife seeking affection elsewhere in the form of her affair. This moment serves as a reminder of how much Andy has changed during the nineteen years of his imprisonment: He has reclaimed his own humanity, which had somehow been lost, and found meaning by inspiring his fellow prisoners to embrace moments of beauty, however fleeting in Shawshank (Fig. 1.5). In a sense, it was Andy’s narrative imperative to go to prison in order to free himself from the shackles of his old nature. The inner tensions of his original state of disunity manifest themselves in the key events which transpire in his prison life and relationships with central characters, a backdrop against which his metamorphosis plays out. His escape from prison and subsequent trek to the tiny fishing village of Zihuatanejo in Mexico (“That’s where I’d like to finish out my life, Red. A warm place with no memory.”) represents Andy’s journey toward a state of wholeness. However, the story does not end with Andy’s surprise departure from Shawshank. There is still Red’s fate hanging in the balance.7 As far as Andy’s relationship with Red is concerned, Red functions as a wisdom figure, especially during Andy’s transition into prison life. He procures a rock hammer for Andy (“There’s a con like me in every prison in America, I guess. I’m the

7

The Shawshank Redemption is an example of a Dual Protagonist narrative.

1 The Protagonist’s Journey

15

guy who can get it for you.”) and offers unsolicited advice about The Sisters. In response, Andy acts as a beacon of hope. At first, Red wants none of that: ANDY That there are things in this world not carved out of gray stone. That there's a small place inside of us they can never lock away, and that place is called hope. RED Hope is a dangerous thing. Drive a man insane. It's got no place here. Better get used to the idea.d d Ibid.,

Scene 150.

But Andy persists with Red: exposing him to Mozart, “suds” on the roof, helping Andy prepare the prison guards’ tax returns. As Andy reacquaints himself with those things in life which give him and others meaning, his steadfastness fans the flickering embers of hope Red still has inside. Interestingly, before he gains his freedom, Red makes his own “confession.” In two previous appearances before the parole board, Red spews lines he expects they want to hear (“I’ve learned my lesson. I can honestly say I’m a changed man”). However, during his third and final set of remarks to the board, Red tells the truth: RED Not a day goes by I don't feel regret, and not because I'm in here or because you think I should. I look back on myself the way I was...stupid kid who did that terrible crime...wish I could talk sense to him. Tell him how things are. But I can't. That kid's long gone, this old man is all that's left, and I have to live with that. (beat) Rehabilitated? That's a bullshit word, so you just go on ahead and stamp that form there, sonny, and stop wasting my damn time. Truth is, I don't give a shit.e e Ibid.,

Scene 274.

16

S. Myers

Just as Andy’s “confession” is tied to his escape, Red’s results in his own freedom: He is granted parole. Like Brooks before him, Red finds life on the “outside” to be a challenge. During the decades of his imprisonment, he has become “institutionalized” to the point where at work, he has to ask his boss if it is okay to take a bathroom break: Red is hardwired to take orders from authority figures. Eventually, Red is tempted to commit a crime, maybe even follow Brooks’ example and kill himself. He does not, remarking, “Only one thing stops me. A promise I made to Andy.” Red fulfills his pledge to Andy by traveling to a remote hay field and finding the box Andy said would be buried there. It contains money, a map to Zihuatanejo, and a note: ANDY (V.O.) Dear Red. If you're reading this, you've gotten out. And if you've come this far, maybe you're willing to come a little further. You remember the name of the town, don't you? I could use a good man to help me get my project on wheels. I'll keep an eye out for you and the chessboard ready. (beat) Remember, Red. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. I will be hoping that this letter finds you, and finds you well. Your friend. Andy. f f Ibid.,

Scene 292.

There it is again: hope, the essential connection between the two. Andy’s persistence in clinging to it helped keep Red’s hope alive. Thus, the poignancy of the movie’s final words: RED (V.O.) I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. (beat) I hope.g

1 The Protagonist’s Journey g Ibid.,

17

Scene 297.

“I hope.” This from a character who initially said “hope is a dangerous thing.” The last side of dialogue is a clear sign of Red’s metamorphosis. In his initial state of disunity, he started out a cynic, but in fact, Red did have some shred of hopefulness within. Andy presented Red with a choice: “Get busy living, or get busy dying.” In the end, Red chooses the former and with that decision starts on a path toward his own state of unity. Andy and Red may not have the type of character DNA as do Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope, Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, and Michael Corleone in The Godfather . Yet, their inner conflicts which are present at the beginning of the story manifest clearly in the plot, so that each event and personal interaction feeds their respective character arcs. This is the inherent structure of story: a Protagonist on a journey surrounded by characters tethered to them. By immersing themselves in the lives of this “family of characters,” always bearing in mind the centrality of the Protagonist’s role to the narrative, writers take their own journey of discovery, unearthing scenes and subplots, themes and subtext, enabling the story’s structure to emerge from the individuals who know it best: its characters. In that process, the Protagonist’s arc becomes clear: The journey they take is the one they need to take—their narrative imperative. Exercise Pick a favorite movie or one-hour drama television series. Apply the list of narrative attributes detailed at the front of this chapter to the story’s primary characters (e.g., story’s central character, embarks on a journey, their journey creates the spine of the plot, etc.) Is there one character to whom most of the attributes apply? That character is in all likelihood the Protagonist.

Further Study The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell, Bollingen Foundation, Pantheon Books, 1949. The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell (author), Bill Moyers (collaborator), Anchor Books, 1991.

18

S. Myers

Joseph Campbell: A Fire in the Mind—The Authorized Biography, Stephen Larsen and Robin Larsen, Doubleday, 1991. The Portable Jung, Carl Jung (author) Joseph Campbell (editor), Penguin Books, 1971. Jung: A Brief Insight, Anthony Stevens, Sterling Publishing, 2011. The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, Christopher Vogler, Michael Wiese Productions; 3rd edition, 2007. A New Hope: The Illustrated Screenplay (Star Wars, Episode IV), George Lucas, Del Ray Books, 1998. Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Official Untold Story of the Epic Series, James Hibberd, Dutton Books, 2020. Annotated Godfather: The Complete Screenplay with Commentary on Every Scene, Interviews, and Little-Known Facts, Jenny M. Jones (author), Francis Ford Coppola (screenwriter), Mario Puzo (screenwriter/author), Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009. “The Godfather”: A Historical Curiosity That Proved Instrumental for Our Filmmaking Education and Appreciation, Sven Mikulec, Cinephilia & Beyond, June 15, 2015, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/the-godfather/. Shawshank Redemption: The Shooting Script, Frank Darabont (screenwriter), Stephen King (author), Newmarket Press, 2004.

References Darabont, F. (screenplay), King, S. (novel) (1994), The Shawshank Redemption; Castle Rock Entertainment/Columbia Pictures. Jung, C. G. (1970). “Aion,” Collected Works 9ii; Princeton University Press. Jung, C. G., Campbell, J. (editor), Hull, R. F. C. (translator) (1971). The Portable Jung, Penguin Books. Larsen, S. and Larsen, R. (2002). Joseph Campbell: A Fire in the Mind ; Inner Traditions; Reprint edition. Moyers, B. and Campbell, J. (1988). The Power of Myth; Mystic Fire Video/Wellspring.

2 Character Arc

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • External World: The physical realm of a screenplay universe, the domain of character action and dialogue. Also: Plotline. • Internal World: The psychological realm of a screenplay universe, the domain of character intention and subtext. Also: Themeline. • Character Arc: The contour of a character’s metamorphosis from their beginning state of being to their ending state. • Unity Arc: The metamorphosis process in which a Protagonist begins in a state of disunity, then progresses through deconstruction and reconstruction toward wholeness. • Want: A specific Protagonist goal which compels them forward and provides an end point for the plotline. Also: Conscious Goal. • Need: Among many drivers within the Protagonist’s psyche, there is one which emerges as the key dynamic in the character’s metamorphosis. Also: Unconscious Goal. • Individuation: As the Protagonist integrates key aspects of their psyche during their journey, they become who they are supposed to be. • Change Agent: A Protagonist who does not change, but instigates or inspires change in others. • Refuse Change: When a Protagonist is provided the opportunity to change, but resists the call. • Disintegration: As opposed to integration, a metamorphosis process in which the original state of the character’s being crumbles, leading to a negative end.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_2

19

20

S. Myers

Fig. 2.1 Dash, Violet, Bob, and Helen Parr in The Incredibles (2004)

The Protagonist’s journey is fundamentally about change. While that is most apparent in the tests, twists, and turns which transpire in the story’s External World —the realm of the plot—the most meaningful way metamorphosis manifests itself is in the character’s Internal World , the domain of their psychological experience. In Hollywood development circles, this change is usually referred to as a Character Arc : The Protagonist begins in one state of being and by story’s end has evolved into a different state. The shape of that transformation process is their arc. The most common character arc in movies and television series is one in which the Protagonist successfully integrates vital aspects of their psyche into a psychological whole. Typically in a story featuring a Unity Arc, the Protagonist not only achieves their Want, the goal which they have consciously pursued in the external world, but also their Need , embracing key dynamics which emerge from their inner self and redefine the very nature of who they are. In Legally Blonde (2001), Elle Woods follows her ex-fiancé to Harvard Law School where she unearths the mind of a successful trial lawyer beneath her “dumb blonde” exterior. In True Detective (Season One, 2014), Rust Cohle and Marty Hart solve the Yellow King murder mystery, take down the killer, overcome their personal differences, and find renewed purpose in life. In The Incredibles (2004), when Bob Parr and his family band together to defeat Syndrome and the Omnidroid, they discover how to lead a “normal” life as clandestine superheroes (Fig. 2.1).

2 Character Arc

21

There is an old Hollywood axiom about movie and television audiences: “Give ‘em what they expect, then give ‘em what they want.” More often than not, this means stories wrapped up with a positive resolution.1 From a business perspective, that draw toward “and they all lived happily ever after” endings makes sense. Moviegoers spilling out of a theater laughing, smiling, and chattering about their recent cinematic experience can translate into critical “word of mouth” buzz which in turn may generate bigger box office numbers. However, reflecting the complicated nature of human existence, there are stories in which the Protagonist integrates their need and, thus, is transformed into a more authentic version of their self, even as they do not get what they want. In Drive (2011), the Protagonist known as Driver bonds with Irene and her young son (Benicio) to the point where he risks his life to ensure they are freed from a criminal’s murderous threat. What does Driver want? Once he has moved out of his state of self-imposed isolation and opened himself to human connection, Driver wants to be with Irene and Benicio, a part of their family. Unfortunately, that fate is not to be as in the final scene, he drives away from the city into the night, nursing a serious stab wound and an uncertain future. Over the course of two seasons in the television series Fleabag (2016, 2019), the Protagonist’s need keeps poking up from the inner cavern Fleabag has created to avoid dealing with her guilt.2 In Season Two, Fleabag falls in love with The Priest and confesses to him many errors she has made (S2, Ep4: “I want someone to tell me how to live my life, Father, because so far I think I’ve been getting it wrong”). What does she want? To be in a relationship with the Priest. Although they have potent romantic feelings toward each other, consummating their relationship sexually a single time, he crushes her hopes by choosing to remain a member of the clergy. This outcome sets the stage for Fleabag to confront what she needs: to address her psychological dysfunction (Fig. 2.2). Even this single variation on the unity arc—the Protagonist gets what they need, but not what they want—opens the door to an endless variety of transformation stories. For writers, this is where the concept of Individuation as articulated by Carl Jung can be beneficial.

1 For decades, this has been the default approach to television sit-coms (situation comedies) which feature characters confronting a series of challenges, typically with multiple storylines (A plot, B plot, C plot), all resolved neatly by the end of the episode. 2 As the final episode of Season One reveals, her best friend and business partner Boo committed suicide after learning Fleabag had an affair with Boo’s boyfriend.

22

S. Myers

Fig. 2.2 The Priest and Fleabag in Fleabag (2016, 2019)

Therefore an advance always begins with individuation, that is to say with the individual, conscious of his isolation, cutting a new path through hitherto untrodden territory. To do this he must first return to the fundamental facts of his own being, irrespective of all authority and tradition, and allow himself to become conscious of his distinctiveness.3

In its simplest form, individuation is the process whereby a person becomes who they are meant to be. Every character in a story is unique unto themselves including their respective psychological journey. Thus, while stories with a unity arc may be the most popular ones to emerge from Hollywood, the proverbial “happy ending,” there are numerous other narrative archetypes, each of which may be shaped in countless ways. Indeed, one of the forces behind the growth and popularity of television series during the last two decades, most notably in premium pay cable networks such as HBO Max and Showtime, as well as in streaming services like Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix, has been the emergence of stories in which central characters experience transformation arcs which vary across the spectrum from positive to negative. These range from the fragile reconciliation between Kevin Garvey and Nora Durst at the conclusion of The Leftovers (2014–2017) to the narcissistic alcoholic Frank Gallagher in Shameless (2011–present) who occasionally manages to act as a good father to his

3

C. G. Jung, “The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche,” Collected Works VIII (Princeton University Press, 1969), para. 111, p. 59.

2 Character Arc

23

seven children; or from the conniving political rise and fall of Frank Underwood in House of Cards (2013–2018) to Heidi Bergman in Homecoming (2018, 2020) who delves into fractured memories to uncover the tormented truth of her past. One of the intended takeaways from this book is for writers to avoid the trap of formulaic storytelling. While there is nothing inherently wrong with unity arcs, creators ought not feel that this is the only narrative approach to bring to potential movie or television projects. Writers should be encouraged to follow their characters into the moral and psychological complexities that make up who they are, and to see where that creative exploration takes those characters on their respective individuation journeys. To that end, let us consider some alternative arcs as exhibited in notable movies and television series.

The Protagonist: Change Agent In some stories, the Protagonist does not change, but rather instigates change in others. One example of such a Change Agent is the character WALL-E in the Pixar movie WALL-E (2008). Set seven hundred years in the future, the Protagonist is an endearing little machine, the last remaining active robot designed to clean up garbage. Hence, the character’s name: Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth. The planet is an environmental disaster to the point where the entire human race has left to live in outer space aboard luxury spaceships. Every day, WALL-E dutifully trundles out of the transport truck he has transformed into a home to gather junk, compact the refuse into cubes, and stack those cubes onto an endless stretch of scrap skyscrapers the robot has created. He does his job alone and in total solitude save for his buddy, a cockroach. One might think this thankless task would lead WALL-E into a state of depression, but in fact, he is a cheerful fellow, humming along to songs from the movie Hello, Dolly! He is content to gather curious items he discovers doing his job (e.g., spork, Rubik’s cube, Zippo lighter) which he adds to his collection of keepsakes. Yet as he wistfully watches an old videotape of his favorite musical, it is clear WALL-E is a romantic and his deepest desire is for companionship. Enter EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) who arrives on Earth in search of plant life, a sign the planet is once again inhabitable. She has the personality of a classic robot, single-minded about her prime directive, cold, even callous toward WALL-E, but that is not how he experiences Eve. In his eyes, “She’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.” WALL-E does find a plant on Earth which sets off a chain reaction of events: Eve heads back to the spaceship Axiom; WALL-E follows her; he

24

S. Myers

disrupts the sedentary lifestyles of two humans, John and Mary, which ripples out to others; eventually people on the ship act as a collective to save the plant; and the spaceship returns to Earth to commence a recolonization effort—all because of WALL-E’s influence. Plus this: Eve evolves from an emotionless robot into WALL-E’s romantic partner, transformed by the little droid’s human-like passion for life and love. Throughout his journey, WALLE remains indefatigable and constant in his optimism. His presence impacts everyone with whom he comes into contact and actually changes the course of human history. Other examples of cinematic change agents: • Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump (1994) whose homespun wisdom and genuine goodness alters individuals like Jenny and Lieutenant Dan, American culture (e.g., the jogging trend, “Shit Happens” t-shirts), and history itself (e.g., the Watergate break-in). • Chance (a.k.a Chauncey Gardner) in Being There (1979), a slow-witted gardener who influences millionaire businessmen, Washington, DC elite including the President of the United States, and the general public, to the point that by the end of the movie, he is mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. • R. P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), a criminal who escapes imprisonment by acting insane and is thus sentenced to a ward for the mentally ill, where he takes on the authoritarian Nurse Ratched and inspires his fellow inmates to rise up against the status quo (Fig. 2.3). WALL-E, Forrest Gump, and Chance may be perceived as uncomplicated figures, even simpletons. However from a story perspective, they are fully actualized individuals who exist in a state of unity with their authentic nature. Their ability to change others arises directly from who they are. In contrast, McMurphy exists in a state of disunity, at odds with societal norms, a rebel without a cause until he discovers one in the asylum. His power in changing others derives from his own contrarian nature and manifests itself largely from his interest in inciting insurrection against Nurse Ratched.4 What this analysis suggests is that change agents do not need to be pure in spirit, but rather they can emerge from any sort of psychological state of

4

There is another type of change agent: Crusader. In movies like Norma Rae (1979), Gandhi (1982), Silkwood (1983), and Erin Brockovich (2000), the Protagonist takes on The System, however, in these cases, the character goes through a change themselves—an empowerment character arc. As they fight back against authority, they discover within their psyche a source of strength and courage that had heretofore been untapped.

2 Character Arc

25

Fig. 2.3 R. P. McMurphy rousing his fellow inmates in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1979)

being as is the case with McMurphy whose ability to transform others arises from his own refusal to change.

The Protagonist: Refuse Change As McMurphy’s experience demonstrates, there are some stories in which key characters are presented with the opportunity to change, but refuse to do so. In the 1968 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , the Co-Protagonists are a pair of thieves and leaders of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang. Set in 1899, the twentieth century and big changes loom, but Butch and Sundance are stuck in their old ways. This dynamic is established from the beginning of the movie. Butch, the brains of the duo (Sundance has a recurring line of dialogue: “You just keep thinking, Butch. That’s what you’re good at”) laments the construction of a new bank, one he happens to be scoping out to rob (“What was the matter with that old bank this town used to have? It was beautiful”). Meanwhile, Sundance is introduced in a scene steeped in the cliché of an old Western: accusations of cheating and guns drawn over a game of poker. Their stock-in-trade is robbing banks, so when Butch is challenged as the leader of the gang by Harvey Logan with a new plan—raid trains—Butch initially resists the idea, but then relents. The first train robbery is successful. The second one, however, is a catastrophe as it sets into motion a posse of six Pinkerton National Detective Agency trackers on horseback chasing Butch and Sundance, forcing the duo to use all their wits to escape.

26

S. Myers

One of their ploys is to seek out a sheriff the thieves have been somewhat friendly with over the years, largely by agreeing to keep their larcenous activities out of his jurisdiction. Their plan: convince the sheriff, Bledsoe, to help them enlist in the Army. The astonished sheriff cannot believe what he is hearing (“You are known outlaws”) and delivers what proves to be a prophetic proclamation: BUTCH Don’t you get it, Ray -- something’s out there. We can maybe outrun ‘em but then if you could -BLEDSOE -- you just want to hide out til it’s old times again, but it’s over. It’s over, don’t you get that? It’s over and you’re both gonna die bloody, and all you can do is choose where.a a Butch

Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , written by William Goldman. Movie script, dated July 15, 1968, p. 87.

It’s over: An acknowledgment that the “old times” are done and gone, but Butch and Sundance persist in living in the past. In other words, they Refuse Change. What does the posse of Pinkerton killers-for-hire chasing them represent? The duo’s inevitable future in which they are “both gonna die bloody.” The robbers’ attempt to avoid their fate ultimately takes them to Bolivia, a destination Butch has often promoted to Sundance as a way to escape the suffocating impact of modernity while still being able to pursue their thieving ways, but that is where destiny does finally catch up with them. Bledsoe was right: The only choice Butch and Sundance had was where they were going to die. By their refusal to change, the duo is shot down and killed by a phalanx of Bolivian riflemen (Fig. 2.4). Other notable characters who refuse to change: • In the television series Succession (2018–present), Logan Roy, the patriarch of a dysfunctional family which oversees their global media and hospitality conglomerate, resists change on two fronts. In business, he ignores his adult children’s advice (shed the company’s news division, name a successor); and even with a deeply fractured set of relationships with his sons and daughter, he persists in the role he has always played with the family: dictator, instead of caring father.

2 Character Arc

27

Fig. 2.4 Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1968)

• The external circumstances in Mark Zuckerberg’s life in The Social Network (2010) evolve dramatically over the course of the movie, taking him from a college student desperate to be part of the Harvard elite to founder of Facebook, the largest social media platform in the world, making him a billionaire in the process. However, every critical choice he makes and interaction he has with others is motivated by ego, pride, and avarice. His refusal to change negates any opportunity to forge authentic relationships, even though that is his deepest need. • Vic Mackey in the television series The Shield (2002–2008) is the leader of the Strike Team, a division of the L.A.P.D in the fictional Farmington district. Given wide latitude to deal with the area’s gang-related crimes, Vic takes full advantage of the team’s independence by embracing an “ends justify the means” philosophy. This includes killing a fellow cop, perceived to be a threat, and skimming money from drug busts to fund the group’s illicit agenda. No matter that his actions often put his family and co-workers in harm’s way, Mackey resists altering his behavior. In each of these cases, the character’s refusal to change leads to a negative outcome: Butch and Sundance are massacred by the Bolivian army; Logan

28

S. Myers

Roy’s family and business relationships become increasingly contentious and toxic; like some biblical king, Zuckerberg has “gained the kingdom, but lost his soul”; and Mackey ends up in his version of hell—assigned to a desk job. Yet, there is another character arc in which the negative results derive from the Protagonist’s own personal transformation toward self-destruction.

The Protagonist: Disintegration Some noteworthy movies and television series feature Protagonists who experience a ruinous arc. One example is the highly regarded film Citizen Kane (1941). It recounts the life of Charles Foster Kane told through the perspective of newspaper reporter Jerry Thompson, who has been tasked to unravel the mystery of Kane’s final words before dying: “Rosebud.” Thompson learns of Kane’s idyllic youth in Colorado where he reveled in the snow, giving voice to his lively imagination. After his mother inherits millions of dollars from a surprise gold mine strike, she arranges to have her young son sent away to the East Coast to protect him from the abusive behavior of Kane’s father. His new guardian, Mr. Thatcher, attempts to make nice with young Charles, but once informed he is being forced to leave home, the boy shoves Thatcher to the ground. As the scene ends, the camera zooms in to a close-up of Charles’s face which is filled with what can best be described as rage. This fury never goes away throughout Charles’ life, always seething beneath whatever “mask” he dons in his public and private existence (Fig. 2.5).

Fig. 2.5 Charles Foster Kane as a youth in Citizen Kane (1941)

2 Character Arc

29

Thompson discovers that through the years, Charles moves from one personal project to another, each funded by the deep pockets of his inherited wealth. Like a serial monogamist, he immerses himself fully in whichever scheme currently engages his interest. After having been expelled from “a lot of colleges” and spending a few years as a world-traveling playboy, he begins his initial enterprise at the age of twenty-five, taking over as publisher of one of his holdings, the New York Inquirer, thinking “it would be fun to run a newspaper.” He transforms the failing business into a bully pulpit “to see to it that the decent people of this city are not robbed by a group of moneymad pirates,” even going after in print company which is one of Thatcher’s primary business assets. Thus, beneath Charles’ commitment to “defend the interests of the underprivileged” lies a more personal motivation: express his anger at Thatcher’s role in taking Charles away from his beloved Colorado. With the stock market crash of 1929, Charles is forced to sell his interest in the Inquirer—to Thatcher, ironically enough—and then it is on to his next project: running for governor of New York. Based on his years as publisher of the Inquirer, the fame that comes with being a millionaire, and his populist and anti-corruption platform, Charles is favored to win the election. By all appearances, he is an ideal politician including his marriage to Emily Monroe Norton Kane, the niece of the President of the United States. However, when Emily is informed that Charles has been having an affair with Susan Alexander, he is forced to withdraw from the race and his marriage ends in divorce. Committing adultery while in the midst of a high-profile gubernatorial campaign suggests he is subconsciously subverting his own political aspirations, as if he does not really want to become governor. Despite coming from a much lower social class and having little innate talent, Susan fashions herself a singer, which gives rise to Charles’ next project: transforming his second wife into a star. He builds an opera house with his own funds. He hires a renowned vocal teacher to work with Susan. He spares no expense in creating buzz for Susan’s public musical debut. It turns out to be a disastrous premiere with critics ridiculing Susan’s performance. In truth, she never shared Charles’ obsession with making her a prima donna and the pressure nearly drives her to suicide. Having lost his public platform and been rejected by high society, Charles moves on to yet another project: Xanadu, an enormous estate built on a mountain in Florida. Here again, Charles plunges into the enterprise and as the movie’s opening newsreel comments, “Since the Pyramids, Xanadu is the costliest monument a man has built to himself.” He sequesters himself in his man-made castle, relying more and more on Susan’s company to keep him occupied. However, smothered by their lifestyle, Susan eventually leaves

30

S. Myers

Charles. Broken and alone, he destroys her room, giving full expression to the rage which has never left him. Yet at the height of this psychological disintegration, Charles happens upon a snow globe. The sight of it stops his rampage. He picks it up, the motion causing the “snow” to flutter within the glass cylinder. Tears welling in his eyes, Charles utters that fateful word again: “Rosebud.” It is here we realize the secret to the mystery: Everything this troubled character has done has been an attempt to fill the void created when he was yanked away from his childhood home. Never finding a satisfactory substitution, Charles’ metamorphosis is a negative one, every stage taking him deeper into the miasma of his conflicted psyche, each failed project a manifestation of his self-destructive character arc. Other notable examples of a Protagonist with a Disintegration arc: • The 1984 movie Amadeus recounts the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as told through the perspective of Antonio Salieri, a rival composer in the court of Emperor Joseph II. Fueled by a lifelong obsession to achieve fame through his musical compositions, Salieri is enraged by Mozart’s sudden presence, his creative genius compounded by his hedonistic, juvenile lifestyle. He confesses it all to a priest: how he spied on Mozart, attempted to undermine the young composer at every turn, tormented him by acting like the ghost of Mozart’s father, then led a sickly Mozart to his death by pushing him beyond his physical bounds to work on his famed Requiem. Eventually, Salieri is driven mad and confined to an insane asylum, proclaiming himself “patron saint of mediocrities.” • Based on the real-life exploits of Jordan Belfort, the 2013 movie The Wolf of Wall Street follows Belfort’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune as a “hard sale” stockbroker, only to see him crash and burn due to his high-flying lifestyle. His voracious appetite for illegal drugs (cocaine and quaaludes), sex (prostitutes and multiple affairs leading to two failed marriages), and especially money (the company he founds, Stratton Oakmont, generates hundreds of millions of illicit dollars) leads him to believe he is invincible, despite engaging in overtly corrupt business practices. Eventually, Belfort is found guilty of defrauding investors in a massive securities scam and sentenced to three years in a federal prison. • In the 1976 movie Taxi Driver, the Protagonist Travis Bickle is a lonely Vietnam War veteran living in New York City. Afflicted by chronic insomnia, Travis takes a job driving taxis on the night shift exposing him to the dark underbelly of the city, which he describes as “an open sewer, full of filth and scum.” After a failed attempt at dating Betsy, who works

2 Character Arc

31

Fig. 2.6 Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976)

on the presidential campaign of Senator Charles Palantine, Travis embraces his violent instincts, procuring four guns. He attempts to convince twelveyear-old prostitute Iris to go back home, but when that does not work, Travis stakes out Palantine, intent on assassinating him to get back at Betsy. Interrupted by a secret service agent, Travis eventually goes on a shooting rampage, killing Iris’ pimp and several other men. Severely wounded, he puts a gun under his chin and pulls the trigger to kill himself, but with no bullets left, Travis waits for the police to show up, grinning at them, a bloody vigilante (Fig. 2.6). Each of these Protagonists share the same dynamic: They are swallowed up by their shadow.5 Kane spends his entire adult life attempting to fill the void created when he was taken away from his boyhood home. Salieri gives in to his jealousy toward Mozart, a true musical genius Salieri could never be, provoking his slide into insanity. Belfort’s insatiable greed leads to his destruction and provides a living example of how “the love of money is the root of all evil.”6 Bickle, who confessed to a fellow cabbie, “I just wanna go out and do something… I got some bad ideas in my head,” goes all in with the killer who “lies just beneath Travis’ surface.”7 There are other noteworthy examples of a disintegration character arc: Walter Neff in Double Indemnity (1944), Norman Bates in Psycho (1960), 5 Per Carl Jung, an individual’s negative instincts. See Chapter 9: Nemesis for a fuller exploration of this concept. 6 1 Timothy 6:10. 7 Taxi Driver in, written by Paul Schrader. Movie script, undated, p. 69.

32

S. Myers

Sandy in Carnal Knowledge (1971), Jack Torrance in The Shining (1980), Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990), D-Fens in Falling Down (1993), Nina Sayers in Black Swan (2010), and Andrew in Whiplash (2014). This narrative arc is present in television as well. The character Nasir “Naz” Khan in the HBO limited series The Night Of (2016) begins as a member of respectable society, a law-abiding citizen. He gets caught up in the drug trade and criminal activity, evolving from soft to “hard ass.” In each case, the Protagonist is metaphorically destroyed by the influence of their shadow. There are multiple explanations why disintegration character arc narratives have proved to be popular with readers and audiences. Since a story provides an environment we can control—we can always close a book, turn off a television, walk out of a theater—stories provide a safe psychological context in which we can explore our own feelings, our own shadow. Part of that is the sheer titillation of dipping our toes into those unfamiliar dangerous waters. However, from a larger cultural perspective, stories which feature Protagonists who veer into the “dark side” serve as cautionary tales: By entering vicariously into the experience of the central character’s path toward self-destruction, we reinforce our belief in following the “righteous” path. There are other types of stories featuring a variety of character arcs. Stories in which Protagonists sacrifice themselves for the greater good such as contemporary films including Gran Torino (2008), In Bruges (2008), and Dallas Buyers Club (2013), depicting personally positive transformations which result in the character’s demise. Stories wherein multiple characters experience different types of arcs such as the movie Dead Poets Society (1989) and the HBO limited television series Big Little Lies (2017, 2019). Stories in which the Protagonist’s arc ends in a gray area between positive and negative, such as the movies The Graduate (1967), (500) Days of Summer (2008), Her (2013), La La Land (2016), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), and television series The Sopranos (1999–2007), Dexter (2006–2013), Homeland (2011–2020), and Silicon Valley (2014– 2019). These stories leave the audience to ask questions: Did the characters really change? Did they actually end up in a better or worse psychological place? Was the change worth it? The fact that there are so many different types of character arcs reflects the complexity of human experience and opens the door for writers to explore the breadth and depth of what we know as Life. However, as noted, there is one character arc which is predominant in the arena of movies and television, and that is stories in which the Protagonist goes through a process of positive integration: the unity arc. This narrative archetype can be broken down into four movements: Disunity, Deconstruction, Reconstruction, Unity.

2 Character Arc

33

Exercise Pick a favorite movie, one-hour drama television series, or novel and reflect on the Protagonist. Compare where they begin the story and where they end up. Is it a positive or negative arc? Track the movement of the character’s metamorphosis, zeroing in on the key plotline points which most heavily impact their psychological journey. If they are a change agent, how do they change others? If they refuse to change, identify underlying psychological dynamics which lead them to deny the transformation call.

Further Study Fleabag: The Scriptures, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Ballantine Books, 2019. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey, Berkley Books, 1963. ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’: Milos Forman’s Mosaic of Brilliance with a Lesson Still as Important as Ever, Sven Mikulec, Cinephilia & Beyond, October 15, 2016, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/one-flew-cuckoos-nest-milos-for mans-mosaic-brilliance-lesson-still-important-ever/. Adventures in the Screen Trade: A Personal View of Hollywood and Screenwriting, William Goldman, Warner Books, 1983. Citizen Kane (Screen and Cinema), Orson Welles (screenwriter) and Herman J. Mankiewicz (screenwriter), Bantam Books, 1971. ‘Citizen Kane’: The Astonishing Debut of Hollywood’s Greatest Wunderkind , Sven Mikulec, Cinephilia & Beyond, March 1, 2016, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/ citizen-kane-the-astonishing-debut-of-hollywoods-greatest-wunderkind/. Taxi Driver (Faber Film), Paul Schrader, Faber & Faber, 1990. Approaching Menace: The American Pathology of Martin Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver’ , Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, July 22, 2020, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/approa ching-menace-the-american-pathology-of-martin-scorseses-taxi-driver/.

References Goldman, W. (written by) (1969). Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ; Twentieth Century Fox. Jung, C. G. (1969). “The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche,” Collected Works VIII; Princeton University Press. Mankiewicz, H. J., Welles, Orson (original screen play) (1941). Citizen Kane; Mercury Productions/RKO Radio Pictures.

34

S. Myers

Stanton, A. and Reardon, J. (screenplay), Stanton, A. and Docter, P. (story) (2008). Wall-e; Pixar Animation Studios/Walt Disney Pictures. Waller-Bridge, P. (creator) (2016, 2019). Fleabag; British Broadcasting Corporation/Amazon Prime Video.

3 Disunity

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Inciting Incident: A significant event early on which jump-starts the narrative, compelling the Protagonist to respond. Also: Call to Adventure. • Disunity: The divided state in which a Protagonist begins their journey, disconnected from authentic aspects of their psyche. • Personal History: Every experience, memory, and association a character arising from their past. • Backstory: Specific events, moments, and dynamics from the Protagonist’s past which directly relate to the journey they take.

At the beginning of the story, the Protagonist has managed to cobble together some semblance of a life, but they are not yet committed to their journey. They need to change; otherwise there would be no story. No Inciting Incident or call to adventure to jump-start the Protagonist’s journey. No departing the old world and entering a new world. The challenges and tests along the way, the influential characters with whom the Protagonist intersects … there is no reason for any of that to exist were it not for this simple fact: The Protagonist cannot continue the status quo. They are living one way, but they are destined to live a different way. They must leave their present state of being in order to become who they are meant to be. Thus, the Protagonist begins their journey in a state of Disunity. There are psychological dynamics and external circumstances which create an inner

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_3

35

36

S. Myers

conflict. The Protagonist’s internal struggle, which they are compelled to confront, constitutes the emotional core of the impending journey. As Carl Jung suggests: The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains undivided and does not become conscious of his inner contradictions, the world must perforce act out the conflict.1

In a character-driven approach to writing, this is the place to begin the story-crafting process: Identify the elements of the Protagonist’s disunity. Where does this disunity originate? It emerges in the Protagonist’s life before Fade In, the result of their day-to-day existence. The character has a Personal History filled with experiences ranging from the mundane and forgettable to the extraordinary and impactful. Out of the totality of an individual’s personal history, a writer zeroes in on the character’s Backstory: an aggregation of key psychological, emotional, and spiritual dynamics from the character’s past which plays out in the present and shapes the story’s future. Disunity elements are as expansive as life itself because any experience in a character’s backstory has the potential to influence the trajectory of their transformation arc. Some examples: • Death: In Ordinary People (1980), Conrad suffers from survivor’s guilt due to the accidental drowning of his brother. In The Lion King (1994), Simba banishes himself from his homeland due to the culpability he feels about his father Mufasa’s demise. In Veronica Mars (2004–2007), the unsolved murder of her best friend upends Veronica’s normal high school life and leads her to become a part-time private investigator. In Gravity (2013), the loss of Ryan Stone’s daughter has compelled her to seek an assignment in outer space in order to get as far away as possible from home and its tragic memories. In Never Have I Ever (2020), Davi is haunted by the sudden death of her father and does what she can to avoid the grieving process. • Addiction: In The Verdict (1982), Frank Galvin is an alcoholic, ambulancechasing lawyer after having been drummed out of an elite law firm. In Trainspotting (1996), Renton is a heroin user, who along with his addicted friends tries to get clean and survive a life of poverty and petty crimes. In Nurse Jackie (2009–2015), Jackie Peyton deals with the stress of being an emergency room nurse by relying on Vicodin and Adderall. In Logan (2017), Wolverine has become a drunk limo driver, far removed from his 1

C. G. Jung, “Aion,” Collected Works 9ii (Princeton University Press, 1970), p. 126.

3 Disunity

37

Fig. 3.1 Camille Preaker in Sharp Objects (2018)

days as a mutant superhero. In Euphoria (2018-present), Rue Bennett is an adolescent trying to find her way to sobriety amidst peers who struggle with drugs, sex, and identity issues. • Mental Illness: In As Good As It Gets (1997), Melvin Udall is an antisocial author with an obsessive–compulsive disorder. In Homeland (2011–2020), Carrie Mathison is a CIA operative who struggles with a bipolar disorder. In Nightcrawler (2014), Louis Bloom is a high-functioning, non-homicidal psychopath with an antisocial personality disorder. In Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Pat Solitano Jr. has just been released from a mental care facility after being treated for his bipolar mood swings. In Sharp Objects (2018), Camille Preaker is a depressed alcoholic who has a long-term self-harming affliction (Fig. 3.1). • Home: In The Wizard of Oz (1939), the orphan Dorothy does not feel like her home is a home and yearns to fly away over the rainbow. In It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), George Bailey has spent his entire adult years as the bulwark of the Bedford Falls community while all along, he has wanted nothing more than to go see the world. In Back to the Future (1985), Marty McFly is embarrassed by his family home life, especially his father, who he sees as a weak man undeserving of respect. In Inside Out (2015), Riley misses her home in Minnesota and the emotional upheaval caused

38

S. Myers

by her family’s relocation to San Francisco wreaks havoc with her inner emotions, most notably Joy. In Lady Bird (2017), Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson feels disconnected from her family’s lower-middle class existence in Sacramento, California, yearning to go to college in a “city with culture.” • Work: In Tootsie (1982), Michael Dorsey is a talented actor who no one will work with because of his stubborn over the top commitment to his craft. In Tampopo (1985), Tampopo is a widow who has recently inherited a ramen diner, but is lacking in the necessary culinary skills in the art of making noodle soup. In Groundhog Day (1994), Phil Connors is an obnoxious, egotistical TV weatherman who firmly believes he deserves to be working in a larger market than his current job in Pittsburgh. In I May Destroy You (2020), Arabella Essiedu is a Twitter-star turned novelist struggling to write her second book when she is sexually assaulted, a traumatic event which upends her life. In The Deuce (2017–2019), Eileen “Candy” Merrell is a prostitute working the mean streets of 1970s Manhattan in order to support her son in his middle-class home environment. • Parent: In Carrie (1976), Carrie White’s mother creates an oppressive family environment through her fanatical obsession with the impurity of sexuality. In Field of Dreams (1989), Ray Kinsella’s troubled relationship with his late father looms over an otherwise idyllic life as a farmer and family man. In Big Fish (2003), Will Bloom has not spoken to his father Edward in three years due to a lifetime of listening to Edward’s tall tales and supposed lies, capped by an embarrassing incident at Will’s wedding. In Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Pamela “P.L.” Travers struggles with signing over the movie rights to her novel Mary Poppins due to a complicated childhood relationship with her creative but alcoholic father whom she adored. In Moonlight (2016), Chiron wrestles with his sexuality and is tormented by bullies at school while receiving little support from his mother who is addicted to smoking crack (Fig. 3.2). Other disunity elements explored in notable movies and television series include Broken Hearts (Casablanca—1941, (500) Days of Summer —2009), Duality (Good Will Hunting —1997, Buffy the Vampire Slayer —1996–2003, The Incredibles—2004, The Americans—2013–2018, Dexter —2006–2013, The Big Sick—2017, Coco—2017), Failure (Moneyball —2011, Bridesmaids—2011), Loneliness (Finding Forrester —2000, Gran Torino—2008,

3 Disunity

39

Fig. 3.2 Chiron in Moonlight (2016)

Shrek—2001, Her —2013, Up—2009), Mass Tragedy (The Leftovers— 2014–2017, Godless—2017, The Handmaid’s Tale—2017–present), Obsession (The Social Network—2010, Whiplash—2014, Silicon Valley—2014– 2019), and Revenge (Death Wish—1974, Gladiator —2000, The Revenant — 2015, John Wick—2014, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri —2017). These are just a few disunity elements. There are countless others, touching on everything from ongoing patterns of behavior to specific past incidents which haunt the Protagonist, but in all cases, they represent dynamics the Protagonist must confront. No matter what manner of lifestyle the character has stitched together for themselves in order to cope with these underlying psychological dynamics, it is their destiny to, as Carl Jung suggests, “become conscious of [their] inner contradictions” and “act out the conflict” as they evolve out of their disunity state.2 In this chapter through Chapter 6, in addition to numerous other movie and television examples, we will break down and analyze the metamorphosis arcs of five notable Protagonists: Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, Walter White in Breaking Bad , William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend , and Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Each Protagonist and their respective journey is unique, yet each represents a character experiencing a unity arc.

2

Ibid.

40

S. Myers

Fig. 3.3 Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Disunity: Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs The 1991 psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs is one of just three movies to win the Big Five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay.3 The combination of narrative dynamics— serial murders, not one, but two psychopaths, the inner workings of the F.B.I.’s Behavioral Science Unit, and the race to rescue a kidnapping victim before it is too late—resonated with audiences and critics alike. At its emotional core is the journey of the story’s Protagonist: Clarice Starling. Clarice is an F.B.I. agent-in-training at the agency’s Quantico, Virginia headquarters. She is plucked from obscurity by Jack Crawford, the head of the F.B.I.’s Behavioral Science Unit, who assigns her to an “interesting errand”: interview Hannibal Lecter, a genius psychiatrist now imprisoned due to his propensity to cannibalize his murder victims. What Crawford does not tell Clarice is that he is using her as bait to lure Lecter into sharing his insights into the activities of James Gumb (a.k.a. Buffalo Bill), a serial killer on the loose who kidnaps, kills, then skins his female victims (Fig. 3.3). In the first meeting between Clarice and Lecter, he sees right through Crawford’s ruse (“Oh, Agent Starling… do you think you can dissect me with this blunt little tool”). When Clarice attempts to push back, Lecter will have none of it: 3

The other two movies: It Happened One Night (1934) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975).

3 Disunity

41

DR. LECTER You’resooo ambitious, aren’t you…? You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well-scrubbed hustling rube with a little taste… Good nutrition has given you some length of bone, but you’re not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you– Agent Starling…? That accent you’ve tried so desperately to shed–pure West Virginia. What is your father, dear? Is he a coal miner? Does he stink of the lamp…? His every word strikes her like a small, precise dart. DR. LECTER And oh, how quickly the boys found you! All those tedious, sticky fumblings,in the back seats of cars, while you could only dream of getting out. Getting anywhere, yes? Getting all the way – to the F…B…I.a aThe

Silence of the Lambs, screenplay by Ted Tally, based on a novel by Thomas Harris. Movie script, dated January 15, 1990, p. 11–12.

Over the course of the relationship between Clarice and Lecter, and her growing involvement in the F.B.I.’s search for Buffalo Bill, we learn about several disunity dynamics at work in Clarice’s psyche and life circumstances: • Clarice was orphaned as a ten-year-old when her father, the town marshal, was murdered by two burglars he happened upon while on duty. • After going to live on a cousin’s horse and sheep ranch in Montana, Clarice ran away after only two months. • There are two flashbacks in the movie, both of which feature Clarice as a ten-year-old girl. The first involves her sneaking up on her father who has just returned home from work, still in his marshal’s uniform, where she surprises him and asks, “Did you catch any bad guys today, Daddy?” The second takes place in a funeral home where young Clarice approaches an open casket and bends down to kiss her deceased father on the cheek. Lecter is correct that Clarice did want to “get out” of West Virginia and she achieved that by graduating from the University of Virginia with a double major in psychology and criminology. That choice of majors, plus her desire to work in the F.B.I.’s Behavioral Science Unit raises several questions: If she

42

S. Myers

wants to honor her father’s memory, why did she not follow in his footsteps and become a marshal or police officer? Why the F.B.I.? Why the Behavioral Science Unit? Why study psychology as well as criminology? Her vocational choices suggest they have something to do with unresolved issues related to her father’s death. Thus, even before we learn of the recurring nightmares Clarice has, it is clear that as put together as the young woman may appear in public, she begins her journey in a state of disunity. The set of characters who play primary roles in her ensuing narrative, especially Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill, are precisely the individuals she needs to intersect with in order to confront her inner “demons” … and move toward unity.

Disunity: Walter White in Breaking Bad Walter White is the Protagonist in the television crime drama Breaking Bad , which originally ran on AMC for five seasons from 2008 to 2013. The series received numerous accolades including sixteen Primetime Emmy Awards. Bryan Cranston, who portrays White’s character, received four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Series creator Vince Gilligan said of Breaking Bad , “I originally pitched it to the studio with one line… I told them: ‘This is a story about a man who transforms himself from Mr. Chips into Scarface.’ … We are telling a story of transformation in which a previously good man, through sheer force of will, decides to become a bad man.”4 The theme of personal transformation is central to the television series and is evident from the very first pages of the pilot script. In this scene, White, who is a high school chemistry teacher, lectures his class: WALT Chemistry is the study of what? STUDENT Chemicals? Snickers from the smart kids. Walt smiles.

4 Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan: The Man Who Turned Walter White from Mr. Chips into Scarface, The Guardian, May 18, 2012, https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/may/19/vince-gil ligan-breaking-bad.

3 Disunity

43

WALT Chemicals. No. Change. Chemistry is the study of change. (a beat) Think about it. Electrons change their orbits, molecules change their bonds. Elements combine and change into compounds. That’s all of life, right? The constant… (shrug) The cycle. Solution, dissolution, over and over. Walt seems to be talking to himself.

A pep talk.

WALT Growth, decay. Transformation. It’s fascinating, really.b b Breaking

Bad , S1, Ep1 (“Pilot”), written by Vince Gilligan. TV script, dated May 27, 2005, p. 7.

The seeds of Walter White’s transformation exist within him from the very beginning and are evident as several key disunity elements: • Intelligent enough to have been educated at the renowned California Institute of Technology, White co-founded Gray Matter Technologies with his best friend Elliott Schwartz and former girlfriend Gretchen. At some point, White abruptly sold his shares in the company for five thousand dollars, a decision which returns to haunt him as the company goes on to make billions with much of the revenues based on White’s research.5 • The bitterness White feels about having missed out on that potential fortune is compounded by the fact he must hold down two jobs to make ends meet for his family: a teacher of bored, disinterested high schoolers and car wash attendant, a humiliating experience when he is forced to wash his students’ cars. • His financial situation is made even more stressful because his adolescent son Walt Jr. has cerebral palsy and his wife Skyler is pregnant. • As if this were not enough, the day after White’s fiftieth birthday, he faints at the car wash and is taken to the emergency room only to be told by doctors they have discovered he has inoperable lung cancer. With chemotherapy, he is told he has at best two years to live (Fig. 3.4). 5 In S5, Ep6 (“Buyout”), White reveals to Jesse that the current value of Gray Matter Technologies is $2.16 billion, making his original share worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

44

S. Myers

Fig. 3.4 Walter White in Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

It is this combination of dynamics and backstory elements which cause this “good man” to start down the road to becoming a “bad man”: To pay for cancer treatments and make money to provide for his family in the event of his death, White coerces a former student Jesse Pinkman to partner with him to cook and sell crystal meth. However, there is one other key disunity element at work in White’s psyche: fury. It emerges twice in the pilot episode: Once when he quits his job at the car wash in a tirade directed at the owner Bodgan (“Fuck you and your eyebrows”) and a second time in a clothing store when he assaults a teenager who has been making fun of Walt Jr. (“Walt kicks the back of the jock’s KNEE, dropping the big guy painfully to the floor”). This fury is not only a clear sign of his disunity, it is also the starter fuel for White’s violent journey to come.

Disunity: William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love The 1998 movie Shakespeare in Love won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay (Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard). It tells the story of William Shakespeare as a young man who begins in a profound state of disunity. In fact, the origin of the movie happened when screenwriter Norman hit on this notion: “What if Shakespeare had

3 Disunity

45

Fig. 3.5 William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love (1998)

writer’s block while writing his timeless classic, ‘Romeo and Juliet?’”6 Will is tormented by his creative impasse as witnessed with this interchange with Dr. Moth, “apothecary, alchemist, astrologer, seer, Interpretor of Dreams, and Priest of Psyche” (Fig. 3.5). WILL Words, words, words… once, I had the gift. I could make love out of words as a potter makes cups of clay… Love that overthrows empires, love that binds two hearts together come hellfire and brimstone. For six pence a line, I could cause a riot in a nunnery… but now…c c Shakespeare

in Love, written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. Movie script, February 23, 1998, pp. 7–8.

Writer’s block is but one manifestation of young Shakespeare’s state of disunity: 6

Cinema Review, http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=428.

46

S. Myers

• He is a poet, playwright, and occasional actor struggling financially. In fact, in order to raise funds to survive, Will has double sold the rights to the latest play he is supposed to be writing—Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter. • He has been sleeping around, one casual sexual encounter after another as Dr. Moth recounts by consulting his notes, “Black Sue, Fat Phoebe, Rosalind, Burbage’s seamstress, Aphrodite, who does it behind the Dog and…” • Will confesses he is actually married and a father of twins, but banished by his wife Anne Hathaway (“Four years and a hundred miles away in Stratford”). • The strain of his stressful life circumstances has even impacted his sexual performance as Dr. Moth suggests in interpreting Will’s phallic description of his creative malaise: “It’s as if my quill is broken … as if the organ of my imagination has dried up … as if the proud tower of my genius has collapsed … It’s like trying to pick a lock with a wet herring.” The first image of Will in the movie is him apparently hard at work writing away at his desk quill pen in hand, but: Now we see what he is writing: WILL is practicing his signature, over and over again. Will Shagsbeard… W Shakspur… William Shasper… Each time he is dissatisfied, and each time he screws up the attempt and tosses it away.d d Ibid.,

p. 4.

This tiny moment at the beginning of the story points to perhaps the single biggest issue confronting the young writer: the question of self-identity. Who is William Shakespeare? Is he a man essentially wasting his youth on whores and drinking while writing witty yet low-brow comedies, or is he the creative genius he imagines himself to be?

Disunity: Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend The television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ran for four seasons on the CW network between 2015 and 2019, winning five Primetime Emmys during

3 Disunity

47

that time. Rachel Bloom, who co-created the series with Aline Brosh McKenna, stars as Rebecca Bunch. When she is introduced in S1, Ep1 (“Josh Just Happens to Live Here!”), Rebecca is a successful real estate lawyer at a high-powered New York City law firm. She seemingly has it all: looks, money, and a professional career all laid out in front of her. In Act One of the pilot, Rebecca learns she is being promoted to partner at her law firm. However, underneath the surface sheen of her life and all its robust trappings, there are significant disunity elements at play: • She is taking medication for both anxiety and depression. • In the prologue of the series pilot episode, which takes place at summer camp when Rebecca is an adolescent, her mother Janice makes quite an impression as an intense, judgmental woman still bitter about her divorce (“I’m sure you told your father and the WHORE at Tucker’s 7th birthday party”). Much of the pressure Rebecca feels about her career derives from Janice (“You want that promotion, it’s very important, it’s what we’ve been working so hard for. I’ve said that a MILLION times…”). • The morning of the fateful day in which Rebecca is about to be offered the position of junior partner, she sees the same advertisement tagline two different times—a television commercial and a magazine ad—each one posing this question: When was the last time you were truly happy? Of course, this suggests Rebecca is unhappy. When Rebecca’s assistant informs her that she is about to receive her job promotion, she suffers an anxiety attack and races outside, desperate to convince herself, “I’m happy. I’m so happy. Mom’s gonna be so happy. This is what happy feels like.” Unconvinced, she prays: REBECCA Dear God, I don’t pray to you, because I believe in science. But I don’t know what to do. Give me guidance. Please. Please! She waits. Nothing happens. Rebecca looks up. And suddenly she sees something silhouetted against the buildings at the end of the alley:

48

S. Myers

A GIANT BILLBOARD THAT SAYS: When was the last time you were truly happy? REBECCA (CONT’D) What a weird ad campaign. She stares at it. Below the billboard is an old sign that says “Outdoor” with an arrow. The sign loosens and falls. The arrow now points down directly to: A MAN. Backlit, he looks like an apparition. Suddenly she realizes who it is. A handsome, jocky Asian guy in his mid-20’s. JOSH CHAN?e e Ibid.,

REBECCA (CONT’D)

p. 9.

Josh Chan is the boy she fell in love with at summer camp as depicted in the pilot prologue. Seeing the tagline “When was the last time you were truly happy” a third time; praying to God for guidance, a sign just happens to tilt down which just happens to point to a man who just happens to be Josh, her ex-boyfriend. Rebecca takes this as destiny speaking to her. Thus, when she discovers that Josh is moving from New York back to his hometown of West Covina, Rebecca not only turns down her job promotion, she relocates to California (Fig. 3.6). Rebecca begins her journey by quitting her promising career in New York to move to West Covina to stalk her ex-boyfriend, even though she will not admit it as she sings in the series’ first musical number: “TO BE CLEAR, I DIDN’T MOVE HERE FOR JOSH, I JUST NEEDED A CHANGE/‘CAUSE TO MOVE HERE FOR JOSH: NOW, THAT’D BE STRANGE…” Even the fact she is prone to find herself in fantasy musical numbers underscores Rebecca’s disunity. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend tracks the Protagonist’s journey through various stages of mental illness. As co-creator and star Rachel Bloom observed: “The show was always about one person’s quest for who they are inside … how do you get in touch with your inner happiness and then actually execute that? How do you marry the inside with the outside?”7 Season One begins that journey,

7 ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’: Rachel Bloom Talks Mental Health and Writing a New Theme Song Every Season, The Hollywood Reporter, August 5, 2019, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/crazy-girlfriendrachel-bloom-talks-mental-health-writing-theme-songs-1228538.

3 Disunity

49

Fig. 3.6 Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019)

a chaotic foray into Rachel’s disunity as she lies, cheats, steals, and more in a manic attempt to manipulate Josh to become her boyfriend again. This reaches back to the memories and emotional associations she has from her summer camp experiences with Josh. She wants to rekindle those feelings, but on a deeper level she seeks external validation from his affection for her own internal disconnections. Season One concludes with Rebecca and Josh together as a couple (S1, Ep18: “Paula Needs to Get Over Josh!”) ending with Rebecca saying to him, “I just knew you were the answer to all my problems.” It is a fitting capstone to the exploration of her disunity and lays the groundwork for the next stage in her psychological journey.8

8

The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend episode titles use punctuation in a telling way. In Season One, all of the titles (except for 117) end in an exclamation point which reflects Rebecca’s manic obsession with Josh. In Season Two, all of the titles end in a question mark which speaks to the underlying question, “Will Rebecca succeed in wooing Josh to become her lover and eventual husband?” Seven Season Three episode titles end with periods covering the stage of her life in which Rebecca ends her fixation with Josh, while four episode titles end with question marks as Rebecca shifts her romantic fixation from Josh to Nathaniel, a replication of her previous attempts to seek external validation from a male lover. [S3, Ep12 (“Trent?!”) ends with both a question mark and exclamation point which speaks to the surprise of Trent’s return and devious plan of action; S3, Ep13 (“Nathaniel Is Irrelevant.”) ends with a period reflecting how by the end of the third season, Rebecca is ready to face herself and take responsibilities for her actions.] In Season Four, each of the seventeen episode titles has no ending punctuation which suggests by series end, Rebecca is free to move on with the rest of her life, her future an open-ended one.

50

S. Myers

Disunity: Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse The 2018 animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature. At the beginning of the story, the Protagonist (Miles Morales) finds himself in a jumbled state of being: • Miles is an adolescent on the cusp of manhood, yet still very much a boy. • He is creative, an artist who expresses himself by tagging street signs with stickers he has made. Unfortunately, this illegal activity does not escape the attention of his father Jefferson, who just happens to be a street cop. • While Miles has a warm relationship with his mother Rio, he has an awkward connection with his father, who loves his son, but has high expectations for him to live a life which does not align with Miles’ interests. • One parental expectation is that Miles will settle into and do well at the private school into which he was recently admitted, but he would rather return to his old neighborhood in a “normal school,” not one he perceives as being “elitist.” As Jefferson drives his son to the new school, an embarrassed Miles slumps in the back seat of his father’s police patrol car, and their disagreement comes to a head:

JEFFERSON …We all make choices in life-MILES --It doesn’t feel like I have a choice right now— --YOU DON’T!f

JEFFERSON

f Spider-Man:

Into the Spider-Verse, screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, story by Phil Lord. Movie script, December 3, 2018, p. 8.

This pressure to conform to his father’s vision of Miles’ future is highlighted with a play on the word “expectation.” In his dorm room, Miles is supposed to be writing a personal essay on “what kind of person you want to be.” Staring at a legal pad with the words “Great Expectations” at the top, a riff on the Charles Dickens novel, Miles cannot bring himself to start writing. He heads out into the city to visit his Uncle Aaron, who takes Miles into an

3 Disunity

51

Fig. 3.7 Miles Morales and Uncle Aaron in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

abandoned subway tunnel where the pair do some artwork, spray painting an empty wall (Fig. 3.7). Miles steps back, admiring his work. A STRIKING PIECE, built around Miles silhouette with nothing painted inside it. A BLANK. “No Expectations” written above.g g Ibid.,

p. 18.

No Expectations. A blank silhouette. This reflects Miles’ inner state. He is not yet prepared to confront the pressure of adult responsibility and is doing his best to reject that path. For example, he willfully fails exams in an attempt to flunk out of boarding school. However, fate intervenes: While in the subway tunnel, a “glowing spider” bites the back of Miles’ hand. This caps off the introduction of Miles and his disunity state: He is infused with the superhero powers of Spider-Man, a chaotic chain of events beyond his control, to the point where he confesses, “I don’t want to be a hero.” In his old life, Miles may have felt like he did not have a choice. In his new life after having been bitten, he does: whether to follow the Spidey superhero path … or not.

Summary Something happens. An event. A message. An opportunity. The Protagonist may leap at the chance or more likely resist. Change is a frightening prospect. However, the thing that happens is enough to pull the Protagonist out of their old world and into the new one. Think of it this way: The universe

52

S. Myers

creates a situation in response to the Protagonist’s inner need. They can no longer live in a “undivided” state; their own self pulls them onto a path which will force them to “act out the conflict” and move them into a process of transformation. The call to adventure is not random, but rather it is tethered to, even inspired by the very state of disunity the Protagonist finds themselves in at the beginning of the story. They need to change and that need is now ready to emerge from the depths of the Protagonist’s unconscious nature. The inciting incident is linked to that need, specific and powerful enough to compel the Protagonist to depart their ordinary life and in so doing enter into a second movement in their metamorphosis: Deconstruction. Exercise Choose a favorite movie, one-hour drama TV series, or novel and identify key disunity elements in the Protagonist’s beginning state of being. Explore backstory events which directly tie into those disunity dynamics and why the Protagonist needs to confront them in order to move toward wholeness.

Further Study Four Screenplays: Studies in the American Screenplay, Syd Field (editor), Delta Publishing, 1994. Breaking Bad: The Official Book, David Thomson, Sterling Publishing, 2015. Shakespeare in Love: A Screenplay, Marc Norman (screenwriter), Tom Stoppard (screenwriter), Miramax, 1999. Perspectives on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Nuanced Postnetwork Television (Television and Popular Culture), Amanda Konkle (editor), Charles Burnetts (editor), Syracuse University Press, 2021. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, story by Phil Lord. Movie script, December 3, 2018.

References Bloom, R. and Brosh McKenna, A. (creator) (2015–2019). Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ; The CW Network. Gilligan, V. (creator) (2008–2013). Breaking Bad ; American Movie Classics (AMC). Jung, C. G. (1970). “Aion,” Collected Works 9ii; Princeton University Press.

3 Disunity

53

Lord, P. and Rothman, R. (screenplay), Lord P. (story) (2018). Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Marvel Entertainment/Sony Pictures Entertainment. Norman, M. and Stoppard, T. (written by) (1998). Shakespeare in Love; Miramax Films. Tally, T. (screenplay), Harris, T. (novel) (1991). The Silence of the Lambs; Orion Pictures.

4 Deconstruction

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Old Ways of Being: The beliefs, behaviors, coping skills, and defense mechanisms a Protagonist has cobbled together before their journey begins. • Deconstruction: A stage in a Protagonist’s metamorphosis in which events break down their old ways of being, enabling their authentic nature to emerge. • Reactive: Having departed the old world, the Protagonist finds themselves on their heels in this different environment with new places, faces, and customs. • True Self : The aspects of a Protagonist’s psyche which represents the fullest version of who they are supposed to be. Also: Core Essence, Authentic Nature, Ultimate Need. • Mistaken Identity: Stories in which a character, most often the Protagonist, is falsely thought to be someone else. • Assumed Identity: Stories in which a character, most often the Protagonist, intentionally takes on the role of someone else.

If, as in most stories, the Protagonist experiences a disunity-to-unity arc, that metamorphosis does not happen overnight. It is a process in which the Old Ways of Being , prior beliefs and behaviors, coping skills and defense mechanisms, are eventually remodeled or set aside as the Protagonist adapts to the new world into which they have entered. Carl Jung asserts: “The goal

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_4

55

56

S. Myers

of the individuation process is the synthesis of the self.”1 In order for there to be a synthesis of the character’s disunity elements, the Protagonist must first become aware of those dynamics. This includes the individual’s shadow, the negative instincts and influences that the Protagonist has been avoiding or repressing. Old patterns must be broken down so the Protagonist will engage all aspects of their psyche. This stage is known as Deconstruction. This sheds light on why “journey” is such a universal narrative archetype. The Protagonist’s departure from the old world compels the character to gain a fresh perspective on who they are and how they have been living. Often in this new, unfamiliar environment, their assumptions and coping skills are found wanting, as they do not work well or at all in this incongruent setting. This is why their experience as a “stranger in a strange land” is primarily one in which they find themselves in a reactive mode. Yet, this is a necessary part of metamorphosis, not only to break through preexisting defense mechanisms, but in so doing open up the character to other aspects of the psyche which have been lying dormant within. The Protagonist may associate negative feelings with deconstruction, a sense of frustration with their old ways failing in this new world, thereby, forcing them to change. In actuality, however, the process represents a net positive because the toppling of restrictive beliefs and behaviors enables the latent nature of the character’s True Self to surface from the darkness of their psyche into the light of consciousness.

Deconstruction Explored Toward the very end of The Wizard of Oz (1939), there is this exchange between Dorothy and Glinda the Good Witch: DOROTHY Oh, will you help me? Can you help me? GLINDA You don’t need to be helped any longer. You’ve always had the power to go back to Kansas.

1 C. G. Jung, “The Psychology of the Child Archetype,” Collected Works 9i (Princeton University Press, 1980), para. 278.

4 Deconstruction

57

DOROTHY I have? SCARECROW Then why didn’t you tell her before? GLINDA Because she wouldn’t have believed me. had to learn it for herself.a

She

aThe Wizard

of Oz, screenplay by Noel Langley & Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf, adaptation by Noel Langley from the book by L. Frank Baum. Movie script, dated March 15, 1939, p. 110.

Therein lies the rub: The outward experience of the Protagonist’s journey is, at its core, an inward journey into their self. That is the essence of their need: to get at that most basic truth of who they are, come to understand and embrace that, and, thus, redefine themselves. However, the Protagonist does not realize this empowerment without going through a process of trials, tribulations, and tests. They cannot see or grasp their need until their old ways of being are deconstructed. It is a key step of how they “learn it” for themselves (Fig. 4.1). As with all aspects of the Protagonist’s journey, there are endless variations of the deconstruction process: • It can be a formalized, orchestrated phase of a program to break down individuals, then reconstitute them. Examples include stories which take place in a military setting such as An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) and Full Metal Jacket (1987). An interesting spin on this setup is the science

Fig. 4.1 Dorothy flanked by Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow with Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz (1939)

58

S. Myers

fiction film Edge of Tomorrow (2014) in which the Protagonist (Cage) is a neophyte soldier thrown into the middle of a war against an army of alien beings. His training consists of repeatedly living and dying, each cycle providing a bit more insight into how to defeat the enemy and what he is capable of as his inner warrior emerges into being. • Deconstruction may involve not only fragmenting a character’s psychological nature, it may also manifest itself physically. A scientific experiment gone awry in The Fly, both the 1958 original and the 1986 remake, results in the Protagonist transforming from a human being into an insect. District 9 (2009) explores a similar dynamic when Wikus Van De Merwe is exposed to extraterrestrial biotechnology and transmogrifies over time from human into alien. In Lucy (2014), mobsters turn the Protagonist (Lucy) into a drug mule by surgically implanting a synthetic drug into her stomach. When it leaks into her body, she acquires heightened capabilities, both mental and physical, including telekinesis and telepathy. Armed with these superpowers, she breaks free from her captors, hell-bent on revenge.2 • Deconstruction can take on a comedic twist when surprising events plunge the Protagonist into an unusual circumstance, such as in Mistaken Identity stories. In Rango (2011), an ordinary chameleon stumbles into a town in the Old West where the local citizenry erroneously assume he is the new sheriff. In Galaxy Quest (1999), friendly aliens enlist Jason Nesmith and his “crew” from a long-since cancelled television series to fight a hostile alien race. One variation is Assumed Identity stories such as Dave (1993) in which a good-natured temp agency owner is recruited to take the place of the President of the United States, a sudden victim of a stroke. Whether it is Fletcher Reede in Liar, Liar (1997), who magically loses his ability to lie and must tell the truth for twenty-four hours; Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List (1993), who after witnessing atrocities committed by Nazi soldiers moves from indifference to concern for Jewish concentration camp prisoners; the titular hitman in Léon: The Professional (1994), who emerges from his life of solitude as he grows friendly with a desperate twelve-yearold orphan Mathilda; moribund Lester Burnham in American Beauty (1999), who adopts a new lifestyle in which he does what he wants; soldier T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), who when dispatched to the Middle East, begins to identify more with the locals than with his British upbringing; or Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave (2013) who loses his status as a free 2 In their origin stories, many superheroes experience this type of deconstruction after they obtain their superpowers including Ant-Man, Spider-Man, and The Hulk. It is also a feature in more grounded superpower stories such as Unbreakable (2000) and Chronicle (2012).

4 Deconstruction

59

man after being kidnapped and shipped to the South, deconstruction is about separating the Protagonist from who they once were and pulling them into a new environment, forcing them to confront the possibility of who they might become. Carl Jung asserts: “There is no birth of consciousness without pain.”3 Similarly, Joseph Campbell observes: “Destruction before creation.”4 Mark Nepo notes: “Transformation always involves the falling away of things we have relied on, and we are left with a feeling that the world as we know it is coming to an end, because it is.”5 These are helpful touchstones for the writer when working with characters who have entered into the deconstruction stage of their journey.

Deconstruction: Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs Of all the people in the F.B.I to be assigned the “interesting errand” of meeting with the imprisoned psychopath Hannibal Lecter, Jack Crawford chooses Clarice Starling. Why? She is young, smart, and attractive, so in effect, he dangles Clarice in front of Lecter with the hope that the psychiatrist will find her alluring enough to share insights about the serial killer Buffalo Bill. However, Lecter immediately sniffs out Crawford’s plan as he tells Clarice, “There’s something Jack can give me, and I want to trade for it. But he hates me, so he won’t deal directly. That’s why you’re here.” Whatever Crawford’s intentions are, by selecting Clarice for the job, he is acting as an agent of fate because Hannibal Lecter is an ideal Mentor to guide Clarice, not only in relation to the Buffalo Bill case, but also the inward journey she must take into the darkest corners of her fragmented psyche as part of her metamorphosis. As a trained psychiatrist, Lecter knows he must first tear down Clarice’s psychological defenses. Thus, at the end of their initial meeting, he gives her a test: “Listen carefully. Look deep within yourself, Clarice Starling. Go seek out Miss Mofet, an old patient of mine. M-O-F-E-T. Go now.” It is a challenge to see if she has the mettle to match Lecter’s wits. Clarice solves the

3 C. G. Jung, “The Development of Personality,” Collected Works XVII (Princeton University Press, 1981), para. 331, p. 193. 4 Diane K. Osbon, Reflections on the Art of Living: A Joseph Campbell Companion (Harper Collins, 1991), p. 21. 5 Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have (Conari Press, 2011), p. 257.

60

S. Myers

Fig. 4.2 Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

riddle, leading her to a storage unit which has been untouched for years, eventually to learn that Lecter has paid for it. Using her car jack to force the shed’s rusted door open a mere eighteen inches, this happens: As Clarice squirms, on her back, through the narrow opening, she snags her thigh on the edge of the door. She curses softly, her flashlight revealing a small streak of blood on her khakis.b bThe

Silence of the Lambs, screenplay by Ted Tally, based on a novel by Thomas Harris. Movie script, dated January 15, 1990, p. 20.

This represents the crossing of a symbolic threshold for Clarice, the next stage of her immersion in this new world, the blood a portent of violence to come. Inside the storage unit, Clarice discovers the severed head of Benjamin Raspail, one of Lecter’s patients, leading her back to the incarcerated psychiatrist and creating a chain of events (Fig. 4.2): • Lecter pries into Clarice’s relationship with Crawford (“Do you think Crawford wants you, sexually”). • In exchange for being relocated “far away from Dr. Chilton,” Lecter tells Clarice, “I’m offering you a psychological profile of Buffalo Bill, based on the case evidence. I’ll help you catch him, Clarice.” In the script, when Clarice accepts, Lecter says, “Clarice… smile. We’re going to be partners.”6 6

Ibid., p. 26.

4 Deconstruction

61

• Clarice is pulled deeper into the Buffalo Bill case when she accompanies Crawford to a funeral home in West Virginia to inspect the body of the serial killer’s latest victim. At this location, three significant things occur: – It is Clarice, not Crawford or some other authority figure, who conducts the autopsy report, signifying a next step in her advancement as a field agent. – During the inspection, she discovers a “bug cocoon” lodged in the corpse’s throat, which turns out to be the chrysalis of a Death’s-head Hawkmoth. Later, Lecter identifies this as meaning something important to Buffalo Bill: “The significance of the moth is change. Caterpillar into chrysalis… or pupa… and thence into beauty. Our Billy wants to change, too.”7 – Just before the autopsy, Clarice is drawn toward a memorial service being held in the funeral home where a body lies inside an open coffin. This leads to a second flashback in which ten-year-old Clarice approaches her father’s corpse at his funeral service, leaning down to give him a farewell kiss. All of these events constitute steps in Clarice’s deconstruction as she is pulled more intimately into the Buffalo Bill case. No longer just studying files, she transitions from cadet to field agent. Notably, too, she has a deepening relationship with Hannibal Lecter. This deconstruction movement is capped off by Lecter’s offer: “Quid pro quo. I tell you things, you tell me things. Not about this case, though – about yourself.” With the clock ticking on Buffalo Bill’s latest kidnapping victim, Catherine Martin, a U.S. Senator’s daughter, Clarice agrees to Lecter’s terms. In so doing, she disobeys the single most emphatic instruction Crawford gave to her in their first meeting: “You tell him nothing personal, Starling. Believe me, you don’t want Hannibal Lecter inside your head.” That is precisely what happens: Lecter does get “inside” Clarice’s head as she reveals details about her father’s death, then how she was sent to live on a cousin’s sheep and horse farm in Montana. These confessions by Clarice act as ad hoc therapy sessions which lead her into her psyche to confront her deepest fears. Yet, by giving voice to these fears, Clarice accesses previously untapped levels of potential: courage. She will need this to survive her Protagonist’s journey with Lecter as her guide, as well as the inevitable confrontation with the story’s Nemesis: Buffalo Bill. 7 Lecter’s use of the word “too” is notable as he appears to be implying that there is another person who “wants to change”—none other than Clarice.

62

S. Myers

Deconstruction: Walter White in Breaking Bad At the very end of the pilot episode in which Walt has barely survived his explosive interchange with a pair of drug dealers and returns home with eight thousand dollars from his first illegal meth transaction, Walt crawls into bed with Skyler and is overcome by excitement. Engaging in energetic intercourse with his wife, this is a different Walter White than the meek chemistry teacher introduced earlier in the episode. Walt’s deconstruction has begun. Over the course of the first two seasons of Breaking Bad , Walt leads an increasingly bifurcated life. There is Walter White, husband, father, teacher, and stoic cancer victim. Concurrently, there is Heisenberg, the alias he uses in his life as a meth cook. It is a reference to the German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901–1976), most famous for the uncertainty principle: The more precisely the position of a particle is determined, the less precisely its momentum can be known, and vice versa.8 This is a dynamic at play throughout Breaking Bad and relates to many of the characters in the series, most especially to Protagonist. At any given moment, who are we observing? Walter White, the family man, or Walter White (a.k.a. Heisenberg), the emerging drug kingpin? Deconstruction elements in the first two seasons of the series include: • In deciding to “cook” and sell illegal drugs as a means of generating income, Walt uses his meager life savings to procure the equipment necessary to create a mobile meth lab. • Despite the dangers posed by interfacing with criminal elements, Walt persists in producing the illegal drug, rationalizing his actions in order to accrue enough money to support his family and pay for his cancer treatment. • With his hair falling out as a result of chemotherapy, in S1, Ep5 (“Gray Matter”), Walt shaves his head which eventually becomes a key part of the Heisenberg look. • Living a dual life, Walt is forced time and again to lie to family and friends, including his DEA agent brother-in-law Hank, the principal of the high school where he is employed, and most importantly his wife, Skyler. In S2, Ep3 (“Bit By a Dead Bee”), in order to cover up his absence of several days when he was kidnapped by the drug lord Tuco, after he and Jesse escape, Walt concocts an elaborate fabrication involving amnesia.

8 Werner Heisenberg, Zeitschrift für Physik, “Über den anschaulichen Inhalt der quantentheoretischen Kinematik und Mechanik,” (1927), p. 257 43 (3–4): 172–198.

4 Deconstruction

63

• Most significantly, in the first two seasons, Walt’s actions lead to the deaths of three characters: Emilio perishes in the pilot episode when Walt poisons the criminal and his partner Krazy-8; in S1, Ep3 (“…And the Bag’s in the River”), Walt is forced to garrote Krazy-8 in an act of self-defense; and in S2, Ep12 (“Phoenix”), Walt watches as Jesse’s girlfriend Jane, lying beside Jesse, both unconscious from shooting up heroin, rolls onto her back, vomits, and chokes to death. He could have saved her life. He chooses not to. His change in behavior draws the attention of Gretchen, his ex-girlfriend and current wife of Elliott, Walt’s former business partner. In S2, Ep6 (“Peekaboo”), there is this exchange between the two as they meet in a restaurant. Walt offering an apology—but no more—about why he lied to Skyler, telling her that Elliott and Gretchen are paying for Walt’s cancer treatment (Fig. 4.3). Gretchen: What happened to you? Really, Walt. What happened? Because this isn’t you. Walt: What would you know about me, Gretchen? What would your presumption about me be, exactly? That I should go begging for your charity? And you waving your checkbook around… like some magic wand is going to make me forget how you and Elliott… how you and Elliott cut me out? c c Breaking

Bad, S2, Ep6 (“Peekaboo”), written by J. Roberts & Vince Gilligan, directed by Peter Medak, AMC, April 12, 2009.

Fig. 4.3 Walter White in Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

64

S. Myers

Once again, Walt’s fury emerges (as he stalks away from Gretchen, he tells her, “Fuck you”). The long-simmering rage he feels about having missed out on the fortune he could have made as a founding partner of Gray Matter Technologies, combined with the growing excitement he experiences with his involvement in the drug trade demonstrates how the seeds of Heisenberg already exist within Walt’s psyche. Once his old ways of being are deconstructed, he embraces his “inner Heisenberg” as part of the reconstruction of Walter White in Seasons Three and Four of Breaking Bad .

Deconstruction: William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love Will Shakespeare may have continued squandering his talents in a misspent life were it not for the unexpected appearance of a young actor auditioning for the playwright’s latest theatrical effort, Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter. WILL looks at the stage and sees a handsome young man, with a hat shadowing his eyes. WILL Your name? VIOLA AS THOMAS Thomas Kent. I would like to do a speech by a writer who commands the heart of every player. WILL can hardly manage a nod. "What light is seen, What joy not by? Unless is by And feed perfection.

VIOLA AS THOMAS light, if Silvia be not is joy, if Silvia be it be to think that she upon the shadow of

It does not take four lines of "VALENTINE'S" speech to confirm for us, if confirmation be needed, that THOMAS is VIOLA. For WILL, amazement at hearing his own words soon gives away to something else. He is captivated. He has found his "ROMEO".d d Shakespeare

in Love, witten by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. Movie script, February 23, 1998, p. 30.

4 Deconstruction

65

Thomas Kent brings a surprising passion to the acting craft which immediately gains Will’s attention. Who is this young man who causes Will’s written words to spring to life? Soon, he discovers Thomas Kent is none other than Viola de Lesseps, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. She loves theater, swept away by the stories she experiences unfolding on stage. Unfortunately, the laws of the day forbid women from acting, hence her male alter ego. Will’s intersection with Viola marks the turning point in his Protagonist’s journey by setting into motion several deconstruction dynamics: • He and Viola become lovers, and together discover the rapture of physical and emotional bliss. As Viola proclaims to her nurse the morning after she and Will have consummated their affair: “It is a new world!” • Inspired by his blossoming romance with Viola, Will breaks through his writer’s block. Scenes emerge in the play he is writing inspired by events he experiences in real life (e.g., the ball where he first lays eyes on Viola, the passionate conversation he has with Viola as she stands on her balcony peering into the night sky). It is as if the world itself becomes a source of inspiration for Will and his play: characters triggered into being by people he passes on the street, lines of dialogue he hears from passersby, even advice from the great fellow playwright Christopher Marlowe (“Romeo is… Italian. Always in and out of love… His best friend is killed in a duel… His name is Mercutio”). • As the rehearsals continue with “Thomas Kent” in the starring male role, Will finds himself not only creatively charged and churning out pages, but also discovering a different story springing forth from the tip of his quill pen. The title has changed: Now it is called Romeo and Juliet. No longer a comedy for the masses, it is transforming into a drama about two starcrossed lovers. Will’s life is completely changed. He no longer wastes money on whores, he has found love in the arms of Viola, and rather than frittering away his time drinking in local taverns, Will races to his writing desk as the words to his play pour out from the fertile wellspring aroused by Viola. This period of time—the writing, rehearsals, hours spent with Viola both in and out of bed—is the apex of his life (Fig. 4.4). In most stories, the Protagonist endures deconstruction as an ordeal. A stranger in a strange land, they are forced to reject old behaviors and embrace new ones, compelled to change when change is scary. Will’s journey in Shakespeare in Love is an example of deconstruction as a positive experience. From a psychological viewpoint, Will must go through this uplifting passage in order

66

S. Myers

Fig. 4.4 William Shakespeare and Viola de Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love (1998)

to feel the heights of euphoria, so he may bring that part of the human experience to his writing. This sets the stage for the next episode in his journey in which he will feel the depths of sorrow and loss, keys to his psychological reconstruction.

Deconstruction: Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Despite her protests otherwise, Rebecca Bunch has relocated to West Covina, California to pursue a romance with Josh, a boy she had a fleeting connection with in summer camp many years ago. Why the shocking departure from a cushy job at a prestigious New York City law firm? Because that summer with Josh is one Rebecca associates with being happy. During Season One after failing to woo Josh via several over-the-top schemes, Rebecca has an epiphany when she breaks into song (“The Villain in My Own Story”) (Fig. 4.5): I try to be good to others Treat my fellow men like brothers and sisters That’s the story I’m the hero in So how come I can’t zero in On why this song sounds so sinister? Oh my god I’m the villain in my own story I’m the witch in my own tale Though I insist I’m the Protagonist It’s clear that my soul is up for sale

4 Deconstruction

67

Fig. 4.5 Rebecca Bunch as a fantastical witch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019)

I’m the villain in my own story The bad guy in my TV show I’m the “who” in the “whodunnit” When I go to Hell, I’ll run it As Satan’s CFOe e Crazy

Ex-Girlfriend, S1, Ep14 (“Josh is Going to Hawaii!”), written by Sono Patel, directed by Erin Ehrlich. CW, March 7, 2016.

Staring into the mirror, Rebecca sees herself reflected back as an evil sorceress, a caricature of a Disney villain with Valencia, Josh’s actual girlfriend, portrayed as a princess trapped in the witch’s lair. The sequence represents a breakthrough for Rebecca in her Protagonist’s journey in that she achieves a level of self-awareness about her narcissistic state of being. Her actions during the series’ first season take her down the path into deconstruction: • Rebecca and Josh begin Season Two as sexual partners, but there is little commitment from Josh, who increasingly spends time apart from her. When Rebecca has a pregnancy scare, they split up at his behest. • Recognizing she is “addicted” to Rebecca’s complicated life, her best friend Paula distances herself from Rebecca, leaving her with one less person to lean on. • In Season One, Rebecca reluctantly begins to see a therapist, whereas in Season Two, their sessions become more frequent and substantial in confronting Rebecca’s psychological issues.

68

S. Myers

• Torn between feelings for Josh and Greg, in S2, Ep4 (“When Will Josh and His Friend Leave Me Alone?”), Rebecca declares, “I don’t know who I am. Who am I supposed to be now?” This question plays out over the course of Season Two with Rebecca in various states of connection to disconnection with the men in her life: Greg Trent, who began as a fake boyfriend in Season One, only to become fixated on making Rebecca a real girlfriend; Nathaniel, who buys the law firm where Rebecca works and develops a romantic interest in her; her father Silas, who abandoned Rebecca during her youth, and Josh, the latter building to the season-ending S2, Ep13 (“Can Josh Take a Leap of Faith?”) in which he and Rebecca are set to be married. There is a huge twist at the end of this episode which drives home the degree of Rebecca’s deconstruction: a memory (“dissociated episode”) of Rebecca’s stint at Harvard Law School, where it is revealed she had been lovers with Robert, her law professor there. When he broke off the relationship, Rebecca set Robert’s house on fire, which led to her forced departure from the university. Only a stint in a mental institution enabled her to have the crime expunged from her official record. Thus, the Rebecca introduced in Season One, manic obsessive and narcissistic, is revealed at the end of Season Two to be an even more deeply troubled individual. Of particular interest, she has gone all-in with her need for external validation. In the final episode of Season Two, Rebecca breaks out into a fantasy song about the significance of her upcoming wedding (“Rebecca’s Reprise”): 'Cause my daddy will love me And then, in a wonderful way Everything in the past will just fall away My daddy will love me And my mommy will love me And Josh will love me And then I'll never have problems again f f Crazy

Ex-Girlfriend, S2, Ep14 (Can Josh Take a Leap of Faith?), written by Aline Brosh McKenna, directed by Aline Brosh McKenna. CW, February 3, 2017.

However, Josh does not show up for the event, instead attempting to escape from Rebecca with an impulsive decision to become a priest. Stunned by this betrayal, Rebecca races off toward a coastal overhang on the precipice of

4 Deconstruction

69

committing suicide (“Why do they all leave? Every man I’ve ever loved, they all leave”). Compared to the Rebecca early on in Season One who has a simple goal in mind—win back Josh—by the time Season Two ends, her deconstruction has led her to an existential crisis. This lays the groundwork for Season Three where Rebecca confronts even deeper truths about her psychological condition.

Deconstruction: Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Miles Morales may have several disunity elements at work in his life at the beginning of the story, including an uneasy relationship with his father over his expectations for Miles at the boy’s new school. That is nothing compared to what occurs once he is bitten by a radioactive spider. Unable to control the bizarre changes happening to his body, most notably sticking to anything and everything, Miles caroms about the city at the whim of the “Spidey” stuff coursing through his veins. Even though his experiences take place in neighborhoods near home, he is a fish out of water as everything has changed (Fig. 4.6). This deconstruction process intensifies when Miles returns to the tunnel to examine the spider which bit him. Led by his growing Spidey senses, Miles

Fig. 4.6 Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

70

S. Myers

travels further into the subterranean tunnels and emerges into a “supercollider staging chamber.” There he witnesses a superhero battle between the actual Spider-Man and Green Goblin, one of Kingpin’s henchmen: SpiderMan is attempting to stop Kingpin from running a test of the supercollider (“I just need to destroy this big machine real quick before the space–time continuum collapses”). When Miles slips and falls into the vast supercollider room, Spider-Man takes a break from the skirmish to save the boy. At that moment: “Their spider-senses RESONATE. Like a mind meld.” SPIDER-MAN (thrown) I thought I was the only one. You’re like me. MILES I don’t want to be. SPIDER-MAN I don’t think you have a choice, kiddo.g g Spider-Man:

Into the Spider-Verse, screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, story by Phil Lord. Movie script, dated December 3, 2018, p. 30.

Spider-Man is just about to insert a thumb drive (“shutdown key”) into the supercollider instrument panel when The Prowler, another of Kingpin’s henchmen, launches an attack. In the control room, Kingpin gives the goahead and the test run commences creating a “dimensional quake.” Gravely wounded, Spider-Man gives Miles the thumb drive making him vow to destroy the collider before Kingpin can restart it. If Kingpin succeeds, Spider-Man says, “Everything you know will disappear. Your family, everyone – everyone.” With that promise, the boy, who had been fighting responsibilities laid on him by his father and teachers, finds himself expected to save the world. After Kingpin kills Spider-Man, Miles moves deeper into deconstruction: • The death of Spider-Man leaves Miles alone with the knowledge of Kingpin’s plans and the charge to stop them. • Upon visiting Peter Parker’s grave, a second Spider-Man shows up from yet another universe: Peter B. Parker. Overweight, depressed, and a failure in his life, this version of Spider-Man causes Miles to question assumptions about the very nature of superheroes.

4 Deconstruction

71

• Miles purchases a Spider-Man costume which he wears to model the idea of taking on the superhero’s role, but he has substantial doubts (“I’m not sure I’m the guy”). His apprehension grows when he accidentally damages the thumb drive he is supposed to use to shut down the collider. Then Miles watches Mary Jane (MJ) on television as she provides a eulogy for her deceased husband Peter Parker: MJ (V.O.) My husband Peter Parker was an ordinary person. He always said it could have been anyone behind the mask. He was just the kid who happened to get bit.h h Ibid.,

p. 40.

Later at a memorial service, he hears MJ say this: MJ My favorite thing about Peter is that he made us each feel powerful. We all have powers of one kind or another. But in our own way, we are all Spider-man. And we’re all counting on you.i i Ibid.,

p. 41.

Peter B. Parker serves as a Mentor to Miles, training him in his newly acquired Spidey ways (including invisibility), but the key to the teen’s deconstruction is this: Miles has to learn that if “we all have powers,” that includes him. In order to fulfill his promise to the deceased Spider-Man, Miles must not only master his Spidey skills, he will have to tap into powers which already exist within and become his own iteration of a superhero.

72

S. Myers

Summary Let us return to Carl Jung’s observation: “There is no birth of consciousness without pain.”9 This lies at the core of the deconstruction process. No matter the Protagonist’s attitude toward their initial state of disunity, they are naturally attached to their old ways of being. Transformation is challenging and there is no assurance it will end with a positive result, but the deconstruction movement in the Protagonist’s journey by default compels them to change. The discomfort they experience through various deconstruction tests—or joy in the case of William Shakespeare—is necessary to break down preexisting patterns of behavior and belief systems, which represent their inauthentic life. For this is the path to unveil their inner “powers” which reshape and redefine who they are in the next stage of their journey: Reconstruction. Exercise Come up with two movies: One in which the Protagonist has a positive experience during deconstruction and one in which they have a negative experience. Compare the Protagonists reflecting on why their respective experiences are what each needs to have relative to their individual journeys.

Further Study Screenwriters’ Masterclass: Screenwriters Talk About Their Greatest Movies, Kevin Conroy Scott (editor), Newmarket Press, 2005, Ted Tally interview, pp. 1–25. Script Tease: Today’s Hottest Screenwriters Bare All , Dylan Callaghan (editor), Adams Media, 2012, Vince Gilligan interview, pp. 81–91. Backstory 5: Interviews with Screenwriters of the 1990s, Patrick McGilligan (editor), University of California Press, 2009, Tom Stoppard interview, pp. 189–204. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Showrunner, Aline Brosh McKenna On Creating a Hit TV Show, Creative Screenwriting, June 20, 2018, https://creativescreenwriting.com/crazyex-girlfriend-showrunner-aline-brosh-mckenna-creating-hit-tv-show/. Chris Miller & Phil Lord Interview: Into the Spider-Verse, ScreenRant, December 13, 2018, https://screenrant.com/spiderman-spider-verse-chris-miller-phil-lordinterview/.

9

C. G. Jung, “Development of Personality,” Collected Works XVII (Princeton University Press, 1981), p. 193.

4 Deconstruction

73

What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting, Marc Norman, Crown Archetype, 2007.

References Bloom, R. and Brosh McKenna, A. (creator) (2015–2019). Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ; The CW Network. Gilligan, V. (creator) (2008–2013). Breaking Bad ; American Movie Classics (AMC). Jung, C. G. (1980). “The Psychology of the Child Archetype,” Collected Works 9i; Princeton University Press. Jung, C. G. (1981). “The Development of Personality,” Collected Works XVII; Princeton University Press. Lord, P. and Rothman, R. (screenplay), Lord P. (story) (2018). Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Marvel Entertainment/Sony Pictures Entertainment. Norman, M. and Stoppard, T. (written by) (1998). Shakespeare in Love; Miramax Films. Tally, T. (screenplay), Harris, T. (novel) (1991). The Silence of the Lambs; Orion Pictures.

5 Reconstruction

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Inauthentic Existence: Represented by the Protagonist’s initial disunity state, they begin their journey disconnected from their true self and who they are supposed to be. • Reconstruction: A stage in a Protagonist’s metamorphosis process in which they embrace aspects of their inner psyche which emerge into the light of consciousness. • Authentic Nature: The collective aspects of a Protagonist’s psyche which represents the truest version of who they are supposed to be. Also: Core Essence, True Self. • New Ways of Being: The Protagonist’s authentic nature emerges from their inner psyche, changing their beliefs and behaviors, fueling the transformation of their self-identity. • Proactive: Associated with the reconstruction phase of metamorphosis, it reflects the Protagonist’s forward-moving drive toward their conscious and unconscious goal.

The Protagonist’s journey is fundamentally about change. It begins with the character in disunity. Whatever old ways of being they have cobbled together do not represent the life they are supposed to be living. Psychologically speaking, it is an Inauthentic Existence. In order to become who they are meant to be, the Protagonist needs to move out of their inactive state and

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_5

75

76

S. Myers

depart from the status quo. This is the narrative imperative of the Protagonist and their ensuing journey. Drawn out of their old world, the Protagonist discovers their preexisting beliefs do not carry over well into this new world. They are forced into a reactive mode as a result of events and characters they intersect with which challenge established behaviors. No matter how much they attempt to cling to past assumptions, these new experiences compel the character to change. That change is not arbitrary. Breaking down previous patterns enables dormant aspects of their psyche to emerge into the light of consciousness. This is key: The foundation for the Protagonist’s metamorphosis already awaits within. This is why Joseph Campbell says: The passage of the mythological hero may be over ground, incidentally; fundamentally it is inward--into depths where obscure resistances are overcome, and long lost, forgotten powers are revivified, to be made available for the transfiguration of the world… [Now] it appears that the perilous journey was a labor not of attainment but reattainment, not discovery but rediscovery.1

These dynamics arising from the Protagonist’s Authentic Nature, the “seeds” of who they are supposed to be, not only serve as the basis of the character’s transformation; they also empower this shift. This stage in the character’s arc is Reconstruction, the passage in the Protagonist’s metamorphosis process in which they progress from their old self toward their new self, from their old ways of being to New Ways of Being .

Reconstruction Explored In Back to the Future (1985), Marty McFly begins his journey disconnected from his family. In his view, they are underachievers who feel far removed from Marty’s ambitious dreams of success: becoming a rock and roll star. His last name is ironic in that like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939), who dreams of a special place “over the rainbow” or Dwayne in Little Miss Sunshine (2006) whose goal is to become an airplane pilot, all three characters desire to “fly” away to another type of life, hoping they will discover a truer sense of self and home.

1

Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Commemorative ed.; Bollingen Series 17; (Princeton University Press, 1968), p. 24.

5 Reconstruction

77

Something happens. A tornado sweeps Dorothy away to the fantastical land of Oz. Dwayne is coerced into his family’s road trip to California for his sister Olive’s beauty pageant competition. A souped-up, nuclear powered DeLorean mistakenly swoops Marty thirty years back in time. These characters desire to change … and fate obliges in its own unexpected ways. Contrast the lead characters in the television series Big Little Lies (2017, 2019): Celeste, Madeline, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie. They begin their journeys in relative states of satisfaction. With the exception of Jane, a single mother who recently moved to Monterey, California, the women live in gorgeous houses, have committed married relationships, and are raising children who benefit from their parents’ status and wealth. On the surface, each character appears to be content with their life, but the mask of personal satisfaction they wear in public shrouds inner issues which rise up to create fissures in their normal lives: Bonnie’s pleasant, peaceful demeanor shrouds deep-seated pain and anger about a contentious relationship with her mother; Renata’s obsession with having it all—career, prominence, family, money—is driving her husband into moody seclusion and creates anxiety-inducing pressure on her young daughter; Jane attempts to immerse herself in the role of loving mother and good friend, however, she has major trust issues related to men due to having been sexually assaulted; Madeline revels in her busy roles as wife, mother, and social gadfly, but grapples with keeping secret an affair she recently had; and Celeste’s apparent beautiful life is a daily struggle to hide the fact she exists in a tormented marriage with her passionate, yet physically abusive husband. Jane’s arrival in town sets into motion a chain of events which over time forces each of these characters to confront their respective disunity states and deconstruct their perfect little lives to expose their big internal lies. Seeking to change or resistant to it, the Protagonist is pulled by fate out of their ordinary world. By responding to an unfolding chain of events, the choices they are compelled to make deconstruct who they once were. This is a natural aspect of transformation, a “falling away of things… relied on” and as a result, both symbolically and psychologically, their “world… is coming to an end, because it is.”2 However, this deconstruction stage of the Protagonist’s journey serves a greater purpose: The process of breaking down existing habits and behaviors creates opportunities for the character’s need to emerge from the dark corners of their psyche into the illumination of consciousness. This becomes the foundation for their new self as they move into reconstruction.

2 Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have (Conari Press, 2011), p. 257.

78

S. Myers

Fig. 5.1 Frank Galvin in The Verdict (1982)

Frank Galvin, the Protagonist of the movie The Verdict (1982), once had a promising legal career as a full partner in a prestigious Boston law firm until he was fired on trumped-up charges of jury tampering. In the four years since, he has become a divorced alcoholic, reduced to seeking potential clients at funerals, soliciting business from the families of deceased accident victims. A long-time mentor and friend gifts Frank an airtight medical malpractice case. All he has to do is show up for a meeting with the hospital’s representative, the bishop of the Boston archdiocese, and accept their offer on behalf of the victim’s family. In so doing, Frank will net a fee of seventy thousand dollars, enabling him to get back on his feet. However, when he visits the hospitalized comatose victim, listening to her mechanically assisted breaths, Frank declines the Bishop’s offer (“If I take that money, I’m lost.”) and decides to try the case. His movement from disunity to deconstruction is marked by Frank getting back in touch with his legal instincts in building a case for his client. Unfortunately, he is up against the top law firm in Boston which uses every trick in the book to crush him, including planting a mole in Frank’s office. Continuing to pursue the case as a decided underdog, Frank rediscovers a part of himself which had been lost in the downward spiral of life: his belief in justice. Thus begins his reconstruction into the lawyer whose final address to the jury in the trial wins the day (Fig. 5.1) (“I believe that there is justice in our hearts.”).3 3

The Verdict, screenplay by David Mamet, based on a novel by Barry Reed. Movie script, dated November 23, 1981.

5 Reconstruction

79

In the television series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2019, 2021), the Protagonist is Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a housewife and mother of two living in New York City in 1958. Her seemingly happy existence is upended when her husband reveals he has been having an affair with his secretary and is leaving Midge. This shock to the system results in Midge drunkenly venting her anger on stage at a local nightclub, her caustic wit wowing the audience and generating waves of laughter. She caps off her spontaneous performance by exposing her breasts (“Imagine coming home to these every night”) and getting arrested for public indecency. However, the experience of getting on stage and entertaining a crowd of strangers turns out to be a serendipitous event as it opens the door for Midge to funnel her unique sense of humor into a blossoming career as a stand-up comic. The deconstruction of her old life enables her to reconstruct into a new one, using the stage to hone her craft as a comedian and explore what it means to be a woman in America in the late fifties (Fig. 5.2). As with Frank Galvin, reconstruction can be about rediscovering some forgotten aspect of a character’s psyche or like Midge Maisel, it can include uncovering a previously unknown inner capability, but in all cases, this passage in a Protagonist’s journey involves the character confronting and eventually embracing their emerging need. Reflecting the complexity and diversity of the human experience, a Protagonist’s need may take many shapes as it emerges in the reconstruction stage of a character’s metamorphosis:

Fig. 5.2 Miriam “Midge” Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2019, 2021)

80

S. Myers

• In stories such as Shrek (2001), Up (2009), and Drive (2011), the Protagonist’s self-imposed solitude is broken down into a reconstruction process whereby they open up to repressed feelings and rediscover the ability to connect with others. • In Groundhog Day (1993), As Good As It Gets (1997), and Dallas Buyers Club (2013), the Protagonist’s initial state of selfishness is reconstructed into selflessness as the character embraces their ability to have empathy for others. • In stories like Tootsie (1982), Rango (2011), and The Big Sick (2017), the Protagonists confront the false construction of their lives, then reconstruct them so they are honest with themselves as well as other characters important to them. • In The Matrix (1999), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and Arrival (2016), the Protagonists master innate skills in ways they could never have imagined, reconstructing them into their unique roles as heroes. • In Nightcrawler (2014), Whiplash (2014), and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), the Protagonists’ obsession with achieving their want leads them down a reconstruction path toward success, but at a significant personal loss. Whereas the Protagonist may experience deconstruction in a reactive mode, once they settle into their new world, getting more comfortable with the faces and places around them, and—critically—begin to embrace their need as it continually emerges from within, the reconstruction process empowers the character to become proactive. Building upon the certainty that this is the path they need to be traveling, the Protagonist seizes opportunities and makes choices which reflect their growing confidence.

Reconstruction: Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs Clarice Starling agrees to Hannibal Lecter’s quid pro quo offer and reveals personal information about her troubled past in exchange for clues about Buffalo Bill. In so doing, she has unwittingly set into motion a major plot twist: Dr. Alex Chilton has secretly taped the pair’s conversations and makes Lecter a deal of his own. Lecter is transferred to Memphis, Tennessee to meet with the latest kidnap victim’s mother, Senator Ruth Martin, providing key details about Buffalo Bill’s identity, while pulling the psychiatrist away from Clarice’s meddling.

5 Reconstruction

81

How does Clarice respond? She flies to Memphis to meet with Lecter in a desperate attempt to get him to reveal the whereabouts of Buffalo Bill (Clarice has deduced the clues Lecter gave to Senator Martin are lies). It is notable that Clarice makes this bold choice without informing Jack Crawford or seeking any formal approval for her actions. This reflects how she has become proactive by taking greater agency in the case. What transpires in Clarice’s final meeting with Lecter is influential on two fronts. In terms of the Buffalo Bill case, Lecter provides the key to determining the serial killer’s location (“He covets… We begin by coveting what we see every day”). In terms of Clarice’s metamorphosis, however, there is the matter of her “confession” (Fig. 5.3). Lecter demands she recount the full truth about what happened on her cousin’s Montana sheep and horse ranch when she was ten years old. Clarice recalls the pre-dawn morning when she was awakened by a “strange sound… some kind of – screaming.” DR. LECTER They were slaughtering the spring lambs? CLARICE Yes...! They were screaming. DR. LECTER So you ran away...

Fig. 5.3 Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

82

S. Myers

CLARICE No. First I tried to free them... I opened the gate of their pen - but they wouldn't run. They just stood there, confused. They wouldn't run... DR. LECTER But you could. You did. CLARICE I took one lamb. And I ran away, as fast as I could.a aThe

Silence of the Lambs, screenplay by Ted Tally, based on a novel by Thomas Harris. Movie script, dated January 15, 1990, pp. 73–74.

The lamb is symbolic of her father, an innocent who was “slaughtered” in the line of duty. In attempting to rescue a single lamb, Clarice was subconsciously attempting to “save” her father. Lecter knows as much when he says, “And you think if you save poor Catherine, you could make them stop, don’t you? You think if Catherine lives, you won’t wake up in the dark ever again to that awful screaming of the lambs.” Lecter has grasped all along that Clarice’s journey is one of redemption, an attempt to somehow balance out her father’s death. Why else did she go into law enforcement, but to seek justice for his murder? The fact that Clarice is finally able to share this deep, dark secret she has withheld all these years—what transpired that night on the Montana ranch—marks a signature moment in her reconstruction. The courage she exhibits in giving voice to that which torments her in her recurring nightmares will empower her in the eventual showdown with Buffalo Bill.

Reconstruction: Walter White in Breaking Bad At the start of Season Three, drug kingpin Gustavo Fring to whom Walt was introduced late in Season Two makes Walt an offer: three million dollars for three months work cooking meth. Walt declines: “I am not a criminal… this is not me. I have money… What I don’t have is my family.” When he confesses the truth about his illegal activities to his wife Skyler, feeling betrayed, she demands he move out of their house and declares she is seeking a divorce. Subsequently, he is fired from his job as a high school teacher. He may have gained a reprieve from cancer, but in his attempts to return to a semblance of his old life, he receives no absolution.

5 Reconstruction

83

At the end of S3, Ep4 (“Green Light”), Walt finds himself in his car stopped at a red light at a quiet intersection. Quite literally, he is at a crossroads. Pondering his life, a car swerves up beside him. The driver tosses a bag of cash into Walt’s car, telling him, “Your half.” It is a message from Gus: Take the deal. Meanwhile on the car radio, Buddy Stewart sings “In the Valley of the Sun”: Now my life has just begun The two of us are one Spending all our days In the valley of the sun5 b Breaking

Bad, S3, Ep4 (“Green Light “), written by Sam Catlin, directed by Scott Winant. AMC, April 11, 2010.

As the stoplight turns green, Walt drives off into his inevitable destiny: He chooses to get back into the drug trade. Over the course of Seasons Three and Four, Walt is transformed from “Mr. Chips into Scarface,” as the show was originally pitched by series creator Vince Gilligan.4 His life truly has “just begun” as the dual aspects of his psyche progressively merge (“the two of us are one”): Walter White as Heisenberg. In order for his character to reach that eventual state of unity, Walt must go through a reconstruction phase. In so doing, he navigates several tricky plot developments and complicated relationships. These include: Skyler, who after having an affair, is drawn back into Walt’s sphere of influence as she becomes the drug operation’s bookkeeper, purchasing the car wash where Walt used to work to launder cash; Hank, who after being seriously injured in a shooting and quitting the police force, continues to investigate the mysterious local drug lord known as “Heisenberg”; and Jesse, who befitting a Trickster character, shifts from Walt’s meth-cooking partner to gun-wielding enemy, threatening to kill Walt, who he believes poisoned the young son of Jesse’s new girlfriend. The most influential character in Walt’s reconstruction, however, is Gus Frings. Adept at wearing multiple “masks,” Gus adopts the role of Mentor to Walt. Walt tells Gus, “I find you extraordinarily professional and I appreciate the way you do business.” Working within Gus’s drug empire, Walt learns the ins and outs of how to run a high-powered illegal operation. This includes 4

See Chapter Three: Disunity.

84

S. Myers

the biggest lesson of all: To be a drug lord, one has to conduct business with absolute and utter ruthlessness. Gus dispatches anyone who gets in his way, including children. At one point, Gus takes Walt out to the desert and threatens him, “If you try to interfere, this becomes a much simpler matter. I will kill your wife. I will kill your son. I will kill your infant daughter”. During Season Three, Walt increasingly taps into the fury which has existed within him since the very beginning of the series to motivate his actions. In S3, Ep12 (“Half Measures”), Walt saves Jesse’s life by using his car to run over two hitmen, then fires a pistol point blank to finish off the killings. In that same episode, Walt tells Jesse, “Murder is not part of your twelve step program. You are not a murderer.” Yet in the very next episode (“Full Measure”), he orders Jesse to kill Gale, the assistant Gus is grooming in order to dispatch Walt (“I saved your life. Are you going to save mine?”). In Season Four, Walt schemes to kill Gus to escape growing threats from the drug kingpin, not only against Walt, but the lives of his family, his brother-in-law Hank, and Hank’s wife Marie. Walt manufactures ricin to poison Gus, but Jesse, who been entrusted by Gus to handle the methcooking operation, cannot bring himself to commit another murder. As a result, Walt plants a bomb in Gus’s car, but Gus senses something is awry and avoids assassination. Eventually, Gus’s luck runs out as Walt visits Hector, former senior member of the Juárez Cartel, now disabled, and plants a bomb in the old man’s wheelchair which detonates killing both and Gus. In a telling exchange with Skyler in S4, Ep6 (“Cornered”), it becomes clear how deep into his reconstruction Walt is (Fig. 5.4): Walt: Clearly you don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skyler. I am the danger. A guy opens his door and gets shot and you think that of me? No. I am the one who knocks! 7 c Breaking

Bad, S4, Ep6 (“Cornered “), written by Gennifer Hutchison, directed by Michael Slovis. AMC, August 21, 2011.

In outsmarting Gus by blowing him up, along with several other people at a local nursing home, Walt ends Season Four by telling Skyler, “I won.” Gus, his Mentor-turned-Nemesis, has taught Walt well how to conduct business— with utter ruthlessness. This feeds into Walt’s metamorphosis and the series’ final season in which he fully embraces Heisenberg.

5 Reconstruction

85

Fig. 5.4 Walter White (a.k.a Heisenberg) in Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

Reconstruction: William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love About midway through the movie, Will and Viola lie in bed wrapped in each other’s arms after a night of rapturous bliss. WILL I found something in my sleep. The Friar who married them will take up their destinies. VIOLA Oh, but it will end well for love? WILL In heaven, perhaps. It is not a comedy I am writing now. A broad river divides my lovers--family, duty, fate--as unchangeable as nature. VIOLA (sobered) Yes, this is not life, Will. This is a stolen season.d d Shakespeare

in Love, written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. Movie script, February 23, 1998, p. 73.

86

S. Myers

This marks a transition in the plot and the tone of the story. Up to this point, once the two have met and become lovers, their lives have been a delirious delight of lovemaking and theatrical creativity—Will as writer, Viola as actor in rehearsals as the great play Romeo and Juliet blossoms into being. Now, however, this idyllic moment in time is coming to an end as the reality of Viola’s life presses down upon the couple. It is directly after this conversation that Lord Wessex shows up to take Viola, his wife to be, to meet the Queen and receive her blessing on the marriage. Viola tells Will, “Oh, Will! As Thomas Kent my heart belongs to you but as Viola the river divides us, and I will marry Wessex a week from Saturday.” Thus, Will is compelled by fate to enter into the next phase of his Protagonist’s journey: Viola is shattered to learn that Will is already married, but separated from his wife; when Will discovers that Marlowe has been murdered, he is wracked with guilt thinking that his earlier lie led to the great playwright’s death; when authorities discover that Will and Viola have become lovers, they reveal the secret identity of “Thomas Kent” and shut down the Rose Theatre for breaking the ban on female actors. Will is offered another theater to put on the premiere performance of Romeo and Juliet, but this provides little solace to Will as Viola goes through with her nuptials. Wessex announces he is taking his new bride to Virginia, where he will use the funds he has procured from his marriage to make a fortune on the tobacco plantations he owns there (Fig. 5.5). As Will prepares for Romeo and Juliet’s opening night, he has lost everything of value to him. However, the impending separation from Viola and other calamitous events of this part of the story mark the reconstruction of Will’s character. He needed to travel into and through this dark valley of despair to match the rapture he had experienced with Viola in order

Fig. 5.5 William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love (1998)

5 Reconstruction

87

to become a writer capable of creating plays with emotional depth and complexity. Indeed, it is during this stage of the story that Will discovers the ending of his new play: the deaths of the star-crossed lovers. He never would have stumbled upon that tragic, but powerful resolution to the fates of Romeo and Juliet had he not gone through a reconstruction process which brought him to the lowest of emotional lows.

Reconstruction: Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season Three kicks off with a musical number as series characters attired like medieval villagers ask over and over again: “Where’s Rebecca Bunch?” Having run away from a wedding gone awry when Josh failed to show up for the ceremony, the bride not-to-be has disappeared. As it turns out, she is holed up in her bedroom, depressed and questioning her very existence (“Who am I now? What will I be? My reason for living has abandoned me”). Her longstanding belief that Josh’s love is the key to her happiness has been shattered, and thus, Rebecca has reached a critical point of deconstruction. No longer viewing the world through romantic rose-colored glasses, she peers into herself and discovers a new aspect of her psyche as well as a new goal: I want revenge for my broken heart But I'm so devastated, I don't know where to start My defenses are down after his sneak attack Do I let him win or do I fight back? Fight back! Fight back! Fight back! I have to transform From a victim To a woman scorned 9 e Crazy

Ex-Girlfriend, S3, Ep1 (“Josh’s Ex-Girlfriend Wants Revenge.”), written by Rachel Bloom & Aline Brosh McKenna, directed by Erin Ehrlich. CW, October 13, 2017.

Over the first four episodes of Season Three, Rebecca does transform, fueled by a hysteric desire to exact retribution on Josh. Armed with a hair color kit (“TRUE2COLOR / DARK BROWN”) and two DVDs (Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct ), she is inspired by movie femme fatales, witness the musical number “Scary Scary Sexy Lady” featured in S3, Ep4 (“Josh’s

88

S. Myers

Ex-Girlfriend Is Crazy.”)5 Her devious schemes include: creating a fake sex tape; writing an article for a local blog claiming Josh is anti-gay and racist; promising her boss Nathaniel sex in exchange for his help, which almost gets Josh’s father killed and grandfather deported; influenced by the movie Swimfan, stalking Josh outside his house; sabotaging Josh’s efforts to get back his old job. Rebecca’s revenge mode is capped off when she “kidnaps” Lourdes, Josh’s mother, accompanying her to a local carnival where Josh confronts Rebecca and declares, “If you ever, ever, get near me or anyone I care about ever again, I’m calling the police.” The failure of her elaborate revenge ploys leads to a critical turn of events in S3, Ep5 (“I Never Want to See Josh Again”). As series co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna said in comments about Season Three, “Revenge doesn’t solve anything… It is a very self-immolating act and once she’s achieved it, she feels worse than ever.”6 Left with nothing, Rebecca attempts suicide by overdosing on anti-anxiety pills. In S3, Ep6 (“Josh Is Irrelevant.”) while in recovery, the hospital psychiatrist provides a different diagnosis of Rebecca’s psychological condition: borderline personality disorder. This marks an opportunity for Rebecca to seek real change in her life and she tests the water by apologizing to her West Covina friends as well as attending group therapy sessions. However, old patterns of behavior prove too strong to break as she starts a secret affair with Nathaniel behind his current girlfriend’s back. For much of the second half of Season Three, Rebecca attempts to replicate a variation of what she fantasized having with Josh. She very well might have continued down this self-deceiving path were it not for the sudden reappearance of Trent. If Nathaniel represents a vestige of Rebecca’s infantile notions of romance with Josh, Trent acts as a projection of Rebecca’s shadow, how her obsessive personality will do most anything to achieve her goals.7 In Trent’s case, he threatens to blackmail her to be his girlfriend and when that fails, he determines to murder Nathaniel, but in the season-ending episode, Rebecca saves Nathaniel by pushing Trent off a roof (Fig. 5.6). As a result, he ends up in a full body cast and Rebecca finds herself in court in front of a judge, charged with attempted murder. Advised by Nathaniel, acting as her legal counsel, to plead “not guilty by reason of insanity,” instead Rebecca says this:

5 In a February 13, 2018 92Y interview, Rachel Bloom noted about the writers’ approach to Season 3: “We said this season was going to be like funny Fatal Attraction,” https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=62sDq2jzPI0. 6 Ibid. 7 In S3, Ep12 (“Trent?!”), he tells Rebecca, (“I’m one scary scary sexy man”) which is a callback to the song Rebecca sang “Scary Scary Sexy Lady” from S3, Ep4.

5 Reconstruction

89

Fig. 5.6 Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019)

I may have borderline, but I’m not insane. I’m responsible for everything that happened, all of it. As long as I can remember, I’ve let some other force control my life. My mother told me who to be, love told me where to go, and I went along with it all because I told myself that they weren’t my choices. That somehow the choices were being made for me. But that’s just not true. They were my choices. It’s my life and I’m responsible no matter what illness I have or what my parents were like, and let’s be clear, they suck. I didn’t mean to hurt Trent, but I did hurt him. And I want to face the consequences of what happened on that roof and of everything in my life. I have to. I want to change, Paula. And I swear I’m going to try. You don’t have to believe me. I mean I wouldn’t if I were you. I have broken so many promises, but I hope that this time is going to be different. Because this time, I truly want to be held responsible for my actions. So I plead responsible. I mean… guilty.13 f Crazy

Ex-Girlfriend, S3, Ep13 (“Nathaniel is Irrelevant.”), written by Aline Brosh McKenna & Michael Hitchcock, directed by Aline Brosh McKenna. CW, February 16, 2018.

This confession marks a high point in Rebecca’s reconstruction: For the first time, she actually acknowledges her wrongdoings and takes responsibility for them. In order to move toward unity, she had to hit rock bottom: the suicide attempt, an affair with Nathaniel, the confrontation with her shadow in the form of Trent. In the end, she realizes how all the schemes, dreams, plots, and ploys she employed up to this point represent a deeply flawed life based on the search for external validation. This leads to Season Four in which Rebecca begins the last chapter in her journey—in prison.

90

S. Myers

Reconstruction: Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Making their way to Alchemax Labs, Miles and Peter B. Parker, both attired in Spider-Man outfits, have a plan: break in and download the information necessary to create a new shutdown key (what Parker calls a “goober”). Parker orders Miles to stay outside, but when Miles spots Kingpin entering the facility, he heads off to warn his fellow superhero. This is the first decisive choice of many as Miles moves into a proactive mode, one sign he is entering the Reconstruction phase of his metamorphosis. More manifestations of Miles’ emerging sense of empowerment occur inside the Doctor Octopus’s lab (a.k.a. Doc Ock): When stressed, Miles discovers he can become invisible; he demonstrates smarts in stealing a computer with the information needed to create a new “goober”; he shows courage in the ensuing chase sequence; and with Parker’s tutelage, Miles starts to master a web shooter and swings through a forest of trees (“Thwip. And release”). However, when Peter glitches and falls, Miles crashes into a branch, dropping the computer. Ock snares it. When it looks like the good guys are done for, “a mysterious girl in a HOODIE and BALLET SHOES dispatches Doc Ock while WEBBING Peter and Miles to safety.” This is Gwen, who after having posed as a student at Miles’ new school, now reveals herself to be Spider-Woman (“I’m from another, another dimension”). Making their way to Aunt May’s house, May ushers them into the original Peter Parker’s secret hideout and there reveals three more Spidey characters: Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, and Spider-Ham, each displaced from their respective universes by the dimensional quake. Miles finds himself as part of a team of six Spider People, a surrogate Spidey family. Armed with a new “goober,” they determine they can not only destroy the super collider and save this universe, but in so doing find their way back to their respective homes. The question remains: Who will stay behind? Once more, Miles demonstrates his growing sense of self-confidence: MILES None of you can stay here. If you stay here, you’ll die. I’m the guy who’s going to turn it off and I’m going to get you all home before I do. Look, I made a promise. So I have to keep it.g

5 Reconstruction

91

g Spider-Man:

Into the Spider-Verse, screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, story by Phil Lord. Movie script, dated December 3, 2018, p. 84.

Unfortunately, his courage is ahead of his Spidey capabilities as he fails some mental and physical tests the group give him including the final one: “Spider-Man always gets up.” Being told by the others he is not ready, a dejected Miles leaves the group leading to a series of unfortunate events: Miles discovers Prowler is actually his Uncle Aaron; returning to the Spiders to share this information, Miles accidentally leads a group of Kingpin’s henchmen there including Doc Ock, Tombstone, and Scorpion; a massive battle ensues leading Prowler to chase Miles, but when Miles removes his mask, Uncle Aaron hesitates, unwilling to kill his nephew, and as a result is shot by Kingpin; Uncle Aaron dies with Miles at his side (“You’re the best of all of us, Miles. You’re on your way. Just… keep going… just keep going”). Enraged at this personal loss, Miles returns to his dorm room only to find the other Spider People there. They need the “goober” which Miles managed to snare. PETER Look, I know how much you want this, kid… But you don’t have it yet. MILES When will I know I’m ready— PETER You won’t. It’s a leap of faith. That’s all it is Miles. A leap of faith.h h Ibid.,

pp. 100–101.

The others leave Miles bound and gagged to his chair to ensure he will not follow them as they charge away to do battle with Kingpin’s clan. Adding to Miles’ emotional distress at not being able to fulfill his promise to the original Peter Parker, Miles has to live with the knowledge that Peter B. Parker has chosen to be the one to stay behind and sacrifice himself, so the other Spiders can go home. All the preceding challenges have put Miles to the test and while he has shown growth, he is not there yet. He needs one more moment of inspiration. That comes when his father shows up at Miles’ door. Since Miles is gagged, he cannot respond, only able to listen to what Jefferson has to say:

92

S. Myers

JEFFERSON Look sometimes, people drift apart, Miles. And I don’t want that to happen to us, ok? Look, I know I don’t always do what you need me to do or say what you need me to say, but I’m... I see this...this spark in you. It’s amazing, it’s why I push you. But it’s yours and whatever you choose to do with it, you’ll be great.i i Ibid.,

p. 103.

How will Miles respond to his father’s inspirational message? He allows himself to “relax” into the moment, getting in touch with his Spidey senses, and uses a venom strike to escape the chair, then turns invisible to leave the room unnoticed. Returning to Aunt May (“Took you long enough”), Miles arms himself with a Spider-Man outfit of his own creation and a pair of web shooters.8 Thus, Miles finds himself atop the Williamsburg Savings Bank, the tallest building in Brooklyn. He stands there hearing the echo of voices in his mind: “I see this spark in you… Our family doesn’t run from things… You’re the best of all of us, Miles… That’s all it is, Miles… a leap of faith.” It is a callback moment to a previous scene where Miles had scaled a building, stood at the edge of the roof, but could not bring himself to take a leap of faith.9 This time, he does (Fig. 5.7).

Summary The Protagonist’s journey is fundamentally about change and the reconstruction stage of the process reflects how the character gets in touch with and embraces their need, that most essential aspect of their authentic nature. This movement is most often capped by a series of reversals which causes the Protagonist to make a choice: press forward against all odds or go back home to an inauthentic life. In effect, this “all is lost” moment presents the Protagonist with an existential question: Who am I? The individual who began the story fumbling 8

The fact Miles spray paints and creates his own Spider-Man outfit symbolizes how he has embraced this new identity as his own. 9 Ibid., pp. 42–43.

5 Reconstruction

93

Fig. 5.7 Miles Morales as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

along in a state of disunity or the person they aspire to be. When choosing the latter, the Protagonist acknowledges the impact reconstruction has had, opening up the character to potential formerly untapped within their psyche. In other words, the Protagonist has not yet reached their unity state … but they are on their way. Exercise Select a Protagonist from a movie, novel, comic book, or graphic novel who progresses through a unity arc. Focus on the reconstruction phase of their journey. Identify one or more of the emerging psychological dynamics reflecting their authentic nature. Ask: How are these dynamics working to transform the Protagonist toward a state of unity?

94

S. Myers

Further Study On Story: Episode 208—Ted Tally and The Silence of the Lambs, Austin Film Festival, May 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzRDP253eXE. Anatomy of a Script: Vince Gilligan on Breaking Bad , Writers Guild Foundation, August 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx8ETtHxO9o. Times Talk: Tom Stoppard , New York Times, April 2016, https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=UKiYH7kW_eA. Conversations with Rachel Bloom, Aline Brosh McKenna of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend , SAG-AFTRA Foundation, June 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Um exJGMGnE. Interview: Into the Spider-Verse co-director/writer Rodney Rothman, Schoolism Interviews, December 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qf7tPfeSIg.

References Bloom, R. and Brosh McKenna, A. (creator) (2015–2019). Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ; The CW Network. Campbell, J. (1968). The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Commemorative ed.; Bollingen Series 17; Princeton University Press. Gilligan, V. (creator) (2008–2013). Breaking Bad ; American Movie Classics (AMC). Lord, P. and Rothman, R. (screenplay), Lord P (story) (2018). Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Marvel Entertainment / Sony Pictures Entertainment. Nepo, M. (2011). The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have; Conari Press. Norman, M. and Stoppard, T. (written by) (1998). Shakespeare in Love; Miramax Films. Tally, T. (screenplay), Harris, T (novel) (1991). The Silence of the Lambs; Orion Pictures.

6 Unity

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Unity: With the resolution of the plotline, the Protagonist moves toward a symbolic state of wholeness, the coalescing of everything they have learned during their journey. • Integration: The psychological process whereby a character incorporates key aspects of their psyche and moves toward a state of unity. • Final Struggle: The culminating event in the plotline, typically when the Protagonist has a decisive confrontation with the Nemesis. • Denouement: The scene or scenes after the final struggle which conveys to the audience what the journey has meant to the Protagonist and how their life has changed.

Just as the Protagonist’s journey has a beginning, it must also have an end. In terms of their character arc, if they start in disunity, that implies they progress toward Unity.1 These beginning and end points reflect the most common type of metamorphosis in long-form television and movie storytelling, whereby the character comes to know, understand, and embrace untapped aspects of the psyche, and Integrates them into a new self. This is the unity arc.2 1

See Chapter 2: Character Arc for other types of character metamorphosis. As opposed to the disintegration arc as noted in Chapter 2 with such characters as Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane and Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. 2

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_6

95

96

S. Myers

The character’s movement toward wholeness is not a transition into a generic “happy ending,” but rather a physical and psychological pilgrimage shaped by the specifics of the character’s life: their personal history and backstory, want and need, inner conflict and outer challenges. As writers, the more we engage ourselves in the lives of our characters, most notably the Protagonist, the more distinct their individuation from disunity to unity.

Unity Explored While there are recurring narrative archetypes within the spectrum of unity arc stories, they are as varied in nature as the characters which inhabit each story universe. Here are some examples in which the Protagonist progresses toward a state of unity: • Coming Home: Simba’s return from self-imposed exile in The Lion King (1994) leads to a final battle with Scar. In victory, Simba claims his birthright and destiny as king of the tribe. Solomon Northup’s homecoming in 12 Years a Slave (2013) consists of a quiet, tearful reunion with his family, now grown with a son-in-law and infant grandson who bears Solomon’s name. • Finding Home: In Jerry Maguire (1996) on the most successful day of his career as a sports agent, Jerry races back home to his estranged wife Dorothy because he has realized that without her, his life is incomplete. In Neighbors (2014), Marc and Kelly are unprepared for the rigors of parenthood, but after fate pits them in a battle against a college fraternity which moves in next door, the young couple embraces home life and the simple joys of raising a child. • Victory: In Rocky (1976), a struggling, small-time boxer gets the chance of a lifetime to fight the world heavyweight champion. Even though he loses the bout, he goes the distance and gains self-respect by discovering the fighter within. In The Natural (1984), after his promising baseball career is cut short by a tragic shooting, Roy Hobbs makes the unlikeliest of comebacks: He leads his underdog teammates to the pinnacle of success and in the process comes to terms with his past and his love for the game.3 • Survival : In Lost (2004–2010), multiple characters struggle to stay alive after having crash landed on a remote Pacific island. They combat personal 3 In both Rocky and The Natural , the Protagonists discover romance along the way and in the case of Roy Hobbs, the satisfaction of fatherhood. The bond between Protagonist and Attractor often caps off the emotional passage of the Protagonist from disunity to unity.

6 Unity

•

•

•

•

97

tensions, mysterious forces, physical dangers, and internecine conflicts, ending up in the series finale with a group reunion enabling them to “move on together.”4 In Die Hard (1988), NYPD cop John McClane wages a solo struggle against a team of high-tech robbers who have taken a group of civilians hostage, including McLane’s wife Holly. In enduring enormous hardships, defeating the Nemesis (Hans Gruber) and his crew, and rescuing the kidnap victims, McLane also saves his marriage (Fig. 6.1). Resurrection: In American Beauty (1999), Lester Burnham is stuck in an empty, joyless existence compounded by dysfunctional relationships with his wife and adolescent daughter. He embarks on a personal crusade of intentional transformation, leading to a cathartic moment where he rediscovers the wonder of life … only to have it snuffed out by an assailant’s bullet. In Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) after Joe learns he has a terminal disease, he quits his soul-sucking job in order to travel to a tropical island in order to willingly sacrifice himself by leaping into a volcano … only to discover a new zest for life in his journey along the way. Saying Goodbye: By unraveling the mystery of a young boy’s psychic ability to “see dead people,” child psychologist Malcolm Crowe in The Sixth Sense (1999) ultimately realizes he himself is a ghost, empowering him to give his blessing to his wife to go forward with her life and to meet his own postdeath destiny. In The Descendants (2011), Matt King unearths shocking truths about his comatose wife’s past, but with the help of his two daughters, he comes to grips with his grief, enabling him to bid farewell to his spouse upon her eventual death. Becoming Lovers: In the screwball comedy It Happened One Night (1934), fate throws together street smart newspaperman Peter Warne and sheltered millionaire heiress Ellie Andrews on a raucous road trip which enflames a romance between this pair of strange sojourners. In When Harry Met Sally… (1989), the pair attempts their best to just be friends, but once they lapse into a sexual encounter, they separate … only to find their way back together in the end. Recovery: After treatment for his bipolar disorder, Pat Solitano Jr. in Silver Linings Playbook (2012) struggles to overcome an obsession to reunite with his ex-wife. He manages to move forward with his life while working out a competitive dance routine with Tiffany Maxwell, a woman also confronting her own psychological issues. In The Big Sick (2017),

4 Jacob Stolworthy, “Lost ending explained: What actually went down in the most misunderstood finale of all time,” The Independent, May 22, 2020, https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertain ment/tv/news/lost-ending-explained-finale-jj-abrams-damon-lindelof-anniversary-what-happened-a83 65081.html.

98

S. Myers

Pakistani-American comedian Kumail Nanjiani falls for graduate student Emily Gardner, but when she has a serious medical crisis, he is forced to deal with the cultural expectations of his conservative Muslim family, the prejudices of Emily’s parents, his own career aspirations, and Emily’s emotions as she recuperates (Fig. 6.2). There are dozens more narrative archetypes ranging from Revenge to Redemption, Career Success to Case Solved, each having the potential to generate distinctive stories, based upon the singular nature of the characters who inhabit their world and the specific events which impact them.

Fig. 6.1 Holly McClane and John McClane at the end of Die Hard (1988)

Fig. 6.2 Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

6 Unity

99

This is reflected as well in the last movement of the Protagonist’s journey: unity. The series of events in the Final Struggle represents not only the culmination of the story’s plotline, but also the completion of the character’s metamorphosis. By embracing their unconscious goal as it emerges from the darkness of their inner psyche into the daylight of their consciousness, this empowers their transformation into a new self.

Unity: Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs When Hannibal Lecter escapes imprisonment, Clarice confides to her fellow F.B.I. trainee, “He’s won, Ardelia. It’s over.” In that moment of despair, Clarice feels that in losing access to Lecter, she no longer has the conduit to clues she needs to find the serial killer Buffalo Bill and his latest kidnap victim Catherine Martin. Clarice, however, discovers a spark of hope when she recalls, “Lecter said everything we need to catch him (Buffalo Bill) with is right here in these pages” (i.e., the case files). Digging into that information, Clarice makes a critical realization: Buffalo Bill knew the first victim of his killing spree, Fredrica Bimmel. This insight sends Clarice to Belvedere, Ohio where Fredrica lived. Notably, Clarice makes this move without any official authorization, her actions a reflection of her growing sense of empowerment and self-confidence. Clarice’s clue-gathering leads her to the house of a man who identifies himself as Jack Gordon. There is dramatic irony in the scene where they meet: While Clarice does not know the man she is speaking with is actually Buffalo Bill, the audience does. There is even a moment in the script where a death’s-head moth “buzzes its way into the room.” CLARICE – Unaware, is still glancing around the room. For several agonizing moments, we think she won’t see the moth – but then she turns, does see it, and her eyes freeze. a aThe

Silence of the Lambs, screenplay by Ted Tally, based on a novel by Thomas Harris. Movie script, dated January 15, 1990, p. 108.

Sensing she has deduced his true identity, Buffalo Bill leaps away into the bowels of his house. What ensues is Clarice’s sojourn into the metaphorical depths of Hell. Pistol in hand, she progresses through nine doorways, each a symbolic portal deeper into the darkest corners of her psyche. When she crosses the

100

S. Myers

Fig. 6.3 Clarice Starling talking with Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

fifth threshold, Clarice discovers Catherine, captive in the basement pit. Clarice says, “I’m gonna get you out of there, but right now, you listen to me. I’ve got to leave this room, I’ll be right back.” Why does Clarice leave Catherine to pursue Buffalo Bill? This is especially curious in light of the insight Lecter conveyed to her earlier: If Clarice saves “poor Catherine,” that will stop “that awful screaming of the lambs” in her recurring nightmares? It is what Lecter knows, but does not reveal to Clarice which compels her deeper into what has become her personal version of Dante’s Inferno: In order to confront her inner “demons” and redeem her father’s murder, Clarice not only needs to save Catherine Martin, she also must slay Buffalo Bill. After a harrowing few minutes in pitch darkness as Buffalo Bill stalks Clarice while wearing night vision goggles, she wheels around and fires several rounds from her service revolver, terminating Buffalo Bill’s life. By shedding his blood, she has atoned the death of the “innocent lamb” which was her father.This is made explicitly clear in the script when Crawford comforts Clarice telling her, “Starling… your father sees you.”5 In the Denouement, a smiling Clarice celebrates her graduation from the F.B.I. Academy, now officially a Special Agent. After the ceremony, she receives a phone call: It is none other than Hannibal Lecter, wishing her well, but still on the loose. This reminds Clarice there will always be bad guys out there roaming around, but for now at least, the lambs have stopped screaming (Fig. 6.3).

5

Ibid., p. 116.

6 Unity

101

Unity: Walter White in Breaking Bad In Season Five, Walt has several opportunities to walk away from the drug business and return to a normal, domestic life. Instead, each time he chooses the path of his alter ego Heisenberg: • Despite having dispatched Gus Frings and accrued enough money to take care of his family, Walt proposes in S5, Ep2 (“Madrigal”) that he and Jesse go into business for themselves with Mike as their partner in charge of distribution. • In S5, Ep4 (“Fifty-One”), Walt confesses to Skyler he is cooking meth again. Concerned for their children’s safety, she threatens to send Walt, Jr. and Holly to stay with their uncle and aunt, Hank and Marie. Walt opts to continue with his new drug enterprise and as a result, his children move out of the family house. • In S5, Ep6 (“Buyout”), Jesse and Mike make a proposal: All Walt has to do is agree to sell his one-third share of the methylamine they stole in S5, Ep5 (“Dead Freight”) and Walt will net five million dollars. Walt refuses. Why does Walt persist in choosing the Heisenberg path instead of turning away from life as a drug kingpin? Why risk the threat of arrest or violence toward his family? Season Five answers these questions by capping off three dynamics which have been at work in Walt’s psyche since the inception of the series. First, there is the backstory involving Gray Matter Technologies. While details of what happened to the company Walt co-founded decades ago with partner Elliott Schwartz have been alluded to in previous seasons, in S5, Ep6, Walt shares a more complete version of the story with Jesse: How Walt took a buyout for his share of the company which is currently worth over two billion dollars (“I sold my share, my potential, for $5000. I sold my kids’ birthright for a few months’ rent”). Tortured as he is by the choice he made with the deal, he cannot bear the thought of making a mistake like that again. Walt: Jesse, you asked me if I was in the meth business or the money business. Neither. I'm in the empire business.b b Breaking

Bad , S5, Ep6 (“Buyout”), written by Gennifer Hutchison, directed by Colin Bucksey. AMC, August 19, 2012.

102

S. Myers

Walt missed out on Gray Matter Technology. Creating his signature Blue Sky crystal meth with unparalleled purity and value in the marketplace provides Walt the opportunity to build an empire of his own. The second reason involves Walt’s relationship to his family. While his original inspiration for moving into the illegal drug trade was to provide money to care for his wife and children, if he should die of cancer, that motivation evolves over time. Walt’s growing obsession with the business and the lies he needs to tell to maintain his dual life leads to the deterioration of his relationships with Skyler and eventually Walt, Jr. In a moment of honesty with Jesse, Walt confesses the truth about his family situation: Walt: She made me kick my own kids out of the house. She told me that she was counting the days that my cancer came back. My wife is waiting for me to die. This business is all I have left now. It’s all I have. c c Ibid.

Whatever his initial motivation, the reality is the drug trade has become as important to Walt as his family. This leads to the third point. In the series finale, Walt has this exchange with Skyler, their final conversation: Walt: Skyler, all the things I did, you need to understand -Skyler: If I have to hear one more time that you did this for the family-Walt: I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really… I was alive. d d Breaking

Bad, S5, Ep16 (“Felina”), written by Vince Gilligan, directed by Vince Gilligan. AMC, September 29, 2013.

Ultimately, Walt chose the life of crime because he “liked it.” He was “good at it.” It made him feel “alive.” Over time, Walt had in effect embraced Heisenberg. This is underscored when Walt has this interchange with Declan, a drug dealer with whom Walt is negotiating to become a distributor: Declan: Who the hell are you? Walt: You know. You all know exactly who I am. Say my name. Declan: Do what? I don't have a damn clue who the hell you are. Walt: I’m the cook. I’m the man who killed Gus Fring.

6 Unity

103

Declan: Bullshit. The cartel got Fring. Walt: Are you sure? [beat] That’s right. Now say my name. Declan: Heisenberg. Walt: You’re goddamn right.e e Breaking

Bad, S5, Ep7 (“Say My Name”), written by Thomas Schnauz, directed by Thomas Schnauz. AMC, August 26, 2012.

It is tempting to look at his character arc from Season One to Season Five as going from Walter White (disunity) to Heisenberg (unity). After all, as noted in Chapter Three, series creator Vince Gilligan pitched it as “a story about a man who transforms himself from Mr. Chips into Scarface.” Walt does “adopt” the Heisenberg persona. However, events in the last three episodes of the series suggest a more nuanced ending. The unity state of this character involves the integration of Walter White, caring family man, and Heisenberg, ruthless criminal genius. This merger of personal dynamics enables him to settle scores and take care of those he loves: setting up Walt, Jr. with a nearly ten millions dollar irrevocable trust, delivered by none other than Elliott and Walt’s former girlfriend Gretchen Schwartz; poisoning Lydia, an associate of Gus Frings; making amends with Skyler by admitting the truth about his motivations; providing her with the GPS coordinates where Hank and Steve Gomez are buried, information she can use to cut a deal with the D.E.A.; sharing a tender last moment with his infant daughter Holly; watching Walt, Jr. return home; using a jerry-rigged M60 machine gun to slaughter the members of the Aryan Brotherhood who have been holding Jesse hostage; and finally, freeing Jesse from captivity. In the very last scene of the series, dying of cancer and a bullet wound to the gut, Walt wanders through the meth lab at the Brotherhood compound, reveling in what he had created. He smiles, patting a piece of equipment with a bloody hand, then falls to the floor dead, leaving a red-stained “W” on the machine.6 As police advance on his body, the final image is an overhead shot of his character, eyes open, a look of satisfaction on his face, unity achieved, the integration of Walter White, chemistry teacher, and Heisenberg, drug kingpin, the inevitable end point of his individuation process (Fig. 6.4).

Unity: William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love With Thomas Kent exposed as Viola, giving authorities legal grounds to close the Rose Theater, it is little comfort to Will Shakespeare when his troupe is 6

The “W” stands for Walter White.

104

S. Myers

Fig. 6.4 Walter White (a.k.a. Heisenberg) at the end of his life in Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

offered the Curtain Theater where they can debut Will’s new play Romeo & Juliet. Grief-stricken at having lost the love of his life as she is set to sail to America with her new husband Lord Wessex, things go from bad to worse. On opening night, Sam, the actor who is set to play Juliet, confesses to Will that his voice broke. Will, who is taking on the role of Romeo, fears the play will be a disaster (“We are lost”). Ever the optimist, Henslowe declares, “It will turn out well.” The curtain rises and the play begins. The moment arrives when Juliet is set to make her entrance: As SAM is about to enter HENSLOWE'S hand yanks him by the collar, and VIOLA overtakes him and steps on stage. Enter "JULIET." VIOLA is not wearing the JULIET costume – she’s wearing her own beautiful dress, which up till now has been hidden from us by her cloak. VIOLA AS JULIET "How now, who calls?" RALPH AS NURSE "Your mother." VIOLA AS JULIET "Madam. I am here, what is your will?

6 Unity

105

INT. THE CURTAIN THEATRE. AUDITORIUM. DAY. There is a collective gasp. Nobody has ever seen a BOY PLAYER like this. INT. THE CURTAIN THEATRE. THE WINGS. DAY. WILL takes his hands from his ears, and turns round in amazement at the sound of VIOLA'S voice f Shakespeare

in Love, written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. Movie script, dated February 23, 1998, pp. 117–118.

As it turns out, Viola has fled Lord Wessex in order to see the play Will has written and that she has inspired. Since she knows the play by heart, at Henslowe’s request, she takes on the role of Juliet. Thus, Will and Viola have one last chance to be together, their emotional subtext a play within a play. Henslowe was right: It all does turn out well. The performance is a rousing success. When authorities arrive to put “everyone in the clink” for featuring a female actor on stage, none other than Queen Elizabeth reveals her presence and after inspecting “Juliet” declares her to be a him. Moreover, there was a wager in which Lord Wessex bet that a play could not show “the very truth and nature of love.” The Queen tells him, “I think you lost it today.” Thus, Will ends up with fifty pounds to take care of his various debts. Will is heartbroken as Viola visits him one last time. Yet again, she inspires him, this time for a new play: “Twelfth Night.” WILL Good bye, my love, a thousand times good bye. VIOLA Write me well. She kisses him with finality. Then turns and runs from him. WILL watches as she goes. INT. WILL'S ROOM. DAY. A blank page. A hand is writing: TWELFTH NIGHT. We see WILL sitting at his table. WILL (VO) My story starts at sea…a perilous voyage to an unknown land…a shipwreck.g

106

S. Myers

Fig. 6.5 The ink-stained fingertips of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love (1998) g Ibid.,

pp. 127–128.

How can this be a unity ending? For it is a personal tragedy for Will to lose Viola. Compare this final image of Will to the very first one where he was introduced at his writing desk … but not writing. Instead, he was scratching out various attempts at a stage name, reflecting his unspoken quest to determine his self-identity. At story’s end, we find him at his desk … writing! His Protagonist’s journey has not only allowed him to break through writer’s block, his impassioned relationship with Viola has taken him from living on the surface of life, plunging him into the heights and depths of human existence, the very experiences required to be a great writer. The integration of all the events, emotions, twists, and turns Will has experienced from the first moments of the story to the last have led him to become who he had the potential to be all along: the great playwright William Shakespeare (Fig. 6.5).

Unity: Rebecca Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend A clue to what the focus is in the final movement in Rebecca Bunch’s journey can be found in the titles of the seventeen episodes of Season Four: Each of them begins with “I” or “I’m”: first person singular.7 Whereas in Seasons One through Three, much of Rebecca’s energy was devoted to Josh, initially to win him over to be her mate, then seeking revenge against him when he jilted 7

There is an eighteenth episode in Season Four: “Yes, It’s Really Us Singing: The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Concert Special!”.

6 Unity

107

her at the altar, her declaration in S4, Ep3 (“I’m On My Own Path”) that “I believe in taking responsibility for my own happiness” is an apt thematic touch point as the final stage of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend unwinds. Befitting the complicated nature of Rebecca’s psyche, Season Four explores the messy, winding path of the character’s last lap in her psychological adventure: • It begins with Rebecca in prison awaiting a new hearing after the judge in her case rejects her guilty plea. While there, Rebecca leaps at the chance to direct the prisoners’ theater class, recalling the very first scene in the series: Rebecca as a teen performing “I’m in Love With a Wonderful Guy” in a summer camp theatrical production of the musical South Pacific. • After she is released from prison and returns to work, Rebecca quits the law firm (“I don’t want to be a lawyer anymore. It was never my dream. It was my mother’s dream”). Inspired by the smiles on the faces of satisfied customers (“That’s what happy looks like”), Rebecca opens her own pretzel shop: Rebetzel’s Pretzels. • Her progress is matched by a serious backslide in S4, Ep12 (“I Need a Break”) when after skipping therapy and her borderline personality disorder group sessions, she goes on a date with Greg to Raging Waters, hoping to take their repaired relationship to the next level. When the day turns disastrous, Rebecca propositions both Nathaniel and Josh to have sex with her. Each rejects her desperate ploys leaving Rebecca to fall asleep outside the office of her therapist. • Taking anti-depressants and going through a faux near-death experience in S4, Ep14 (“I’m Finding My Bliss”), Rebecca is inspired by a random flyer to audition for a local theater group. The season’s final three episodes zero in on a dynamic which has been in play throughout the series: the tension between Rebecca searching for external validation and her authentic inner need. The latter has always been there, but lost in the chaotic cloud of confusion kicked up by Rebecca’s desperate attempts to find happiness through the acceptance and love of others: • In S4, Ep15, (“I Need to Find My Frenemy”), confronted by the revelation that all three men in her life—Josh, Greg, and Nathaniel—still have feelings for her, Rebecca uses an emergency as an excuse to escape making a decision by running off to Las Vegas. • In S4, Ep16 (“I Have a Date Tonight”), Rebecca goes on individual dates with Josh, Nathaniel, and Greg, each wonderful in its own way setting up a cliffhanger for the final episode.

108

S. Myers

• In the series finale, it is Valentine’s Day, the deadline for when Rebecca is supposed to announce to the world which of her three suitors she will choose as her lover. She meets with her psychiatrist Dr. Akopian, but it turns out Rebecca is asleep and the doctor has appeared to her as a “dream ghost.” In an homage to The Christmas Carol , the doctor’s apparition shows Rebecca three possible futures, first with Greg, then with Nathaniel, and finally with Josh. In each scenario, it appears at first that Rebecca is happy, but then each version of Dream Rebecca becomes melancholy (“What is that sad, empty look on my face“). Rebecca confronts the Dream Rebecca leading to this exchange: Dream Rebecca: There’s nothing wrong with Greg or Nathaniel or Josh. They’re wonderful. Real Rebecca : Then why am I not happy with any of them? Don’t I love them? Dream Rebecca: You do love them. The problem is you don’t know who you are.h h Crazy

Ex-Girlfriend, S4, Ep17 (“I’m in Love”), written by Rachel Bloom & Aline Brosh McKenna, staff writer Ilana Peña, directed by Aline Brosh McKenna. CW, April 5, 2019.

With the clock ticking on her decision and at her wit’s end, Rebecca meets with Paula and confesses, “When I stare off into space, I’m imagining myself in a musical number.” At Paula’s request, the pair are transported into a theatrical space where Rebecca had performed “Eleven O’Clock,” a medley of songs featured throughout the series. Surrounded by twelve mannequins, each adorned with an outfit Rebecca has worn before, she tells Paula, “These are all of the identities I’ve tried to fit into.” However, what Rebecca is unable to see, Paula does: “These songs in your head, you have to write them down” (Fig. 6.6). The series ends one year later with Rebecca on stage surrounded by her friends as she recounts how she did not choose to be with Josh, Nathaniel, or Greg, but rather to focus on developing her musical talent, most notably songwriting. In a quick flashback, Rebecca reads aloud from a book called “Lyrics 101”: “When writing songs, the most important thing is to learn to tell your story. Not a story you get from the outside world, but your own story.” i i Ibid.

6 Unity

109

Fig. 6.6 Rebecca Bunch and Paula Proctor in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019)

From a thematic standpoint, this has been the entire point of the series: For Rebecca to realize she cannot find happiness through external affirmation, but rather it is the path into herself which can lead to unity, how the actual process of Rebecca giving expression to her creativity is itself a source of contentment, even joy. Rebecca’s final lines of dialogue in the series, expressed to all the people with whom she has shared so much and who have become her friends, is as follows [excerpted]: I don’t know if what I’m doing yet is any good. But all I know is that I can finally show the outside world what’s been inside of me this whole time. All of it. All of the nuances and the gray areas. It’s not just about the act of writing. It’s about how when I’m doing that, when I’m telling my own story, for the first time in my life, I am truly happy. It’s like I just met myself. Like I just met Rebecca. I came to this town to find love. And I did. I love every person in this room. Each and every one of you … And now for the first time in my life, I can say that maybe I’m ready for the other kind of love… Romantic love is not an ending … it’s just a part of your story, a part of who you are.j j Ibid.

110

S. Myers

She then sits down at a piano, puts her fingers on the keyboard, says, “This is a song I wrote,” and cut to black. The End. The song itself is not important. What is important is that Rebecca has finally found herself. All those different aspects of her psyche, those identities she tried to wear, they are all a part of her. Now she can write songs to explore what they mean providing an authentic path for her to move toward unity. The S4, Ep17 title “I’m In Love” recalls the very first scene of the series where Rebecca was in summer camp as a chorus member singing the South Pacific song “I’m in Love With a Wonderful Guy.” The omission of “with a wonderful guy” from the episode title must be intentional. Rebecca has discovered that true happiness does not derive from the love of others, but from connecting with what lies within. For Rebecca, the seeds of her own happiness have been inside her all this time: her music. Now that she has confessed and embraced that personal truth, whether she is a success as a songwriter or not is irrelevant. She has discovered her unconscious goal and in giving voice to it is on the path toward unity.

Unity: Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse The stage for the story’s final struggle is set: the penthouse of Fisk Tower. Kingpin hosts a get-together there under the guise of raising money for “The Peter Parker Memorial Fund,” darkly ironic in that Kingpin was the one who murdered Peter Parker. Meanwhile in the building’s control room, Doc Ock initializes the collider’s ignition sequence. The Spider-Team shows up just as “dimensional quaking” begins in the city, much worse than the previous collider incident. Discovered by Kingpin’s thugs, a clash commences between good guys and bad guys with the collider beam growing stronger every second, the threat of dimensional collapse imminent. As Peter B. Parker attempts to insert the “goober” into the collider panel, Doc Ock grabs him. Preparing to kill him, she suddenly hits her own face with her tentacle. Invisible, Miles has arrived and manipulates Doc Ock, thus, saving Peter’s life.8 What ensues is a battle royal with Miles taking a central role: He works in tandem with Peter and Gwen to fight Doc Ock; he snares the “goober”

8

This redeems himself for not having been able to save Peter Parker’s life earlier.

6 Unity

111

from Peter, a callback to a previous bit of business (“Don’t watch the mouth. Watch the hands”); he executes a complex “swing-crawl-flip” to the panel and successfully inserts the “goober” which reverses the collider ray’s polarity; he takes control of the beam, opens the portal, and enables Peni, Spider-Man Noir, Spider Ham, and Gwen to return to their respective universes. However, Kingpin shows up, intent on revenge for disrupting his plans and this happens: Miles DROP KICKS Peter and holds him suspended over the portal. It looks exactly like when Peter challenged Miles in his dorm room before tying him up. MILES (with empathy) You gotta go home man. PETER (suddenly sad and scared) How do I know I’m not gonna mess it up again? You won’t.

MILES

PETER (realizing) Right. It’s a leap of faith.k k Spider-Man:

Into the Spider-Verse, screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, story by Phil Lord. Movie script, dated December 3, 2018, pp. 118–119.

This exchange is important for several reasons related to Miles’ character arc: • In recalling the challenge Peter gave to Miles in his dorm room, a test which Miles failed, this time, he rises to the occasion. • The nature of their relationship throughout the middle of the story (i.e., Peter = Mentor) reverses in this scene. It is Miles who provides mentor wisdom and encouragement to Peter (“You gotta go home, man”). • Most notably, Miles grabs hold of the situation, even when confronted with the prospect he will have to take on Kingpin on his own.

112

S. Myers

Each of these dynamics in the moment serves as a marker to measure Miles’ inner growth and movement toward fully becoming Spider-Man. In order to demonstrate the coalignment of everything Miles has learned about using Spidey skills as well as his inner self, he needs to defeat Kingpin. In a monumental struggle, Kingpin attempts to undercut Miles’ spirit (“Not so easy doing it on your own is it… I can’t wait to kill one more SpiderMan… The real Spider-Man couldn’t even beat me. You’re nothing”). Just when it looks like a battered Miles has no more fight left in him, his father Jefferson shows up. He has witnessed the whole violent encounter and at this critical moment, he says: JEFFERSON Get up, Spider-Man! Miles eyes flicker open at the sound. He looks to the control room, where he sees someone moving around. It’s his dad. JEFFERSON Get up! C’mon... C’mon. MILES (struggling) C’mon... c’mon... come on... It takes him a few wobbly seconds but Miles staggers to his feet and faces Kingpin.l l Ibid.,

pp. 122–123.

Spider-Man always gets up … which Miles does to defeat Kingpin, shut down the collider, and save the world. That provides the capstone to the story’s plotline. However, in terms of the psychological journey Miles has undergone, the denouement provides an opportunity for Miles to share his thoughts on the matter: MILES (V.O.) I never thought I’d be able to do any of this stuff. But I can. Anyone can wear the mask. You can wear the mask. If you didn’t know that before, I hope you do now. Cuz I’m Spider-Man. And I’m not the only one. Not by a long shot.m

6 Unity

113

Fig. 6.7 Miles Morales as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) m Ibid.,

p. 127.

Here Miles articulates one of the most fundamental and powerful messages of unity arc stories: What we can become, we already are. As Carl Jung puts it: “Just as a man still is what he always was, so he already is what he will become.”9 While Miles had to be bitten by an anatomically altered spider for him to gain his unique Spidey powers, the emotional, psychological, even spiritual potential for him to become Spider-Man existed within him from the very beginning. In his metamorphosis in Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse, Miles goes from disunity to unity, one hero’s journey among countless others, but unique to who his character is (Fig. 6.7).

Summary Clarice Starling, Walter White, William Shakespeare, Rebecca Bunch, and Miles Morales. Each of their stories begins in disunity and ends in unity. Thus, if disunity represents the state in which a character is living an inauthentic life, unity is the experience of living an authentic life. In a story, authenticity is not some ephemeral concept, but rather the reality whereby a character goes beyond what they have known about themselves to experience a deeper grasp of who they are. For there is a transformative dynamic which lies at the core of the psyche. It is an empowering element, the source of their true self. The external events of the plot serve to awaken those dynamics and

9 C. G. Jung, “Psychology and Religion: West and East,” Collected Works XI (Princeton University Press, 1975), para. 390, p. 258.

114

S. Myers

bring them into the light of consciousness, embraced by the character as their movement toward unity and the foundation for their new self. Exercise Select a Protagonist whose journey reflects a unity arc. Reflect on their metamorphosis from where they began to where they end up. Identify aspects of their psychological change from an inauthentic life to an authentic life. Ask yourself: How did their journey—the influence of key characters and events—facilitate that transformation process.

Further Study Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: “The Silence of the Lambs,” Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, August 2, 2017, https://gointothestory.blc klst.com/go-into-the-story-script-reading-analysis-the-silence-of-the-lambs-43d 09a5c9198. Every Episode of Breaking Bad, Ranked , Kimberly Potts, Vulture, 2018, https://www. vulture.com/article/breaking-bad-best-episodes-ranked.html. Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: “Shakespeare in Love,” Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, July 31, 2017, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/ go-into-the-story-script-reading-analysis-shakespeare-in-love-515e9e5c0ba4. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend , Vulture, https://www.vulture.com/tv/crazy-ex-girlfriend/. Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, April 9, 2019, https://gointothestory. blcklst.com/go-into-the-story-script-reading-analysis-spider-man-into-the-spiderverse-4d37bc47127c.

References Bloom, R and Brosh McKenna, A (creator) (2015–2019). Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ; The CW Network. Gilligan, V (creator) (2008–2013). Breaking Bad ; American Movie Classics (AMC). Jung, C. G. (1975). “Psychology and Religion: West and East,” Collected Works XI; Princeton University Press. Lord, P and Rothman, R (screenplay), Lord P (story) (2018). Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Marvel Entertainment / Sony Pictures Entertainment.

6 Unity

115

Norman, M and Stoppard, T (written by) (1998). Shakespeare in Love; Miramax Films. Tally, T (screenplay), Harris, T (novel) (1991). The Silence of the Lambs; Orion Pictures.

7 The Screenplay Universe

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Plotline: The physical realm of a screenplay universe, the domain of character action and dialogue. Also: External World. • Themeline: The psychological realm of a screenplay universe, the domain of character intention and subtext. Also: Internal World. • Event: Something which happens in the plotline requiring a response on the part of key characters, most notably the Protagonist. • Response: The reaction of characters to an event, most notably the Protagonist, causing them to shift their perspective as part of their metamorphosis process.

When a writer pens a screenplay, they conjure up nothing less than a universe. Place, time, and atmosphere. Story concept, genre, and tone. Central plot and subplots. Scenes and sequences. Themes and motifs. From the first moment following Fade In to the very last image before Fade Out, the screenwriter’s task is not only to tell a story, but also to construct an entire macrocosm into which the reader plunges and hopefully stays engaged for ninety pages or more. The key to making that universe come to life is to absorb oneself in the experience of the story’s characters. By engaging the Protagonist in relation to the characters surrounding them, getting curious about who they are, how they are, and why they are, we learn about them as individuals—their wants,

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_7

117

118

S. Myers

needs, skills, flaws, wounds, beliefs, behaviors, and voices. Moreover, each character has their own distinct personal history, their life before Fade In from which backstory elements emerge. These key dynamics, birthed in the past, shape how the plot transpires in the present, and leads into the story’s future. Thus in the story-crafting process, there is a synergy between the lives of the characters and the emergence of the story universe. Nowhere is this more true than the Protagonist’s connection to the plot.1 The universe is the specific context within which that character’s metamorphosis journey takes place, an environment which is directly informed by the dynamics at work in the Protagonist’s inner life. Therefore, as we work with a story and explore the nature of its universe, we may think of it as having two worlds: • There is the external world, the realm of a character’s action and dialogue, what the audience sees and hears: the Plotline. It is the story’s physical domain, the narrative as characters pass through space and time. • There is the internal world, the realm of a character’s intention and subtext, what the audience intuits and interprets: the Themeline. It is the story’s psychological domain, the narrative as characters process their emotional and inner changes. This construct reflects the duality of human existence: our external experiences and our inner consciousness. As astrophysicist Janna Levin observed: “We are all navigating an external world, but only through the prism of our own minds, our own subjective experience.”2 Carl Jung acknowledged this dynamic as fundamental to the work we do in terms of our psychological and emotional development: Individuation has two principal aspects: in the first place it is an internal and subjective process of integration, and in the second it is an equally indispensable process of objective relationship. Neither can exist without the other.3

1 Refer to Chapter 1: The Protagonist’s Journey as Narrative Imperative for a recap of the many reasons why the Protagonist is the central character in a story. 2 “The Universe in Verse 2020 trailer: ‘Antidotes to Fear of Death,” April 10, 2020, https://vimeo. com/406366141. 3 C. G. Jung, “Practice of Psychotherapy,” Collected Works XVI (Princeton University Press, 1985), para. 448, p. 311.

7 The Screenplay Universe

119

In a well-told story, there is a dynamic relationship between these two “aspects.” An event happens in the external world. A character absorbs the meaning of the event in the internal world. It causes a shift in the character’s perspective. The character responds to the external world by making a choice. There is another event … which the character processes … which compels them to respond … and so forth. This process of Event and Response, playing out scene after scene, is an interweaving thread which runs throughout the entire narrative. It constitutes the substance of the Protagonist’s metamorphosis, each interplay between external and internal worlds propelling the character forward through their physical and psychological journey.4 Moreover, as explored in Chapter One: The Protagonist’s Journey, the trajectory of the character’s experience moving ahead is specific to their original disunity state: They take the journey, they are supposed to take. The events which transpire and the characters with whom the Protagonist intersects on that journey are tethered to the emergence of their deepest need—their unconscious goal—steering them toward a unity state. That is the essence of narrative imperative, the inevitable arc of the character’s individuation process as it unfolds in the external and internal worlds of the story universe.

The External World and Internal World: Finding Nemo A classic example of the synergy between these two aspects of the screenplay universe can be seen in the 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo. The story begins with the clownfish Marlin showing off the couple’s new home to his mate Coral. Peering down at hundreds of fertilized eggs, the pair contemplates how they will become parents soon. However, tragedy strikes: A barracuda attacks, knocking Marlin unconscious. When he awakens, he discovers Coral and the eggs are gone, devoured by the barracuda … all save one. A SINGLE FISH EGG lying exposed on the sand, quivering on the ledge below the grotto. Marlin rushes to it.

4 In the film and television business, this process of metamorphosis is typically referred to as “character arc.”

120

S. Myers

MARLIN There, there, there. It’s okay… Daddy’s here. Daddy’s got you. Gently, he cradles the egg in his fins. Turns it over. The other side is scarred but intact. MARLIN I promise I will never let anything happen to you. Nemo.a

Once Nemo has grown into his youth, Marlin is shown to be an overprotective parent. On the morning of Nemo’s first day of school, father and son have this exchange: MARLIN Alright. We’re excited. First day of school. Here we go. We’re ready to learn, to get some knowledge. Now, what’s the one thing we have to remember about the ocean. NEMO It’s not safe. MARLIN That’s my boy! So…first we check to see that the coast is clear… We go out… Marlin ventures out halfway then pulls right back into the anemone. Proceeds to repeat this routine ad nauseam. MARLIN …and back in. And then we go out…and back in. And then one more time, out…and back in. And sometimes if you want to do it four times – NEMO Dad!b a Finding

Nemo, screenplay by Andrew Stanton & Bob Peterson & David Reynolds, original story by Andrew Stanton. Movie script, undated, p. 5.

b Ibid.,

p. 9.

In effect, Marlin’s anxiety about what bad things could happen in the future based on the tragic events of the past has made him incapable of living without fear in the present. His disunity state can be summed up in

7 The Screenplay Universe

121

that he is quite literally a fish-out-of-water living in the water, perceiving the ocean as “not safe.” Is it any wonder the energetic and curious Nemo ventures outside the comfort zone of home, only to be captured by scuba divers, then trapped in a fish tank in an Australian dentist’s office? Marlin’s own constrictive behavior creates a situation which represents his greatest fear: something bad might befall Nemo. In failing to live up to his pledge to “never let anything happen” to Nemo, Marlin sets into motion the narrative imperative of his Protagonist’s journey: He must leave his old world and enter a new world traveling across the ocean to rescue his son (Fig. 7.1). Consider some of the significant events and plotline points that occur in Finding Nemo, and how they are tied to the specific trajectory of his character arc: • The first character Marlin meets along the way is Dory, a blue tang fish who suffers from short term memory loss. Since, one of Marlin’s major psychological issues is his inability to live freely in the present, what better companion for his journey than Dory, a character who can only live in the moment. • Next, Marlin and Dory encounter a great white shark named Bruce, who guides the two fish to a meeting of other sharks. They are pledged

Fig. 7.1 Marlin in Finding Nemo (2003)

122

S. Myers

to change their image as “mindless eating machine(s).” Their mantra is, “Fish are friends, not food.” Things go awry when Bruce gets a whiff of blood and chases after Marlin and Dory, intent on devouring them. This encounter underscores that the ocean is a dangerous place, however, instead of being cowed by fear, Marlin exhibits skill in helping he and Dory escape. This along with other challenges, including run-ins with a hungry anglefish, a school of stinging jellyfish, and a whale, enables Marlin to tap into an inner courage he did not know existed. The collective experiences prove that even if the ocean does have it perils, this lowly clownfish has the ability to survive. This recognition emerges as his old fears are reconstructed in the first half of Act Two. • In an attempt to reach Nemo, Marlin and Dory make their way to the East Australian Current where they float along with a large pack of sea turtles. The experience Marlin has impacts his worldview in three ways. First, there is this moment:

Suddenly, Dory jumps up. She’s fine. She darts off, peeking under turtle shells. A bunch of KID TURTLES pop out. They’ve been playing hide -and-seek. DORY There you are! Catch me if you can! As they all chase after Dory, giggling, Marlin slowly becomes aware of all the surrounding TURTLE FAMILIES: --- Kids spin upside-down on top of an adult’s shell. --- Two adults swing a baby turtle between their flippers. --- A group of kids slide off an adult’s back and are launched into the air by his back flippers.c c Ibid.,

p. 83.

While the ocean is a risky environment, it may also serve as a wondrous playground where inhabitants can have fun. Marlin’s second lesson emerges from a turtle named Crush and his “go with the flow” approach to parenting his child Squirt5 (Fig. 7.2). 5

In the movie, Crush’s voice is provided by writer-director Andrew Stanton.

7 The Screenplay Universe

Fig. 7.2 Crush in Finding Nemo (2003)

CRUSH Curl away, my son. (to Marlin) Aw, it’s awesome, Jellyman. When the little dudes are just eggs, we leave ‘em on a beach to hatch, and then, coo-coo cachoo, they find their way back to the big ol’ blue. MARLIN All by themselves?! CRUSH (of course) Cha. MARLIN But, dude, how do you know when they’re ready? CRUSH Well, you never really know, but when they know, you’ll know. You know?d d Ibid.,

p. 85.

123

124

S. Myers

Fig. 7.3 Nemo and Marlin in Finding Nemo (2003)

As a parent, Crush trusts in his son’s ability not only to survive, but thrive in the ocean. That is an attitude which Marlin eventually models with Nemo once they return home. Marlin’s final lesson while riding alongside the turtles is offered by the East Australian Current itself which the script describes as “an endless ribbon of water which weaves through the blue ocean.”6 It is a thing of beauty and throughout his journey, Marlin experiences moments of viewing the ocean with a new perspective, appreciating its lyrical elegance. These experiences reflect the reconstruction process in Marlin’s psychological journey, seeing this watery world in a more positive way. In classic Pixar fashion, Marlin overcomes many more complications, roadblocks, and reversals before ultimately reuniting with Nemo. The denouement presents a Marlin character who has undergone a significant psychological metamorphosis, most notably in giving Nemo the space the youngster needs to embrace life in the sea. The script ends by echoing a scene in Act One with Nemo heading off to school (Fig. 7.3): Marlin watches his son slowly disappear into the empty blue void. Content. Hopeful. Anything could be out there. MARLIN Bye son.e

6

Ibid., p. 82.

7 The Screenplay Universe e Ibid.,

125

p. 140.

Yes, the ocean has its dangers, but it is also a place of adventure, beauty, and fun. Moreover, Marlin overcomes anxiety about the future, trusting in himself … in Nemo … and in this place he calls home: the ocean. This lies at the heart of his arc from disunity to unity, all a result of a series of events in the external world and responses in the internal world, each one propelling him forward in his transformation process.

Summary Of course, Marlin’s physical journey through the external world and psychological journey through the internal world are not unique. The working thesis of this book is that a symbiotic relationship between these two aspects of the screenplay universe exists in all movies and television episodes. When something happens in the external world, something else happens in the internal world, each event influenced by the evolution of the Protagonist’s psyche. Thus, as we have seen in Chapters Three through Six, if Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) needs to delve into the miasma of her troubled subconscious, fate provides her the perfect guide: Hannibal Lecter. If Walter White in Breaking Bad (2008–2013) has a date with destiny in coming to know and embrace his inner Heisenberg, the universe intersects him with characters like Jesse Pinkman and Gus Fring to facilitate his movement to the dark side. If William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love (1998) is stymied by writer’s block and is squandering his existence by leading a shallow life, is it any surprise that fortune bestows upon him Viola de Lesseps to inspire him, both in joy and sorrow, enabling him to become the talent he is destined to be? If Rachel Bloom in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019) must confront her psychological “demons,” West Covina supplies a host of characters who prod, probe, and provoke her to realize what she needs is not external validation, but accepting herself, as flawed as she is. If Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) struggles with expectations arising at school and in his own family, what better way to confront that problem than a venomous bite from a mutated spider, thrusting the teen into a situation where the entire universe depends upon him. Each Protagonist has within them a true self. In a story, they are pulled into a journey which compels them to change. This is their destiny. This is their narrative imperative. We have seen in Part I how, as writers, immersing ourselves in the lives of our characters, specifically the Protagonist, can drive the story-crafting process. This pertains not only to events in the plotline,

126

S. Myers

but also the characters who emerge into being, serving, and supporting the Protagonist’s journey. We address that subject in Part II: The Protagonist’s Journey as Family of Characters. Exercise Pick a favorite Pixar movie. Reflect on the disunity state of the Protagonist at the beginning of the story. Consider why the events which happen in the plotline must occur the way they do to facilitate the Protagonist’s metamorphosis. Think about the family of characters which emerge and how each plays a part in the Protagonist’s journey.

Further Study Carl Jung: Screenwriting Guru, Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, September 15, 2018, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/writing-reflections-on-carl-jung-2c9879 e2f186. Carl Jung on the Structure of Dreams: Subconscious Stories Revealed in Our Sleep in Four Acts, Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, May 30, 2020, https://gointothestory. blcklst.com/carl-jung-on-the-structure-of-dreams-89ab83798203. The Hero’s Journey vs. Superhero Stories, Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, June 30, 2016, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-heros-journey-vs-superhero-sto ries-9a74be7567e7. The Psychopathology of Heroism, Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, May 18, 2020, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-psychopathology-of-heroism-8ee97f c4b006. The Protagonist’s Journey: “We Are Not Prisoners of That Room,” Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, October 22, 2019, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-protag onists-journey-we-are-not-prisoners-of-that-room-3b0d250f643e. Story and the Question of Self-Identity, Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, July 8, 2019, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/story-and-the-question-of-self-identitybdee5fa5ccc6. The Theology of Cinema: Chosen, Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, November 3, 2019, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-theology-of-cinema-chosen-b7a929 1e821b. The Theology of Cinema: Predestination, Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, February 2, 2020, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-theology-of-cinema-predestination5c716414252e.

7 The Screenplay Universe

127

The Theology of Cinema: Redemption, Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, February 16, 2020, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-theology-of-cinema-redemption-fe0 b3cda154c. Lindsay Doran on “The Psychology of Storytelling,” Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, March 6, 2014, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/first-hand-reportslindsay-doran-on-the-psychology-of-story-telling-edf125ef2f64.

References Jung, C. G. (1985). “Practice of Psychotherapy,” Collected Works XVI; Princeton University Press. Stanton, A & Peterson B & Reynolds D (screenplay), Stanton, A (Story) (2003). Finding Nemo; Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Pictures.

Part II The Protagonist’s Journey as Family of Characters

8 Primary Character Archetypes

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Narrative Function: The fundamental role a character performs in the context of the overall story. • Character Archetype: An ideal example of a character which has a specific narrative function. • Primary Character Archetypes: Key narrative dynamics represented by Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, and Trickster characters. • Mask: The temporary persona any character may adopt at any time and in any relationship in an attempt to achieve their goals (i.e., protagonist, nemesis, attractor, mentor, trickster).

Characters are the players in our stories. They inhabit scenes, move the plot forward through action and dialogue, influence each other, evolve, and change. Each has their own distinct backstory, personality, worldview, and voice. When a writer digs deep into their characters, tapping into the core of who they are, they can magically lift up off the printed page and come to life in a reader’s imagination. In order to accomplish this, it is essential to launch the story-crafting process by engaging the characters. Part III: Breaking Story explores several writing exercises through which writers can do precisely that: immerse themselves in the individual and collective lives of the story’s primary characters. A key aspect of that process is to give ourselves over to the characters, follow

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_8

131

132

S. Myers

their lead, and see where they take us on our journey inside their story universe. There are times, however, when we step outside the story universe and assess what we have discovered. Specifically, we consider the Narrative Function of each character—what their purpose is within the context of the story. As screenwriters, we have ninety to one-hundred-and-twenty pages within which to introduce and handle an ensemble of characters, manage the plotline and numerous subplots, and hope that in the end, we have told a whacking good story. We focus on our characters simply to survive the relentless push forward scene to scene. More significantly, what we learn about each character’s function creates a lens through which we can view and shape them, so they work together to propel the story ahead as a coherent whole. Thus, consider this writing principle: Character = Function. Each character in a screenplay must have a reason for existing within that story universe. Each has to contribute to the advancement of the plot. Each has to play a role supporting the Protagonist’s physical and psychological journey. As we are tasked with engaging the complexities of our story’s characters, we also need to hone in on the most essential aspects of who the characters are, why they exist, and what narrative tasks they perform within the framework of the unfolding narrative. This brings us to the concept of Character Archetype: An ideal example of a character which has a specific narrative function. While there are countless character types (e.g., Addict, Orphan, Martyr, Warrior), there are five Primary Character Archetypes which appear repeatedly in the world of cinematic storytelling: Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster. There is foward-moving energy toward an objective, a central figure who wants to reach a specific goal. That drive typically manifests in the Protagonist. As drama requires conflict, there is opposition: Someone or something wants to stop the Protagonist from achieving their goal. This is the Nemesis. During their journey, the Protagonist meets allies. Some are most intimately involved with the Protagonist’s emotional development. This is represented by the Attractor archetype. Some are most connected to the Protagonist’s intellectual growth. This is the Mentor. Finally, there is a capricious element which provides twists and surprises, a character which tests the will of the Protagonist, most notably by shifting back and forth from ally to enemy, enemy to ally. This is the Trickster archetype.1

1

It is important to note that character archetypes are tools, not rules. That is to say, do not think of them as a formula, but rather a helpful way to understand a story’s characters, both their individual narrative functions and the nature of their relationships.

8 Primary Character Archetypes

133

These five primary character archetypes embody narrative dynamics present in countless cinematic stories.

Primary Character Archetypes: Classic Movie Examples In The Wizard of Oz (1939), the Protagonist is Dorothy. Once she is swept away to Oz, her goal is to return to Kansas. The Nemesis is the Wicked Witch of the West who wants the ruby red slippers Dorothy is wearing, eventually taking the young girl hostage. The Attractor characters are Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion who become Dorothy’s friends. She acknowledges this just before she wishes her way back home: “It’s going to be so hard to say goodbye… I love you all.”2 The Mentor is Glinda the Good Witch who imparts wisdom to Dorothy (e.g., the significance of the red slippers, “follow the yellow brick road,” and ultimately the most important truth, “You don’t need to be helped any longer. You’ve always had the power to go back to Kansas”). There are two Tricksters. The Wizard is an ally, who is supposed to help Dorothy get back to Kansas, but then an enemy who not only sends Dorothy on a dangerous mission—return with the Wicked Witch’s broomstick—but also reneges on his promise to help her. The Wizard turns out to be none other than Professor Marvel, a masterful iteration of Trickster shapeshifting.3 The other Trickster is Toto. The little dog sets the plotline into motion by repeatedly digging up Emma Gulch’s garden; slips away from the spinster’s clutches causing Dorothy to run away from home; pulls back the curtain to reveal the Wizard is Professor Marvel; escapes from the Wicked Witch’s castle lair and leads Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion back to Dorothy; and chases a cat which causes Dorothy to leap out of the hot air balloon and miss her flight back to Kansas … Toto the Trickster, sometimes an ally, sometimes an enemy. In Casablanca (1942), the Protagonist is Rick Blaine. His goal: Once Ilsa Lund makes her shocking appearance in Rick’s club, he wants to resume their love affair. The Nemesis is Major Strasser of the German army who poses a constant threat as he suspects Rick is holding stolen letters of transit which would allow anyone to escape Casablanca. The Attractor is Ilsa whose presence entices Rick out of his emotional shell to reconnect with his passion. The 2 Auntie Em and Uncle Henry are also Attractors as once Dorothy is separated from them, she realizes how much she misses them. 3 The actor Frank Morgan appears as five characters: Professor Marvel, the Wizard, the Gatekeeper, the Carriage Driver, and the Guard, a fact which underscores the character’s slippery Trickster nature.

134

S. Myers

Mentor is Victor Laszlo, a hero of the resistance movement, who challenges Rick to get in touch with his latent idealism (“You know how you sound, Monsieur Blaine? Like a man who’s trying to convince himself of something he doesn’t believe in his heart… I wonder if you know you’re trying to escape yourself, but you’ll never succeed”). The Trickster is Captain Renault (“I’m shocked! Shocked to find that gambling is going on in here.”) as he plays a careful game with his German overlords, eventually siding with Rick (“Round up the usual suspects”). In The Apartment (1960), C.C. Baxter is the Protagonist whose goal is career advancement. His Nemesis is Jeff Sheldrake, the head of the corporation where Baxter works. Sheldrake not only represents the soulless end point of Baxter’s want—corporate success, yet moral bankruptcy—he is also having an affair with Fran Kubelik, Baxter’s Attractor. She and Baxter bond in their time together while she recuperates from an attempted suicide. Both may have been “seduced” by Sheldrake’s allure, one romantic in nature, the other a vision of a prosperous American dream, but they discover they share common values, such as decency and empathy, and develop feelings for each other. The Mentor is Dr. Dreyfuss who helps Fran recover from her drug overdose and provides Baxter with a pivotal piece of wisdom: “Be a mensch… a human being.” The Tricksters are the four upper-level management types where Baxter works: Dobisch, Eichelberger, Kirkeby, and Vanderhoff. Ostensibly, they are allies in promising to provide Baxter positive work reviews in exchange for allowing them access to his apartment to carry on their romantic infidelities, but eventually turn against him once he denies them the key to his place (Fig. 8.1).

Primary Character Archetypes: Contemporary Movie Examples In The Social Network (2010), Mark Zuckerberg is the Protagonist. Since the narrative is divided into two timelines—the past which explores the founding of Facebook and the present which involves depositions in two lawsuits brought against Zuckerberg—the story explores Facebook as a dual reflection of the Protagonist’s goal: to create something audacious, then protect his legacy as the genius whose vision is manifest in the social network. The Nemeses are the Winklevoss twins who try to shut down Facebook, then sue Zuckerberg for stealing their intellectual property. The Attractor is Erica Albright, who despite breaking up with Zuckerberg in the movie’s opening, remains emotionally important to him as evidenced in the very last scene:

8 Primary Character Archetypes

135

Fig. 8.1 Fran Kubelik and C.C. “Bud” Baxter in The Apartment (1960)

Zuckerberg alone in a lawyer’s office, sending Erica a friend request via Facebook. The Mentor is Eduardo Saverin who provides the algorithm which Zuckerberg uses to create an early iteration of Facebook as well as seed money to support the initial funding for the project’s development. He also turns out to be Zuckerberg’s only real human connection (“Your one friend.”), a friendship which devolves into a lawsuit and personal acrimony between the two. The Trickster is Sean Parker: an ally in expanding Zuckerberg’s vision for what Facebook could become (“A million dollars isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? A billion dollars.”) and facilitating the exponential growth of the company; an enemy in manipulating the dissolution of Zuckerberg’s relationship with Saverin and feeding Zuckerberg’s ego. In the Coen brothers’ remake of True Grit (2010), the Protagonist is Mattie Ross, a fourteen-year-old farm girl whose goal is to find the man who shot and killed her father. The killer is the Nemesis: Tom Chaney not only becomes the object of Mattie’s pursuit, but also eventually threatens the young girl’s life. The Attractor is Texas lawman LaBoeuf (“While I sat there watchin’, I gave some thought to stealin’ a kiss.”) who accompanies Mattie in chasing down Chaney and speaks in a romanticized way about himself, arousing the girl’s feelings for him. In the movie’s very last scene, a much older Mattie reminisces about LaBoeuf saying, “If he is yet alive, I would be pleased to hear from him.” The Mentor is Rooster Cogburn whose knowledge of the law and skill at tracking down criminals leads Mattie to pay him fifty dollars to find Chaney. Although a drunkard and an ornery grump, he functions as a surrogate father for Mattie. In the final struggle sequence, Cogburn saves

136

S. Myers

Mattie’s life after rattlesnakes bite her, first riding with her on horseback, then literally carrying her in his arms until he reaches civilization. The Trickster is Frank Ross, Mattie’s deceased father. He is an ally in that he fathered Mattie and was by all accounts a kindly man, however, his generosity in hiring Tom Chaney led to his murder, a decision Mattie derides (“He was trying to do that short devil a good turn”). Although dead, his presence is felt throughout the story as it is the challenge of finding his murderer which sets into motion the plotline and leads to Mattie’s near-death experience.. In The Dark Knight (2008), the Protagonist is Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman), protector of Gotham City. His goal is to stop the wave of violence perpetrated by the Joker, the story’s Nemesis.4 The Attractor is Rachel, Wayne’s lifelong friend who he envisions as a soulmate with whom he can create a future free from crime-fighting. However, she knows better (“Bruce, if you turn yourself in, they’re not going to let us be together”). Her death crushes any hope Wayne has to lead a normal life and causes him to redouble his efforts to stop the Joker. There are three Mentors: Jim Gordon, who represents law enforcement’s inside man and Batman ally; Lucius Fox, who handles business for Wayne Enterprises and crime-fighting technology for Batman; and Alfred Pennyworth, who has served as Wayne’s butler and esteemed confidante for decades and provides deep insight into the ways of the world including the criminal mind (“Some men just want to watch the world burn”). There are two Tricksters. The first is Coleman Reese, an employee of Wayne Enterprises who attempts to shake down the company to the tune of ten million dollars a year to keep quiet his discovery of Batman’s real identity. The other Trickster is Harvey Dent whose character transformation from ally, a district attorney committed to fighting crime, to enemy, a lone vigilante meting out justice for the death of his lover Rachel Dawes, is physicalized in his appearance after having been burned: Two-Face. Indeed, Dent offers the prophetic words, “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” which he himself proves to be true (Fig. 8.2). These primary character archetypes exist in myriad movies many of which we will analyze in Chapters Nine through Fourteen.

4 The Joker is a great example of the Nemesis as a projection of the Protagonist’s shadow. Bruce Wayne carries with him a deep wound as a result of his parents’ murder. Joker is clearly wounded from his past. Wayne has a rage which manifests itself as violence against Bad Guys. Likewise, Joker has a rage, but uses his violence against Good Guys. Indeed, Joker’s goal of unmasking Batman is based on the idea that the two are more similar than different.

8 Primary Character Archetypes

137

Fig. 8.2 Harvey Dent (a.k.a. Two-Face) in The Dark Knight (2008)

Primary Character Archetypes in Television Series A movie tells a contained story, one with a beginning, middle, and end, during which time the Protagonist almost invariably undergoes a psychological metamorphosis. As explored in Part I: The Protagonist’s Journey, the most popular character arc depicts the Protagonist evolving from a state of disunity to unity. The five primary character archetypes represent a set of narrative functions which create the circumstances to provoke that change. By contrast, television series offer a more complex connection to transformation and by extension character archetypes. In part, this is because there is such a variety of formats: ½-hour (single or multicamera) and 1hour series, mini-series, limited series, event series, anthology series. In some programs such as Seinfeld (1989–1998), characters do not change at all. In others, like the procedural Law & Order (1990–2010), characters may modulate minimally from season to season. Compared to a mini-series like Unorthodox (2020) where the Protagonist (Esty) goes through a significant metamorphosis, escaping an unhappy arranged marriage in an ultra-orthodox community in Brooklyn by traveling to Berlin to start a secular life. Episodic

138

S. Myers

series like This Is Us (2016–present) allow storytellers to explore the complicated psychological nature of a central character like Jack Pearson, even after he has died. In the TV series Barry (2018–present), the Protagonist (Barry Berkman) is an ex-Marine turned hitman who through a twisting chain of events joins a Hollywood acting class. In Season One, opposition is provided by several Nemesis figures including a Chechen mob boss, a Bolivian drug lord, and most notably police detective Janice Moss who closes in on Barry as a suspect in a murder case. The Attractor is fellow actor Sally Reed as she and Barry become romantically involved. The Mentor is Gene Cousineau, acting teacher who takes Barry under his wing by personally coaching him. There are two Tricksters: Monroe Fuches, who used to be a Mentor having helped Barry adjust from emotional trauma suffered during his military stint in Afghanistan, molding Barry into a hit man; and NoHo Hank, member of the Chechen mob who develops an affinity, even friendship with Barry. During Season Two, characters evolve: Sally becomes jealous of Barry’s ascent as an actor, while NoHo Hank ends up the inept leader of the Chechen mob. Notably, one character shifts archetype functions: Fuches transforms into a Nemesis, intent on tying Barry to the murder of Detective Moss in order to force him to return as Fuches’ hired gun and hitman (Fig. 8.3).

Fig. 8.3 Barry Berkman and Sally Reed in Barry (2018–present)

8 Primary Character Archetypes

139

This points to the unique potential character archetypes provided for television writers: They can explore multiple dimensions of each character from season to season. A Mentor in Season One may become an Attractor in Season Two, a Trickster in Season Three, a Nemesis in Season Four, and so forth. The capacity of characters to evolve and change narrative functions enhances the commercial viability of TV projects by providing a variety of character-driven storylines stretching across multiple seasons. The television series Killing Eve (2018–present) offers a fascinating case study in shifting character archetypes. Eve Polastri is a British intelligence agent who is lured out of the doldrums of her professional life when she becomes obsessed with tracking down a psychopathic assassin known as Villanelle. In S1, Ep3 (“Don’t I Know You?”), Villanelle cements her role as a Nemesis when she murders Eve’s long-time friend and partner Bill. Yet in S2, Ep5 (“Smell Ya Later”), Eve puts out a hit on herself to force a meeting with Villanelle in order to coax the trained killer’s help in finding another assassin: The Ghost. Temporary allies, by the season finale (S2, Ep8: “You’re Mine”), Villanelle reclaims her Nemesis function by shooting Eve and leaving her for dead. The plotline of Killing Eve through its first three seasons involves multiple murders and twists upon twists of hidden agendas by virtually every character, all interwoven with the machinations of a clandestine outfit known as The Twelve. Yet at its core, the themeline is quite focused: an exploration of the relationship between Eve and Villanelle. The intricacies of their growing mutual obsession exposes varied aspects of their respective psyches, so much so that Villanelle has moments in which she reflects each of the primary character archetypes: She is a Co-Protagonist in assisting Eve track down The Ghost; she plays a Mentor in committing crimes which leave clues specifically to draw Eve’s attention; she takes on the function of a Trickster, at one point saving Eve’s life before eventually trying to take it; she is an Attractor who develops feelings for Eve while arousing similar emotions in Eve. Yet through it all, Villanelle’s primary narrative function is the story’s Nemesis (Fig. 8.4).

Character Archetypes as “Masks” That Villanelle in Killing Eve can at times take on the role of co-protagonist, mentor, trickster, and attractor, is, of course, not exclusive to her character. While her primary archetype is Nemesis, the fact she can adopt various other archetype behaviors reflects the potential any character has in any story. We

140

S. Myers

Fig. 8.4 Eve Polastri and Villanelle in Killing Eve (2018–present)

may think of this capability as a Mask.5 This hearkens back to ancient Greek plays which often featured three actors: protagonist (first actor), deuteragonist (second actor), tritagonist (third actor). The actors would use masks to take on the role of different characters (Fig. 8.5). There are superheroes who wear actual masks to reflect their alter ego such as Captain America in the Avengers series and Sister Night in Watchmen (2019). Likewise, there are villains who originated movie franchises by sporting masks like Michael Myers in Halloween (1978) and Jason Vorhees in Friday the 13th (1980). There are characters who assume an alternate gender identity in their attire: male characters who assume female identities—Some Like It Hot (1959), Tootsie (1982), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993); female characters who assume male identities—Victor Victoria (1982), Yentl (1983), Mulan (1998, 2020). There are assumed identity stories like Sister Act (1992) 5 I distinguish between a character’s temporary mask and their primary character archetype, the latter beginning with a capital letter (e.g., Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, and Trickster), the former beginning with a lowercase letter (e.g., protagonist, nemesis, attractor, mentor, and trickster).

8 Primary Character Archetypes

141

Fig. 8.5 Photo by Finan Akbar courtesy Unsplash

and Dave (1993), and mistaken identity stories such as North by Northwest (1959) and Galaxy Quest (1999). There are stories in which a character projects the mask of one character archetype for a considerable amount of time, only for their true identity to be revealed later including Verbal Kint in The Usual Suspects (1995)—Trickster to Nemesis—Obadiah Stane in Iron Man (2008)—Mentor to Nemesis—and Miranda in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)—Attractor to Nemesis. However, if we think about this subject from a psychological standpoint, we may consider a mask as a metaphor for the specific “face” an individual “dons” in various interpersonal situations. For example, a person’s demeanor with their boss, parent, or authority figure is different than the persona they adopt when going on a date … arguing with a sibling … interacting with a pet … and so forth. As characters reflect real life, they, too, can and should manifest different aspects of their personality in various social circumstances. This is a powerful tool for writers as it allows us to explore the complexities of each character. While their primary character archetype typically remains the same throughout a story, they may at any time opt to don the mask of protagonist, nemesis, attractor, mentor, or trickster. Some examples:

142

S. Myers

Fig. 8.6 Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): The Nemesis (Mr. Potter) surprises George Bailey by acting as a mentor when offering George a job, a big salary, and a life of comfort. • Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back (1980): When Luke Skywalker travels to Dagobah seeking instruction from a great Jedi master, at first Yoda plays a trickster, rummaging through Luke’s stuff, toying with him before revealing his true identity as a Mentor. • Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): Taken hostage by Belloq, Marion Ravenwood dons an alluring gown and an attractor “mask” to catch Belloq off guard in an attempt to escape (Fig. 8.6).

Primary Character Archetypes: The Family of Characters Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster. The recurring presence of these five character archetypes in movies and television series provides writers an empowering set of tools to use in developing their characters and helping to drive the story-crafting process. Indeed, the nature of character relationships, specifically how they support the Protagonist’s journey, suggests a unique perspective on story structure: the Family of Characters. In Chapters Nine through Fourteen, we explore more thoroughly the many ways the Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, and Trickster characters may express themselves in their respective narrative functions, both in movies and in television series.

8 Primary Character Archetypes

143

Exercise Choose a movie. Reflect on the primary characters. Try to ascribe to each character a primary archetype—Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster—which best fits their respective narrative functions.

Further Study The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, C. G. Jung, Princeton University Press; 2nd ed. edition, August, 1981. The Hero Within: Six Archetypes We Live By, Carol S. Pearson, HarperOne, January 1998. Archetypes: Who Are You?, Caroline Myss, Hay House, January 2013. Appendix: A Gallery of Archetypes, Caroline Myss, https://www.myss.com/free-resour ces/sacred-contracts-and-your-archetypes/appendix-a-gallery-of-archtypes/.

References Coen, J & Coen, E (screenplay), Portis, C (novel) (2010). True Grit; Paramount Pictures. Epstein, J & Epstein, P and Koch, H (screenplay), Burnett, M and Alison, J (play) (1942). Casablanca; Warner Bros. Langley, N & Ryerson, F and Woolf, E. A. (screenplay), Langley, N (adaptation), Baum, F. L. (novel) (1939). The Wizard of Oz; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Nolan, J and Nolan, C (screenplay), Nolan, C & Goyer, D. S. (story), Kane, B (characters) (2008). The Dark Knight; Warner Bros. Sorkin, A (screenplay), Mezrich, B (book) (2010). The Social Network; Columbia Pictures. Wilder, B & Diamond, I.A.L. (written by) (1960). The Apartment; The Mirisch Company / United Artists.

9 Nemesis

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Nemesis: A character or characters, physical or psychological dynamics which provide opposition to the Protagonist. • Opposition: A force which works at cross-purposes to that of the Protagonist in attempting to achieve their conscious goal. • Conflict: The struggle which arises between or within characters when their respective goals clash. • Shadow: A character’s negative impulses and traits which they have confined to their unconscious.

In the 2017 movie The Shape of Water, Elisa Esposito works the night shift as a janitor at a military research facility. Her humdrum existence is upended by the arrival of a mysterious “AMPHIBIAN MAN,” imprisoned and subjected to invasive scientific examination. Elisa, who was born mute, feels an immediate empathy toward the creature and, using the lure of hardboiled eggs and jazz music, she and the stranger begin to bond. Then this happens: INT. LAB – NIGHT Elisa enters the lab with her cart and equipment. Closes behind her- hears a plaintive whimper- not unlike that of a whale.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_9

145

146

S. Myers

Much to her surprise- The Amphibian Man is on a plinth. neck and arms, force him to kneel. He looks at her. She looks around: Surgical instruments are ready. Lights are centered on the creature. The creature howls in pain- gasping. Elisa drops her lunch bag-an egg rolls outShe moves closer- tries to free him whenCLACK! The DOOR begins to OPEN. She picks up her stuff and hides. Strickland ENTERS. Removes his jacket. Pops a few sticks of gum in his mouth. Pulls out the cattle prod. The creature howls for help. Strickland raises the cattleprod. STRICKLAND Miss me? I took a candy break. This? Is it this that scares you? You should be used to it by now... He shocks the creature. STRICKLAND There you are again. Making that god-awful sound. Is that you crying? Is that what it is? You hurting? Huh? Or maybe you’re angry? Yeah. Maybe you’d like to get another bite at me. Elisa watches him go over to the plinth, staring down the creature. The creature’s fins “fluff up” and change colors. It hisses. Strickland sucks his candy and cattleprods it- makes it go wild. STRICKLAND I can’t tell- Are you begging? ‘Cause to me it’s just the worst fucking noise I’ve ever heard.

9 Nemesis

147

Elisa’s horrified to realize she left one of the BOILED EGGS out. It’s inches from Strickland’s foot. He kicks it. It rolls. Strickland picks up the egg. Looks around. Elisa hides, she can barely breathe.a aThe

Shape of Water, screenplay by Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor, story by Guillermo del Toro. Movie script, undated, pp. 39–40.

Fig. 9.1 Richard Strickland and the Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water (2017)

Elisa is the Protagonist. Amphibian Man is the Attractor. Looming over them and a persistent threat throughout the story to both the creature and Elisa is Strickland—the story’s Nemesis 1 (Fig. 9.1). The word has an interesting linguistic history. Nemesis was the ancient Greek goddess of vengeance. The Oxford English Dictionary defines nemesis as “the inescapable agent of someone’s or something’s downfall” which is why Nemesis is preferable to the term antagonist: Whereas the latter is merely an “adversary,” a Nemesis represents an entity which by definition holds the upper hand against the Protagonist. Some examples of Nemesis characters in film and television: 1

In The Shape of Water, there are two Mentor figures: Elisa’s friends Giles and Zelda. The Trickster is Robert Hoffstetler, a doctor at the military facility, who is in fact, a Soviet spy. Ultimately, he allies with Elisa as she orchestrates Amphibian Man’s escape from captivity.

148

S. Myers

• Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988) who takes a group of workers hostage, buttressed by a clever plan, a half-dozen compatriots, and an array of weapons. • Bob in Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017) who has a demonic ability to possess the psyche of others and incite them to perpetrate murderous crimes. • Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians (1961) is so vile in her obsession with skinning ninety-nine puppies, her name is a pun on the words “cruel” and “evil.” • Gavin Belson in Silicon Valley (2014–2019) is a multimillionaire “chief innovation officer” of a successful high-tech company hell-bent on besting his rivals. • Eleanor Young in Crazy Rich Asians (2018) is the respected, even feared matriarch of a wealthy Singapore family dead set on stopping her son’s wedding. By all rights, the Nemesis should win the day, a fact which casts the Protagonist as an underdog. The underlying question that relationship creates— How will the Protagonist prevail against the Nemesis?—plants the seeds for a compelling story. Power is only one attribute typically associated with a Nemesis. In crafting a screenplay or the cast of characters for a potential television series, there are three other dynamics writers may explore in writing a worthy Nemesis: Opposition, Conflict, Shadow.

Nemesis as Opposition Later in this book (Chapter 15: Breaking Story I), the story prep process begins with eight questions. One of them is this: Who or what opposes the Protagonist ? This is a critical concern because at a most elemental level, the function of the Nemesis is to resist the Protagonist. If the Protagonist begins the story at Point A and their destination is to reach Point C, they must confront the Nemesis blocking them at Point B. Opposition may derive from topography such as the ocean for the stranded island survivors in Cast Away (2000) and Lost (2004–2010), a boulder which traps a rock climber in a remote Utah canyon in 127 Hours (2010), or the dangers of outer space challenging a rookie astronaut in Gravity (2013); a character’s psychological condition like schizophrenia in A Beautiful Mind (2001), obsessive–compulsive disorder in As Good As It Gets (1997) and Monk

9 Nemesis

149

(2002–2009), acrophobia in Vertigo (1958); a physical disability such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in The Theory of Everything (2014), neurofibromatosis in The Elephant Man (1980), deafness and blindness in The Miracle Worker (1962). In each of these cases, the opposition dynamic provides a Nemesis function. Even the physics of an individual story universe may act as an obstruction to the Protagonist achieving their goal. One interesting conceit in this regard: characters caught in an endless loop of the same day repeating itself. Filmmakers have explored this concept across genres: comedy in Groundhog Day (1993) and Palm Springs (2020), science fiction in Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and horror in Happy Death Day (2017). Indeed, this idea of a repetitive daily trap lies at the foundation of the TV series Russian Doll (2019–present) in which Nadia Vulvokov, a cynical thirty-something urbanite keeps dying, then returning to the same night of her own birthday party. Her objective: to unravel the mystery of why she is stuck in this never-ending cycle, so she can break the chain (Fig. 9.2). There are story worlds featuring oppressive political regimes such as V for Vendetta (2005), The Hunger Games (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), and The Handmaid’s Tale (2017–present): systems of domination, often patriarchal in nature, which provide a powerful adversarial dynamic. In many movies and television series using this narrative framework, there is one character who portrays the leader: Going back to Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), the film adaptation of the George Orwell novel, which features Big Brother, and similar figures like Adam Sutler in V for Vendetta,

Fig. 9.2 Nadia Vulvokov in Russian Doll (2019–present)

150

S. Myers

President Snow in The Hunger Games movies, and Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road , these characters present the human face of tyranny. Why do such stories feature a specific character to take on the function of the Nemesis? There are at least two good reasons: (1) Just as the Protagonist provides a character with whom the audience aligns itself in experiencing the unfolding narrative, the Nemesis embodies a distinct personality upon whom the viewing public may focus negative energy, rooting for the character’s demise. (2) When pitted against the Protagonist, the Nemesis transforms opposition into something personal, generating emotion-laden conflict.

Nemesis as Conflict “All drama is conflict.”2 Put another way, a story cannot have drama without conflict. Why? Some years ago on my blog, I posed this question: Why do we find conflict entertaining? 3 The responses provide keen insights as to this dynamic’s importance: • Conflict is interesting: In real life, we tend to socialize with like-minded people, so when we see characters in a movie or television series who disagree, argue, and fight, that is different and, therefore, stimulating. • Conflict is speaking one’s mind : In our daily lives, we often have to bite our tongue, but fictional characters can give voice to things we wish we had the opportunity and courage to say. • Conflict involves risk: Whereas we may play it safe in our regular routines, we never know what could happen with characters involved in a dispute, unpredictability implicit in every interaction. • Conflict requires stakes: Characters do not get into a clash unless there is something of importance involved. • Conflict is about goals: One character wants one thing, another character wants something different. • Conflict is a battle of wills: There is always the question, “Who is going to win” which makes for an intriguing scenario. • Conflict is emotional : When characters are engaged in a struggle, it is not a mere exercise in logic, but one charged with feelings.4 2

Syd Field, Screenplay: The Foundation of Screenwriting (Bantam Dell, 1984), p. 25. Scott Myers, Why do we find conflict entertaining, Go Into The Story, June 13, 2012, https://gointo thestory.blcklst.com/why-do-we-find-conflict-entertaining-5ec73b998972. 4 Scott Myers, The Power of Conflict in Storytelling, Go Into The Story, February 19, 2020, https:// gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-power-of-conflict-in-storytelling-96b5acc6c3b9. 3

9 Nemesis

151

Compelling Nemesis characters do not just provide opposition, they actively challenge the Protagonist. While they may respond to Protagonist choices, a worthy Nemesis does more than that, anticipating the Protagonist’s moves, even outwitting them. That type of intelligence and strategic instinct makes for an engaging interactive dynamic. Conflict may manifest itself as physical combat as with Daniel versus Johnny in The Karate Kid (1984) or Adonis Creed versus “Pretty” Ricky Conlan in Creed (2015). The Nemeses may be monsters: human (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre—1974, Halloween—1978), animal (Jaws— 1975, Cujo—1983), android (Blade Runner —1982, Terminator 2: Judgment Day—1991), supernatural (The Conjuring —2013, The Haunting of Hill House—2018), extraterrestrial (Independence Day—1996, A Quiet Place— 2018). Superhero movies abound with Nemeses including General Zod (Superman—1978, Superman II —1980), The Joker (The Dark Knight — 2008), and the recurring presence of Loki (Thor —2011, The Avengers— 2012, Thor: The Dark World —2013, Thor: Ragnarok—2017, Avengers: Infinity War —2018, and Avengers: Endgame—2019). The threat of death in such stories posed by the Nemesis to the Protagonist and other characters is one of the archetype’s most dominant attributes. Of course, a Nemesis does not have to be as daunting as a vast ocean, as strong as a heavyweight boxing champion, or as imposing as a superhero villain. As characters, Nemeses are scalable. They can be any shape, size, or level of threat relative to the scope and nature of the story universe in which they exist. A Nemesis may be a tyrant overlord like Sauron in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003) or an autocrat like Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), whose domain is nothing more than a psych ward. Nemeses may be bullies like Regina George in Mean Girls (2004) or Biff Tannen in Back to the Future (1985). They may traffic in the ways of seduction like Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981), gamesmanship like the Judge and Gus Sands in The Natural (1984), threats like Tabitha, the theater critic in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), revenge like Frank Miller and his cronies in High Noon (1952), and criminality like Harry in In Bruges (2008). A Nemesis may emerge from any character as long as they provide opposition to the Protagonist and create conflict with them. A worthy Nemesis, however, taps into the inner workings of the Protagonist’s psyche. In the movie Aliens (1986), the Protagonist (Ellen Ripley) is rescued in a space shuttle after fifty-seven years floating in a state of cryogenic sleep. Once she has recuperated, she is shocked to learn that her daughter Amanda, eleven-years-old when Ripley left to work on the star-freighter Nostromo, died

152

S. Myers

of cancer during Ripley’s long interstellar sojourn. Her guilt is compounded by the fact Ripley had promised Amanda she would return in time for her daughter’s birthday … a vow not kept. Given Ripley’s initial state of disunity, from a storytelling point of view, is it any wonder she agrees to travel back to LV-426, the planetoid where she first encountered the Alien creature as depicted in the original movie?5 She cannot move forward in life without confronting the trauma she experienced on the Nostromo and the guilt she carries with her about her deceased daughter. Ripley does not understand this at the beginning of the story. What she does know is she will accompany a group of marines whose stated goal is to kill any and all aliens which may yet exist on the distant planetoid. She has no way of anticipating two characters with whom she will intersect on LV-426 who will play a major role in her character’s arc. Once the crew reaches their destination, they discover that aliens have slaughtered the entire colony of human settlers, save one: a traumatized young girl named Newt. Ripley takes the child under her wing, slowly gaining Newt’s trust and eventually bonding with the young girl. What develops is a surrogate mother-daughter relationship (Protagonist—Attractor), a connection enabling Ripley to fill the void left by Amanda’s death. Her rapport with Newt also allows Ripley to make up for the failed promise she made to her own daughter. The other character of significance with whom Ripley intersects: the Alien Queen. It, too, is a mother, breeding dozens of alien progeny. Eventually, Ripley destroys the brood with a flame-thrower which sets up for a memorable final struggle: Ripley versus the Alien Queen with Newt’s life in the balance. This leads to one of the all-time memorable lines of dialogue in an action movie, when Ripley, inside a forklift power loader, exclaims to the Alien Queen, “Get away from her, you bitch!”6 (Fig. 9.3). In ultimately prevailing over the Alien Queen, Ripley faces down her failings as a mother by saving Newt. The fact that Ripley confronts another mother in the process, albeit an alien one, adds a layer of psychological meaning to the confrontation. In a way, when Ripley squares off against the

5

Alien, screenplay by Dan O’Bannon, story by Dan O’Bannon & Ronald Shusett, Twentieth Century Fox, 1979. 6 James Cameron, writer-director of Aliens, crafted a clever twist on the original movie. In Alien, the ship’s Science Officer (Ash) is revealed to be an android whose prime directive is to save the life of the Alien. In Aliens, Ripley does not trust the ship’s android (Bishop); after all, Ash attempted to kill her. However, Bishop turns out to be a staunch ally to Ripley. Thus, the android in Alien, who is a Trickster, is transformed in the sequel to be a Mentor figure. The Trickster role in Aliens is provided by Carter Burke, the crew’s representative of the Weyland-Yutani corporation.

9 Nemesis

153

Fig. 9.3 Ellen Ripley and the Alien Queen in Aliens (1986)

Alien Queen, she faces the physicalization of that which she fears the most: her Shadow.

Nemesis as Shadow One way for a writer to mine layers of meaning in a story is to explore the Protagonist’s shadow and its potential connection to the Nemesis. By the term “shadow,” we refer to the writings of the founder of analytical psychology Carl Jung: Unfortunately there can be no doubt that man is, on the whole, less good than he imagines himself or wants to be. Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. If an inferiority is conscious, one always has a chance to correct it. Furthermore, it is constantly in contact with other interests, so that it is continually subjected to modifications. But if it is repressed and isolated from consciousness, it is liable to burst forth suddenly in a moment of unawareness.7

7 C. G. Jung, “Psychology and Religion: West and East,” Collected Works XI (Princeton University Press, 1969) para. 131, p. 77.

154

S. Myers

Jung’s concept of the shadow is a complex one, but for our purposes, think of it this way: The shadow is a character’s negative impulses and traits which they have tried to confine to the dim corners of their unconscious. A key aspect of Jung’s notion of the individuation process is to make conscious that which is unconscious, including the shadow and integrate it into the light of being. Filling the conscious mind with ideal conceptions is a characteristic of Western theosophy, but not the confrontation with the shadow and the world of darkness. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.8

From a writing standpoint, this process is fundamental to the Protagonist’s journey (as explored in Chapter One). Indeed, the events of the plotline and the characters with whom the Protagonist intersects exist to undergird their metamorphosis. In other words, in order to move through the various stages of their character arc, they must confront their own shadow. It is a frightening thought that man also has a shadow-side to him, consisting not just of little weaknesses and foibles, but of a positively demonic dynamism. The individual seldom knows anything of this; to him, as an individual, it is incredible that he should in any circumstances go beyond himself. But let these harmless creatures form a mass, and there emerges a raging monster; and each individual is one tiny cell in the monster’s body, so that for better or worse, he must accompany it on its bloody rampages and even assist it to the utmost.9

This raises a fascinating possibility: What if we consider a story’s Nemesis to be the physicalization of the Protagonist’s shadow? This circumstance may not be relevant in all stories, but when it is, it allows the writer to explore several dynamics: • Instead of working with a generic Nemesis character, this framework establishes a specific and unique connection between the Protagonist and Nemesis. • It compels the Protagonist to confront their shadow self in a visceral and visual way through the presence of the Nemesis.

8 C. G. Jung, “Alchemical Studies,” Collected Works XIII (Princeton University Press 1970), para. 335, p. 265. 9 C. G. Jung, “Two Essays in Analytical Psychology,” Collected Works VII (Princeton University Press, 1981) para. 35, p. 130.

9 Nemesis

155

• To the degree, the Protagonist has been repressing their shadow instincts, this scenario forces the Protagonist to face aspects of their psyche they fear. If the Nemesis reflects the very nature of the Protagonist’s repressed negative instincts, that creates an exciting potential a writer may explore in crafting the story. Indeed, this dynamic whereby the Nemesis is the physicalization of some aspects of the Protagonist’s shadow is surprisingly common in movies and television series. In the Batman trilogy (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises), the inciting incident for the entire saga occurs when a young Bruce Wayne witnesses the random, senseless murders of his father and mother. Filled with rage, Wayne eventually ends up in a Chinese prison where he spends each day fighting inmates. Invited to train with the League of Shadows (!), Wayne learns to harness his anger into a pledge as his alter-ego Batman: to use violence only in pursuit of fighting injustice in Gotham City. In this way, he creates a semblance of order in the face of chaos in the world. Enter the Joker. The fact he is an agent of mayhem directly confronts Wayne’s efforts to forge order in his life. There are three other dynamics the two share: • Both are deeply wounded by their pasts: Wayne by the death of his parents and the guilt he feels about their murders; Joker by some unnamed trauma resulting in the scars on his face. • Both are filled with rage: Wayne by the injustice of his parent’s deaths which he redirects toward fighting injustice in the form of criminals; Joker metes out his anger toward everyone—except Batman. • Both use violence as means to an end: Wayne as Batman to combat criminals; Joker to create chaos and attempt to get Batman to reveal his true identity. The Joker is the physicalization of the darkest aspects of Wayne’s shadow: wound, anger, violence manifesting itself toward evil. The only thing keeping Batman’s own turbulent instincts in check is a commitment to his principles and his need for control. The Joker challenges Batman’s resolve. While Batman may resist the possibility that there is a connection between the pair, Joker embraces it: “You. Complete. Me” (Fig. 9.4). In Up (2009), Charles Muntz’s obsession with finding the mythical bird he claims to have discovered in the South American jungles mirrors Carl Fredricksen’s obsession with transporting his house atop Paradise Falls. Likewise in Whiplash (2014), Andrew’s compulsion to achieve greatness as a jazz

156

S. Myers

Fig. 9.4 Batman and the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008)

drummer is reflected in Fletcher’s mania to drive his music students toward perfection. In Succession (2018–present), Kendall Roy’s obsession with his father Logan Roy leads him in Season One to attempt a hostile takeover of the family business. After failing to best his father, in Season Two, Kendall becomes Logan’s dutiful surrogate and, in effect, embraces his shadow self. Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Jeff Sheldrake in The Apartment (1960), the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network (2008), and Nathan Bateman in Ex Machina (2014) each in their own way are a projection of the Protagonist’s shadow, a desire for success and career advancement which, if given space, could end up “devouring” them. By contrast, two radically divergent movies, The King’s Speech (2010) and Looper (2012), feature paternal figures (King George V and Old Joe) which the Protagonist fears to become: Bertie, because he does not believe he has the capacity to be a king; Joe, because he knows he does have the capability of becoming a child killer. The Nemesis as physicalization of the Protagonist’s shadow can be a powerful tool in uncovering a specific, unique connection between these two central characters.

Summary Opposition. Conflict. Shadow. Each of these Nemesis dynamics is grounded in their relationship to the Protagonist and, therefore, represent areas a

9 Nemesis

157

writer may explore when crafting both characters. That synergistic connection between Protagonist and Nemesis provides a touchstone for the other primary character archetypes—Attractor, Mentor, Trickster—for they, too, have their respective roles to play in the Protagonist’s journey as members of the Family of Characters. Exercise Choose a notable movie, television, or book character who plays the role of the Nemesis. Explore their relationship with the Protagonist. How do they create opposition? How do they generate conflict? How might they reflect the Protagonist’s shadow? Why are they a worthy Nemesis?

Further Study The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro (author), Daniel Kraus (author), Feiwel & Friends, March 2018. On Set For ‘The Shape of Water’: Guillermo Del Toro “Bled” To Realize His Most Ambitious Project Yet, Joe Utichi, Deadline, December 27, 2017, https://deadline. com/2017/12/guillermo-del-toro-interview-on-set-shape-of-water-1202232620/. The Risk Always Lives: Words to Live by on the Set of James Cameron’s ‘Aliens,’ Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, September 4, 2019, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/ aliens/. An Agency of Chaos: Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight,’ Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, Feb 17, 2019, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/the-dark-knight/. The Nemesis as the Protagonist’s ‘Shadow,’ Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, August 18, 2019, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-nemesis-as-the-protagonists-sha dow-32895902617b.

References Cameron, J (screenplay), Cameron, J and Giler, D & Hill, W (story), O’Bannon, D and Shusett, R (based on characters created by) (1986). Aliens; Twentieth Century Fox. del Toro, G & Taylor, V (screenplay), del Toro, G (story) (2017). The Shape of Water; Fox Searchlight. Field, S, (1984). Screenplay: The Foundation of Screenwriting; Bantam Dell.

158

S. Myers

Jung, C. G. (1969). “Psychology and Religion: West and East,” Collected Works XI ; Princeton University Press. Jung, C. G. (1970). “Alchemical Studies,” Collected Works XIII ; Princeton University Press. Jung, C. G. (1981). “Two Essays in Analytical Psychology,” Collected Works VII ; Princeton University Press.

10 Attractor

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Attractor: A character or characters whose primary narrative function is to connect with and influence the Protagonist’s emotional life. • Lover: A romance figure in the life of the Protagonist. • Family and Friends: Blood relatives or surrogate family members to the Protagonist. • Inspiration: Through their connection to the emotional life of the Protagonist, the Attractor enables the Protagonist to tap into their feelings and energize them toward their goal. • False Attractor: A character who presents as a True Attractor only to be revealed as working against the emotional development and best interests of the Protagonist. • Buddy Story: A narrative structure in which two disparate characters intersect and discover a mutual bond through their journey together.

In the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You, an adaptation of the William Shakespeare play The Taming of the Shrew, adolescent Bianca Stratford longs to start going out with boys. However, her overprotective father has laid down the law: Bianca cannot expand her social life until her older sister Katarina “Kat” Stratford begins dating first. The problem for Bianca— and Cameron who is romantically smitten by her—is that Kat is a strident high school senior who sneers at the idiocy of teenage culture (she is variously referred to by other students as a “bitter self-righteous hag who has no friends” and a “mewling, rampalian wretch”). © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_10

159

160

S. Myers

Fig. 10.1

Katarina “Kat” Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Cameron hits on a plan: Pay Patrick Verona (“a sullen-looking bad ass senior… his slouch and smirk let us know how cool he is”) to woo and date Kat. As is the custom of romantic comedies, initially Kat wants nothing to do with Patrick, but over time she develops feelings for this fellow outsider, opening up to him about experiences in her past which led to the sullen state of her personality. Toward the end of the movie, Kat writes a poem and shockingly recites it in front of her classmates as she confesses the emotional upheaval Patrick has created in her life (Fig. 10.1 ): Kat stands, puts on her glasses, and takes a deep breath before reading from her notebook. KAT I hate the way you talk to me/ and the way you cut your hair/ I hate the way you drive my car/ I hate it when you stare. She pauses, then continues. KAT I hate your big dumb combat boots/ and the way you read my mind/ I hate you so much it makes me sick/ it even makes me rhyme. She takes a deep breath, and looks quickly at Patrick, who stares at the floor.

10 Attractor

161

KAT I hate the way you're always right/ I hate it when you lie/ I hate it when you make me laugh/ even worse when you make me cry/ I hate it that you're not around/ and the fact that you didn't call/ But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you/ not even close, not even a little bit, not even any at all. She looks directly at Patrick. He looks back this time. The look they exchange says everything. Then she walks out of the room. The rest of the class remains in stunned silence.a aTen

Things I Hate About You, written by Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten Smith, based on ‘Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare. Movie script dated November 12, 1997, p. 102.

The subtext of Kat’s poem is unmistakable: Not hating him “even a little bit” is her way of saying she has fallen in love. In the denouement, Patrick makes a startling confession of his own: He messed up the deal he struck with Cameron because he “fell for” Kat. They kiss and presumably live happily ever after. Such is the power of the Attractor: to inspire a change of heart within the Protagonist. The Protagonist begins the story in disunity, either actively suppressing deeper aspects of their inner self or incapable of integrating them. One area of disconnection: matters of the heart. Feelings are powerful agents, pulsing with energy, but, like dynamite, can explode.1 Yet, the Protagonist has no chance of going through a meaningful metamorphosis without engaging their emotions. If they learn to trust these instincts, the Protagonist can harness that passion to propel them through the trials and tribulations of their journey. The basic function of the Attractor is to facilitate that process: steer the Protagonist into and through the complex realm of the heart. In physics, an attractor is defined as “a state or behavior toward which a dynamic system tends to evolve.”2 If we think of metamorphosis as an organic process, the Attractor serves as an entity toward which the Protagonist is drawn. The growth of their bond arouses and animates the Protagonist ‘s character arc.

1

There is a difference between feelings and emotions: A character consciously experiences feelings while emotions may exist at a subconscious level. 2 https://www.dictionary.com/browse/attractor.

162

S. Myers

Although Attractors appear in stories as an endless array of personalities, there are a few common Protagonist–Attractor dynamics: Lover, Family and Friends, Inspiration.

Attractor as Lover Spanning the cinematic decades from Ellie and Peter in the screwball comedy It Happened One Night (1934) to Ellie and Jack in the musical comedy Yesterday (2019), movies and television series have had a longstanding passion for characters who endure sweeping emotional ups and downs only to end up as lovers. In these stories, the Attractor as romance figure is an answer to intimate questions housed in the Protagonist’s heart. In Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Sam Baldwin is a widower who has lost his beloved wife Maggie. Eighteen months later after relocating from Chicago to Seattle with his eight-year-old son Jonah, Sam still has trouble sleeping, trapped in a relentless cycle of grief. The underlying question at the core of Sam’s emotional being is: Will he ever be able to fall in love again? Through Josh’s ploys, a series of Sam’s late night radio talk show call-in confessions, and the serendipity of those broadcasts being heard by Annie Reed in Baltimore, by the movie’s final scene atop the Empire State Building, where Sam and Annie meet for the very first time, the answer to that question is yes. Frances “Baby” Houseman, the Protagonist of Dirty Dancing (1987), is the seventeen year-old daughter of Dr. Jake Houseman. Baby’s family goes on a vacation in the summer of 1963 to an upscale Catskills resort. There, Baby becomes enamored of twenty-five-year-old Johnny Castle, one of the resort’s dance instructors. When Johnny’s regular dance partner Penny is impregnated by a womanizing Yale medical student, Baby borrows money from her father to pay for Penny’s abortion. As a result, Baby takes Penny’s place and while rehearsing a routine to perform at a nearby hotel, she and Johnny fall in love. When Jake learns about the relationship, believing that Johnny is the person responsible for Penny’s pregnancy, he forbids Baby from seeing him again. Fired because of his affair with Baby, Johnny shows up for the resort’s season finale and leads Baby on stage. There he professes to the crowd his ardor for “Miss Frances Houseman” who is “somebody who’s taught me about the kind of person I wanna be.” Their rousing dance performance wins over Baby’s father (“You looked wonderful out there”), and the film’s final image is Johnny and Baby kissing, surrounded by energetic dancing couples. Dirty Dancing offers an example of a coming-of-age story in which the Attractor

10 Attractor

163

(Johnny) not only spurs the Protagonist (Baby) to tap into her emotional nature, but also is himself inspired by her love to be a better man (Fig. 10.2). Protagonist–Attractor relationships have been a staple of television series since its inception. Romantic storylines abound featuring young love (Kevin and Winnie in The Wonder Years, 1988–1993), old love (Archie and Edith Bunker in All in the Family, 1971–1979), forbidden love (Buffy and Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1997–2003), married love (Lucy and Desi in I Love Lucy, 1951–1957), divorced love (Frances and Robert in Divorce, 2016– 2019), gay love (Mitchell and Cameron in Modern Family, 2009–2020), lesbian love (Brittany and Santana in Glee, 2009–2015), and “finally-theyadmit-it” love (Ross and Rachel in Friends, 1994–2004). Indeed, the “will they, won’t they” storyline has been a popular go-to device, such as extended subplots featuring Sam and Diane in Cheers (1982–1993) and Fleishman and O’Connell in Northern Exposure (1990–1995), milking tension until the duo finally consummates their romance. In all these cases, no matter fate’s curveballs, the couple keeps returning to each other, a reflection of the Attractor influence. Some stories, however, feature Protagonist–Attractor characters who do not end up together. There are movies like Casablanca (1942) in which the Protagonist (Rick) selflessly sacrifices his feelings for the Attractor (Ilsa).

Fig. 10.2

Frances “Baby” Houseman and Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing (1987)

164

S. Myers

Fig. 10.3

Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind (1939)

Sometimes as with Jack and Rose in Titanic (1997), Jack and Ennis in Brokeback Mountain (2005), Gus and Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars (2014), and Meredith and Derek in Grey’s Anatomy (2005–2020), it is the death of one character which separates them.3 The couple may simply grow apart over time like Alvy and Annie in Annie Hall or Tom and Summer in (500) Days of Summer (2009). In Her (2013), Theodore’s virtual girlfriend Samantha evolves to the point where she takes off with others in the artificial intelligence community. Similarly in Ex Machina (2014), after becoming infatuated with the humanoid Ava, Caleb loses her when she escapes Nathan’s compound and heads off into the world on her own. Then there are times where the Attractor has simply had enough of a tempestuous relationship with the Protagonist as is famously the case in Gone With the Wind (1939) leading to one of the most quoted break-ups in cinema history (Fig. 10.3): “Frankly, Scarlett, I don’t give a damn.”4 These stories resonate with audiences because heartbreak is a universal human experience. Yet more often than not, the Protagonist–Attractor twosome winds up in each other’s arms (Edward and Vivian in Pretty Woman, 3

In femme fatale stories, the Attractor may be killed like Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity (1944) or get away with their murderous schemes like Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct (1992). 4 There can be False Attractors in contrast to True Attractors. For example, in the movie Juno (2007), Juno becomes infatuated with Mark Loring, the husband of Vanessa, the couple intending to adopt Juno’s baby. Eventually, she realizes that Mark is a fraud and returns to her True Attractor (Paulie Bleeker). Likewise in Bridesmaids (2011), Annie fantasizes about Ted, who is everything she thinks she could want in a mate: handsome, rich, sexy. However, he turns out to be a cad. Fortunately for Annie, she meets her True Attractor (Rhodes), a sweet, earnest cop who likes Annie for who she is.

10 Attractor

165

1990; Phil and Rita in Groundhog Day, 1993; Fred and Charlotte in Long Shot, 2019), or the story concludes with the suggestion they may have a future together (Michael and Julie in Tootsie, 1982; Chiron and Kevin in Moonlight, 2016; Kumail and Emily in The Big Sick, 2017). Perhaps there is no better way to leave the audience with a smile than a story in which the Protagonist couples with an Attractor and we feel like they deservedly belong together.

Attractor as Family and Friends Some stories feature a central relationship in which the Attractor is part of the Protagonist’s household circle. Parent, child, sibling, or extended family member, if the Protagonist has a personal emotional connection with someone to whom they are related, that character is likely to fulfill the Attractor function. Often members of the Protagonist’s family are Attractor characters reflecting the complex nature of multiple interrelationships. This is, especially true of television series in which storylines spinning out over numerous seasons allow for an extensive exploration of the ins, outs, ups, and downs of characters and their interpersonal connections. For example: The Sopranos (1999–2007) probes Tony Soprano’s turbulent marriage to Carmella and shaky relationships with daughter Meadow and son Anthony, Junior, while running a business with his other family: mobsters.5 Similarly, Bob Parr in The Incredibles (2004) struggles to adjust to life as the “normal” head of a superhero family in hiding, preferring to engage in unauthorized clandestine crimefighting exploits. This internal compulsion ends up putting his wife (Helen) and children (Violet, Dash, and Jack Jack) in danger, leading him to realize, “I’ve been a lousy father. Blind… to what I have. So obsessed with being undervalued, I undervalued you.” The television series This Is Us (2016-present) leans into the entangled nature of familial relations by following three adult siblings: Kevin and Kate, two survivors of a triplet pregnancy, and Randall, a Black man who was adopted into the family as a baby. The series frequently features episodes comprised of interweaving timelines, using the juxtaposition of present and past to delve into the intricacies of the primary characters’ emotional associations.

5 It is noteworthy that the last scene of the The Sopranos series finale features Tony sharing a meal at a diner with his entire immediate family.

166

S. Myers

Fig. 10.4

Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson in Lady Bird (2017)

There are Protagonist–Attractor relationships featuring fathers and sons. In movies like Field of Dreams (1989) and Big Fish (2003), the point of view is that of an adult son reconciling with an estranged father. By contrast, Fences (2016) focuses on the father Troy, bitter about having missed the chance to play professional baseball, struggling with his son’s athletic prowess. In Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), when Ted Kramer’s wife Joanna leaves him, he is forced to navigate an unknown role as a single father to young son Billy. Likewise, there are Protagonist–Attractor relationships involving mothers and daughters. The movie Terms of Endearment (1983) follows the stormy bond between Aurora Greenway and her adult child Emma Horton, two different personality types who struggle to find a way to bridge their dissimilarities. In Postcards from the Edge (1990), Suzanne Vale is a drug-addicted actress who is forced to live with her famous actress mother Doris Mann, setting into motion an easing of tensions between the pair. By contrast in Lady Bird (2017), Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson yearns to escape her suffocating life in Sacramento, that inner discord projected onto the relationship with her mother Marion (Fig. 10.4). Ironically, once she does break away crosscountry to New York City, the final moment in the movie finds Lady Bird calling home to thank her mother and tell her, “I love you.”6 Closely related to the narrative function of families are friends and the variety of these character types is nearly limitless. There are old friends (Billy, Paddy, Archie, and Sam in Last Vegas, 2013) and young friends (Max, Lucas, 6

There are also stories which feature father–daughter relationships such as Father of the Bride (1950) and the 1991 remake, as well as mother–son connections like Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).

10 Attractor

167

and Thor in Good Boys, 2019). There are mismatched friends (Tony Lip and Dr. Donald Shirley in Green Book, 2018) and indistinguishable friends (Barb and Star in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021). There are humans and animals (Dooley and Jerry Lee in K-9, 1989), humans and monsters (Boo and Sulley in Monsters, Inc., 2001), humans and aliens (Elliot and E.T. in E .T. the Extra-Terrestrial , 1982), and humans and robots (Hogarth and The Iron Giant in The Iron Giant, 1999). Whether the friendships are longstanding in nature (Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern in Stand By Me, 1986) or discovered along the way (Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz, 1939), “frenemies” (Neal and Del in Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, 1987) or fast friends (Frodo and Sam in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, 2001–2003), each character in the relationship plays the role of both Protagonist (to themselves) and Attractor (to the other). One of the most popular Protagonist–Attractor relationship in movies and television is the Buddy Story. Two characters may have a pre-existing connection or are thrown together by fate, but whatever the origin of their intersection, buddy stories allow for the exploration of contrary personalities who, more often than not, grow together as a symbolic “couple,” each character the Attractor to the other. Buddy stories have a prominent place in film history including the seven “Road To” movie series starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, and the thirtyeight movies featuring Bud Abbot and Lou Costello from 1940 to 1965. These type of pairings exist across genres: action (Léon and Mathilda in Léon: The Professional , 1994), comedy (Withnail and I in Withnail & I , 1987), action comedy (Asburn and Mullins in The Heat, 2013), drama (Ratso and Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy, 1969), drama comedy (Philippe and Driss in The Intouchables, 2011), adventure crime (Thelma and Louise in Thelma & Louise, 1991), crime comedy (Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker in The Sting, 1973), and crime thriller (Ray and Ken in In Bruges, 2008) to name just a few.7 The history of television is filled with series populated by friends, perhaps most notably the aptly named series Friends (1994–2004) which tracks the camaraderie of six characters whose lives are intertwined: Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross. Indeed, exploring the weekly exploits of a group of friends has been a staple for TV sit-coms including such long-running series as Seinfeld (1989–1998) and The Big Bang Theory (2007– 2019). A common narrative framework is a work environment in which 7 Buddy stories are particularly popular in action comedies. Examples: 48 h. (1982), Lethal Weapon (1987), The Last Boy Scout (1992), Bad Boys (1995), Rush Hour (1998), 21 Jump Street (2011), The Nice Guys (2016).

168

S. Myers

friendships evolve as the characters coexist in a shared common space like M*A*S*H (1972–1983), Taxi (1978–1983), Night Court (1984–1992), Scrubs (2001–2010), The Office (2005–2013), 30 Rock (2006–2013), Parks and Recreation (2009–2015), and Community (2011–2020). Television series like Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983), the misadventures of blue-collar roommates in the 1950s and 1960s, and Beavis & Butthead (1993–2011), the misadventures of two idiotic adolescent heavy metal music fans, feature characters who are already best friends. By contrast, the sit-com The Odd Couple (1970–1975) and one-hour drama series The X-Files (1993– 2002, 2016, 2018) spotlight characters who meet in the series pilot. In The Odd Couple, two divorced bachelors become roommates: Felix Unger is a neatnik, while Oscar Madison is a slob. In The X-Files, two F.B.I. agents are assigned to explore unexplained paranormal activity: Fox Mulder is a true believer while Dana Scully is a sceptic. In these type of narrative constructs, the contrast in personalities and world views not only engenders conflict between the characters, a key source of entertainment, it sets up the series to probe how opposites eventually attract. Perhaps no television sitcom reflects the transformative power of friendships more than The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977). In the pilot episode (“Love is All Around”), Mary moves to Minneapolis after the demise of a long-term romantic relationship and applies for a job in the newsroom at WJM, a small local television station. During her tense interview with gruff news director Lou Grant, there is this exchange: Lou Grant: You know what? You’ve got spunk. Mary: Well, yeah… Lou Grant: I hate spunk! I’ll tell you what. I’ll try you out for a couple of weeks and see if it works out. If I don’t like you, I’ll fire you. If you don’t like me, I’ll fire you.8 Ironically, after seven years together, the new station manager fires Lou, Mary, Murray, and Sue Ann, while allowing the inept newscaster Ted Knight to keep his job. In the final scene of S7, Ep24 (“The Last Show”) as the coworkers bid farewell to each other, the normally irascible Lou says: “I treasure you people.” This leads to the famous series-ending group hug (Fig. 10.5). The fact that Lou, a surly curmudgeon being able to express that emotion, is a testament to the power of friendship which enables characters to embrace their hearts and grow into a surrogate family. 8 The Mary Tyler Moore Show, S1, Ep1 (“Love is All Around”), written by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns, directed by Jay Sandrich. CBS, September 19, 1970.

10 Attractor

169

Fig. 10.5 The TV crew’s group hug in the finale of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)

Attractor as Inspiration Whether lover, family, or friend, the baseline function of an Attractor character is to inspire the Protagonist. Motivated by the Attractor and empowered by a newfound connection to their emotional life, the Protagonist can not only change, but also achieve goals which would have seemed impossible at the beginning of their journey. Often, the scope of the Protagonist’s pilgrimage is not geographical, but psychological in nature. In such cases, the Attractor’s primary function is to spur a change in the Protagonist’s self-perception, affecting their habits, attitudes, and disposition. In Trainwreck (2015), Amy Townsend’s adult behavior of excessive partying and casual sex with a string of random hook-ups derives from her parents’ divorce when she was a child. The father justified his adulterous ways by telling his daughters, “Monogamy isn’t realistic.” As an adult, Amy embraces this philosophy. Then she meets the Attractor (Dr. Aaron Conners) and struggles against her ingrained behavior, at first unable to imagine herself in a committed relationship, even as their romance intensifies. Eventually, her feelings for Aaron win the day and she changes her lifestyle, discovering

170

S. Myers

that inside herself, she actually has the ability to commit to a monogamous relationship. The eponymous Protagonist of Jojo Rabbit (2019) is a ten-year-old boy living in Germany in World War II. Jojo trains with the Hitler Youth and very much strives to be a good little Nazi, assisted in this goal by his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler. Jojo’s world is turned upside down when he discovers that his mother (Rosie) has been hiding a teenage girl (Elsa), who is Jewish, in the family’s attic. Having been inundated with German propaganda, Jojo begins his psychological journey as an anti-Semite and peppers Elsa with xenophobic questions for a book he intends to write to help the Nazi movement. Over time, however, he discovers racist stereotypes do not ring true considering his growing friendship with Elsa. The boy develops a crush on his newfound teenage friend. Inspired by Elsa, Jojo evolves from being in an I-It relationship—perceiving her through the lens of Nazi indoctrination—to an I-You connection—acting toward her as a fellow human being.9 There are stories in which an Attractor inspires the Protagonist to depart their home and embark on a quest. In the futuristic world of Children of Men (2006), a plague has made all women infertile and there have been no human births in eighteen years. Society has suffered greatly as a result. The Protagonist (Theo Faron) agrees to transport the Attractor (Kee), who miraculously is eight months pregnant, to a secret compound inhabited by a group of scientists known as the Human Project, dedicated to reviving human fertility. Similarly in Logan (2017), part of the X-Men series of films, the year is 2029 and no mutants have been born in over two decades. The Protagonist (Logan), who begins the story as a dissipated, alcoholic limo driver, reluctantly agrees to shepherd the Attractor (Laura), a young girl, to safety in Canada. Brought to life from mutant DNA to become a weapon, Laura is wanted by her creators after she escapes. Logan (a.k.a. Wolverine) uses what remains of his diminished mutant power to fend off the Nemeses, sacrificing his life in the process for Laura, who he discovers is his “daughter,” created from his own DNA. In the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Immortan Joe is a tyrannical ruler who hoards the area’s depleted resources and doles them out to desperate citizens. One of his lieutenants is the Protagonist (Imperator Furiosa). She is sent out in an armored War Rig to obtain fuel and weapons. However, she diverts from that destination as she

9

This I-It to I-You transformation arc is a common one in movies and television series, and reflects the insights of philosopher Martin Buber (1878–1965) as explored in his book Ich un Du. Originally published in 1923, it is available translated into English as I and Thou (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1970).

10 Attractor

Fig. 10.6

171

Imperator Furiosa and the Wives in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

has other plans: to save the Attractors (The Wives), five concubines enslaved to Immortan Joe (Fig. 10.6).10 Each of these stories features a Protagonist on a quest to save the life of the Attractor. Inspiration, however, can cut both ways as there are stories in which the Protagonist pursues revenge for the death of an Attractor character. In the Death Wish series (1974, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1994), Paul Kersey becomes a vigilante seeking retribution after his wife is beaten and dies (Death Wish), and his daughter is raped and leaps to her death (Death Wish II ). Other movies in this tradition: Braveheart (1995), The Limey (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), and The Revenant (2015). Indeed, John Wick (2014) echoes the box office success of Death Wish as to date, it has spawned two sequels: John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) and John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum (2019). Whether the victim is a spouse, child, or even a puppy symbolizing the deceased wife in John Wick, the Protagonist is inspired to seek vengeance against the killers. Then there are stories with a more nuanced form of inspiration. In Arrival (2016), Louise Banks is a linguist who the U.S. government prevails upon to travel to a remote Montana location. It is the site where one of twelve

10 In the Mad Max: Fury Road - "Wives" Featurette, actress Courtney Eaton who plays one of The Wives (Cheedo the Fragile) says, “Furiosa saw what they were going through and she took them away.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slTH9lFJjKU.

172

S. Myers

Fig. 10.7

Louise Banks and the baby Hannah in Arrival (2016)

alien spaceships has landed in various locations around the world. Her task: Communicate with the creatures (“heptapods”) to determine their intent. Over time, Louise teaches the aliens the basics of human language, but more importantly, they bestow upon her their form of communication, one which enables Louise to peer into the future. With this capability, Louise experiences a recurring series of images featuring a young girl named Hannah. This is Louise’s daughter, not yet born. These flash-forward moments stitch together a narrative of Hannah’s life, one in which she eventually dies from cancer as a teenager. Armed with this foreknowledge, Louise faces a question: Will she embrace her growing feelings toward Ian, one of the members of the government team, eventually leading to her pregnancy and the birth of Hannah … or not (Fig. 10.7). In the end, despite knowing the girl’s tragic death, Louise decides to embrace a future with Hannah, inspired by the love Louise feels for the Attractor: her daughter-to-be.

Summary As part of their journey, the Protagonist must engage their feelings and allow their emotions to emerge into the light of consciousness as this is one key to empowering their character arc. The figure, who is most closely aligned with the process through which the Protagonist integrates matters of the heart, is the Attractor. Lover, family, or friend, the Attractor inspires the Protagonist, enabling them to tap into their intuitive nature and power them through the many challenges on their journey.

10 Attractor

173

Exercise Choose a notable movie, television, or book character who plays the role of the Attractor. Explore their relationship with the Protagonist. If they are a lover, what is it about them which connects with the Protagonist’s need? If they are family or friend, how do they influence the Protagonist’s emotional development? How does the Attractor inspire the Protagonist?

Further Study Shakespeare for Feminists: An Oral History of 10 Things I Hate About You, Carrie Rickey, RogerEbert.com, April 5, 2019, https://www.rogerebert.com/features/sha kespeare-for-feminists-an-oral-history-of-10-things-i-hate-about-you. Why Dirty Dancing Is a Subversive Feminist Masterpiece, Lara C Cory, Little White Lies, August 12, 2017, https://lwlies.com/articles/dirty-dancing-subversive-fem inist-masterpiece/. The Best Will-They-Won’t-They TV Couples Ever, Hanh Nguyen, IndieWire, February 13, 2018, https://www.indiewire.com/2018/02/best-tv-couples-shows1201928118/. ‘The Sopranos’: An In-Depth Analysis, Dan Redding, Culture Creature, March 5, 2018, https://www.culturecreature.com/sopranos-analysis/. The Sopranos Sessions, Matt Zoller Seitz (author), Alan Sepinwall (author), Abrams Books, January 2019. The Real Feminist Impact of The Mary Tyler Moore Show Was Behind the Scenes, Hope Reese, The Atlantic, May 16, 2013, https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/ archive/2013/05/the-real-feminist-impact-of-i-the-mary-tyler-moore-show-i-wasbehind-the-scenes/275875/. In Search of Our Better Selves: The Rebirth, Redemption and Road Warriors of George Miller’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, April 8, 2019, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/mad-max-fury-road/. ARRIVAL: When Is Now?, David Bordwell, November 23, 2016, http://www.davidb ordwell.net/blog/2016/11/23/arrival-when-is-now/.

References Bergstein, E. (written by) (1987). Dirty Dancing; Vestron Pictures. Brooks, J. L. and Burns, A. (created by) (1970–1977). The Mary Tyler Moore Show; CBS / MTM Enterprises.

174

S. Myers

Ephron, N., Ward, D. S. and Arch, J. (screenplay), Arch, J. (story) (1993). Sleepless in Seattle; TriStar Pictures. Heisserer, E. (screenplay), Chiang, T. (short story) (2016). Arrival ; Paramount Pictures. Schumer, A. (written by) (2015). Trainwreck; Universal Pictures. Waititi, T. (screenplay), Leunens, C. (book) (2019). Jojo Rabbit; Fox Searchlight Pictures.

11 Mentor

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Mentor: A character or characters whose primary narrative function is to connect with and influence the Protagonist’s intellectual life. • Heart: Symbol of the Attractor reflecting their connection to the Protagonist’s emotional life. • Brain: Symbol of the Mentor reflecting their connection to the Protagonist’s intellectual life. • Guide: The Mentor has knowledge about the road which lies ahead which helps steer the Protagonist through their journey. • Guardian: The Mentor has unique skills which they use to defend the Protagonist and assist them in overcoming challenges along the way. • Insight: The Mentor is imbued with a higher level of understanding, not only about the world around them, but also about the Protagonist psychological self. • False Mentor: A character who presents as a True Mentor only to be revealed as working against the best interests of the Protagonist.

In the 1987 movie The Untouchables, when Treasury Department agent Eliot Ness arrives in Chicago on government assignment, this is what he discovers:

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_11

175

176

S. Myers

FADE IN: A CRAWLSHEET 1931. Prohibition has transformed Chicago into a city at War. Rival gangs compete for control of the city’s billion dollar empire of illegal alcohol, enforcing their will with the hand grenade and tommy gun. It is the time of the Ganglords. It is the time of Al Capone. a aThe

Untouchables, written by David Mamet, suggested by a book by Oscar Fraley and Eliot Ness. Movie script dated May 5, 1986, p. 1.

Ness attempts to collar Capone using legal means, but as an outsider to a city rife with corrupt police bribed to protect the mob boss, combined with a strong inner circle of criminal allies, the federal agent gets nowhere. Committed to bringing Capone to justice, Ness seeks out the assistance of a veteran street cop named Malone. Ness walks over to Malone. Malone stands very close to him. Under his breath, intensely: MALONE You said you wanted to know how to get Capone. Do you really want to get him? (beat) You see what I’m sayin’? What are you prepared to do? NESS Everything within the law. MALONE And then what are you prepared to do… ? (pause) If you Open the Ball on these people, Mr. Ness, you have to be prepared to go all the way. (pause) Because they will not stop the fight ‘til one of you is dead. Pause.

11 Mentor

NESS I want to get Capone. know how to get him.

177

I don’t

MALONE You want to get Capone, here’s how you get him: He pulls a knife, you pull a gun; he sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That’s the Chicago Way. That’s how you get Capone. Now: do you want to do that, are you ready to do that… ? I’m makin’ you a deal. You want this deal? NESS I have sworn. To put this man away, with any and all legal means at my disposal. And I will do so. MALONE (sighs) Waal, the Lord hates a coward. Malone, ceremoniously, extends his hand.

Ness shakes it.

MALONE You know what a “Blood Oath” is? NESS Yes. MALONE You just took one.b b Ibid.,

pp. 27–28.

Eliot Ness has tried and failed to arrest Capone. He needs a Mentor … and he finds one in the street-wise Malone who has intimate knowledge of “the Chicago way” (Fig. 11.1). Whether the Protagonist ventures forth into a new world or something happens which transforms their home environment into an unfamiliar milieu, they need the assistance of a character who understands the lay of the land. At their most basic level, a Mentor can point the Protagonist in the right direction on their journey such as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of

178

S. Myers

Fig. 11.1

Eliot Ness and Jim Malone in The Untouchables (1987)

Oz (1939): “Follow the yellow brick road”; procure needed items like Red in The Shawshank Redemption (1994): “I’m the guy who can get it for you”; or provide caution about entering suspicious territory such as Rod in Get Out (2017): “I told you not to go in that house.”1 That, however, is not the full extent of a Mentor’s narrative function. Based upon their own life experiences, they have acquired a unique worldview and often develop a keen understanding of the psyche of the Protagonist during their shared time together. In Good Will Hunting (1997), Will’s therapy sessions with Sean lead to a personal catharsis for the troubled young genius about his abusive past, provoked by the psychologist’s repeated observation, “It’s not your fault.” In the television series Dexter (2006–2013) in which the Protagonist, a serial killer, slays other murderers, Dexter’s deceased father repeatedly appears as an apparition to provide advice and remind him, “Remember this forever: You are my son, you are not alone, and you are loved.” In A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019), jaded journalist Lloyd Vogel receives a new assignment: write an article about Fred Rogers, beloved host of the children’s television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Over time, the interviewer becomes the interviewee as Rogers identifies what lies at the heart of Vogel’s cynicism: “There is no normal life that is free from pain” (Fig. 11.2). There is a saying attributed to Kantalipa, one of eighty-four mah¯asiddha (“perfected ones”) in the Chinese Buddhist tradition: “When the student is

The term mentor derives from a character in The Odyssey: Mentor (Mšντoρ), an adviser to Odysseus who entrusts his longtime friend to help raise and tutor Telemachus during the father’s extended absence.

1

11 Mentor

Fig. 11.2 (2019)

179

Fred Rogers and Lloyd Vogler in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

ready, the teacher arrives.”2 No matter the nature of the Protagonist’s disunity state at the beginning of a story, when the universe delivers a call to adventure event that disrupts the Protagonist’s old life, the path ahead inevitably intersects with a teacher. This Mentor provides wisdom which facilitates the Protagonist’s progress through their adventure. Thus, if the Attractor is more connected to the Protagonist’s emotional growth and thereby associated symbolically with the Heart, the Mentor is most involved with the Protagonist’s intellectual development, physically represented by the Brain. This involves not only the character’s growing understanding of the world around them, but also the mental perception of their “self ’”—who they are and what their authentic nature is. As with each character archetype, a Mentor may present in any shape or size, a limitless panoply of personalities. However, there are key ProtagonistMentor dynamics which commonly occur in movies and television series: Guide, Guardian, Insight.

Mentor as Guide A character qualifies as a Mentor in part because they know things and, thus, naturally function as the Protagonist’s guide. Sometimes that knowledge 2 Tao Te Ching: The Power of Goodness, the Wisdom Beyond Words, https://laotzu.xyz/author/display? id=570.

180

S. Myers

can be of life-altering significance. In the World War I film 1917 (2019), General Erinmore has learned something which Colonel Mackenzie does not know: If Mackenzie proceeds with his planned assault the next day, some sixteen hundred British soldiers will be slaughtered by the German army. The General provides this information to a pair of young soldiers—Lance Corporals William Schofield and Tom Blake—along with a map to guide them to find Mackenzie and order him to call off the attack. That one of the soldiers under Mackenzie’s command is Schofield’s brother adds to the stakes of their mission. Other times, there may be a mentoring moment in which the wisdom conveyed is of apparent modest importance. In The Godfather (1972), after Vito Corleone is gunned down in an assassination attempt, the Corleone clan gathers in a safe house. While there, Clemenza provides Michael Corleone with inside tips on how to prepare pasta sauce: Hey, come over here kid, learn something. You start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some garlic. Then you throw in some tomatoes, tomato paste, you fry it. You make sure it doesn’t stick. You get it to a boil, you shove in all your sausage and your meatballs. Add a little bit a wine… cThe

Godfather, screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, novel by Mario Puzo. Paramount Pictures, 1972.

As Clemenza says, “You never know, you might have to cook for twenty guys someday.” It is a seemingly innocuous observation, but in retrospect given what transpires as Michael takes over the Corleone family’s don responsibilities when his father dies, Clemenza’s comment serves as a portent of things to come. The knowledge a Mentor provides the Protagonist may be practical in nature: Rosie teaching her son in Jojo Rabbit (2019) how to tie his shoes; Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket (1987) training his boot camp recruits how to handle a rifle; Miyagi instructing Daniel to “wax on, wax off ” in The Karate Kid (1984). The discernment a Mentor possesses may also provide an opportunity to convey significant exposition which makes clear the Protagonist’s path. In a key scene in Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Dr. Carter lays out the stakes of an alien invasion:

11 Mentor

181

The thing you’ve got to understand is this is a perfectly evolved, world conquering organism. For all we know, there are thousands, millions of those asteroids, floating around in the cosmos like a virus. And they’re just waiting to crash land into a world with the right conditions.e d Edge

of Tomorrow, screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, based on the novel "All You Need Is Kill" by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2014.

Carter makes clear the nature of the time loop the Protagonist (Cage) finds himself in—dying in battle, awakening before he first goes to war against the aliens, reliving the same deadly day. Carter’s knowledge makes clear what Cage must do, albeit, as a reluctant hero. More often than not, the Mentor functions as a guide by speaking to the more substantive issue of how the Protagonist should move forward with their life. In this regard, there are Mentors who are teachers, ranging from caustic Ivy League law school professor Charles W. Kingsfield in The Paper Chase (1973) to nurturing rural West Virginia high school educator Miss Riley in October Sky (1999). Then there is Mr. Bruner in The Edge of Seventeen (2016), who responds with dripping sarcasm to recurring surprise visits from the Protagonist (Nadine Franklin), an emotionally overwrought seventeen-year old, while actually considering her to be his favorite student. There are Mentors who provide guidance in countless forms such as: philosophical rock music critic Lester Bangs sharing rock and roll wisdom over the phone to adolescent journalist William Miller in Almost Famous (2000); reclusive author William Forrester cajoled into tutoring young writing prodigy Jamal Wallace in Finding Forrester (2000); Rufus schooling the two “dudes” in the ways of time travel in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991); Lenny Bruce helping to steer Miriam “Midge” Maisel through her initial foray into the stand-up comedy world in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017). A Mentor may take the form of a long-time professional associate like Mickey Morrissey in The Verdict (1982) or Pete Strickland in Perry Mason (2020); a wandering truck driver and ramen guru Goro in Tampopo (1985); a superhero costume designer Edna Mode in The Incredibles (2004); a numbers crunching baseball brain Peter Brand in Moneyball (2011); a best friend Peik Lin Goh in Crazy Rich Asians (2018); an acting instructor Gene Cousineau in Barry (2018-present), even the serial killers interviewed by Holden Ford and Bill Tench in Mindhunter (2017–2019) (Fig. 11.3). As with Attractors, there can be a False Mentor providing guidance which has the potential to lead to the Protagonist’s undoing. In The Shawshank

182

S. Myers

Fig. 11.3

Edmund Kemper in Mindhunter (2017–2019)

Redemption (1994), fellow convict Brooks carves a path for Red once he is finally released from prison: Red rents the identical room Brooks lived in; Red takes the same grocery store job which Brooks had before; Red struggles with life outside prison, just like Brooks. Brooks’ solution? Suicide. This is the path of “get busy dyin’.” Were it not for a promise he made to Andy, Red may very well have followed Brooks’ self-destructive example. In Iron Man (2008), Obadiah Stane plays the mentor, acting as a surrogate father for Tony Stark and chief advisor on matters related to Stark Industries. It is only well into the story that Obadiah is revealed to be a Nemesis, plotting to take over the Stark business empire, eventually donning the Iron Monger armor in an attempt to destroy Iron Man. In the limited TV series Devs (2020), the Protagonist (Lily) is an employee of the tech company Amaya which has cornered the market on quantum computing. Its founder Forest is a genius, obsessed with the company’s ultrasecret Devs lab. Within it is housed a super-computer that assimilates all knowledge, then uses that data to create simulations of both past and future events. Forest’s assessment of these projections supports his theory of determinism: Everything that is was predestined to be. This includes the tragic deaths of his wife and beloved daughter for whom the company is named. Lily gets caught up in corporate espionage searching for her missing boyfriend who disappeared while working for Amaya. Little does she know, she is destined to be present at a pivotal moment in the future: inside the Devs lab, holding a gun on Forest. The tech guru has foreseen this event many times and how it always plays out: Lily shoots Forest, then she dies in an accident.

11 Mentor

183

That precise moment in time does arrive, but instead of firing the gun, Lily tosses it aside. This choice creates an alternate chain of events which results in the destruction of the Devs system, but with a surprising twist: Forest and Lily end up in a computer simulation, one in which Forest’s wife and child are alive, and Lily is free to follow a different life-path of her choice. Series writer-director Alex Garland has explored this thematic terrain before in his movie Ex Machina (2014) with the character Nathan.3 In Devs, Forest is a False Mentor. The deterministic path he foresees turns out to be wrong. Indeed, it is Lily’s act of free will which transports the pair to a parallel universe in which both characters have an opportunity to carve new futures for themselves. That said, most Mentors serve as allies who provide important guidance to the Protagonist on their journey. In Yesterday (2019), failing singer-songwriter Jack has awakened from a terrible accident to discover a remarkable fact: Only he knows the music of The Beatles, the rest of humanity living in a parallel reality where the band does not exist. Jack skyrockets to fame claiming one Lennon and McCartney song after another as his own. Torn between the lure of fame and living an authentic life, Jack is on the verge of not only losing his soul, but also Ellie, the woman he eventually realizes he loves. Receiving a tip from the only two other people in the world who are aware of The Beatles, Jack travels to a remote seaside house to discover none other than John Lennon. Unlike the real world, John has lived to the ripe old age of seventy-eight. He and Jack take a walk along the shore where John offers this wisdom: Want a good life? It’s not complicated. Tell the girl you love, that you love her. Then tell the truth to everyone … whenevear you can.h eYesterday,

screenplay by Richard Curtis, story by Jack Barth and Richard Curtis, Universal Pictures, 2019.

This wisdom becomes a guiding light for Jack as he sorts out the mess he has created with his faux life of fame. Thus, it is that Mentors provide guidance to the Protagonist. However, there are scenarios in which they are called upon to do more: act as a guardian.

3 By substituting the “v” in Devs with the Anglicized iteration of the Roman letter, the project is actually called Deus, i.e., God. This not only dovetails nicely with philosophical questions at the heart of the TV series, such as predestination and free will, it also ties this story world to the 2014 movie Ex Machina (i.e., Deus ex machina).

184

S. Myers

Mentor as Guardian In It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), George Bailey finds himself at the end of his rope. Due to Uncle Billy’s gaffe, the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan Association is eight thousand dollars in arrears. Having been discovered by a no-nonsense bank auditor, this fiscal discrepancy has led to a pair of law enforcement officers awaiting George’s return home to arrest him for embezzlement. It is ironic in the extreme that his entire adult life has been spent reluctantly overseeing his father’s “nickel and dime” business in the tiny town of Bedford Falls, when all he ever wanted to do was “see the world” and build things: airfields, skyscrapers, bridges. This night on Christmas Eve, George stands atop a bridge, not one of his own design, but offering him an opportunity to jump into the icy waters below and end his life. It is at this precise moment that Clarence Oddbody leaps into the river. Casting aside personal concerns, George dives off the bridge and pulls Clarence to safety. Drying out in the bridge toll house, Clarence explains why he dove into the frigid stream. “I knew if I were drowning, you’d try to save me. You see, you did. And that’s how I saved you.” George presses the old fellow further who explains, “That’s what I was sent down for. I’m your guardian angel” (Fig. 11.4).

Fig. 11.4

Clarence Oddbody and George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

11 Mentor

185

The Mentor as guardian is more likely to conjure images of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring —2001, The Two Towers—2002, The Return of the King —2003), armed with his staff capable of blasting opponents with the flame of Anor or Kyle Reese in The Terminator (1984), slinging a Valmet M82A bullpup assault rifle to protect Sarah Connor. However, as Clarence demonstrates in It’s a Wonderful Life, a guardian can be as much about caring for the Protagonist’s cognitive wellbeing as their physical safety. As George’s wish to have “never been born” turns into reality, it is Clarence who steers his charge through the psychological upheaval George experiences in this extraordinary world, realizing how significant an influence his real life has been. Sometimes the Protagonist may reject the advice of a Mentor as Charles Foster Kane frequently did with his legal guardian Walter Parks Thatcher in Citizen Kane (1941). More often than not, however, a powerful bond develops between the pair, the overseer’s commitment to their ward worthy of adoration such as: Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone—2001, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets— 2002, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban—2004, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire—2005, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix —2007, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince —2009); Alfred Pennyworth in the Dark Knight trilogy (Batman Begins—2005, The Dark Knight —2008, The Dark Knight Rises—2012); Erik Heller in Hanna (2011); and Saul Berenson in Homeland (2011–2020). Mentors who act as guardians can be larger-than-life figures, but like all character archetypes they are also scalable to the scope of the story universe. In Juno (2007), the Protagonist (Juno) has unprotected sex with her adolescent boyfriend resulting in her pregnancy. Rejecting an abortion, Juno finds a yuppie couple, Mark and Vanessa Loring, who unable to have children of their own, agree to adopt Juno’s baby. Naturally, when Juno confesses the news of her predicament to her father (Mac) and stepmother (Bren), they respond with shock and dismay, but almost immediately assume the role of guardian. Mac insists he will accompany Juno to meet the adoptive couple saying, “You’re just a kid. I don’t want you to get ripped off by a couple of babystarved wingnuts.” Much later, when Juno is in the hospital about to give birth and in extreme physical pain, it is Bren who wrangles a nurse by yelling, “Excuse me, can we get my kid the damn spinal tap already?” Throughout the travails of pregnancy, Juno is not alone, accompanied by parental figures as advocates and psychological protectors.

186

S. Myers

In Zorba the Greek (1964), Basil is an uptight Englishman who inherits property on the island of Crete. En route to his new home, he meets Zorba, a local with an oversized personality who attaches himself to the Brit, a self-imposed guardian amidst the sometimes dangerous ways of rural Greek culture. Over time, these two characters, representing utterly contrasting personality types, break down lifestyle differences and form a bond of friendship. Indeed, despite the utter failure of Zorba’s cockeyed business scheme which has burned through much of Basil’s financial resources, Basil turns to Zorba and asks, “Teach me to dance.” In the face of financial disaster, that is precisely what they do in the movie’s very last scene (Fig. 11.5). As Mentor, Zorba not only protects Basil as he navigates his way through the mysterious customs of the local citizenry, the Greek also encourages the Englishman to live life with gusto. In short, Zorba provides Basil with a profound insight into the absurdity and joy of the human experience.

Fig. 11.5

Alexis Zorba and Basil in Zorba the Greek (1964)

11 Mentor

187

Mentor as Insight Amidst the comic mayhem of National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), there is a key Mentor moment featuring a character one would not expect to rise to the occasion. The members of the Delta Tau Chi fraternity, a group of slacker college students predisposed to Toga parties, cheating on exams, and drunken debauchery, have been kicked out of school by their long-time Nemesis (Dean Wormer). This turn of events does not sit well with one particularly dissolute frat member: John “Bluto” Blutarsky. Disgusted by the defeatism displayed by the brotherhood, Bluto attempts to inspire his peers with an impassioned speech: What the fuck happened to the Delta I used to know? Where’s the spirit? Where’s the guts? This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you’re gonna let it be the worst.i f National

Lampoon’s Animal House, written by Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney & Chris Miller, Universal Pictures, 1978.

Despite historical inaccuracies in his oratory (“Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?”), Bluto somehow manages to summon up an essential truth about his comrades: Their acquiescence to an authoritarian decree is antithetical to the Delta “spirit.” This insight galvanizes the group to embrace a “futile and stupid gesture” which leads to the movie’s ludicrous, yet hilarious final scenes.4 As inane as Bluto’s exhortation is, it reflects a penetrating awareness into the frat members’ fellowship. This is one of the Mentor’s key functions: seeing something others do not about a character’s core being. In The Matrix (1999), Thomas Anderson (a.k.a. Neo) is recruited by a group of rebels led by Morpheus. What Neo experiences as reality is in actuality a “neural-interactive simulation” known as the Matrix. It has been created by an army of artificial intelligent machines to provide people with a sense of normalcy while their bodies are used to provide energy … in effect, reduced to human batteries. Morpheus has an intense interest in Neo:

4 In the movie’s credit sequence, we learn Bluto’s unique insights into human nature enable him to eventually become Senator John Blutarsky.

188

S. Myers

MORPHEUS And then I saw you, Neo, and my world changed. You can call it an epiphany, you can call it whatever the hellk you want. It doesn't matter. It's not about a word. It's about this. So I can't explain it to you. All I can do is believe, Neo, believe that one day you will feel what I felt and know what I know; you are the sixth and the last. You are the One.k gThe

Matrix, written by The Wachowskis. Movie script dated May 29, 1998, p. 69.

Even when Neo visits Oracle and she confronts him with the possibility he is not The One, Morpheus refuses to give up his belief. He has a deep insight into Neo’s nature and as it turns out … he is right. A Mentor may provide wisdom based upon something they discern within the Protagonist’s psyche. In Bridesmaids (2011), Annie’s stint as maid-ofhonor results in her public humiliation and rejection by her best friend, the bride-to-be. Fellow bridesmaid Megan disrupts Annie’s “pity party” by showing up unannounced and quite literally engaging in a physical tousle, even biting Annie in “the ass,” to provoke her to fight back. Postconfrontation, Megan provides this perspective: “Glad to see you’ve got a little bit of a spark in you. I knew that Annie was in there somewhere.” In The Queen’s Gambit (2020), nine-year-old Beth Harmon receives this advice from Mr. Shaibel, the school janitor who teaches her how to play chess: People like you have a hard time. Two sides of the same coin. You’ve got your gift … and you’ve got what it costs. Hard to say for you what that will be. You’ll have your time in the sun, but for how long? You’ve got so much anger in you. You have to be careful. l hThe

Queen’s Gambit, S1, Ep4 (“Middle Game”), written and directed by Scott Frank. Netflix, 2020.

Mr. Shaibel’s words are prescient as he conveys insight into the dual drivers in Beth’s psyche: her genius for chess and her weakness for drugs and alcohol (Fig. 11.6). Sometimes wisdom the Mentor provides is more expansive in nature. In City Slickers (1991), Mitch Robbins confronts his thirty-ninth birthday by

11 Mentor

Fig. 11.6

189

Beth Harmon and Mr. Shaibel in The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

traveling with his two best friends to a dude ranch for an Old West getaway. After several fish-out-of-water comic misadventures, Mitch ends up riding horseback alongside an honest-to-God cowboy by the name of Curly, leading to this exchange: Curly: Y'all come up here about the same age, same problems. Spend about fifty weeks a year getting knots in your rope, then you think two weeks up here will untie them for you. None of you get it. Do you know what the secret of life is? Mitch: No, what? Curly: (holds up index finger) This. Mitch: Your finger? Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don't mean shit. Mitch: That’s great, but what’s the one thing? Curly: That's what you've got to figure out.m i City

Slickers, written by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel, Castle Rock Entertainment / Columbia Pictures, 1991.

In the 2011 animated movie Rango, the Protagonist (Rango) falsely assumes the role of sheriff in a dusty dry town Dirt. Chased away by the Nemesis (Rattlesnake Jack), Rango staggers through the desert until he passes

190

S. Myers

out from heat exhaustion. When he awakens, he finds himself nearby a mythical character: The Spirit of the West. The Spirit’s first words offer insight into Rango’s psyche: “Sometimes you gotta dig deep to find what you’re looking for.” Then there is this exchange: Rango: I don’t even know what I’m looking for anymore. I don’t even know who I am. They used to call you the man with no name. Spirit of the West: These days they got a name for just about everything. Doesn’t matter what they call you. It’s the deeds makes the man. Rango: Yeah, but my deeds just made things worse. I’m a fraud! I’m a phony! My friends believed in me, but they need some kind of hero. Spirit of the West: Then be a hero. Rango: Oh, no! No! No! You don’t understand. I’m not even supposed to be here. Spirit of the West: That’s right. You came a long way to find something that sn’t out here. Don’t you see? It’s not about you. It’s about them. Rango: But I can’t go back! Spirit of the West: Don’t know that you got a choice, son. [he draws a square on his golf cart windshield framing Rango] No man can walk out on his own story.

j Rango, written by John Logan, story by John Logan and Gore Verbinski &

James Ward Byrkit, Nickelodeon Movies / Paramount Pictures, 2011 (Fig. 11.7). “No man can walk out on his own story.” That is wisdom which pertains to every Protagonist’s journey: The path they take is the path they need to take, their destiny, their narrative imperative. That is some deep insight offered by a mysterious figure trundling through the desert in a battered golf cart.

Summary Struggling to make their way through the new world of adventure, the Protagonist intersects with a Mentor who serves as guide and guardian. At their

11 Mentor

Fig. 11.7

191

The Spirit of the West in Rango (2011)

highest level of being, the Mentor also provides insights into the Protagonist’s nature. This wisdom facilitates the intellectual development of the Protagonist and their self-understanding, as they evolve into the individual they were meant to be. Exercise Choose a notable movie, television, or book character who plays the role of the Mentor. Explore their relationship with the Protagonist. How do they guide the Protagonist? How do they act as a guardian? What insights do they offer the Protagonist which feeds into the Protagonist’s evolving understanding of their true self?

Further Study Gang Wars, the Prohibition Menace: Brian De Palma’s ‘The Untouchables,’ Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, September 11, 2020, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/the-unt ouchables/. Making Sense of the Science and Philosophy of ‘Devs,’ Ben Lindbergh, The Ringer, April 10, 2020, https://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/4/10/21216149/devs-huluquantum-physics-philosophy-alex-garland. Yesterday’s Surprise Cameo Proves What The Movie Is Really About, Q.V. Hough, Screen Rant, June 30, 2019, https://screenrant.com/yesterday-movie-john-len non-cameo-explained/.

192

S. Myers

Kim Morgan on It’s A Wonderful Life, Kim Morgan, Beverly Cinema, December 15, 2017, https://thenewbev.com/blog/2017/12/kim-morgan-on-its-a-wonder ful-life/. Great Scene: “Zorba the Greek,” Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, October 9, 2019, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/great-scene-zorba-the-greek-284abcdb2f. The Matrix Revelation: How the Wachowskis Opened Our Eyes to a New Kind of Action Cinema, Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, March 7, 2019, https://cinephiliabe yond.org/matrix/. The Queen’s Gambit, Walter Tevis, Vintage; Reprint edition, March 11, 2003.

References Cacoyannis, M. (screenplay), Kazantzakis, N. (novel) (1964). Zorba the Greek; Twentieth Century Fox. Cody, D. (written by) (2007). Juno; Fox Searchlight Pictures. Coppola, F. F. and Puzo, M. (screenplay), Puzo, M (novel) (1972). The Godfather; Paramount Pictures. Curtis, R. (screenplay), Barth, J. and Curtis, R. (story) (2019). Yesterday; Universal Pictures / Working Title Films. Darabont, F. (screenplay), King, S. (short story) (1994). The Shawshank Redemption; Columbia Pictures / Castle Rock Entertainment. Frank, S. and Scott, A. (creators) (2020). The Queen’s Gambit; Netflix. Ganz, L. and Mandel, B. (written by) (1991). City Slickers; Columbia Pictures / Castle Rock Entertainment. Garland, A. (creator) (2020). Devs; Hulu / FX Productions. Goodrich, F. and Hackett, A. and Frank Capra (screenplay), Stern, P. V. D. (story), Swerling, J. (additional scenes) (1946). It’s a Wonderful Life; RKO Pictures / Liberty Films. Logan, J (written by), Logan, J. and Verbinski, G. and Byrkit, J. W. (story) (2011). Rango; Paramount Pictures. Mamet, D. (written by) (1987). The Untouchables; Paramount Pictures. Mendes, S. and Wilson-Cairns, K. (written by) (2019). 1917 ; Dreamworks Pictures. Ramis, H. & Kenney, D. and Miller, C. (written by) (1979). National Lampoon’s Animal House; Universal Pictures. Wachowski, L. and Wachowski, L. (written by) (1999). The Matrix; Warner Bros. / Village Roadshow Pictures.

12 Trickster

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Trickster: Guided by their own wants and needs, this character seamlessly shifts from ally to enemy, enemy to ally, testing the will of the Protagonist. • Shapeshifter: A Trickster’s instinct to deftly slip on or off any archetype mask at a moment’s notice in order to further their goals. • Test: A complication, roadblock, or reversal which challenges the Protagonist, forcing them to rely on what they have learned on their journey about the world and themselves. • Will: The level of determination the Protagonist embraces during their journey, most emphatically in response to the all is lost plotline point at the end of Act Two. • Complication: An event or circumstance which slows the Protagonist’s progress toward their goal. • Roadblock: An event or circumstance which stops the Protagonist’s progress toward their goal. • Reversal: An event or circumstance which reverses the Protagonist’s progress toward their goal.

In the opening scene of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), twelve-year-old Elizabeth Swann, daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann, stands aboard the HMS Dauntless en route to her new home in Port Royal, Jamaica. Peering into the foggy night, she sings, “Yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate’s life for me.” Chastened by her father to “comport ourselves as befits our class and station,” Elizabeth gazes out upon the murky ocean. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_12

193

194

S. Myers

ELIZABETH (to herself) I still think it would be exciting to meet a pirate... The fog still hems in the ship; very little of the sea is visible --- but suddenly, a FIGURE comes into view. A young boy, WILL TURNER, floating on his back in the otherwise empty water. There is nothing to show where he came from, or how he came to be there.a a Pirates

of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl , screenplay by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, screen story by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Stuart Beattie & Jay Wolpert. Movie script dated September 1, 2002, pp. 2–3.

Fetched from the sea strewn with fiery scraps of a destroyed ship, it turns out the boy is the lone survivor of a mysterious nautical attack. The enigma deepens when Elizabeth discovers a chain around the unconscious lad’s neck featuring a gold medallion with a skull engraved on it, causing her to exclaim, “You’re a pirate!” Eight years later, Will has become a swordsmith and respectable member of Port Royal society. He is smitten by Elizabeth who has grown into a beautiful, strong-willed young woman, yet despite their personal history and friendship, he refuses to call her by her first name. ELIZABETH Will, how many times must I ask you to call me 'Elizabeth'? WILL At least once more, Miss Swann. As always. Elizabeth is disappointed and little hurt by his response. SWANN Well said! There's a boy who b understands propriety. b Ibid.,

p. 10.

Proper conduct or not, the fact remains that Will Turner has pirate’s blood coursing through his veins: He cannot continue to live in that state

12 Trickster

195

of disunity. Destiny intervenes in the form of Jack Sparrow, a pirate through and through. Their paths cross in the blacksmith’s forge where Will works, Jack seeking to escape the pursuit of local authorities. After the two engage in combative swordplay, Jack notices the entire room is filled with bladed weapons. JACK Who makes all these? WILL I do. And I practice with them. At least three hours a day. JACK You need to find yourself a girl. (Will sets his jaw) Or maybe the reason you practice three hours a day is you've found one -- but can't get her? A direct hit -- and Will coils even more tightly with anger. WILL No. I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate ... I c can kill him. c Ibid.,

p. 28.

When Elizabeth is kidnapped by the pirate Barbossa and held hostage aboard the marauding galleon, the Black Pearl, an imprisoned Jack cuts a deal with Will: He promises to lead Will to Elizabeth in exchange for Jack’s freedom. Jack has two ulterior motives. First, his goal is to steal the Black Pearl as it was once his ship. Second, having learned that Will is the son of famed buccaneer “Bootstrap” Bill, Jack knows young Will, specifically his pirate’s blood, will be a bargaining chip with Barbossa. Once shed, it has the power remove a curse which has been cast upon the criminal crew. Thus begins the twisting relationship between Will and Jack: Protagonist and Trickster(Fig. 12.1).1 Trickster is a slippery term. The root—“to trick”—implies guile and deceit. However, in the realm of mythology and folklore, the Trickster archetype has 1 Jack Sparrow so influences Will Turner that by the very end of the movie, Will fights to free Jack from a public hanging. When Elizabeth ends up in Will’s arms, Governor Swann remarks, “So, this is the path you have chosen. After all, he is a blacksmith.” Elizabeth responds, “No, he’s a pirate.” This caps off Will’s metamorphosis and full embrace of his authentic nature.

196

S. Myers

Fig. 12.1 Jack Sparrow and Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

an elevated status, surprising given their conniving ways. This is reflected in a definition of the term: Supernatural figure appearing in various guises and typically engaging in mischievous activities, important in the folklore and mythology of many primitive peoples and usually conceived as a culture hero.2

How does such a sly figure end up in the esteemed position of culture hero? To answer this question, we must think about the human experience as the ancients did, divided into two realms: the Ordinary World and the World Out There. The Ordinary World is home, where we live. Because we are familiar with this place and these people, the Ordinary World is safe. However, if we move beyond its boundaries into the World Out There, all bets are off. We do not know these new places, these new faces. Who can we trust? The Trickster’s appearance serves as a challenge, forcing individuals to be on their toes and summon their highest skill levels in assessing the true nature of The Other. The principle of ambivalence is incorporated into the myths and rituals of primitive peoples to an extraordinary degree… That personification of

2

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 1997.

12 Trickster

197

ambivalence, since we are dealing with primitive perceptions and not abstract conceptualizations… is… most directly realized in the figure of the trickster.3

Ambivalence. Ambiguity. This is the narrative terrain trafficked by the Trickster and it pertains directly to the Protagonist in three recurring dynamics: Shapeshifter, Test, Will .

Trickster as Shapeshifter The Trickster is a fluid figure and as such, they above all other character archetypes are the most adept at donning “masks.” If it serves their needs, they can ease into and out of any character archetype at any time: co-protagonist, nemesis, attractor, or mentor. Trickster is at one and the same time creator and destroyer, giver and the negator, he who dupes others and who is always duped himself. He wills nothing consciously. At all times he is constrained to behave as he does from impulses over which he has no control. He knows neither good nor evil yet he is responsible for both. He possesses no values, moral or social, is at the mercy of his passions and appetites, yet through his actions all values come into being.4

The Trickster is a shapeshifter, possessed of a preternatural ability to slide from one narrative function to another. In particular, with regard to the Protagonist, the character flips from ally to enemy … enemy to ally … back and forth depending upon the Trickster’s mood, disposition, and goals. Sometimes the Trickster evolves from enemy to ally. In To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), children fear Boo, an almost mythical character who is said to live in a run-down house in the neighborhood. Not so young Scout. She secretly exchanges items with Boo—marbles, crayons, a stopwatch, and the like—using a knothole in a nearby tree as their means of connection. Over time, Scout befriends the local “boogeyman” and at a pivotal moment in the young girl’s life, when she being assaulted by vicious drunk Bob Ewell, it is Boo who rescues her from peril, potentially saving her life.5

3 Paul Radin, Karl Kerenyi, and C.G. Jung, The Trickster: A Study in American Indian Mythology (Schocken Books, 1972), p. xiii. 4 Ibid., p. ix. 5 The example of Boo in To Kill a Mockingbird is an interesting one in that he does not change, rather peoples’ perception of him changes, shifting from fear and prejudice to gratefulness and acceptance.

198

S. Myers

In Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977), when Han Solo is introduced, all he cares about is getting paid to transport Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, and C-3PO to Alderaan. He does not believe in the Force, nor does he concern himself with the Rebel alliance; rather his focus is securing funds to pay off gambling debts he owes to Jabba the Hutt. Despite being roped into helping Luke rescue Princess Leia, once Han gets paid, he and first mate Chewbacca take off in the Millennium Falcon … only remarkably to return at a pivotal moment in the final struggle, blasting Darth Vader’s TIE fighter into outer space. This surprising act of bravery— and seeming reversal of character—enables Luke Skywalker to successfully launch his X-wing’s proton torpedoes and destroy the Death Star. In Juno (2007), Vanessa Loring could not be more different than Juno, the pregnant adolescent whose child Vanessa and husband Mark plan to adopt. In the teen’s eyes, Vanessa is an uptight yuppie, the antithesis of “cool,” something Juno values. Moreover, once Juno develops a crush on Mark who is cool (he plays guitar and used to be in a rock band), Vanessa is an impediment to Juno spending time with the prospective father of her baby. Later in Juno’s pregnancy, there is a key scene in which she runs into Vanessa at a shopping mall and invites her to talk to the baby, planting Vanessa’s hand on her engorged belly. There amidst a crowd of passersby, Vanessa overcomes the awkwardness of the situation, drops to her knees, and addresses Juno’s tummy saying, “Hi, baby. It’s me, it’s Vanessa. I can’t wait to meet you. Can you hear me, baby? Sweet angel?” Just then, the baby kicks and Juno watches Vanessa’s face fill with joy. The moment marks a turning point in their relationship. Months later, when Juno is nearly ready to give birth, Mark abruptly announces he does not want to be a father: He and Vanessa are going to separate. Crushed by this turn of events, Juno writes a note to Vanessa: “If you’re still in, I’m still in.” By story’s end, Vanessa turns out to be an ally—the adoptive mother of Juno’s child (Fig. 12.2). Sometimes, however, the Trickster begins as an ally only ultimately to be revealed as an enemy. In The Matrix (1999), Cypher is part of the resistance crew on the hovercraft Nebuchadnezzar. From the beginning, he exhibits suspicious behavior: an unrequited affection for Trinity; a lack of respect for Morpheus and what Cypher believes to be the resistance leader’s deluded belief in The One, a messianic figure who will save humanity; a disgust with his impoverished life in the real world. Eventually, he cuts a deal with Agent Smith to give up the location of Morpheus, then proceeds to murder fellow resistance members. His traitorous behavior is based upon his self-serving needs and a preference to live in comfort in the ersatz reality of the Matrix.6 6 Another science fiction movie which features a key Trickster character is 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Perceived by Discovery spaceship crew members Dave Bowman and Frank Poole as an ally, HAL 9000, an artificial intelligence computer, eventually turns against the humans, killing three

12 Trickster

Fig. 12.2

199

Vanessa Loring and baby in Juno (2007)

In The Dark Knight (2008), Harvey Dent is the newly appointed district attorney of Gotham City and, thus, forges an alliance with Batman to go after the city’s criminal element. However, their relationship is complicated by the fact Dent is also the current boyfriend of fellow attorney Rachel Dawes, who happens to be Bruce Wayne’s longstanding romantic interest. Circumstances change when both Rachel and Dent are kidnapped as part of Joker’s evil scheme, resulting in Rachel’s death while Dent’s face is badly disfigured by fire. Living up to his nickname “Two-Face,” Dent turns vigilante seeking revenge, murdering five people including two policemen, and eventually shooting Batman. These actions are bad enough, but when Batman survives and Dent dies, the superhero is forced to take the blame for Dent’s homicidal rampage in order to protect the district attorney’s gilded reputation (“Gotham needs a true hero”). Dent fulfills his own prophecy: “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” In The Old Guard (2020), Booker is a member of a quartet of immortal assassins including Joe, Nicky, and leader Andy. Although the group members have intervened in history dozens of times for the cause of good, they are cursed to die and live again, over and over. After a betrayal by CIA Agent Copley results in their slaughter and painful “resurrection” yet again, the crew seeks Copley who, as it turns out, is in the pocket of the Nemesis: Merrick, head of Merrick Pharmaceuticals. At a crucial point in the Guards’

people in hypersleep while sending Frank hurtling off into space. In the end, Dave is forced to “kill” HAL by removing crystals from the computer’s memory center while HAL sings “Daisy, Daisy.”.

200

S. Myers

Fig. 12.3

Andy and Booker in The Old Guard (2020)

final assault, Booker shoots Andy in the back. The justification of his doublecrossing act? He believes Merrick may have discovered a medication which will allow the Guard members to die peacefully and forever. After taking down Merrick, the Guard votes to send Booker into exile for a century. In the denouement, a drunken Booker stumbles back to his apartment to discover the presence of another previous member of The Old Guard: Quynh, Andy’s former lover, now turned Nemesis, setting up a potential plotline for the inevitable sequel. Booker’s fate appears to be sealed—that of an enemy (Fig. 12.3). While some Tricksters shapeshift from enemy to ally or ally to enemy, this character type can veer from these extremes back and forth to points in between. Walter in The Big Lebowski (1998) is a capricious influence who continually gets the Dude into and out of trouble. In Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Faun serves as both guide and tempter to young Ofelia, luring the girl into the underground labyrinth to complete three tests to prove she is actually a princess. In Coco (2017), Ernesto de la Cruz is a hero to twelve-year-old Miguel, not only a musical icon, but also the boy’s greatgreat-grandfather—or so Miguel presumes. Over time together in the Land of the Dead, Ernesto presents himself as mentor, attractor, and finally nemesis before Miguel discovers the truth about his own musical heritage.7 In Firefly (2002–2003), Saffron (a.k.a. Bridget, a.k.a. Yolanda) claims to have married Serenity spaceship captain Malcolm Reynolds in a drunken night of debauchery, only to betray he and his crew in order to turn over the 7

Family members eventually revealed as Tricksters is a recurring dynamic in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974) as both of Michael’s brothers—Sonny and Fredo—prove to be slippery figures who test Michael and his evolution as a Mafia don.

12 Trickster

201

ship to pirates. In a subsequent episode, Saffron allies herself with Malcolm to steal a priceless laser pistol, then forsakes her ex-lover, leaving him naked in the desert. In Michael Clayton (2007), Arthur Edens is a longtime associate and friend of Michael Clayton, both working as lawyers at the same firm. Arthur has begun representing an agricultural conglomerate U-North, a corporation which knowingly manufactured a weed killer with a carcinogen, which ended up killing over four hundred innocent victims. These deaths cause Arthur to have a psychic break, threatening to expose the company’s negligence. Michael is forced to try to corral Arthur’s erratic behavior, however, Arthur is assassinated by corporate hitmen, his death leading Michael to act against his own self-interest and expose the truth of U-North’s illicit schemes. In Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), Mike Shiner is a talented and well-known actor who comes aboard Riggan’s struggling play lending it credibility in the eyes of New York city’s Broadway elite. Unfortunately for Riggan, Mike attempts to engage in actual intercourse with the lead actress in an on-stage rehearsal, appropriates Riggan’s backstory for a newspaper article, and beds Riggan’s daughter Sam—all in a day’s work for the narcissistic method actor (Fig. 12.4). Whether ally, enemy, or acting from a vantage point in between, the Trickster can demonstrate sophisticated skills at shifting shapes. This is not, however, a random competence. Rather, the Trickster’s slippery nature provides an important narrative function: to test the Protagonist.

Fig. 12.4 Riggan Thomson and Mike Shiner in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

202

S. Myers

Trickster as Test It is one thing for the Protagonist to develop emotional maturity via the Attractor and gain intellectual wisdom from the Mentor. It is quite another to put that knowledge into practice. In creating Complications, Roadblocks, and Reversals for the Protagonist, the Trickster instigates key moments in the Protagonist’s metamorphosis process. During deconstruction, these tests serve to break down old ways of being, whereas in reconstruction, Trickster challenges generate opportunities for the Protagonist to increasingly rely on their authentic nature. By embracing that emerging need, the Protagonist moves forward in evolving into a new self. In Bull Durham (1988), the Trickster (Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh) is a high-flying pitching prospect known as having a “million dollar arm, but a five cent head.“ Enter the Protagonist (“Crash” Davis), a veteran minor league catcher who is traded to the hapless Durham Bulls in order to train the hotshot rookie in his inevitable advance to the major leagues. LaLoosh poses one challenge after another for Crash, not the least of which is the youngster’s romantic relationship with the Attractor (Annie Savoy), a potential object of Crash’s affection. The tests created by LaLoosh help Crash eventually realize he has the potential to become a baseball coach, enabling him to bid farewell to his quixotic dream of making it in The Bigs as a player. In Shrek (2001), when the Protagonist, an anti-social green ogre, is discomforted in his self-imposed solitude when his swamp is invaded by exiled fairy tale creatures, he sets out to confront Lord Farquaad to rectify the situation. Much to his chagrin, Shrek is accompanied by the Trickster (Donkey), an irksome chattering ass who shapeshifts from nemesis (will not leave Shrek alone) to mentor (knows how to find Lord Farquaad) to attractor (becomes a good friend). Their growing companionship tests Shrek’s cynicism which in turn enables him to get in touch with his feelings, opening him up to a romantic relationship with the Attractor (Princess Fiona). Gereon Rath is the Protagonist of Babylon Berlin (2017-present), a neonoir crime drama set in Germany during the 1920s. A survivor of combat during World War I, Rath is a policeman transferred from his home in Cologne to Berlin. Detective Chief Inspector Bruno Wolter takes Rath under his wing … or so it seems. Throughout Season One, Wolter continuously plays the angles with Rath, sometimes supportive and friendly, other times suspicious, even adversarial. During Season Two, Wolter discards the ally mask, revealing himself as Rath’s enemy, leading to an eventual final deadly struggle between the two characters (Fig. 12.5). The Trickster dynamic may manifest itself in surprising ways. For example, the passing of a loved one can create a test for the Protagonist in processing

12 Trickster

Fig. 12.5

203

Bruno Wolter and Gereon Rath in Babylon Berlin (2017–present)

their grief. The murder of his son Hawk in The Revenant (2015) causes Hugh Glass to seek revenge by tracking down the killer John Fitzgerald. Likewise in True Grit (1969, 2010), Mattie Ross is driven by the need for justice for her father’s shooting at the hands of Tom Chaney. By contrast, Evelyn and Lee in A Quiet Place (2018) are haunted by the death of their young son Beau, snatched away by monsters who hunt guided by sound. Two years later and still wracked by guilt, Evelyn asks, “Who are we … if we can’t protect them?” Similarly in the television comedy Never Have I Ever (2020–present), adolescent Devi Vishwakumar is vexed by memories of her father Mohan, a joyous, optimistic figure who embraced the family’s transplanted life in California’s San Fernando Valley. The sudden and shocking nature of his passing leaves the girl without his support and at odds with her mother. Each of these deceased characters is an ally to the Protagonist based upon the familial connection and love they share, but an enemy—functionally speaking—in leaving the Protagonist to deal with their deaths, a Trickster haunting them in their dreams and memories. This speaks to one underlying reason why a Trickster’s tests are so important: to challenge the Protagonist to determine if they have the will to go forward.

Trickster as Will During their journey, these questions inevitably arise: Has the Protagonist learned what they need to know about themselves? Have they broken free from their old beliefs and behaviors, and embraced their evolving true

204

S. Myers

self? Have they tapped into newfound power springing forth from within providing them the energy to take on whatever challenges lie ahead, no matter the odds? In Alien (1979), Ellen Ripley is the third officer aboard the spaceship Nostromo, a commercial towing vehicle. As the ship makes its long journey home to Earth, the crew is awakened from hypersleep by a signal on the planetoid LV-426. Nostromo lands there and a trio of crew members (Dallas, Kane, and Lambert) head out to investigate. They discover a wrecked alien ship and what look to be hundreds of alien eggs. When one suddenly attaches itself to Kane’s helmet, Dallas and Lambert struggle to bring back their injured crew member. Ripley is dead set against allowing an alien entity to board the ship, but Ash, the crew’s science officer, overrides Ripley and Kane is brought inside. What ensues is the emergence of a growing alien presence which threatens the well-being of the entire crew. At a critical moment, Ripley discovers that Ash is in reality an android beholden to the company’s prime directive: Bring home any alien life-form. This leads to a pivotal conversation: Ripley: How do we kill it, Ash? There's gotta be a way of killing it. How? How do we do it? Ash: You can't. Parker: That's bullshit. Ash: You still don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? The perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility. Lambert: You admire it. Ash: I admire its purity. A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality. Parker: Look, I am... I've heard enough of this, and I'm asking you to pull the plug. Ash: Last word. Ripley: What? Ash: I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies. d Alien,

screenplay by Dan O’Bannon, story by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett, Twentieth Century Fox, 1979.

Ash is a Trickster, an ally turned enemy who actually admires the Nemesis (the Alien) and describes accurately the test confronting the humans. The

12 Trickster

205

only crew member who survives is Ripley as she alone demonstrates the smarts, strength, and will to defeat the Alien.8 Set in the early 1900s, the Protagonist of The Natural (1984) is Roy Hobbs. As a youth, the nineteen-year old displays incredible talent as a baseball pitcher and heads off to Chicago for a tryout with the Cubs. That dream ends when Roy is shot in the stomach by delusional woman. Sixteen years later in 1939, Roy shows up as a right-fielder just signed with the hapless New York Knights ball club. It takes a while for the team’s manger Pop Fisher to warm up to Roy, but eventually he inserts the old rookie into the lineup. His presence provides immediate dividends as Roy excels both at the plate and in the field. Inspired by his play, Roy’s teammates up their game and the Knights go on a remarkable winning streak, putting them within striking distance of the pennant. This is where the Trickster intervenes. Memo Paris is a striking beauty who seduces Roy. It turns out she is in the pocket of nefarious individuals who stand to gain ownership of the Knights, but only if the team fails to win the league championship. At the behest of her overlords and despite her growing affection for Roy, Memo poisons him sending him to the hospital and the team into a late season spiral. It all comes down to one final game to determine the championship. Roy wills himself out of the hospital bed and despite his debilitated physical condition, hits a thunderous game-winning home run (Fig. 12.6).9 In The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Andy Dufresne is wrongfully imprisoned for the murders of his wife and her lover. Captain Byron Hadley plays a significant role in Andy’s life during his nineteen-year tenure in Shawshank prison, a Trickster who veers from one extreme to the other. Fundamentally, he is Andy’s enemy, a hotheaded guard who at one point threatens to toss Andy off the roof to his death. There are other times when Hadley functions as Andy’s ally, most notably when the guard beats Boggs, the leader of The Sisters, who have been sexually assaulting Andy, paralyzing the predator and sending him far away from Shawshank.10 Later at a critical moment, when Tommy meets with Warden Norton (Nemesis) sharing information which can exonerate Andy for the dual murders for which he has been imprisoned, Hadley turns enemy again, assassinating Tommy and preventing 8 There is an interesting twist in the sequel Aliens (1986): The crew’s android Bishop turns out to be Ripley’s ally while the Trickster function is provided by Weyland-Yutani corporate representative Carter Burke. 9 In The Verdict (1982), the Laura Fischer character provides the same Trickster function: seduce Frank Galvin (Protagonist) and use her wiles for the benefit of the Ed Concannon (Nemesis) and his legal team. 10 Hadley’s concern is not so much for Andy’s safety and well-being, but rather Andy’s help with the guard’s finances and tax liability.

206

S. Myers

Fig. 12.6

Roy Hobbes in The Natural (1984)

the truth from setting Andy free. This presents a test: Can Andy demonstrate the will to finally escape Shawshank prison through the tunnel he has spent years digging? In the end, Andy takes up the challenge and crawls to freedom, passing the test and his own final struggle.

Summary The Trickster is an adept shapeshifter, skilled at donning any archetype mask at any time. Their propensity to veer from ally to enemy … enemy to ally … may derive from their ego-driven goals, but their actions provide a critical dynamic in the Protagonist’s journey. They create tests which compel the Protagonist to use the emotional and intellectual knowledge they have picked up along the way, and in that process deepen their understanding of who they are. Ultimately, this leads to the Protagonist tapping into their will to advance in their physical and psychological journey. Exercise Choose a notable movie, television, or book character who plays the role of the Trickster. Explore their relationship with the Protagonist. How do they shapeshift from one archetype role to another? How does their switching allegiances from enemy to ally, ally to enemy test the Protagonist? How do the complications, roadblocks, and reversal challenge the will of the Protagonist?

12 Trickster

207

Further Study Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio on Pirates of the Caribbean, Steve Ryfle and Den Shewman, Creative Screenwriting, June 17, 2016, https://creativescreenwriting. com/pirates-caribbean/. Juno: The Shooting Script, Diablo Cody, Newmarket Press, January 2, 2008. Diablo Cody Sets the Record Straight on Juno, Jenna Marotta, Vanity Fair, April 9, 2017, https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/diablo-cody-setsthe-record-straight-on-juno. Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: “Juno,” Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, July 6, 2017, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/go-into-the-story-scr ipt-reading-analysis-juno-3ad5805c0c62. How Michael Clayton Presaged 2017 , James Parker, The Atlantic, November 2017, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/11/the-bonfire-of-hum anity/540609/. Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: “Michael Clayton,” Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, July 7, 2017, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/go-into-thestory-script-reading-analysis-michael-clayton-401ae62648e3. Flying High Again: Alejandro González Inárritu on the Making of ‘Birdman,’ David Fear, Rolling Stone, October 18, 2014, https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/ movie-news/flying-high-again-alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-on-the-making-of-bir dman-184433/. Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, August 15, 2015, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/go-into-the-story-script-reading-ana lysis-birdman-9514cf00dfe1. Years of Hurt, Face-Hugging Dreams of Breathing: Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien,’ Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, September 30, 2020, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/alien40th-anniversary/.

References Cody, D. (written by) (2007). Juno; Fox Searchlight Pictures. Darabont, F. (screenplay), King, S. (short story) (1994). The Shawshank Redemption; Columbia Pictures / Castle Rock Entertainment. Elliott, T. and Rossio, T. (screenplay), Elliott, T. and Rossio, T. and Beattie, S. and Wolpert, J. (screen story) (2003). Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ; Walt Disney Pictures. Elliott, T. and Rossio, T., Stillman, J. and Schulman, R. (screenplay), Steig, W. (book) (2001). Shrek; DreamWorks Animation. Foote, H. (screenplay), Lee, H. (novel) (1962). To Kill a Mockingbird ; Universal Pictures.

208

S. Myers

Gilroy, T. (written by) (2007). Michael Clayton; Warner Bros. / Castle Rock Entertainment. Henk, H., Tykwer, T. and Borries, A. v. (creators) (2017-present). Babylon Berlin; X-Filme Creative Pool. Lucas, G. (written by) (1977). Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope; Twentieth Century Fox / Lucasfilm. Nolan, J. and Nolan, C. (screenplay), Nolan, C. and Goyer, D. S. (story), Kane, B. (characters) (2008). The Dark Knight; Warner Bros. O’Bannon, D. (screenplay), O’Bannon, D. and Shusett, R (story) (1979). Alien; Twentieth Century Fox. Radin, P., Kerenyi, K. and Jung, C. G. (1972). The Trickster: A Study in American Indian Mythology; Schocken Books. Rucka, G. (screenplay), Rucka, G. (graphic novel) (2020). The Old Guard . Netflix. Shelton, R. (written by) (1988). Bull Durham; Orion Pictures. Towne, R. and Dusenberry, P. (screenplay), Malamud, B. (novel) (1984). The Natural ; TriStar Pictures. Wachowski, L. and Wachowski, L. (written by) (1999). The Matrix; Warner Bros. / Village Roadshow Pictures.

13 Subplots

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Family of Characters: The assembly of primary characters intersecting with the Protagonist, each in their own way influencing the Protagonist’s journey. • Subplot: A mini-story with its own beginning, middle, and end which ties into the plotline. Screenwriting principle: Subplot = Relationship. • Relationship: The intersection between two characters, typically the Protagonist and another primary character, which has a specific influence on the Protagonist’s journey.

Protagonist. Nemesis. Attractor. Mentor. Trickster. While there are dozens of character types and sub-types, these five primary character archetypes appear in stories with striking frequency. They not only convey narrative dynamics common to storytelling—drive (Protagonist), opposition (Nemesis), inspiration (Attractor), insight (Mentor), test (Trickster)—collectively, they represent a Family of Characters. Each has a role to play in the Protagonist’s journey. As such for a writer, their respective connections to the Protagonist are a critical point of focus. We may think of them as Subplots. A subplot is a mini-story with its own beginning, middle, and end. They exist in both worlds of the screenplay universe: the external world (events which transpire in the physical realm) and the internal world (meaning which plays out in the psychological realm). Subplots provide several significant benefits: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_13

209

210

S. Myers

• Because individual characters have different personalities, perspectives, and preoccupations, each subplot offers an opportunity to influence the Protagonist’s arc in distinctive ways. • Subplots generate a variety of storylines which a writer may cross-cut to and from creating a more entertaining narrative.1 • As the plotline moves forward, so too does each subplot, contributing to the story’s sense of narrative drive. Some of the most memorable storylines in movie and television history are subplots, and for good reason: A subplot almost invariably involves a relationship between characters and it is the complexity of those connections which involves us more deeply with the story. Indeed, writers may frame the subject this way: Subplot = Relationship.

Protagonist-Attractor Subplots There are stories in which the Protagonist-Attractor dynamic constitutes the core of the plotline, such as love affairs between Francesca Johnson and Robert Kincaid in The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Mia Dolan and Sebastian Wilder in La La Land (2016), and Céline and Jesse in the Before trilogy (Before Sunrise – 1995, Before Sunset – 2004, Before Midnight – 2013). However, most often this storyline exists as a subplot. Consider these memorable cinematic relationships: Maria and Tony in West Side Story (1961), Joan Wilder and Jack Colton in Romancing the Stone (1984), Jack Dawson and Rose Dewitt Bukater in Titanic (1997), and Jamal Malik and Latika in Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Each is a Protagonist-Attractor subplot set amidst the context of the larger plotline. The Attractor is a character most closely associated with the Protagonist’s emotional development. The Protagonist is not only attracted to this character, either as friend, family member, or lover, but due to the influence of the relationship, they are drawn into their own inner life of feelings. A case in point is Jerry Maguire (1996). In this Academy Award-winning drama-comedy, the Protagonist (Jerry) is an up-and-coming agent at Sports Management International, a firm which represents some of the world’s top athletes.2 Inspired by a reflective epiphany, Jerry impulsively composes and 1 Cross-cutting is an editorial technique writers use to shift or “jump” the action from one storyline to another, often but not always in concurrent time. 2 Writer-director Cameron Crowe was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.

13 Subplots

211

circulates a “mission statement” to his colleagues in which he critiques the cutthroat nature of the business. As this humanistic approach does not align with the company’s work ethos, Jerry is fired. As he departs the office in a fit of pique, Jerry announces he is going to start a rival agency and invites anyone to join him. Only one person does: Dorothy Boyd, a twenty-six year-old assistant and single mother. The plotline focuses on Jerry’s attempts to negotiate a rich multiyear contract for his sole remaining client, Arizona Cardinal wide receiver Rod Tidwell (“Show me the money!”) to provide a secure future for he, his wife Marcee, and their family. The Protagonist-Attractor subplot involves Jerry being dumped by his superficial fiancé, falling in love with Dorothy, and bonding with her young son Raymond. When he initially fails to obtain a deal for Tidwell, Jerry learns that Dorothy is going to move to San Diego to take a more reliable job. Afraid of losing her, Jerry impetuously proposes to Dorothy. They get married, but after a few months, they separate when it becomes clear he is conflicted between married life and his work. Later, during an important Monday Night Football game and with Jerry in attendance, Tidwell delivers a career-defining performance resulting in the Cardinals making the playoffs. This leads the team to offer him a lucrative long-term contract. Celebrating afterward, Jerry watches Tidwell surrounded by reporters, the athlete focused on one thing: Not the contract, nor the game-winning catch, but sharing the moment with Marcee on a very public cell phone call (“I love you, baby”). This causes Jerry to have another epiphany: He misses Dorothy. He flies home only to discover she is hosting a women’s group meeting. INT. LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Jerry enters. Dorothy is seated toward the back. JERRY Hello. I'm looking for my wife. Dorothy looks up, robbed of words. Stunned, she does not move. JERRY Alright. If this is where it has to happen, then this is where it has to happen. Dorothy says nothing.

212

S. Myers

JERRY I'm not letting you get rid of me. How about that? He shares a look with some of the other women. She's not going to say a word. Neither do they. JERRY This used to be my specialty. I was good in a living room. Send me in there, I'll do it alone. And now I just... I don't know... but on what was supposed to be the happiest night of my business life, it wasn't complete, wasn't nearly close to being in the same vicinity as complete, because I couldn't share it with you. I couldn't hear your voice, or laugh about it with you. I missed my wife. We live in a cynical world, and we work in a business of tough competitors, so try not to laugh -(directly) I love you. You complete me. DOROTHY Aw, shut up. You had me at hello. He moves to her. They embrace. a a Jerry

Maguire, written by Cameron Crowe. Movie script, undated, pp. 131–

132.

Jerry begins the story in a state of disunity: He has all the trappings of success, but does not yet know who he is. He is rash and emotionally underdeveloped. Jerry’s relationship with Dorothy and her son draws him deeper into his emotional life, ultimately inspiring him to embrace the humanistic intention of his original mission statement in both his professional and personal life (Fig. 13.1). Protagonist-Attractor storylines are not confined to romance relationships. Any character who has a meaningful impact on the emotional nature of the Protagonist may qualify as an Attractor. One such subplot is found in Monsters, Inc. (2001). As imagined by the Pixar creative team, there is a realm parallel to the human world which is inhabited by monsters. Its main city Monstropolis satisfies its energy needs by frightening human children and harvesting their screams, which are a source of power. Monsters trained as

13 Subplots

Fig. 13.1

213

Jerry Maguire and Dorothy Boyd in Jerry Maguire (1996)

“scarers” access the human world via a vast network of closet doors stored in the Monsters, Inc. factory. Ironically, monsters fear human children believing them to be toxic. When the company’s top scarer James P. “Sulley” Sullivan accidentally allows Boo, a two-year-old girl, to enter Monstropolis, mayhem ensues.3 Throughout their madcap adventure, Boo is inseparable from Sulley (she calls him “Kitty”) and their growing relationship leads him to a pair of realizations: A child’s laughter generates more energy than screams … and Boo has become an intimate part of Sulley’s life. The Sulley-Boo relationship not only inspires a new way for monsters to relate to humans—by eliciting laughter instead of screams—it deepens Sulley’s emotional being, his heart captured by the little girl. Their relationship speaks to the transformational power of a Protagonist-Attractor subplot (Fig. 13.2).4

Protagonist-Mentor Subplots Chief among the allies, the Protagonist meets on their journey is the Mentor. They may act as guide and guardian, but it is their insight which expands the 3 Much of the movie’s humor derives from inverting expectations: Instead of the monsters scaring humans, humans scare monsters. This inversion of the norms is a trademark of Pixar storytelling. 4 The Mandalorian television series (2021-present) explores a similar Protagonist-Attractor relationship between the Protagonist (The Mandalorian) and the Attractor (Baby Yoda a.k.a. Grogu). Much like Monster’s Inc., the Protagonist evolves from an I-It relationship with the Attractor to an I-You connection. This development is emblematic of the Protagonist’s emotional maturation.

214

S. Myers

Fig. 13.2

Boo and Sulley in Monster’s, Inc. (2001)

Protagonist’s understanding of the world around them and their own inner life. Notable Protagonist-Mentor subplots: Rocky (1975) in which Rocky’s manager Mickey pushes the boxer to tap into the fighter within; Dead Poets Society (1989) as private school teacher John Keating uses poetry to encourage his students, a group of adolescent boys, to get in touch with their authentic natures; The Sixth Sense (1999) where Cole Sear shepherds Malcolm Crowe through a world of “dead people,” including as it turns out Crowe himself; Donnie Darko (2001) in which Frank, attired in a freakish rabbit costume, convinces Donnie the world is going to end in twenty-eight days, then leads Donnie down a path of increasing violence; Inside Out (2015) whereby Sadness teaches Joy an important lesson: Feeling blue is as legitimate a human emotion as happiness is. Most often Mentors exist to improve the life of the Protagonist, but there are occasions where their guidance proves misguided. In The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), a young Jordan Balfort has just gotten his first professional break, hired to work as a broker for the stock trading firm L.F. Rothschild. He is invited to dine at Windows of the World, “a lunchtime power spot” with his supervisor Mark Hanna.

13 Subplots

215

MARK HANNA OK, first rule of Wall Street. Nobody -- and I don’t care if you’re Warren Buffet or Jimmy Buffet -- nobody knows if a stock’s going up, down or fucking sideways, least of all stock brokers. But we have to pretend we know. Make sure you stay relaxed. Nobody wants to buy something from someone who sounds like they haven’t gotten laid in a month. Take breaks when you feel stressed, jerk off if you can. You like jerking off, right? JORDAN Well... sure. MARK HANNA Good, jerking off is key. And I highly recommend cocaine, which will make you dial faster, which is good for me. Churn ‘em and burn ‘em, baby.b bThe

Wolf of Wall Street, written by Terence Winter, based on the book by Jordan Belfort. Movie script, undated, pp. 10–11.

Thus begins Jordan’s education in the ways of unbridled capitalism. Hanna disappears from the story as Jordan quickly embraces the rapacious “wolf ” within and goes his own way, but at the beginning of this Protagonist’s journey, it is Hanna as Mentor who starts Jordan on a path which eventually leads to his greed-infused downfall (Fig. 13.3). More commonly, a Mentor accompanies the Protagonist throughout much of their adventure and to positive effect. Such is the case with The Intouchables (2011), a French language drama-comedy. The Protagonist is Philippe, a millionaire who has been leading a sequestered life in his Paris mansion ever since a paragliding accident left him a quadriplegic. Enter Driss, who despite a suspect background, is hired to become Philippe’s live-in caregiver. Philippe’s logic: Driss is the only applicant for the position who does not treat Philippe with pity. This pairing of strange sojourners—Philippe a wealthy white man reared in a privileged French environment, Driss a poor Black man raised as an orphan in Senegal—provides an opportunity for each to learn from the other. Over time, the free-spirited caretaker breaks down his ward’s self-imposed shell of isolation and encourages Philippe to rediscover beauty

216

S. Myers

Fig. 13.3

Mark Hanna in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

and joy. Yet there is one hurdle Driss cannot bring Philippe to overcome: the fear of revealing his physical state to Eléonore, a woman with whom Philippe has carried on a longtime epistolary relationship. Driss arranges a get-together for the two, a chance to finally meet in person, but Philippe backs out overcome by anxiety over what Eléonore will think of him when she learns he is wheelchair-bound. When family troubles arise back in Senegal, Driss departs and in his absence, Philippe lapses into a state of depression. Beckoned by Philippe’s assistant, Driss returns, but both men realize Driss cannot spend his life tending to Philippe. How to resolve this conundrum? After a hair-raising drive through the countryside in Philippe’s Maserati, Driss brings Philippe to a seaside restaurant with a magnificent view of the ocean. There they have their final conversation: Driss: So, Philippe, I’m not staying for lunch. Philippe : Why? Driss: I’m not leaving you alo ne. You just happen to have a dat e. Philippe: A date? What do you m ean? Driss: (rising from his seat) Don’t freak out. It’ll be fine . c Only this t cThe

Intouchables, written by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, adapted from an autobiography by Philippe Pozzo di Borgo. Gaumont Film Company, 2011.

13 Subplots

Fig. 13.4

217

Bakary “Driss” Bassari and Philippe in The Intouchables (2011)

A bewildered Philippe watches as Driss departs, strides outside and gives his now former boss a smile through the window. A woman arrives at Philippe’s tableside. It is Eléonore. The Mentor is now free to go on his way. Through his presence in Philippe’s life, he has taught this broken man to reconnect with the vitality of life. With his absence, he forced Philippe to confront a fear even greater than being seen as a cripple: that he can no longer live a life of seclusion. Thus, as Driss leaves and Eléonore arrives, the torch is passed from Mentor to Attractor to usher Philippe into the next chapter of his life (Fig. 13.4).5 Whether in a handful of scenes, as with Jordan Belfort and Mark Hanna in The Wolf of Wall Street, or through a far-reaching storyline like the one between Philippe and Driss in The Intouchables, the insight the Mentor provides has the potential to have a profound impact on the Protagonist’s life.

Protagonist-Trickster Subplots As a shapeshifter who has an instinct to switch allegiances, the Trickster plays an important role in creating challenges which test the Protagonist’s will. Noteworthy examples of a Protagonist-Trickster subplot include Sunset 5 In the closing titles of The Intouchables, it is revealed that Philippe is now married again and has fathered two daughters. Driss owns his own company, is married, and has three children.

218

S. Myers

Blvd. (1950) wherein financially desperate screenwriter Joe Gillis is enticed by former silent era movie star Norma Desmond to move into her Hollywood estate. When he rebuffs her amorous advances, the spurned woman shoots and kills him. In Psycho (1960), Norman Bates is taunted by Mother, both to look after her … and enact violence on her behalf. Margaret White is an oppressive mother to her daughter in Carrie (1976), a religious fanatic whose obsession with the evils of sex causes Carrie to rebel, eventually emerging in a telekinetic rampage. In Fight Club (1999), the nameless Narrator falls under the sway of the charismatic but incendiary Tyler Durden, luring him into an underground club of men drawn to bloody fights. That turns out to be a front for much grander violent plans, leading to a final revelatory confrontation between the pair. By contrast, Mal’s deceptive identity in Inception (2010) is disclosed early, Cobb’s deceased wife kept “alive” only through his recurring immersions into his own subconscious. Her goal of having Cobb join her in death (which she believes is actually life) imperils his inception scheme which would allow him to reconnect with his children. The Protagonist-Trickster subplot is often comedic in nature. In Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987), due to inclement weather canceling airplane flights, Neal Page, struggling to travel home for the holidays, finds himself stuck with Del Griffith, an over-friendly, needy shower ring salesman whose personal story turns out to be a fabrication. Dr. Paul Sobel is forced to take on a new client in Analyze This (1999): Paul Vitti, a mob boss who in seeking treatment for his acute anxiety issues, draws the psychologist into the world of criminal activity. In Sideways (2004), Miles Raymond agrees to take a road trip through California’s wine country with groom-to-be Jack Cole, only to discover his friend cares more about carousing and chasing women than his impending wedding. Similarly, Bridesmaids (2011) finds Annie Walker agreeing to be the maid-of-honor at her best friend Lillian’s marriage ceremony, but after a series of public catfights between Annie and rival Helen, Lillian rejects Annie and then switches sides again when she turns into a last minute runaway bride. In Lady Bird (2017), Christine McPherson (a.k.a. “Lady Bird”) loathes her decidedly middle-class life and wants nothing more than to flee her mundane life in Sacramento and go to college in a city with culture. Her attempts to escape lead to two romantic dalliances: The first a crush on fellow high schooler Danny, who turns out to be gay and the second with musician Kyle, who intimates he has never engaged in sexual intercourse. When Christine loses her virginity to Kyle only to discover he has had sex before, she feels betrayed. She learns a tough, but important lesson from these Trickster experiences: How she feels about herself should derive from inside, not from the opinions of others.

13 Subplots

219

These examples demonstrate how Tricksters may span all genres and personality types, yet these characters have in common a highly developed ability to deceive others. An intriguing example is the Protagonist-Trickster subplot in A Beautiful Mind (2001), a movie which won four Academy Awards.6 The Protagonist is John Nash, a brilliant but socially awkward mathematician who upon receiving his doctorate from Princeton University lands a teaching position at MIT, an appointment he celebrates with his roommate Charles. Some years later, Nash’s life takes a turn when he is recruited by William Parcher, a mysterious figure from the Department of Defense, to track magazines and newspapers searching for codes tied to a Russian plan to detonate a mobile nuclear device on American soil. Soon, Nash is making clandestine drops at a special mailbox, followed by men who appear to be Soviet agents, even getting involved in a shootout with Parcher at his side. His growing paranoia and concern for the safety of his wife Alicia and their young child leads to this intervention with a psychiatrist named Rosen. NASH I know who you are. You work for a group called the New Freedom. I see.

ROSEN

NASH I don’t know anything else, okay? I’m just a code breaker. That’s all. (a beat) What are you going to do with me? Are you going to kill me? ROSEN No, I’m going to try and help you. John nods, then shoves Rosen onto the floor. Jumps up, tries for the door. But he goes down, hard. His ankles have restraints around them too. John looks up from the floor. What he sees chills his bones. Sitting on a window seat in the corner are two figures. Charles and Marcee, staring at him expressionlessly.

6 Among the Oscars the movie received, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman won the Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published award.

220

S. Myers

Charles?

NASH

But his old friend says nothing, just sits there impassively. NASH Say something. Why won’t you answer me? …What are you doing?d

dA

Beautiful Mind , screenplay by Akiva Goldman, based on a book by Sylvia Nasar. Movie script, August 11, 2000, pp. 66–67. What John learns is Charles, his niece Marcee, William Parcher, the shootout, the supposed Soviet nuclear threat is all an invention of Nash’s mind. Suffering from schizophrenia, Nash made it all up. This is a case where the Protagonist created the Tricksters who in turn deceived him into believing they were real (Fig. 13.5). An intriguing inversion of this scenario occurs in the movie Adaptation (2002). In real life, the movie’s screenwriter Charlie Kaufman does not have a brother, but he invented one to join Charlie as characters in the film’s actual storyline: Hired to adapt the book The Orchid Thief , Charlie becomes trapped in a creative miasma. His twin brother Donald—again, a fictitious character, but real within the story universe—does his best to help. However, Charlie is embarrassed by Donald, a good-natured man-child who deduces if his brother can make a living as a screenwriter, why can’t he? Charlie, a purist, does not want to adapt The Orchid Thief as a conventional Hollywood story, but write something different (“Let the movie exist rather than be

Fig. 13.5

John Nash in A Beautiful Mind (2001)

13 Subplots

221

artificially plot driven”). Meanwhile, his brother happily laps up the pontifications of screenwriting guru Robert McKee as Donald writes a spec script of his own: Me, Myself, and I , a crime thriller in which a serial killer holds his next victim hostage while being stalked by a cop. But there is an absurd twist as Donald explains to a confused Charlie, “See, we find out the killer suffers from multiple personality disorder. Okay? See, he’s really also the cop and the girl. All of them. It’s all him! Isn’t that crazy?” Charlie feels so disconnected from his brother, at one point he says, “You and I share the same DNA. Is there anything more lonely than that?” Stuck with a debilitating case of writer’s block and weeks past the script’s due date, a desperate Charlie flies to New York City to attend a Robert McKee seminar. Afterward, he buys a drink for McKee explaining his dilemma. McKee offers this advice: “Tell you a secret. The last act makes the film. You can have an uninvolving, tedious movie, but wow them at the end, and you’ve got a hit.” This is precisely what Charlie does, but not in the script … in real life. With his brother, Charlie travels to rural Florida. In short order, they witness a couple having sex and doing drugs, they get captured and are held hostage, escape with shotguns blasting behind them, and stagger through swamps where an alligator devours one of their pursuers. Finally: Donald makes it to shore. He climbs out and is helping Kaufman, when he gets hit by a bullet and falls. KAUFMAN Donald! Kaufman sloshes to shore. His right leg is bloody and mangled. He lifts his brother's head onto his lap. KAUFMAN You're gonna be okay. DONALD No. But don't let them get you, too. (weak smile) You got a fucking awesome third act. KAUFMAN (crying) Donald, this is an awful, bizarre thing to say and an awful time to say it, but I'm sorry I didn't get to know you better. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

222

S. Myers

DONALD It's really... You've been really nice. KAUFMAN See, it's just I thought I knew you already. I thought you were me. And I hated me. Donald touches Kaufman's face. Kaufman looks at his brother. Donald's face glows radiantly in the fire light. DONALD Well, don't do that anymore. Okay? KAUFMAN Okay. Donald dies.e e Adaptation.,

screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, based on a book by Susan Orlean. Movie script, September 24, 1999, p. 110. The script was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the credits read “screenplay by Charlie Kaufman & Donald Kaufman,” even though the latter is a fictitious character (Fig. 13.6).

For much of the movie, Donald represents an enemy to Charlie, a man of meager taste, a simpleton for whom Charlie feels little connection. In the end, Donald is an ally, someone who cares enough about his brother to help him with his writer’s block, even to the point of sacrificing his own life. The movie

Fig. 13.6

Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman in Adaptation (2002)

13 Subplots

223

takes the Protagonist-Trickster subplot to a whole other level of complexity given the slippery nature of what is real … and not real. Donald tests the will of his brother to determine if he can actually finish The Orchard Thief script project, but more importantly to see if he is able to overcome his prejudices … and bond with his brother..7

Summary While Protagonist-Nemesis storylines commonly manifest themselves as the plotline, the Protagonist’s relationships with Attractor, Mentor, and Trickster figures most often occur as subplots. These mini-stories augment the plotline by not only focusing on events which move the narrative forward, but also creating interpersonal dynamics which influence the Protagonist in their psychological journey. Exercise Pick a favorite movie Protagonist. Focus on a key relationship the Protagonist has with another primary character. What is the nature of that relationship? What archetype does the other character represent? Track the beginning, middle, and end of that subplot. How does the subplot tie into and support the story’s plotline?

Further Study Cameron Crowe Reflects On His ‘Jerry Maguire’ Journey, Mike Fleming Jr., Deadline, January 2, 2017, https://deadline.com/2017/01/jerry-maguire-cameron-crowetom-cruise-james-l-brooks-cuba-gooding-glenn-frey-leigh-steinberg-drew-rosenh aus-20th-anniversary-1201877503/. Monsters Inc: Pete Docter Dives Deep into Movie’s Legacy and Creation, 15 Years Later, Marc Snetiker, Entertainment Weekly, November 2, 2016, https://ew.com/article/ 2016/11/02/monsters-inc-anniversary-pete-docter/. ‘Sunset Boulevard’: Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett’s Sobering Exposure of the Dark Side of Hollywood , Sven Mikulec, Cinephilia & Beyond, November 26, 2016, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/sunset-boulevard-billy-wilder-charles-bra cketts-sobering-exposure-dark-side-hollywood/.

7

The movie version of the final struggle spends much more time with Charlie and Donald, the pair sharing key secrets from their past capped off by them singing The Turtles’ song Happy Together just as Donald dies.

224

S. Myers

‘Psycho’: The Proto-Slasher That Brought On a Revolution in Cinema, Sven Mikulec, Cinephilia & Beyond, June 15, 2020, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/psychoproto-slasher-brought-revolution-cinema/. Four decades later, Brian De Palma’s ‘Carrie’ Stands Out as One of the Most Capably Crafted Horror Films of All Time, Sven Mikulec, Cinephilia & Beyond, January 18, 2015, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/four-decades-later-brian-de-pal mas-carrie-stands-one-capably-crafted-horror-films-time/. The Men Who Still Love “Fight Club,” Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, November 4, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-men-who-stilllove-fight-club. ‘Fight Club’: David Fincher’s Stylish Exploration of Modern-Day Man’s Estrangement and Disillusionment, Sven Mikulec, Cinephilia & Beyond, June 16, 2017, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/fight-club-david-finchers-stylish-explorationmodern-day-mans-estrangement-disillusionment/. A Beautiful Mind: The Shooting Script, Akiva Goldsman, Newmarket Press, First Trade Paper Edition, January 25, 2002. Adaptation: The Shooting Script, Charlie Kaufman, Dey Street Books, December 19, 2002.

References Crowe, C. (written by) (1996). Jerry Maguire; TriStar Pictures. Goldsman, A. (screenplay), Nasar, S. (book) (2001). A Beautiful Mind ; Universal Pictures. Kaufman, C. (screenplay), Orlean, S. (book), (2001). Adaptation; Columbia Pictures / Propaganda Films. Nakache, O. and Toledano, E. (written by), di Borgo, P. P. (book) (2001). The Intouchables; Quad Productions. Winter, T. (screenplay), Belfort, J. (book) (2013). The Wolf of Wall Street; Paramount Pictures.

14 Character Map

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Character Map: A visual representation of the relationships between Protagonist-Nemesis, Protagonist and Attractor-Mentor, and ProtagonistTrickster. • Existential Connection: The storyline featuring the Protagonist-Nemesis relationship, oftentimes the plotline. At its foundation lies this Protagonist question: Who am I? • Behavioral Connection: The storylines featuring the Protagonist-Attractor and Protagonist-Mentor. At the foundation of these subplots lies this Protagonist question: How am I?

If one were asked to visualize the shape of a story, they would likely respond by drawing a horizontal line extending left to right. There may be diagonal lines up or down representing emotional highs and lows or plot complications and reversals, but there is an inevitable forward movement. In Hollywood development circles, this linear progression from scene to scene— beginning to middle to end—is the most conventional way to consider story structure. A character-driven approach to screenwriting offers an ancillary way to think about the subject: Assemble a story’s five primary archetypes—Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, and Trickster—and create a Character Map. This cyclical representation of a story’s family of characters identifies the

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_14

225

226

S. Myers

Fig. 14.1

Protagonist icon

essential narrative function of each relationship and depicts key dynamics influencing the psychological component of the Protagonist’s journey. As a result, writers may use the map as a visual touchstone during the storycrafting process.

Constructing the Character Map In order to create a character map, we begin with the Protagonist, typically the most important character in developing and writing a story.1 As an icon we may associate with the Protagonist, the map uses the image of a Homeric galley, an homage to the ancient epic tale The Odyssey. The Protagonist sets out on a journey, often a literal outing whereby the character departs their old world and enters a figurative new world, as Odysseus does by leaving his home in Ithaca for his extended adventures.2 The Protagonist represents forward movement like a ship slicing through the sea toward a destination (Fig. 14.1). As the adage goes, “You cannot have drama without conflict,” therefore, we next turn our attention to the Nemesis. They generate conflict by creating opposition, striving to prevent the Protagonist from attaining their goal. As to their character map icon, if the Protagonist is depicted as a ship at sea, the Nemesis can be thought of as Nature, a powerful wind creating resistance, capable of growing into a thunderous storm with the potential to scuttle the galley’s forward progress (Fig. 14.2). 1

See Part I, Chapter 1: The Protagonist’s Journey to explore the primacy of this central character. Sometimes, the Protagonist does not leave home, but rather the appearance of visitors or unforeseen events transforms their ordinary world into an extraordinary one. 2

14 Character Map

Fig. 14.2

227

Nemesis icon

Along the way, the Protagonist encounters a host of characters including some who may join the quest as companions. One such character is the Attractor, whose fundamental narrative task is to forge an intimate connection with the Protagonist and augment their emotional development. For our map, their icon is that of a heart, the metaphorical center of an individual’s feelings and passions (Fig. 14.3).

Fig. 14.3

Attractor icon

228

S. Myers

Another character type encountered during the journey is a figure most closely associated with the Protagonist’s intellectual growth. This is the Mentor, who offers insight into the world at large and also guides the Protagonist toward a more profound understanding of their self-identity. In terms of a character map, the Mentor icon is a brain, the symbolic base of an individual’s thoughts and self-awareness (Fig. 14.4). Lastly, the Protagonist confronts a character who is a shifty figure. This individual has their own agenda and if it aligns with the Protagonist’s goal, they may act as an ally. If not, they deftly switch sides and oppose the Protagonist. This is the Trickster and the icon we use for the character map is a coyote or jackal, a prominent conniver in fables and oral traditions from native cultures around the world (Fig. 14.5).

Fig. 14.4

Mentor icon

Fig. 14.5

Trickster icon

14 Character Map

229

The character map extends to the four corners of the world. At the northernmost point is the Protagonist. Navigation is impossible without locating what is “true north” and this applies to the Protagonist’s journey. The point of their outer quest is an inner exploration, delving inside to discover some previously hidden aspects of their psyche which need to rise into the light of consciousness. This emerging psychological dynamic acts as a metaphorical North Star guiding the character’s metamorphosis. Due south is the Nemesis. They create cross-winds and turbulence to disrupt the Protagonist’s forward movement. Often, the Nemesis is tied to the Protagonist’s deepest fears and negative impulses, a projection or physicalization of their shadow forcing the Protagonist to symbolically face what they dread the most. The challenges presented by the Nemesis cause the Protagonist to question themselves: Who am I? Do they continue their journey against significant opposition created by the Nemesis or return to their old world even though it represents an inauthentic existence? In relation to our character map, we may consider the vertical link stretching north to south between the Protagonist and Nemesis as an Existential Connection (Fig. 14.6).

Fig. 14.6

Existential connection: Protagonist - Nemesis

230

S. Myers

Fig. 14.7

Behavioral connection: Attractor - Mentor

At the far west point of the map is the Attractor. Their movement toward the middle represents an intersection with the Protagonist and the initiation of a subplot. Likewise at the map’s easternmost tip is the Mentor, who also engages the Protagonist, another subplot in the making. These relationships—Protagonist and Attractor, Protagonist and Mentor—represent a Behavioral Connection, Attractor and Mentor impacting the Protagonist’s attitude and demeanor (Fig. 14.7). If the existential connection is fundamentally about who the Protagonist is, the behavioral connection is about how the character acts. The Nemesis compels the Protagonist to peer within and determine what lies at the core of their being. The Attractor and Mentor provide emotional and intellectual tools which influence how the Protagonist conducts their activities during the course of their journey. This is the domain of an additional question the Protagonist confronts: How am I? Then there is the Trickster. They are adept at adopting any archetype mask at any point to further their aims and in so doing test the will of the Protagonist. As far as the character map is concerned, their presence is represented by a circle encompassing the vertical and horizontal lines, suggestive of how skilled they are at shifting from one archetype mask to another (Fig. 14.8). Here then is the character map, a representation of the interconnectedness of the family of characters. To explore how the map can work, we return to three movies previously analyzed in Part I, Chapters 3 through 6: The Silence of the Lambs, Shakespeare in Love, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Character Map: The Silence of the Lambs Logline: An F.B.I. trainee seeks the assistance of a brilliant, incarcerated psychopath to help catch a serial killer who skins his victims.3 Protagonist: Clarice Starling. Conscious goal: Save the latest kidnap victim Catherine Martin. Unconscious goal: Resolve emotions she associates 3

A logline is a one-to-two line summation of a story’s plot.

14 Character Map

Fig. 14.8

231

Character map: Family of characters

with the slaughter of her father, murdered in the line of duty as a law enforcement officer. Nemesis: Buffalo Bill, the serial killer who has taken Catherine Martin hostage and intends to kill her. To Clarice, he represents the “boogeyman,” a reflection of the pair of unidentified criminals who murdered her father. Attractor: Catherine Martin, the young single woman who has been kidnapped by Buffalo Bill. The fact she is a victim resonates with Clarice because she, too, has been victimized as a result of her father’s violent death. Mentor: Hannibal Lecter, though a killer in his own right, is perfectly suited to act as a guide for Clarice, not only providing clues about Buffalo Bill, but also the inner journey she must take to confront her deepest fears and silence the recurring nightmares which haunt her. Trickster: Jack Crawford, head of the F.B.I. Behavioral Science Unit, who plucks Clarice out of obscurity to take on an “interesting task,” using her to unwittingly “seduce” Lecter into providing insights into the Buffalo Bill case.

232

S. Myers

Trickster: Dr. Alex Chilton, director of the sanitarium which houses Hannibal Lecter. After agreeing to provide access to Lecter, Chilton makes an indiscreet pass at Clarice. Later, he secretly records her conversations with the prisoner, then moves Lecter to Memphis to put his prized patient out of Clarice’s reach (Fig. 14.9). Each of the members of this family of characters serves Clarice’s journey, compelling her to confront her tragic past, tapping into her survivor’s strength, then achieving a measure of redemption by slaying Buffalo Bill and shedding his blood.

Fig. 14.9

The Silence of the Lambs character map

14 Character Map

233

Character Map: Shakespeare in Love Logline: Hamstrung by writer’s block, young William Shakespeare finds a muse in Viola De Lesseps, their love affair inspiring him to pen Romeo and Juliet. Protagonist: William Shakespeare. Conscious goal: Break through his creative malaise. Unconscious goal: Tap into and give expression to his authentic voice instead of frittering away his talent. Nemesis: Lord Wessex, who intends to marry Lady Viola, not out of love, but for the accompanying dowry he can use to finance tobacco plantations in Virginia. Attractor: Viola De Lesseps, whose passion for the life of the theater is matched only by her ardor for young Shakespeare. Mentor: Christopher Marlowe, a renowned playwright who despite the large shadow he casts over the creative community provides input to Will on his fledgling play.4 Trickster: Queen Elizabeth who, by giving her blessing to the arranged marriage between Viola and Wessex, sets into motion the wedding which will take Viola away from Will. Furthermore, she approves of a wager of fifty pounds to resolve this question: “Can a play show us the very truth and nature of love?” The Queen is skeptical, but in the end, she is so moved by the debut performance of Romeo and Juliet, her mind is changed and she makes several key public proclamations to support Shakespeare the playwright (Fig. 14.10). At the beginning of the story, Will Shakespeare has been existing on the surface of life. The individuals as depicted in this character map intersect with Will and lure him to feel both joy and grief, pulling him into the heights and depths of human experience. This journey facilitates his path toward becoming the great playwright he always had the potential to be.

4 We could also include Philip Henslow as a Mentor because of his unflagging belief in Shakespeare’s talent and that things will somehow turn out well. In Marlowe’s absence after his death, Henslow fills that void.

234

S. Myers

Fig. 14.10 Shakespeare in Love character map

Character Map: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Logline: When an adolescent is bitten by a radioactive spider, he develops superpowers and evolves into one Spider-Man among several who join together to fend off the destruction of the universe. Protagonist: Miles Morales, an intelligent, creative teen born of AfricanAmerican and Puerto Rican parents, struggles with expectations, particularly those of his policeman father. This weight of responsibility increases exponentially when Miles finds himself thrust into the role of Spider-Man.

14 Character Map

235

Nemesis: Wilson Fisk (a.k.a. Kingpin), a New York City crime lord who uses Fisk Industries to “launder” his reputation. With his financial support, physicists at Alchemax are working to create a collider which will enable Kingpin to access parallel universes in the hopes he can reconnect with his deceased wife and son. However, if the collider is activated, it could destroy the universe in which Miles and his family live.5 Nemesis: Kingpin’s enforcers—Green Goblin, Prowler, Scorpion, Tombstone, and Olivia Octavius (a.k.a. Doctor Octopus, a.k.a. Doc Ock). Attractor: Jefferson Davis, Miles’ father with whom he has much conflict. The deepening of their feelings for each other lies at the heart of the emotional storyline. Mentor: Peter B. Parker, a Spider-Man from another dimension whose struggles in his home universe have left him jaded, world-weary, and out of shape. He begrudgingly trains Miles in the ways of Spider-Man, but Miles’ impassioned temperament causes Peter to rediscover his own inner hero.6 Trickster: Aaron Davis, who is Jefferson’s brother and Miles’ uncle. Miles often runs off to spend time with his uncle because Aaron appreciates his nephew’s artistic potential as manifest in Miles’ graffiti art. However, Aaron leads a double life as Prowler, one of Kingpin’s enforcers which eventually pits him against Miles (Fig. 14.11). The journey Miles takes forces him to embrace expectations laid upon him by a radioactive spider’s bite and his superhero fate. He struggles along the way, at first learning to control his Spidey-powers, then summoning enough belief in himself that he can take on Kingpin and his henchmen. Through the support of the Spidey-crew and inspired by the love he feels for his parents, Miles becomes who he was supposed to be. As he says, “I never thought I’d be able to do any of this stuff. But I can.”

5 Kingpin blames Spider-Man for the death of his wife and son, so the battle he wages against Miles and the various other iterations of Spider-Man is a personal one. 6 After Peter Parker is killed by Kingpin’s henchmen, Peter’s widow MJ (Mary Jane) provides a Mentor moment for Miles when he watches her on TV give a eulogy for her deceased husband: “He didn’t ask for his powers, but he chose to be Spider-Man … We all have powers of one kind or another. But in our own way, we are all Spider-Man.” Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, story by Phil Lord. Movie script, dated December 3, 2018, p. 41. As allies in the fight against Kingpin, we can look at Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, and Spider-Ham as Mentor figures.

236

S. Myers

Fig. 14.11 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse character map

Summary As we have seen in Part I, the Protagonist’s journey can be viewed as a narrative imperative: The events which transpire in their adventure are what need to happen to spur the Protagonist through their metamorphosis. As Part II demonstrates, the same pertains to the characters the Protagonist encounters along the way: They, too, influence the Protagonist in a variety of ways which feeds into the character’s transformation. As such, in a well-told story, there is a feeling of inevitability once the reader or audience reaches the end: The way in which the narrative turned out is precisely how it was supposed to resolve.

14 Character Map

237

This, however, is not what a writer’s mindset should be upon their initial foray into the potential narrative. When we start our own journey into a story universe, we should carry little in the way of preconceptions about events and arcs. Rather, our focus should be on this: immersing ourselves in the lives of our characters. Let them drive the story-crafting process. After all, it is their story. Who knows it better than the characters? This is where we begin Part III: Breaking the Story. Exercise Select a notable movie, limited TV series, or novel. Create a roster of the story’s primary characters. Assign each character what you think best fits their respective archetype function. Create a character map reflecting those relationships.

Further Study A Screenwriter’s Guide to Aristotle’s “Poetics,” Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, May 4, 2017, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/a-screenwriters-guide-toaristotle-s-poetics-37aa7667b1d6.

References Lord, P. and Rothman, R. (screenplay by), Lord P (story) (2018). Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Marvel Entertainment / Sony Pictures Entertainment. Norman, M. and Stoppard, T. (written by) (1998). Shakespeare in Love; Miramax Films. Tally, T. (screenplay), Harris, T. (novel) (1991). The Silence of the Lambs; Orion Pictures.

Part III The Protagonist’s Journey as Screenplay

15 Breaking Story I Protagonist Character Treatment

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Breaking Story: A term commonly used in Hollywood to describe the process of working out a story in great detail before the physical act of writing the actual script. • Protagonist Character Treatment: The first prep-writing exercise involves responding to eight key questions to engage the story’s most important character: the Protagonist.

In the preceding pages, the underlying principle we have explored is this: Character drives plot. It is time to put that theory into practice by Breaking Story. This terminology, commonly used in Hollywood film and television development circles, likely derives from the practice of breaking a horse: A

Author’s note: As indicated previously, there is no right way to write. Every writer is different. Every story is different. The same pertains to breaking story. The process presented in the next six chapters is one I have taught to thousands of writers. Indeed, it is the foundation of an undergraduate and graduate level college course called Story Development at the DePaul University film school where I teach. This process has proved to be successful in guiding writers from story concept to outline. This stage of story development is critical in that it exponentially increases the odds a writer will not only get from Fade In to Fade Out, but also their initial pass at the material will result in a solid first draft. That said, the character-driven approach to story prep detailed in Part III is a way to tackle the process, not necessarily the way. I encourage writers to feel free to adapt this method to best fit their unique creative practices and instincts.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_15

241

242

S. Myers

handler works with an untrained colt or filly and over time, through a series of exercises, tames the animal. This enables a rider to ride it. This is also the case with breaking story as described in these next six chapters in which the writer uses a set of exercises to “tame” the narrative. This enables a writer to write it. The process begins with the story’s most influential figure: the Protagonist. As detailed in Chapter 1, the Protagonist’s impact upon the unfolding narrative summons the writer to start the story-crafting process with this pivotal character. The goal of this first stage of breaking story is a Protagonist Character Treatment. At its core lie eight questions: • • • • • • • •

Who is the Protagonist? What does the Protagonist want? What does the Protagonist need? What is the eventual resolution of the Protagonist’s want and need? What is at stake for the Protagonist? Who or what opposes the Protagonist? What does the Protagonist fear the most? Why does this story have to happen to this Protagonist at this time?

Why this set of questions? You use each to engage the Protagonist in an initial foray into narrative elements connected to this central character. Think of each query as a diamond-tipped drill used to penetrate into the core essence of the Protagonist’s state of being. In aggregate, the answers you discover in this exercise provide raw content which is shaped into a Protagonist Character Treatment and lays the foundation for everything else going forward in the story prep process.

Who Is the Protagonist? While the response to this question may seem obvious, you do well to consider each character as a possible Protagonist. Sometimes, shifting the narrative viewpoint from one character to another may inspire a fresh take on the material. Consider the successful Broadway musical Wicked , an interpretation of The Wizard of Oz (1939) told from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West. Or Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), a movie version of the classic fairy tale which is framed through the eyes of the hunter ordered to slay Snow White. Then, there is the animated movie The Star (2017)

15 Breaking Story I Protagonist Character Treatment

243

which tells the traditional Nativity story of Jesus’ birth through the point of view of a donkey and other animal characters. These examples serve not only to underscore the importance of choosing one’s Protagonist, but also creative possibilities inherent in that choice. If the writer is uncertain which character best fits the role of the story’s Protagonist, here are some further questions to assist that decision-making process: • • • • •

Who is the story’s central character?1 Which character embarks on a physical and/or psychological journey? Which character goes through the most significant metamorphosis? Which character is most actively involved in the story’s culminating events? Which character has a goal that is realized (or not) in the final struggle?

If there is one character whose identity emerges as the answer to several or all these questions, that is likely the story’s Protagonist. If the status remains unclear, there is one final consideration: Which character’s point of view best serves telling the story? This question is relevant not only to the script reader or audience member, but also to the writer, who should reflect on which perspective excites them the most to explore and write.2

What Does the Protagonist Want? The best way to ensure that a story has an active Protagonist is if they have a specific goal, something they want:

1 It is possible for the Central Character and Protagonist to be different characters. For example, one way to interpret the movie Little Miss Sunshine is that Olive is the Central Character: It is her goal— to win the Little Miss Sunshine pageant competition—which drives the whole plot culminating in her performance on stage. However, the characters who go through the most significant metamorphosis around the theme of success and failure are Richard, Frank, and Duane, who can be considered Co-Protagonists. 2 Stories may have more than one Protagonist. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Trading Places are examples of Co-Protagonists, two characters who interact throughout a majority of the story and whose arcs are parallel in nature. The Shawshank Redemption is an example of a Dual Protagonist narrative for although Andy and Red interact throughout the narrative, each has a distinct transformation arc. The Hangover, Horrible Bosses, and Book Club are examples of Multiple Protagonist stories in which several Protagonists have their own individual transformation arc as well as an overall arc for the group itself. In contrast, movies like Magnolia, Crash, Traffic, and Babel are examples of multi-linear narratives which track several individual Protagonists connected by some sort of plot and/or thematic elements whether they intersect directly with each other or not. In any case, the writer must treat each character as a Protagonist in their own right for that is their experience of the story universe.

244

S. Myers

• In Die Hard (1988), John McClane wants to defeat the criminals holding a group of hostages and rescue his wife. • In The Hangover (2009), Phil, Stu, and Alan want to find Doug who they somehow lost in a night of bachelor party debauchery. • In Wild (2014), Cheryl wants to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail to prove she has the strength to overcome self-destructive behaviors. While it is possible to craft a successful screenplay in which a Protagonist is largely reactive,3 there are distinct advantages to working with a Protagonist who has an identifiable goal: • As the Protagonist actively pursues their want, that forward-moving energy creates narrative drive. • The importance of that goal contributes to the stakes of the story. • The specific nature of that goal shapes the end point of the Plotline. The Graduate (1967) is a movie which highlights these points. For much of the first half of the story, the Protagonist (Benjamin) drifts through post-college life, symbolized by the numerous times he is shown floating directionless in his family’s swimming pool. Disconnected from the values of his parents and their friends (“Plastics”), Ben only rouses out of his personal doldrums when he sets a goal: marry Elaine Robinson. He follows her to Berkeley where she attends college and relentlessly woos her. When the truth is revealed about his affair with Elaine’s mother and all seems lost, Ben refuses to give up, speeding his way to Santa Barbara to intervene at Elaine’s wedding. The contrast between the listless, passive Ben in the first half of the movie and the energized, focused Ben in the second half could not offer a more stark illustration of the impact a conscious goal can provide a story (Fig. 15.1). Ben’s example in The Graduate raises an interesting point about the distinction between want and conscious goal. Protagonists often enter a story with a generalized sense of want. In Back to the Future (1985), Marty McFly wants to be in a successful rock and roll band, largely to distinguish himself from his family who are decidedly undistinguished. In The Wizard of Oz (1939), Dorothy wants to fly “somewhere over the rainbow… where the clouds are far behind me,” an expression of how disconnected she feels from her life on that Kansas farm, yet with no specific destination in mind. In Spirited 3 In It’s a Wonderful Life, the Protagonist (George Bailey) never achieves his want: travel the world, build skyscrapers. Even though his existence is largely one of reacting to circumstances which happen to him, he manages to carve out a meaningful life in Bedford Falls, even if it takes an angelic intervention to help him realize that fact.

15 Breaking Story I Protagonist Character Treatment

Fig. 15.1

245

Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate (1967)

Away (2001), Chihiro is unhappy about the family’s move to a new home and wants nothing to do with it. In all three cases by the end of Act One, the Protagonist’s general want becomes a specific conscious goal: to get back home. It is important to consider this question in terms of both the Protagonist’s state of being at the beginning of the story and after the inciting incident has compelled them into the new world: their want at the outset of the story and their conscious goal at the end of the story’s first act.

What Does the Protagonist Need? Distinct from their want or conscious goal, there is a dynamic within the Protagonist’s psyche which is often referred to as their need. From a psychological perspective, we may think of it as their Authentic Nature, True Self, or Core Essence. Any of these terms work, they are simply ways of referring to some genuine aspect of the Protagonist’s inner self which struggles to rise to the surface of their awareness. At the beginning of the story, the character may have some inkling of what their need is; however, more likely than not, they are disconnected from it. The emergence of this inner dynamic into the light of consciousness is a primary driver in their transformation process. Here, too, the question can be split into two parts: a generalized sense of need at the very beginning of the story and an unconscious goal which emerges by the end of Act One: • In Inception (2010), Cobb needs to busy himself with his unique form of con jobs to avoid dealing with the complicated nature of his past. His

246

S. Myers

unconscious goal: Confront Mal in order to free himself to reunite with his children. • In The Lion King (1994), Simba needs to enjoy his life as the son of Mufasa. His unconscious goal: Embrace his monarchical powers and responsibilities. • In Rocky (1976), Rocky Balboa needs to believe he can make something special from his ordinary life. His unconscious goal: Tap into his inner strength to go the distance with the world’s heavyweight boxing champion. Cobb: Become a father. Simba: Become a king. Rocky: Become a champion. Each has the potential to become who they are supposed to be. This capacity exists within the Protagonist at the beginning of the story in a more or less dormant state and then surfaces into the character’s consciousness through the series of events-and-responses that comprise the narrative, growing in influence as part of their metamorphosis journey. Thus, identifying the Protagonist’s need and unconscious goal is a key concern in breaking story.

What Is the Resolution of the Protagonist’s Want and Need? The tension between what the Protagonist wants and what they need often lies at the base of their inner conflict. Indeed, one way to look at a story is that it exists precisely to force the Protagonist to get in touch with and embrace their need, fueling the growth of their new self. This process of metamorphosis also influences their perspective about their want. Sometimes need supplants want. In Liar, Liar (1997), Fletcher Reede is a successful lawyer who has built his career based in large part on his skill at deceit. After missing his son’s birthday party, the boy makes a wish for his father to tell the truth for twenty-four hours … which is what happens. Fletcher’s want: to win a high profile divorce case and further his career. His need: to be forced to tell the truth in order to realize how much of a lie his life is, including his approach to fatherhood. Through his experiences as the story unfolds, Fletcher’s need to engage in a true relationship with his son supplants his false want. Sometimes need transforms want. In Legally Blonde (2001), Elle Woods is a vivacious sorority girl whose idyllic life receives a jolt when her longtime boyfriend Warner dumps her and heads off to Harvard Law School. There he reunites with his former prep school flame. Determined to win back her

15 Breaking Story I Protagonist Character Treatment

Fig. 15.2

247

Leonard in Memento (1967)

former lover, Elle cajoles her way into the same law school. Elle’s want: to impress Warner enough to lure him to be her boyfriend again. Her need: to get in touch with her inner lawyer and realize she is capable of standing on her own two feet as a practicing attorney. In the end, she does not require Warner’s good name and good looks to feel good about herself. Sometimes want resists need. In Memento (2000), Leonard searches for a man who was involved in the murder of Leonard’s wife. One major problem: Leonard suffers from anterograde amnesia, a condition which allows him to remember details from the distant past, but not recent events. Another issue: Leonard’s memory of his wife’s murder is a fabrication. Leonard’s want: to find his wife’s murderer and exact revenge. His need: to realize it is quite likely that he actually killed his wife. The way the story plays out suggests Leonard’s life is consumed with retribution based on a memory which is a lie in order to resist confronting his own culpability in his wife’s death (Fig. 15.2). Whether there is a synthesis or not between a Protagonist’s want and need, it is important to explore this pair of dynamics at work in the character’s metamorphosis process.

What Is at Stake for the Protagonist? For a story to have an impact on a reader or audience, something must be at stake. What does the Protagonist stand to gain or lose? If the potential outcome in the story has serious meaning for the Protagonist, that adds pressure to their journey making for a more dramatic narrative. Thus, the question of stakes is an essential one to consider as part of crafting a Protagonist character treatment.

248

S. Myers

• In The Exorcist (1973): Will the religious rituals conducted by Father Merrin and Father Karras save the young girl Regan or will she continue to be possessed by the spirit of the Devil? • In Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): Will Indiana Jones manage to snare the Lost Ark of the Covenant or will it end up in the hands of the Nazis, potentially allowing Germany to use the secret weapon and rule the world? • In The Dark Knight (2008): Will Batman defeat the Joker or will the maniacal madman continue to torment Gotham City until Batman’s true identity is revealed? These are examples of stories with larger than life stakes, however, the question is scalable to the size and scope of any story: • In Ordinary People (1980): Will therapy sessions help Conrad survive his troubled past and tension-filled family life or will he give into his suicidal instincts? • In Home Alone (1990): Will Kevin be able to fend off two robbers long enough to be reunited with his wayward family? • In Room (2015): Will Ma and Jack succeed in escaping their long-term imprisonment or will they continue to be held captive by Old Nick? (Fig. 15.3)

Fig. 15.3

Ma and Jack in Room (2015)

15 Breaking Story I Protagonist Character Treatment

249

Big or small, the stakes of a story have to be important and compelling to the Protagonist which by extension adds emotional heft to the audience’s experience.

Who or What Opposes the Protagonist? The most obvious type of conflict in a movie, stage play, or other narrative form is through the active presence of a Nemesis. The primary function of this character is to provide opposition to the Protagonist. That opposition creates conflict, two entities engaged in a struggle against each other. What will be the outcome? Who will win? Who will lose? That said, there are many sorts of oppositional dynamics in stories: • Psychological: Melvin’s obsessive compulsive disorder in As Good As It Gets (1997), Claudia Draper’s anti-social behavior in Nuts (1987), and Norman Bates’ split personality in Psycho (1960). • Geographical: The ocean in Cast Away (2000), the boulder in 127 h (2010), and Mars in The Martian (2015). • Systemic: The authoritarian governments in V for Vendetta (2005), The Hunger Games (2012–2015), 1984 (1984), and Brazil (1985). One common approach is two characters or sets of characters representing Protagonist vs. Nemesis. Whether the genre is Action (e.g., Leon vs. Stansfield in Léon: The Professional—1994), Comedy (the members of Delta House vs. Dean Wormer in Animal House—1978), Drama (Jake vs. Noah Cross in Chinatown—1974), Family (Shrek vs. Lord Farquaad in Shrek— 2001), Fantasy (Frodo vs. Sauron and the forces of Mordor in The Lord of the Rings—2002–2004), Horror (Laurie vs. Michael Myers in Halloween— 1978), Science Fiction (Neo vs. Agent Smith in The Matrix—1999), or Thriller (Mills vs. John Doe in Se7en—1995), the Protagonist-Nemesis relationship makes for a clean narrative dynamic rife with potential for dramatic conflict. Therefore, the question of who or what opposes the Protagonist is a critical consideration at the gestational stage of story development and throughout the writing process.

250

S. Myers

What Does the Protagonist Fear the Most? Screenwriter Robert Towne (Chinatown, Shampoo, Mission: Impossible) said this in an interview: The single most important question, I think, that one must ask one’s self about a character is what are they really afraid of? What are they really afraid of? If you ask that question, it’s probably the single best way of getting into a character.4

One reason why this is such a ripe area for character development is simple: As a rule, human beings do what they can to avoid pain and things they fear. Thus, much of what constitutes an individual’s psyche is grounded in the defense mechanisms they adapt to keep themselves safe, both physically and psychologically. By posing this question to a story’s Protagonist, the writer is presented a pathway into the character’s deepest, darkest secrets, an inward journey which can also reveal the web of psychological dynamics created to protect that individual from anxieties, apprehensions, and experiences which may bring them close to terror. If a writer identifies what the Protagonist is “really afraid of,” this can have an enormous influence on the development of another character: the Nemesis. What if the Nemesis is the physicalization of the Protagonist’s greatest fear? This can transform the Protagonist vs. Nemesis relationship into one with a specific psychological connection between the characters, wherein the Protagonist has to face that which they fear the most in the form of the story’s central oppositional figure.5 In the movie Jaws (1975), Chief Martin Brody’s job is to maintain order in the quiet community of Amity Island. What does he fear the most? Chaos, the antithesis of law and order. What does the shark represent but chaos and disorder? In Fatal Attraction (1987), Dan Gallagher, a married father of two, has a one-night stand with Alex Forrest. What does he fear the most? The damage which could arise from the revelation of his affair caused by his adulterous instincts. What does Alex represent but a threat to Dan’s existence, a damaged woman prepared to exact revenge on the lover who has spurned her. Therefore, one of the most valuable questions a writer can pose when digging into the core of this character’s psychological makeup is “What does the Protagonist fear the most?”.

4 “Word Into Image: Writers on Screenwriting: Robert Towne,” DVD, 30 min, American Film Foundation, 1984. 5 Read Chapter 9 for an in-depth analysis of the Nemesis as the projection of a Protagonist’s shadow.

15 Breaking Story I Protagonist Character Treatment

251

Why Does This Story Have to Happen to This Protagonist at This Time? The choice of when to begin a story should not be an arbitrary one. Rather, it ought to be tied to the specifics of the Protagonist’s original state of being. Questions of who they are, how they are, why they are, and where they are directly influence when they enter the narrative. It is at this moment … not a month ago … not a year from now … but right now when their story begins. Everything in their life leading up to Once Upon a Time has in some way prepared them for the journey they are about to take. Of course, the Protagonist is not aware of that reality, they do not know their story is actually starting, but the writer does and should ponder this question: Why does this story have to happen to this Protagonist at this time? There is an inevitability at work in the Protagonist’s life: their narrative imperative. The presence of this fate influences when the story begins, how the call to adventure occurs, all of the events of the Plotline, the characters with whom the Protagonist intersects, the resolution of the narrative, and the end point of the Protagonist’s transformation arc. Some examples: • In Double Indemnity (1944), Walter Neff falls under the sway of Phyllis Dietrichson, propelling him on a journey in which he embraces his larcenous instincts, with murderous results. • In Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Ted’s wife leaves him and their young son Billy, sending Ted on a journey to grow into the father he always had the potential to become. • In Arrival (2016), Louise Banks is enlisted to create a line of communication with aliens, setting her on a journey which reveals a complicated potential future involving motherhood. Television writer-producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost, Boomtown, Medium) tweeted this: “A great script creates an irresistible narrative flow that propels a reader to an inevitable dramatic conclusion.”6 This question—Why does this story have to happen to this Protagonist at this time—sets the writer on a journey of discovery about their story’s “irresistible narrative flow.”

6 Go into the Story interview: Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, November 12, 2020, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/go-into-the-story-interview-javier-grillo-mar xuach-ab7b9970b613.

252

S. Myers

Summary The first stage in breaking story focuses on the Protagonist as they are the most critical character in the story-crafting process. In the Protagonist Character Treatment exercise, there are eight questions writers may use to delve into the Protagonist’s state of being at the beginning of a story. The responses to these questions draw to the surface key psychological and narrative dynamics which have a direct bearing on the emergence of the story’s structure. Writing Exercise Example: Protagonist Character Treatment For Chapters Fifteen through Twenty, each writing exercise example is based on the Pixar movie Up. Here is a Protagonist Character Treatment for that story’s central character (Fig. 15.4). Protagonist Character Treatment Carl Fredricksen Logline: A grief-stricken widower flies his balloon house to South America only to discover challenges and new friends on his adventure. Who is the Protagonist? Carl Fredricksen. What does the Protagonist want? After his wife Ellie dies, Carl wants to live out the string of his days and join his deceased wife.

Fig. 15.4

Carl Fredricksen in Up (2009)

15 Breaking Story I Protagonist Character Treatment

253

What does the Protagonist need? To honor Ellie by embracing a new adventure and enjoy the personal revitalization he discovers with a surrogate family. What is the eventual resolution of the Protagonist’s want and need? Carl’s need supplants his want, as the connection he forges with a young stowaway (Russell), a talking dog (Dug), and a mysterious giant bird (Kevin) leads him to relinquish his goal of getting the balloon house to the top of Paradise Falls in order to save his newfound “family” from the threat posed by the false mentor / Nemesis (Charles Muntz). What are the stakes for the Protagonist? Initially, Carl faces the prospect he may not be able to fulfill his promise to Ellie by transporting the house to Paradise Falls, but as he bonds with Russell and Dug, he stands to lose his surrogate family. Who opposes the Protagonist? Despite obstacles created along the way by Russell, Kevin, and Dug, the real Nemesis Carl faces is Muntz. What does the Protagonist fear the most? Carl fears if he moves on with his life, he will dishonor Ellie’s memory. He discovers that embracing the spirit of adventure and the emotional bond created with his surrogate family is the truest way to honor his late wife. Why does this story have to happen to this Protagonist at this time? Ellie’s death creates a void which is unsustainable for Carl as he needs to change or continue on a slow descent to his own death.

Breaking Story Exercise One: Protagonist Character Treatment Use the eight questions cited above to explore your story’s Protagonist: • • • • • • • •

Who is the Protagonist? What does the Protagonist want? What does the Protagonist need? What is the eventual resolution of the Protagonist’s want and need? What are the stakes for the Protagonist? Who opposes the Protagonist? What does the Protagonist fear the most? Why does this story have to happen to this Protagonist at this time?

Be thoughtful. Do not go for the easy answer. Characters are complicated. The more clearly you understand them, especially the Protagonist, the more their complexities will inform both your character development and story-crafting process.

254

S. Myers

Almost inevitably, when directing this set of questions at your Protagonist, narrative elements will emerge: moments, scenes, other characters, lines of dialogue, images. Chapter Sixteen will guide you into a deep engagement with your story and its characters through several brainstorming exercises, but for now, include any raw ideas which emerge in this phase of the process in your Protagonist Character Treatment. This is the first of six story prep stages which will ultimately lead to a scene-by-scene outline. The focus during these first two exercises is character development and, thus, the touchstone word is this: Explore. Television Development Television storytelling is similar to movies, but also substantially different. Perhaps the single biggest distinction relates to the core conceit of character arc. In a movie, the Protagonist begins in one state of existence and ends in another. Their metamorphosis has a beginning, middle, and end aligning with the movements and events within the plotline. While limited series and mini-series may mimic this type of character arc, albeit over several episodes, conventional television series have a different focus by virtue of the fact they span multiple episodes over numerous seasons. While the story prep process detailed in Part III focuses on developing a screenplay for a feature length film, much of what is explored here is relevant to writing for television. For example: • Protagonist arc: Assuming the series Protagonist undergoes some sort of metamorphosis, the work a writer does exploring the character’s psychological journey can provide a clear, pitchable take on the trajectory of their arc. • Character development: Immersing oneself in the lives of the series’ “family of characters” can lead to multiple storylines and potential episode hooks. • Subplot relationships: Each of the series’ primary characters represents a potential relationship which can be exploited episode-to-episode, seasonto-season. • Pilot outline: While the specifics of story structure for a one-hour or halfhour television series differ from a feature film screenplay, the work of wrangling and constructing an outline for an original pilot script can be adapted from what is presented here. The primary value of the process of breaking story, as represented in the following chapters, lies with the series’ characters. The pilot script is important, no doubt, but, it is the characters—their personalities, backstories, flaws, psychological and emotional issues, wants and needs, conscious and unconscious goals—in conjunction with the narrative engine at the core of the series which provide the story elements necessary to pitch a television show which has “legs” to run for multiple seasons.

15 Breaking Story I Protagonist Character Treatment

255

References Guay, P. and Mazur, S. (written by) (1997). Liar, Liar; Universal Pictures / Imagine Entertainment. McCullah, K. and Smith, K. (screenplay), Brown, A (novel) (2001). Legally Blonde; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Myers, S. (editor) (2020). Interview: Javier Grillo-Marxuach; Go Into the Story. Nolan, C. (screenplay), Nolan, J. (short story) (2000). Memento; Newmarket Films. Peterson, B. and Docter, P. (screenplay), Docter, P., Peterson, B. and McCarthy, T. (story) (2008). Up; Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios. Willingham, C. and Henry, B. (screenplay), Webb, C. (novel) (1967). The Graduate; Embassy Pictures.

16 Breaking Story II Master Brainstorming List

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Brainstorm: A creative process writers employ to immerse themselves in the lives of their characters and the story universe in which the characters exist. • Master Brainstorming List: A file into which the writer transcribes each brainstorming exercise and aggregates all of the narrative elements which emerge along the way. • Indirect Engagement Exercises: A series of brainstorming exercises where the focus is on observing and speculating about a character. • Questionnaire: A series of questions about a specific character upon which the writer reflects and provides responses. • Biography: The writer targets specific aspects of a character’s life experience in order to create an initial chronology of that individual’s personal history. • Free Scene: The writer sets a character into a distinct scenario involving another character, then sketches what transpires in the moment. • Direct Engagement Exercises: A series of brainstorming exercises where the focus is on delving into and melding with a character’s psyche. • Interview: The writer constructs a scenario setting the stage for a one-onone question-based conversation with an individual character. • Monologue: The writer enters into the head-space of a character and writes down the dialogue they “hear” in that session. • Stream of Consciousness: The writer enters into the head-space of a character and records the inner thoughts of a character. • Receptive Writing: Where the writer goes into the story universe and interacts directly with the characters, actively receiving their thoughts, experiences, and dialogue.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_16

257

258

S. Myers

• Executive Writing: Where the writer steps out of the story universe and assesses everything from character functions, plot, scene construction, transitions, and the like. • Top Sheets: The writer goes through the entire Master Brainstorming List and aggregates individual narrative elements which they feel have potential in the story-crafting process. • Narrative Elements: Any detail including characters, dialogue, scenes, images, moments, themes, objects, scene description, and the like.

As the writer begins to explore a new story universe, brainstorming offers a process that carves a path into and through their journey. When you brainstorm, you engage both your left brain (logic, linear, sequencing) and right brain (intuition, feelings, imagination) in surfacing raw material that informs your understanding of characters, plotline, themeline, and all the rest that goes into writing a screenplay, novel, or stage play.1 It is an essential and often overlooked aspect of breaking story. The history of the word Brainstorm is instructive: Originally a brainstorm was a momentary malfunction of the mind, a “cerebral disturbance,” in the words of an 1894 investigator. A bright idea was not yet called a brainstorm but a brain wave, as far back as Harper’s magazine of 1890: “Lucilla, with what she was fond of terming a brain wave, comprehended the situation. But by the 1920s brain wave was subsiding, while brainstorm took over the meaning of “a sudden surge of ingenuity.”2

Within a few decades, the idea of group brainstorming became popular as indicated by a 1955 article in Business Week. It explained how the process involved “free-wheeling sessions that encourage wild ideas but prohibit any evaluation or discussion until the session is over.“3 In terms of breaking story, writers brainstorm to engage characters and explore their environment. Through a series of writing exercises, you track where the brainstorming takes you, transcribing observations. This is an opportunity to give free rein to one’s creative instincts and “encourage wild ideas.” Now is not the time to pre-judge content that materializes; one never knows when a single discovery may be key to unlocking a story. 1 While scientific research has called into question the concept of “hemisphericity,” writers may use left brain and right brain as metaphors for specific types of writing exercises. See: The left brain / right brain myth, OECD.org, https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/neuromyth6.htm. 2 Allan Metcalf and David K. Barnhart, America in So Many Words: Words That Have Shaped America (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1999), pp. 220–221. 3 Ibid., p. 221.

16 Breaking Story II Master Brainstorming List

259

Record every significant or even potentially promising scene, character, image, dialogue, moment, emotion, and theme that comes your way. Over time as you continue to probe this narrative space, patterns begin to emerge and characters take shape which in turn feeds the story-building process. As you prepare to dive into this formalized brainstorming stage, create a Master Brainstorming List.4 Put everything you discover during your exercise sessions into this file. The list becomes an invaluable resource for the entirety of breaking story, a go-to platform to aggregate narrative elements as well as wrangle them, then ultimately construct a scene-by-scene framework for the story. Start brainstorming with your Protagonist. They are almost always the single most important character in your story or television series. It is their physical and psychological journey which lies at the center of the story universe. In addition, you will want to brainstorm the primary characters who emerge along the way, treating each as if they were the Protagonist … because in their experience, they are with respect to their own journey. This comprehensive approach to story development empowers the writer to tap into and shape a “family” of multilayered characters. While there are many brainstorming techniques, the focus here is on six specific exercises because of their value in exploring and cultivating characters. Individually, then collectively, they enable you to burrow into your characters’ personal histories, backstories, and personalities, eventually revealing their respective narrative functions. The first three fall into the category of Indirect Engagement Exercises. Their focus is on observing and scrutinizing characters. You think about a character, speculate about them. You seek to connect the dots with clues which appear, cobbling together information which suggests an initial profile of each individual. These three exercises are Questionnaire, Biography, and Free Scene.

Questionnaire One common brainstorming tool is a questionnaire. From a series of queries, such as the ones listed below, you pose each question about an individual character.

4

There is an example of a Master Brainstorming List at the end of this chapter.

260

S. Myers

What is their name? Do they have a nickname? How old are they? Where do they live? How would they describe their physical appearance? How do they feel about the way they look? Who are their parents? Describe their relationship with each of their parents. Do they have any siblings? Describe their relationship with each of their siblings. What is their gender identity? What is their racial identity? What is their socioeconomic status? What do they do for a living? Do they like their job? Why or why not? Who is the most important person in their life? Why? Are they in love? If so, describe their lover(s) and their relationship with them. If not, why not? Describe what their soul-mate would be like. Do they believe in God? If so, describe their relationship with God. If not, why not? Do they consider themselves to be an optimist or a pessimist? Why? Answer these questions: Their biggest strengths are… Their biggest weaknesses are… They are most proud of… They are most ashamed of… They are most angry about…

This is simply a starting point. As you think about the character and details begin to emerge in the form of answers, follow up with other questions. Feel free to generate your own extending into politics, hobbies, prejudices, medical history, and so on. Allow your mind the freedom to roam through possible responses. Work through the questions and answers, filling them out in your Master Brainstorming List. This enables you to take an initial pass at your characters, providing a tentative portrait of each individual who makes an appearance during this stage of breaking story.5

5 A concern sometimes arises about the questionnaire exercise: Are the answers to questions more a reflection of the writer’s take on characters or that of the characters themselves? This is a legitimate concern, one addressed at the end of this chapter in the section BRAINSTORMING STRATEGIES.

16 Breaking Story II Master Brainstorming List

261

Biography In taking on the role of biographer, you strive to assemble details of a character’s life into a chronology. Here is a list of subject areas posed as questions you may use as prompts: • • • •

Who are they? Origins, ancestry, life goals. Why are they? Upbringing, education, seminal moments. Where are they? Neighborhood, travel, subcultural influences. How are they? Temperament, personality, character flaws.

Over time, you start to stitch together bits and pieces of what you learn about a character into a coherent biography. Again, do this work in the Master Brainstorming List.

Free Scene Another way to get at a character is to write a scene in which they are a participant. Create a scenario which might arise out of their life experience in which they engage with at least one other character. As you write the free scene, you act as an observer, recounting in words what you see and hear transpiring in the individuals’ interactions. Do not be concerned whether the scene will have any direct bearing on your story. The point of this exercise is merely to set two characters into motion, then see what they do with each other. Since format is not an issue at this point, open the Master Brainstorming List and sketch how the scenario plays out. Apart from whatever clues emerge about a character’s behavior or personality, there is an additional bonus: In writing a scene, you make a subtle shift in your relationship to the character. Instead of answering a questionnaire or writing a biography about someone, by writing a free scene, you draw closer to their inner world: Why are they saying what they are saying? Why are they doing what they are doing? What are they thinking? What are they feeling? You may find you benefit from writing more than one scene per character. Indeed, as you write, another scenario may jump to mind. Follow your creative instincts more deeply into each character. As you do, you open the door to another brainstorming category: Direct Engagement Exercises. Whereas indirect engagement exercises exist more at an arm’s length from the characters—watching them, reflecting about them, speculating about

262

S. Myers

them—with direct engagement exercises, the writer connects with individuals personally. Here are three direct engagement brainstorming exercises: Interview, Monologue, and Stream of Consciousness.

Interview This takes the questionnaire and biography process, and transforms it into an intimate experience. The writer “sits” with a character and “interviews” them. Imagine a variety of scenarios: • • • •

You are interviewing them for a job. You are out on a date with them. You are a journalist writing a feature on them. You are a police detective interrogating them.

One favorite approach: You are a therapist and the character is your patient. You can even ratchet up the pressure: This is a court-mandated arrangement, so the character you interview is legally bound to answer your questions. This is an excellent device to force a character to reveal key aspects of their inner life. Again, open your Master Brainstorming List, briefly sketch out the setting, and then pose questions directly to the character. The goal of the interview exercise is to engage the characters in a one-on-one setting and entice them into sharing personal life experiences.

Monologue An extension of the interview exercise is where the writer enters into the inner consciousness of a character and “hears” what they are saying. This emerges as a monologue. How to gain access to a character’s “head space?” This exercise requires an approach akin to meditation. Close the door. Turn off the phone. Relax into a comfortable seated position. Set a timer for ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes. Open the Master Brainstorming List. Place fingers onto keyboard. Close your eyes. Fix an image of the character in your mind. Take some deep breaths to gather focus. Then begin typing.6

6

If you prefer, use a pen and paper.

16 Breaking Story II Master Brainstorming List

263

Like meditation, you will likely find your mind straying. No judgment. Simply bring yourself back to the character’s mind-space, keeping the focal point on what they are saying. Type or write down the words … and keep writing for the duration of the session. The timer chimes. Usually, the minutes will have flown by and there in front of you appear pages of text, much of it in the form of the character’s “dialogue.” Do not be surprised if you are surprised by the words on the page. Patterns of speech … mysterious references to past experiences … raw emotions … confessional moments. Much of the verbiage may make little to no sense, but like a miner digging for gold, search for those nuggets which suggest something specific and authentic to that character.

Stream of Consciousness A variation on this type of character sit-down is Stream of Consciousness. Like the monologue exercise, it is analogous to meditation. Find a quiet place. Open the Master Brainstorming List. Set the timer. Deep breaths. Fix a character in your mind’s eye. Then type or write. Only here, instead of dialogue, the writer goes deeper into the character by entering their psyche. What emerges? Random words. Images. Inner thoughts. Feelings. Do not pre-edit. Do not forejudge. Everything is fair game. Put it all down, no matter how far-fetched or absurd.7 The timer dings. Once again, there are words on the page. Probably multiple pages. Reading it over, similar to the monologue exercise, much of it may seem nonsensical. Indeed, a majority of the content may have no apparent connection to the story, yet at least some of it is … intriguing … unanticipated … curious. This is all grist for the creative mill. If you allow yourself the freedom to brainstorm in this open and nonjudgmental way, you will be rewarded with insights into your Protagonist and the family of characters surrounding them.

7 I tell my students the Monologue and Stream of Consciousness exercises are like Spock on the TV series Star Trek conducting a “Vulcan mind meld” wherein he places his fingertips on a person’s forehead and merges his mind with theirs.

264

S. Myers

Top Sheets The final step in this second stage of breaking story is to begin to Wrangle the narrative. This lays the groundwork moving forward into the next two stages. The writer does this by creating Top Sheets. Go through the entirety of the Master Brainstorming List. Consider each character, scene, image, dialogue, moment, and theme. These are Narrative Elements and what you are looking for at the end of this formal brainstorming stage is individual items you feel may have relevance in the ongoing story-building process. Copy and paste each narrative element you select and aggregate them as bullet points into one or more top sheets. You will be certain some items belong in a top sheet as they definitely have a role to play moving forward. Some you will know with equal clarity are not relevant. Leave them in the list, but do not copy them into the top sheets. Then, there are narrative elements about which you are uncertain. It is best to include them in the top sheets as they may emerge as something of importance. If not, you may discard them later. This wrangling process brings into view two types of writing: Receptive Writing and Executive Writing. This subject arose in an interview I did with screenwriter and filmmaker Robin Swicord, whose screenwriting credits include Little Women (1994), Matilda (1996), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), and the television mini-series When They See Us (2019): I think that all of this dialogue comes out of the characters themselves. What happens… there’s a kind of mystical transference that happens when you’ve done this very deep thinking and feeling about your character. You begin to embody your character. I literally feel like a character enters me sometimes. I don’t worry about writing the dialogue. I just sit at my desk and feel their presence, and then they speak and I write down what they say. Then later I’ll come back to the page, and I’ll go, ‘But I don’t like this scene.’ Or ‘I don’t feel like we need this scene.’ Or ‘I think this goes on too long.’ The writer in the room starts adjusting things, so what’s on the page is not just mental run-on sentences of dialogue. We have two creative minds. An executive mind, a planning, strategic, putting-my-ducks-in-a-row mind. But that’s a different kind of writing than the receptive writing of hearing your characters and embodying them. We need both. One mind where you sit and craft sentences that draw the reader into the scene. Another that allows your characters to come alive.8

8 Go Into The Story interview: Robin Swicord , Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, May 30, 2017, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/interview-robin-swicord-7d43e3fa8177.

16 Breaking Story II Master Brainstorming List

265

This part of the conversation specifically focused on writing dialogue, but it pertains to the writing process in general. During the Protagonist Character Treatment and Master Brainstorming List stages, you will focus on receptive writing, wherein you open yourself to your story’s characters, each with their own unique thoughts, feelings, impulses, and personalities. Acting on the belief they exist, you reach out to them through various exercises that provide channels through which they open up about their inner life. Moving forward, you embrace executive writing. That entails examining what you have learned about characters, bringing your critical thinking to bear in shaping them and as a result, the evolving story structure. You do not abandon receptive writing, as you always want to stay in touch with your characters; rather, the goal is to find a balance between the two frames of reference to the story, shifting from one mindset to the other as the need arises.

Brainstorming Strategies As noted previously, there is no right way to write. The same pertains to brainstorming. Some may favor indirect engagement exercises. Others direct engagement. You may find success using an interview with one character, but writing scenes with another. These six exercises are organized so a writer may go through them in linear fashion, delving deeper into a character with each session, yet this is not a rigid pattern. What works best depends upon the writer, the story, the characters, and the moment. Consider each exercise to be a tool that you can use at any time to engage any character at any level of depth. While you are free to follow your creative instincts, here are some strategies to maximize the benefit of the brainstorming process: • The key is to ask questions. Whenever you are in doubt with any of these exercises, create prompts which pose questions to your characters. Follow your curiosity. If you sense a mystery or riddle with a character, pursue that. Keep asking questions. Answers will come. • If one exercise does not work, try another. The goal is to find a fit for both the writer and the character. One of the main virtues working with six different brainstorming exercises is they provide flexibility. If you find yourself dealing with a recalcitrant character, switch to a different exercise. • If a character interrupts you, follow them. You may be doing a sitdown with one character when suddenly another character “shows up.” Switch your focus to the visitor. Act on the assumption they want to share something important. Allow them to lead the interaction.

266

S. Myers

Finally, do not worry if it takes time to become comfortable brainstorming. This is especially true of direct engagement exercises. If you have practiced meditation, this likely will not be an issue. For others, it may feel awkward to “sit” with a character in an attempt to meld with their inner life. The very idea that your story’s characters exist in a sort of magical way may present an intellectual challenge. This is understandable. In the “real” world of schedules, jobs, and responsibilities, it is easy to grasp the concept of characters because they exist around us in the form of other people. We can see, smell, and touch them. Yet writers are asked to believe their story’s characters live, their story universe exists. If as the saying goes, “seeing is believing,” as writers, we invert it: believing is seeing. That is, if you believe your characters exist, you will see them, you will hear them. Consider the reflections of these notable authors: William Faulkner : I would say get the character in your mind. Once he is in your mind, and he is right, a nd he's true, then he does the work himself. All you need then is to trot along behind him and put down what he does and what he says … You've got to know the character. You've got to believe in him. You've got to feel that he is alive. a Ray Bradbury : Plot is no more than foot prints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations. b Elizabeth Bowen : The term ‘creation of character’ (or characters) is misleading. Characters pre-exist. They are found. c a Faulkner

at Virginia, Graduate Class in American Fiction, Tape 1, February 21, 1958, https://faulkner.lib.virginia.edu/display/wfaudio21. b Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing (Harper Voyager, 2015), p. 114. c Elizabeth Bowen, Notes on Writing a Novel , Narrative Magazine, Orion II, 1945, https://www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-2006/classics/noteswriting-novel-elizabeth-bowen.

If you can “find” your characters, brainstorming becomes nothing more than getting curious, asking questions, and uncovering secrets lurking within each figure’s inner psyche.

Summary As a writer, it is critical to explore the story universe and its characters, most importantly the Protagonist. To facilitate this stage of breaking story, you may

16 Breaking Story II Master Brainstorming List

Fig. 16.1

267

The Ellie Badge in Up (2009)

use six brainstorming exercises: Questionnaire, Biography, Scene, Interview, Monologue, and Stream of Consciousness. Aggregate all of this content in a Master Brainstorming List, then identify each narrative element which feels like it may play a role in the story-crafting process. By creating top sheets with these selected items, you begin the process of wrangling the story. Writing Exercise Example: Master Brainstorming List As with each of Chapters Fifteen through Twenty, the writing exercise example is based on the Pixar movie Up. In this case, imagine a parallel universe in which that movie does not yet exist. The Master Brainstorming List represents the writer’s initial efforts at brainstorming the story and engaging the characters in a variety of exercises. Master Brainstorming List Top Sheet A list of narrative elements that emerged during the brainstorming process which feel like they have relevance for the story-crafting process moving forward. • • • • • • • • • • • •

Balloon house Carl is a widower Ellie has died Show Carl’s depression / day-in-the-life He is Life-Less A promise to take her to Paradise Falls Both inspired by Charles Muntz Muntz disgraced in the past Searching for a rare bird The bird is colorful, playful, a Trickster Bird looking for babies He is a she

268

S. Myers

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

There’s a young boy Accompanies Carl on trip? Ice cream shop Boy fills Carl’s void caused by Ellie’s death? Boy = Russell / “wrestle” re Carl dealing with his grief Dug the dog? Muntz is Dug’s master Tracking the rare bird “Squirrel” Ellie purple soda badge Ellie’s scrapbook Establish young Ellie as a firecracker personality Adventure

Notes Here’s what I am starting out with: An old widower Carl. A balloon house flying through the sky. And Carl’s beloved Ellie having died leaving Carl to grieve alone. Questionnaire: Carl Fredricksen What is their name? Carl Fredricksen How old are they? Old, probably in their 70s. How to describe their physical appearance? Stocky, square lines, lives by the rules, represses feelings. How do they feel about the way they look? Doubt that he cares one way or the other, although there is a recurring image of ties. Perhaps of a generation in which appearing in public required getting dressed up. Who is the most important person in their life? Why? His wife Ellie. Why? Because she was the love of his life. Was. Did she leave him? Die? Their life together … have an impression he thinks of it as having been “paradise.” Do they believe in God? Feels like they used to. Maybe more of a generational thing where everybody of that age attended church, prayed, and so forth. Once Ellie died … guess that answers that … Carl is a widower, his beloved wife recently passed away. Figure that has shaken whatever belief they may have had in God. Do they consider themselves to be an optimist or a pessimist? Why? Carl comes across as a grumpy old man, so hard to imagine him as an optimist. But has he always been this way? Maybe he was an optimist, but Ellie’s death – how did she die? – may have really thrown this old guy for a loop. What do they do for a living? Retired. No idea what job he held. Maybe something he did alongside Ellie. The fact they may have worked together could really underscore why her death has completely discombobulated him. In ten years, where will they be and what will they be doing? First word which came to mind: Dead. Part of that is he’s really old. Part of that is he does not have much zest for life. But a big part of that has to be wanting to reunite with Ellie. Maybe sooner rather than later…

16 Breaking Story II Master Brainstorming List

Answer these questions: Their biggest strengths are… No idea. Their biggest weaknesses are … Get the feeling Carl is depressed. Again, life-less. Just stringing out the days until he departs this world. A sad, lonely guy. They are most proud of … Has to be his married life with Ellie. A growing impression she meant everything to him. They are most ashamed of … Something to do with Ellie. Maybe that he could not stop her death. Or wait … maybe he made a promise, something he could not fulfill before she died. That’s interesting. Unfulfilled pledge would weigh heavily upon him. Unresolved issue which may be a lingering concern which keeps him waking up each morning. No resolution even in his own death. They are most angry about … Clearly, Ellie’s death, but is there something more? Not sensing any children around. Did they have children? Or maybe not? Did they want children, tried, but perhaps could not have them? Get the feeling she would have made a good mother. Could see that as a source of Carl’s anger, the unfairness of it all… Finally, they are most afraid of … what? If through Carl’s death, he could be at least symbolically reunited with Ellie, what is stopping him from seeking his own demise? Maybe he is afraid of dying. Maybe he is afraid of dying without fulfilling his pledge to Ellie? Maybe he is afraid of being alone … dying alone … Notes Carl really on his emotional heels with death of Ellie. How best to convey? Image: Carl in chapel after memorial service, holding a single balloon. How about show a day-in-the-life post-Ellie. Wakes up, heads downstairs (would he have one of those stair lift chairs?), breakfast (maybe show he still has a place setting for Ellie). Basically, he is going through the motions. Occurs to me: This is a resurrection story. Carl is life-less at the beginning, just stringing out his days. He needs a jolt to come back to life. If life with Ellie was, as Carl describes, “paradise,” why not make that the name of the place she dreams of going to: Paradise Town. Paradise Valley. Mt. Paradise. Not sure exactly what that is just yet, but something with Paradise in it. Biography: Ellie Who are they? Origins, ancestry, life goals. As they say, opposites attract. So if Carl is a grumpy guy, what if Ellie was a bundle of positive energy? Maybe that’s what he saw in her in the first place, someone who could elicit joy in his life. But what could they have had in common? Maybe they have a relationship that goes way back in time. Did they meet as kids? If Carl is basically a loner as an adult, prefers solitude and quiet, what if Ellie is an extrovert, a noisy adventurous character? Adventure. That’s an interesting thought …

269

270

S. Myers

Why are they? Upbringing, education, seminal moments. There’s something to the idea she and Carl met when they were young. She’s not a “girly” girl, indeed, maybe she was what they used to call a “tomboy.” Her family respected and supported her, allowing her to fully embrace her dynamic personality. I think she likes to have fun. What does that mean for her … Where are they? Neighborhood, travel, subcultural influences. If Carl is old now and he intersected with Ellie when they were young, that would be decades ago. Figures they grew up in a nice suburban neighborhood. Pretty little houses all in a row. That doesn’t seem to fit what’s emerging as Ellie’s personality. What if she feels restricted by the narrow confines of suburbia? What if she wants to travel? There’s that word again: adventure. What if she’s like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, she wants to see the world, do things, go out there on an adventure and see where it takes her. That doesn’t feel like Carl, at least how he exists as an old man. Perhaps he had a secret wanderlust. Maybe it’s Ellie who awakens his desire to see the world… How are they? Temperament, personality, character flaws. What’s coming into view is that Ellie is a firecracker, a bundle of energy. Maybe she sees in Carl someone who can be her buddy in fantasizing about traveling and adventure. That may be a flaw for her, that she can bulldoze over others as she gets so caught up in her excitement. It figures she has such a big personality, she would make quite a big impression on Carl. Notes For some reason, I have an image: A floating balloon house. Where does it go? Why is it airborne? Where are Carl and Ellie going? Or is the house flying after Ellie is gone? Wait. Maybe the house is flying somewhere to fulfill that pledge we hit on earlier. A land far away. That could have been Ellie’s dream. To go to Asia… that would be too far, wouldn’t it, for a floating balloon house. How about South America? That’s not so far. Maybe something there Ellie always wanted to see. Carl and Ellie had plans to go there, but never go around to it. Why? What stopped them? Two things popped to mind while I was speculating about Ellie, trying to work out more of a biography about her. The first image was a scrapbook. Does Carl keep one? Or maybe that’s Ellie’s thing. What would she be doing with a scrapbook? Ah, that’s interesting. What if the scrapbook is stuff she keeps related to the place she wants to travel to, her dream destination? She’s collected images of Paradise… Falls? Something about a waterfall. It’s like her diary, only filled with visuals. Not sure if this is important. Keep around and brainstorm. What if when Ellie and Carl first meet, she makes him promise he’d take her to Paradise Falls? What did they do back in the day … cross your heart? For some unknown reason, I had an image of a grape soda pop top, like this (Fig. 16.1): A grape soda twist-off top with a safety pin stuck through it. That’s just too weird, tempted to set that image aside, but this is brainstorming, so no prejudging. And what’s it doing on that boy’s sash? Hmm … I’ll stick it here. Never know, may be something there. Free Scene I had this thought: Carl and a young boy sitting at the curb, eating ice cream cones. Start with that and see where the scene goes.

16 Breaking Story II Master Brainstorming List

EXT. ICE CREAM SHOP – DAY CARL sits next to a YOUNG BOY. Plunked on the curb. Each licking an ice cream cone. Carl: Young Boy: Carl: Young Boy:

What are we doing here? I like ice cream, so maybe ‘coz of that? But what does it mean, sitting here with you? I don’t even know you? I feel like we’ve become friends and this is something I’d think is cool.

A car rumbles by. Carl: Young Boy: Carl [points to a different car]:

Watch out for the red car! You mean the blue car. No, that one, not that one.

Just then, a DOG barks. Carl and Young Boy turn. It’s a scruffy Labrador. Staring at them … and their ice cream cones. Young Boy: Carl: Young Boy:

Cool! A dog! Where’d he come from? I don’t know, but I’m keeping him.

The dog barks again, then nabs Young Boy’s ice cream cone. Notes Not sure about the boy or the dog, but how would Carl and the boy become friends? If Carl flies the house down to South America, maybe … the boy comes with him? Does that make sense? That would give Carl someone to talk to. Maybe the boy helps Carl deconstruct some of the old man’s ways of being. Maybe the boy represents Carl’s younger self. If Ellie’s death leaves a void, I wonder if the boy could help fill it … Possible name: Russell. Sounds like “wrestle” which could work if the boy causes Carl to wrestle with his cynicism and negativity. Interview Charles Muntz sits in the office of a psychiatrist (Docter). More accurately, Muntz paces in the office. He is not happy and has no reservations letting Docter know it. Docter: Muntz: Docter: Muntz: Docter: Muntz: Docter: Muntz: Docter: Muntz: Docter: Muntz:

You seem highly agitated. Agitated? I’m furious! Why did you people drag me from my jungle. Your jungle? Yes, mine! You don’t own it, do you? I might as well, I’ve lived there for decades. And now you’re taking away from my work. What precisely is your work? To find what I’ve been searching for all these years! Ah, yes. That disgraceful incident in your-The only thing disgraceful was the conduct of the press. Daring to question me and my authority. I’m a discoverer. And I discovered that rarest of rare-But with no proof-THEY HAD MY BIRD!

Slams fist onto Docter’s desk

271

272

S. Myers

Docter: Muntz: Docter: Muntz:

Excuse me, did you say bird? I said word! Your word about the bird? Yes-yes-yes, the bird. The rare bird. Haven’t you been paying attention?

Notes That was interesting. I knew this Muntz character had been disgraced in the past and that’s why he was living down in the jungle, searching from some rare creature, but I didn’t know what. But then this exchange between Docter and Muntz: word / bird. So for now, let’s say Muntz is looking for a rare bird. What could the backstory of this bird be? Is that a character worth making a primary figure? Monologue Oh, boy! Oh, boy! Oh, boy! I am a dug. And that is what I am. I can bark. [BARK] I can sniff. [SNIFF] I can slobber. [SLOBBER] Yes, a dog. Doggie dog dog doggie dog … SQUIRREL! Okay, where was I? If I am a dog, I must have a master. That is the way of the world. A master who I love. But then, I love everybody. How could master love me more? If I did something for him. And what can I do for him? My master needs something and I … a dog … can help him … because I can bark. [BARK] I can sniff. [SNIFF] I can slobber. [SLOBBER] Wait! I know! My master is Muntz! He needs help! He is trying to find a bird! Birds cannot bark, sniff, or slobber. I feel sorry for birds. But I love them. Because I am a dog. And I love … SQUIRREL! Notes Now that was fun. This dog is a hoot. And for now, I’ll call him Dug because I misspelled “dog” in that first paragraph. Dug the dog? Does that work? Maybe stupid, I don’t know yet, but it’s a working name. Interesting that Muntz is Dug’s master, but that makes sense. Dogs can track other animals. Muntz is trying to find the rare bird. I wonder if Muntz has other dogs he’s trained as trackers? But wait. If Dug is Muntz’s dog, how does the dog end up in that scene with Carl and the Young Boy eating ice cream? Have no idea. Will keep digging into the characters to see what comes up. Stream of Consciousness I see a bird. Big bird. Not like Sesame Street, that would be too close. So not yellow, but … purple. A big purple bird. He’s looking for something. Missing something. What could it be missing? Family? Home? A rainbow. Just saw a rainbow. Tropical rain forest, so maybe it rained and … Wait. The bird isn’t purple. He’s multicolored, like a rainbow. Colorful plumage. Maybe colorful personality? He just cawed at me. Now he’s stuck out his tongue at me. This bird definitely has a playful instinct. But it stops. Peers around. He’s still looking for something. What … Keeps looking on the ground. Maybe a nest. Maybe his babies … Ooh, wait. What if he is a she? Ha-ha! This bird is a real trickster.

16 Breaking Story II Master Brainstorming List

273

Now she’s run off. Following her. She stops. Pokes her head through some bushes. Then back. Turns around. What’s that in her mouth? A chocolate bar?!?! Notes That really surprised me. I thought Muntz’s bird would be some regal creature, but this guy … I mean gal is kind of a clown. This whole mother-looking-for-babies angle … that feels like something worth exploring. Have no idea how and what part it will play in the plot, but Muntz has to be looking for something to make him live in a jungle for decades. Why not a bird? This bird? Connection to Carl. The young boy. The dog. TBD. What about the dog? Is there something there? Time to go through the list and create some top sheets …

Breaking Story Exercise Two: Master Brainstorming List Beginning with the Protagonist, use the six brainstorming exercises to engage your story’s characters and immerse yourself in their story universe: • • • • • •

Questionnaire Biography Free Scene Interview Monologue Stream of Consciousness

Working with each of the primary characters who have emerged or do emerge during this process, aggregate all of that content into a Master Brainstorming List. To round out this formal stage of brainstorming, go through every single item you have included in the list and identify each narrative element you feel has the potential to be relevant going forward. Create top sheets into which you copy and paste these items as bullet points. By focusing on brainstorming, you immerse yourself in your story universe, providing a wealth of potential narrative material you can use to shape the contours of story structure and character relationships—the next stage of the story-crafting process.

274

S. Myers

References Myers, S (editor) (2017). Interview: Robin Swicord; Go Into The Story. Peterson, B & Docter, P (screenplay), Docter, P & Peterson, B & McCarthy, T (story) (2008). Up; Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios.

17 Breaking Story III Four Primary Plotline Points

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Three-Act Structure: A conventional way of looking at story structure: Three movements—Beginning (Act One), Middle (Act Two), and End (Act Three). Also: Four-Act Structure. • The Hero’s Journey: The story’s central character departs their old world, enters a new world where they encounter challenges, and then returns home a transformed individual. • Conscious Goal: A specific objective which compels the Protagonist forward and provides an end point for the plotline. Also: Want. • Narrative Drive: A story’s ingrained motion which continually propels it ahead from scene to scene to scene. Often referred to as a story’s “engine.” • All Is Lost: A major plot reversal at the end of Act Two which tests the Protagonist to determine if they have the will to go forward or give up and go back home. • Four Primary Plotline Points: Act One beginning, Act One end, Act Two end, and Act Three ending.

A personal anecdote. In the spring of 1988, I, along with about nine thousand other Writers Guild of America West members, found myself on strike in a work stoppage that lasted five months and seven days. What this amounted to, apart from being restricted from writing for income for that span of time, were numerous protest rallies at various entertainment headquarters in the Los Angeles area.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_17

275

276

S. Myers

Since I had only broken into the business the year before, I was still a screenwriting neophyte. Thus, as Guild members shouldered picket signs and tramped around studio lots stretching from Culver City to Burbank, I used these mass meetings to learn what I could about the craft from my fellow writers. One day, I was picketing at the Twentieth Century Fox lot in West Los Angeles when I struck up a conversation with an elderly gentleman. He had written professionally for over forty years in every form: screenplays, TV, plays, novels, short stories—you name it, he had done it. He regaled me with one tall tale after another about the highlights and pitfalls of life as a Hollywood writer. Toward the end of our conversation, he turned serious and in his gruff New York accent shared this insight with me: “Here’s the thing. To write a screenplay, you gotta know four things. What’s the beginning, what’s the end of the first act, what’s the end of the second act, and what’s the ending. You know that, you got a story. You don’t know that, you got diddly squat.” Slang translation: “You got nothing.” The fellow’s name has long since vanished from my memory, but not his advice. (Going forward, we shall refer to him as Mentor.) Indeed, as I have reflected on that Mentor’s words over the years, I have come to realize what he advocated recalls both Aristotle and Joseph Campbell. His observation speaks to the foundation of story structure.

Aristotle and Three Act Structure In Part VII of Poetics, Aristotle writes this about the proper structure of plot: “´oλoν δε εστιν τo εχoν αρχην και μεσoν και τελευτην,” which is translated, “A whole is that which has a beginning, a middle, and an end.” He goes on to expand on this idea: A beginning is that which is not itself necessarily after anything else, and which has naturally something else after it. An end is that which is naturally after something itself, either as its necessary or usual consequent, and with nothing else after it. And a middle, that which is by nature after one thing and has also another after it.1

Arguably, this represents the roots of what has come to be known as ThreeAct Structure: Act One sets up the story (Beginning), Act Two progresses through the story (Middle), Act Three resolves the story (Ending). The model 1

Poetics, Aristotle, Part VII, http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/poetics.html.

17 Breaking Story III Four Primary Plotline Points

277

as proposed by my Mentor that afternoon we intersected as picketing writers slots right into this structure: • The Beginning: The status quo of the Protagonist when the story starts. • Act I End: An event which transitions the Protagonist from the Beginning into the Middle. • Act II End: An event which transitions the Protagonist from the Middle into the End. • The Ending: The resolution of the Protagonist’s story. My aged acquaintance was speaking from years of experience dealing with Hollywood development executives. To this day, no matter what variation of screenplay structure any given writer may have adopted in studying the craft, script note meetings invariably involve dissecting the story in terms of three acts. My reflections about the wisdom shared by my Mentor that sunny Southern California morning did not stop with Aristotle. As I mused further upon that venerable writer’s words, I found a connection to the writings of Joseph Campbell.

Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey I first studied Joseph Campbell when I was an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia. As a member of the religious studies honors program, I was assigned to read Campbell’s seminal book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” a study in comparative mythology. Campbell was fascinated by the idea that stories from around the world and throughout history shared a common structure, a universal narrative archetype he called The 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: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.2

2 Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Princeton University Press, 1968), p. 30. In this description, we see an echo of three-act structure. Using Campbell’s language: Separation, Initiation, Return.

278

S. Myers

Heroes were significant to Campbell because they represent the individual. Each of us is a hero in our own way. The journey is a metaphor for one’s life. The events the hero experiences on that journey result in the individual’s personal growth. Given that the dynamic of a character’s change—their arc— lies at the heart of most movies, television series, plays, and novels, it is little wonder Campbell’s ideas have been so influential with storytellers since his first book’s publication. The following version of the hero’s journey is transcribed verbatim from Joseph Campbell’s interview with Bill Moyers in the PBS series, “The Power of Myth.” The Hero is found in the ordinary world. In ancient myths it used to be the cottage or village. In films, it is usually the suburbs or common urban environment. The Hero is making do, but feels something missing, a sense of discomfort or tension. The Hero needs to change, even if they are unaware of that need. Something happens. Maybe the Antagonist enters the Protagonist’s world, disrupting it. Or maybe someone comes, a Herald, who calls the Protagonist to action. The call to adventure is about transformation and that’s terrifying. The Hero has to confront fear. Will the Hero survive? Will they change for the good or the bad? During the first half, the Hero is tested. The Hero has to determine the rules of the Extraordinary World into which they are moving - Who can the Hero trust? Along the way, the Hero meets “threshold guardians,” people who guard the entrances. The trick to facing any opponent is to get into their skin, understand their habits, maybe make them friends and allies. The midpoint from a mythological standpoint is that moment when the Hero confronts that which they fear most, often related to entering the headquarters of the enemy. Afterwards, the Hero feels the consequences of the Midpoint. Reflects on their task, often a chance to rest. Then a chase scene often occurs. The enemy has been struck a mighty blow, but recovers enough to mount one final act. A black moment where it looks like all is lost, there is no way to defeat the enemy.

17 Breaking Story III Four Primary Plotline Points

279

The final test. To demonstrate whether the Hero has learned his lesson or not. The process has purified him to ensure that he hasn’t become part of the Other World – but will he succeed? The Hero returns home with some booty, an elixir, the source of power from the Other World, i.e., treasure, Holy Grail, knowledge, gold, love, wisdom, humility. In the end, the Hero is a transformed individual.a aThe

Power of Myth, Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell, Episode 1, Mystic Fire Video / Wellspring, 1988.

Once again, we can see the presence of what my Mentor conveyed years ago: • The Beginning: The status quo of the Protagonist when the story starts. This establishes their ordinary world and sets into motion the first act’s exploration of the character’s disunity state. • Act I End: An event that transitions the Protagonist out of the ordinary world and into the new experience, where they will confront obstacles and tests. By this point in the story, their want crystallizes as a Conscious Goal , a specific objective which provides a target toward which the Protagonist aims. This in turn generates Narrative Drive to fuel their progress toward their goal. • Act II End: A reversal in fortune which challenges the Protagonist’s will to continue their journey … an All Is Lost event. • The Ending: A final test and the resolution of the Protagonist’s journey where they return home a transformed individual. Did my Mentor long ago understand that his words about the importance of these four plot elements echoed insights into story espoused by Aristotle and Joseph Campbell? Who knows. Yet I grabbed onto them, both as a writer and as a teacher, as the next stage in breaking story.

Four Primary Plotline Points As detailed previously, a writer may think of a screenplay universe as comprised of two worlds3 :

3

See Chapter 7: Screenplay Universe.

280

S. Myers

• Plotline: The physical realm of a screenplay universe, the domain of character action and dialogue. This is the story’s external world. • Themeline: The psychological realm of a screenplay universe, the domain of character intention and subtext. This is the story’s internal world. Our focus at this stage of the story-crafting process is the external world, specifically Four Primary Plotline Points: Act One beginning, Act One end, Act Two end, Act Three ending. For if as my Mentor believed to be true— when a writer has not identified this set of significant narrative turning points, they have nothing—then it stands to reason if a writer can determine this ensemble of events, they have something. That “something” is the spine of the plotline.

Summary Four Primary Plotline Points not only echo Aristotle and Joseph Campbell’s theories about story, they also provide the cornerstones for the overall structure of the narrative’s chronology of events. Writing Exercise Example: Four Primary Plotline Points

Fig. 17.1

Dug, Carl, and Russell flying in the dirigible in Up (2009)

17 Breaking Story III Four Primary Plotline Points

281

As with each of Chapters Fifteen through Twenty, the writing exercise example is based on the Pixar movie Up. Here is a take on that story’s Four Primary Plotline Points as they relate to the Protagonist: Carl Fredricksen (Fig. 17.1). Act One beginning: Carl is introduced as a young boy, caught up in fantasies of being a world adventurer. This establishes that Carl does have the spirit of adventure within, even if Ellie’s death and old age have caused it to lie dormant deep within his psyche . Act One end: Threatened with a forced relocation into an old folks home, Carl vows to fulfill his promise to Ellie by flying his balloon house to Paradise Falls in South America. This represents his conscious goal, however, his plan is complicated when he discovers a stowaway: Russell. Act Two end: Faced with a choice created by the Nemesis (Charles Muntz)—fight to rescue Kevin or save his house which has been set afire—Carl chooses the latter. Carl achieves his conscious goal by bringing the balloon house to settle atop Paradise Falls, but it is a pyrrhic victory, both because he has betrayed a promise he made to Russell – to get Kevin back to her brood – and the end of this journey only reminds him of the pain he feels at Ellie’s absence. Act Three ending: Carl, along with Russell and Dug, vanquish Muntz and return Kevin to her youngsters. In a dramatic final test, Carl discovers he has found a surrogate family in Russell and Dug. Carl’s conscious goal creates the story’s narrative drive , but it is the relationships he forges with Russell and Dug which empowers his character arc .

Breaking Story Exercise Three: Four Primary Plotline Points Based on what you have learned about your characters and the story emerging around them as a result of the Protagonist Character Treatment and Master Brainstorming List exercises, take an initial pass at the Four Primary Plotline Points. • What is the Beginning: Explore an effective way to establish the story universe and create the foundation for the Protagonist’s journey. • What is the Act One end: Think of an event which marks the Protagonist’s departure from the old world, locking down their journey into the new world. • What is the Act Two end: Brainstorm an event or events which twist the plotline into a major reversal against the Protagonist, putting into doubt their ability to succeed while testing them to see if they have the will to go forward against all odds.

282

S. Myers

• What is the Ending: Imagine what the culminating challenge the Protagonist faces wherein they bring together all they have learned during their journey and face their deepest fears, often in the form of the Nemesis. You may already envision a scene or scenes for any or all of these plotline points. If so, sketch out key details. If not, describe the purpose of each plotline point as it relates to the narrative and the Protagonist’s role in it. In either case, none of what you write in this exercise is definitive and unalterable; rather, the mindset you should have is that this represents an initial take on the backbone of your plot’s structure. Your understanding of it will continue to evolve as you enter more fully into the lives of your characters. This exercise lays the groundwork for the next stage in breaking story, whereby the focus shifts from the external world to the internal world and the psychological journey of the characters, specifically the Protagonist.

References Aristotle (author), Bywater, I (translator) (2017). Poetics; Digireads.com Publishing. Peterson, B & Docter, P (screenplay), Docter, P & Peterson, B & McCarthy, T (story) (2008). Up; Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios. Moyers, B and Campbell, J (1988). The Power of Myth; Mystic Fire Video / Wellspring.

18 Breaking Story IV Four Themeline Movements

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Four Themeline Movements: Disunity, Deconstruction, Reconstruction, Unity, the four stages of the unity arc. Also: Four-Act Structure. • Inactive: The inert status of the Protagonist before they commit to the journey leading to their metamorphosis. Also: Disunity. • Reactive: Upon entering the new world, the Protagonist struggles to adapt as their old ways of being are found wanting when facing challenges and tests. Also: Deconstruction. • Proactive: Once their authentic nature emerges from within, the Protagonist discovers newfound energy as they grow into their true self. Also: Reconstruction. • Coactive: Integrating everything they have learned along with the empowerment they experience by embracing their core essence. Also: Unity. • Unconscious Goal: The Protagonist’s ultimate need, to engage and integrate aspects of their Core Essence in order to grow into who they are to become. Also: Narrative Imperative.

The previous chapter’s focal point was the external world of the screenplay universe: the plotline. This is the domain of the story’s progression through physical space and time. The writing exercise in that third stage of breaking story involves considering four questions: What is the story’s beginning? What is the Act One end? What is the Act Two end? What is the story’s

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_18

283

284

S. Myers

ending? These Four Primary Plotline Points lay the foundation for the story structure of the external world. However, the plotline does not comprise the totality of story structure. There is also the internal world, the narrative progression through psychological space and time. In almost all stories, the Protagonist undergoes a metamorphosis, their emotional and cognitive nature transformed by the events they experience during their journey, along with the characters they encounter, each influencing the Protagonist in their own unique way. While there are different types of character arcs, the predominant paradigm in movies and television is the unity arc.1 In it, the Protagonist evolves from an initial state of disconnection from their authentic nature toward an ending state where they have aligned themselves with that nature. Sometimes this involves confronting an emotional wound from events in their past. The Protagonist must pierce through whatever psychological fortress they have created to imprison those painful associations. This is a challenging, but necessary part of their journey in order to know, understand, and embrace their true self, enabling them to move toward a state of wholeness.2 The Protagonist does not leap from one condition of being to the other; rather, they go through a series of psychological stages. While it is the events of the plotline that incite this growth and the influence of other characters that foster transformation, it is the reactions by the Protagonist to these occurrences that drive them deeper into their inner self. Through these experiences, they eventually connect with their ultimate need. For purposes of the story-crafting process, you may think of this internal world as the themeline.3 It is comprised of Four Themeline Movements: Disunity, Deconstruction, Reconstruction, and Unity.4 The writer’s exploration of these passages unfolding within the Protagonist’s psyche is the point of focus during this next stage of breaking story.

1 Chapter Two: Character Arc explores three examples of alternate arcs: Change Agent, Refuse Change, and Disintegration. 2 As noted previously, there are multiple ways to describe a character’s authentic nature such as true self, core essence, and ultimate need. 3 For more on themeline, see Chapter Seven: Screenplay Universe. 4 For an in-depth analysis of the Four Themeline Movements, refer to Chapter Three: Unity, Chapter Four: Deconstruction, Chapter Five: Reconstruction, and Chapter Six: Unity. This is also how we can look at story structure as having a Four-Act Structure.

18 Breaking Story IV Four Themeline Movements

285

Four Themeline Movements Disunity: At the story’s beginning, the Protagonist dwells in their ordinary world. It may be rooted to a specific locale, their lifestyle, or more typically both, but one thing is clear: From a psychological perspective, this existence is not the one they are supposed to be leading. They are living their life one way when they are fated to live it differently. As Joseph Campbell says of the initial state of the hero’s journey: “The hero needs to change, even if they are unaware of that need.”5 Whatever way of life they have created for themselves or has been created for them has put the Protagonist out of alignment with the individual they are to become. Again from Campbell: “The hero is making do, but feels something missing, a sense of discomfort or tension.”6 This is the essence of disunity: The Protagonist is fundamentally separated from their core essence and as such is initially leading an inauthentic existence. In part, Act One serves as an exploration of the character’s disunity state. Another way to think about disunity is this: Relative to the journey they need to take, the Protagonist is Inactive. Detached from their genuine nature, they are not even engaged in a process to lead them toward that nature … yet. Examples: While intent upon career advancement, C.C. Baxter is disconnected from his inner “mensch” (The Apartment – 1960); Annie’s romantic delusions mask an inability to accept her flawed, ordinary self (Bridesmaids – 2011); Chris represses the paralyzing fear he experienced as a boy on the night of his mother’s death (Get Out – 2017); Fleabag seeks meaningless hook-ups to distract from the guilt she feels about her best friend’s suicide (Fleabag – 2016, 2019); Miriam “Midge” Maisel has lapsed into the roles of wife and mother while ignoring a creative comedic voice yearning to be heard (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – 2017–2019, 2021). From the perspective of the Protagonist’s psychological journey, this is the function of the inciting incident: An initiating event which jolts the Protagonist out of their existential inertia. By Act One’s end, they are compelled to depart their ordinary world and plunge into a new world of life-altering challenges and encounters. Deconstruction: At first, the Protagonist experiences this different environment as a stranger in a strange land. They may confront unknown faces, unfamiliar subcultures, and peculiar norms. Instinctively, the Protagonist 5 The Power of Myth, Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell, Episode 1, Mystic Fire Video / Wellspring, 1988. 6 Ibid.

286

S. Myers

relies on their old ways of being, however, these learned behaviors are found wanting. Established habits and practices simply do not work well or at all amidst the unpredictable tests which arise along this precarious path. The Protagonist’s world has changed and they must also change in order to survive. During this movement, commonly exhibited through the first half of Act Two, the Protagonist shifts into a Reactive mode. Tests they encounter, both large and small, set them back on their heels. It does not help that their preexisting beliefs, coping skills, and defense mechanisms prove increasingly fruitless from one hurdle to the next. Examples: Antonio Salieri’s devotion to God and music is shaken to the core when he has to compete as court composer with the irreverent genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Amadeus – 1984); through a series of therapy sessions with Dr. Melfi, Tony Soprano confronts his emotional vulnerabilities (The Sopranos – 1999–2007); when he learns his father is dying of cancer, Will Bloom returns home and is forced to face deep-seated grievances from the past (Big Fish – 2003); seventeen years after an acrimonious split, homicide detectives Cohle and Hart must work through mistrust and mutual recriminations to solve a murder which hearkens back to deadly events years ago (True Detective – 2014); after living in poverty for years, the Kims discover a collective ability to lie, cheat, and steal their way into cushy jobs with a naïve wealthy family (Parasite – 2019). Interestingly, while the Protagonist likely experiences this part of their pilgrimage as a negative, in fact, it is an essential stage in their journey toward wholeness. For it is precisely the fact their old customs prove ineffectual— battered and broken by the onslaught of unfolding events—which enables their core essence to emerge from the dusky confines of their unconscious into the light of consciousness. Reconstruction: Freed from the strictures of the Protagonist’s original psyche state whereby they repressed or ignored their true self within, hidden aptitudes and latent instincts manifest themselves. The process whereby the character integrates these previously untapped dynamics takes time, usually during the second half of Act Two. Here, the Protagonist shifts into a Proactive posture. No longer hamstrung by the misfit old ways of being, they progressively rely on empowering inner dynamics which continue to emerge in both thought and deed. Examples: By bonding with the traumatized orphan Newt, Ripley not only reconnects with her maternal instincts, she overcomes her dread of the alien beings (Aliens – 1986); in discovering a passion, if not talent, for acting, Barry seeks a new life while resisting the pull back into his assassin ways

18 Breaking Story IV Four Themeline Movements

287

(Barry – 2018-present); obsessed with success as a crime scene videographer, Louis Bloom embraces his own smoldering criminal instincts, leading him into evermore serious illegal activities (Nightcrawler – 2014); in pursuing the truth of a kidnapping gone horribly awry, second-rate private investigator Perry Mason trains to become an attorney to defend a client he believes is innocent of a capital offense (Perry Mason – 2020); his soul trapped inside the body of a therapy cat, Joe chases 22, who has inhabited Joe’s body, and comes to see his earthly existence in a new light (Soul – 2020). Each obstruction and test is an opportunity for the Protagonist to embrace their authentic nature. The more they do, the more empowered they become. The process of metamorphosis is one in which the Protagonist increasingly aligns themselves with their core essence and in so doing fuels their passage forward. Unity: While the events of the plotline in Act Three move the narrative toward some sort of final test, from a psychological standpoint, this is all about what the Protagonist has learned during their journey: emotional wisdom from the Attractor; intellectual wisdom from the Mentor; an embrace of their emerging true self; and a grasp of their ultimate need. The latter is their Unconscious Goal , that deepest aspect of their inner psyche which, once recognized, becomes the cornerstone of the Protagonist’s unity state.7 During this determinative stage of the Protagonist’s journey playing out in Act Three, they shift into a Coactive mode of being, whereby they coalesce transformative truths they have discovered along the way and connect them with their emerging authentic nature. Examples: George Bailey comes to understand that, indeed, he has built “big things” in the small but meaningful lives of the inhabitants of Bedford Falls, overriding his wish to have never been born (It’s a Wonderful Life – 1946); after a series of life lessons in morality and personal growth, Eleanor— along with other citizens of the Good Place—chooses mortality on Earth over immortality, the opportunity to begin a new life (The Good Place – 2016– 2020); realizing that the abuse he suffered as a foster child was not his fault, Will Hunting finally accepts his genius, but on his own terms as he heads to California to seek out the woman he loves (Good Will Hunting – 1997); Beth Harmon struggles with drug and alcohol addiction to wrangle her talent as a chess prodigy, finally besting her rival while discovering a sense of balance in her life (The Queen’s Gambit – 2020); coming to grips with the death of her 7 Indeed, one way of looking at Story is the events of the plotline and the characters surrounding the Protagonist all exist to serve and support the Protagonist’s psychological pilgrimage. From this perspective, it is all about the Protagonist discovering their ultimate need which serves as the fulcrum of their metamorphosis toward unity.

288

S. Myers

daughter, Ryan Stone rekindles a desire to live, pulling her out of a suicide attempt, then overcomes one reentry obstacle after another in a miraculous “rebirth” on Earth (Gravity – 2013).8 If the Protagonist has integrated all they have learned into their conscious being, they stand a good chance of succeeding in the final struggle, thus, ushering them toward a state of unity.

Summary It is important to understand that while the Protagonist forges ahead through the events of the plotline in the external world, their journey fundamentally is an inward one, for the key to their metamorphosis already lies within. Indeed, it has been there all along. As Joseph Campbell says, eventually the hero makes this realization: “The perilous journey was a labor not of attainment but reattainment, not discovery but rediscovery.”9 That authentic nature … true self … core essence … ultimate need … represents their unconscious goal, the existential reason why they are fated to go on the journey they undertake, their narrative imperative: to become who they already are. From a psychological perspective, the Protagonist does this through four movements: Disunity (Inactive), Deconstruction (Reactive), Reconstruction (Proactive), and Unity (Coactive). Writing Exercise Example: Four Themeline Movements As with each of Chapters Fifteen through Twenty, the writing exercise example is based on the Pixar movie Up. Here is a take on that story’s Four Themeline Movements as they relate to the Protagonist: Carl Fredricksen (Fig. 18.1). Disunity: Carl has lost the love of his life, his deceased wife Ellie. The spirit of adventure he felt as a youth is now buried deep within his psyche. The house in which he lives acts as a constant reminder of Ellie’s absence. The home is surrounded by skyscrapers, symbolic of Carl’s unwillingness to change. The house is also the physical manifestation of Ellie, even after she has died. Carl is a loner who rejects human interaction. He is a sad, sour curmudgeon. He is stringing out the remaining days of his existence, a lifeless individual.

8

For an in-depth analysis of Stone’s Protagonist journey, see: Movie Analysis: ‘Gravity,’ Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, August 2019, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/movie-analysis-gravity-43ef07 f181a5. 9 Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, (Princeton University Press, 1968), p. 24.

18 Breaking Story IV Four Themeline Movements

Fig. 18.1

289

Russell, Carl, and Dug eating ice cream and counting cars in Up (2009)

Deconstruction: The privacy of Carl’s house is disrupted by the unwanted appearance of Russell. The boy’s enthusiasm for adventure rubs Carl the wrong way. Russell’s presence creates an impediment for Carl to achieve his conscious goal: get the house to the top of Paradise Falls. His desire for isolation is disrupted further by the appearance of Kevin and Dug. Try as he may to escape these three interlopers, they refuse to leave his side. He is forced to accommodate their presence. Upon learning how Russell has “lost” his father, echoing Carl’s loss of Ellie, Carl develops a fledgling emotional connection with the boy. Reconstruction: Carl makes a promise to Russell: He will make sure Kevin gets back to her brood. Carl meets his childhood hero Muntz, but realizes Muntz’s obsession with finding the mysterious bird represents a danger to Russell, Kevin, Dug, and himself. In attempting to escape from Muntz and keep Kevin out of Muntz’s clutches, Carl reconnects with his inner instinct for adventure. In the process, Carl discovers a growing bond with Russell, Kevin, and Dug. Unity: Given the choice of saving Kevin or his burning house, Carl chooses the latter. This turns out to be an empty victory because while Carl achieves his conscious goal (i.e., get the house to the top of Paradise Falls), he has broken Russell’s trust based on his promise to get Kevin back to her babies. When Carl receives Ellie’s “beyond the grave” blessing to have a new adventure, he takes off to rescue Kevin and protect Russell. Working as a team with Russell and Dug, Carl vanquishes Muntz. Carl fulfills his promise to Russell by bringing Kevin back to her family. Carl willingly acts as a stand-in for Russell’s Wilderness Explorer promotion ceremony. Carl, Russell, and Dug enjoy ice cream together as a surrogate family. In effect, Carl is “resurrected” into a vibrant new life.

290

S. Myers

Breaking Story Exercise Four: Four Themeline Movements After focusing on the plotline in the previous assignment, the next stage in breaking story is to venture into the psychological domain of the Protagonist’s journey by exploring Four Themeline Movements. • What is the Protagonist’s disunity: Explore aspects of the character’s psyche from which they are disconnected at the story’s beginning including their true self. • What is the Protagonist’s deconstruction: Consider how the Protagonist’s old ways of being fail them as they navigate their way into and through the new world. • What is the Protagonist’s reconstruction: As deconstruction allows the Protagonist’s authentic nature to emerge into the light of consciousness, identify how that dynamic manifests itself as part of the character’s transformation process. • What is the Protagonist’s unity: Reflect on the nature of the change that lies at the heart of the Protagonist’s unity arc. Be mindful that this key character’s metamorphosis has a coherence to it. Unlike real life in which an individual’s conscious attempts to change often fall aside, subject to the “one step forward, two steps back” syndrome, the Protagonist’s progression from disunity to unity is incremental in nature. This is especially true in movies in which characters may undergo significant changes to their psychological state in two hours or less. Thus, as you work with your Protagonist, be conscious that every event and character interaction contributes to their process, relative to where they are in the unity arc. This connection between plotline and themeline, external world and internal world lies at the foundation of a story’s synergy between events which the Protagonist encounters and their reactions to those events. This is the substance of the character’s metamorphosis—moment by moment, scene by scene, plotline point by plotline point.

References Moyers, B and Campbell, J (1988). The Power of Myth; Mystic Fire Video / Wellspring. Peterson, B & Docter, P (screenplay), Docter, P & Peterson, B & McCarthy, T (story) (2008). Up; Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios.

19 Breaking Story V Ten Major Plotline Points

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Opening: A scene or scenes that begin the story and introduce key narrative elements to be explored moving forward. • Hook: An event near the midpoint of Act One that disrupts the Protagonist’s normal life and compels them to respond. • Lock: An occurrence at the end of Act One, confirming the Protagonist’s shift from their old world into the new world. • Deconstruction Test: A challenge the Protagonist survives only to grasp how their old ways of being are ineffectual in this new environment. • Transition: At the midpoint of Act Two, a test which compels the Protagonist to recognize the potential of their true self as it emerges from their inner psyche. • Reconstruction Test: A hurdle the Protagonist overcomes by embracing their authentic nature which in turns grows in strength. • All Is Lost: A major reversal at the end of Act Two which stops the Protagonist in their tracks and causes them to question if they have the will to go on. • Offensive: Tapping into an inner power, the Protagonist summons the resolve to continue their journey despite the long odds against success. • Final Struggle: A decisive showdown between who the Protagonist has become and the adversarial forces aligned against them. • Denouement: An unwinding of the journey which depicts the ending physical and psychological state of the Protagonist.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_19

291

292

S. Myers

There are moments in their journey where the Protagonist takes time to reflect upon where they have been and how they have reached where they are. These thoughtful junctures not only give the character perspective on the trials they have recently confronted, but also inspire them to continue forward on the uncertain path awaiting them. Such a scene occurs in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Frodo and Sam are just about done in by the many physical and mental hardships they have confronted during their quest. There on the slopes of Mount Doom, they contemplate the past, present, and future. EXT. GORGOROTH PAIN, MORDOR - NIGHT CLOSE ON: SAM crawls to FRODO who lies SLUMPED against the rock-face ...he turns him over, holding him in his ARMS. SAM (softly) Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? ... It'll be spring soon, and the orchards will be in blossom; and the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket; and they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields; and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. (looking down at FRODO) Do you remember the taste of strawberries? CLOSE ON: FRODO shuts his eyes, his breath coming in GASPS. FRODO (weak whisper) No, Sam. I can't recall the taste of food; nor the sound of water; nor the touch of grass ... I'm naked in the dark. (rising panic) There's no veil between me and the wheel of fire. I can see him with my waking eyes! CLOSE ON: SAM looks at FRODO with GRIM DETERMINATION. SAM Then let us be rid of it - once and for all! Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can't carry it for you ... but I can carry you! Come on!

19 Breaking Story V Ten Major Plotline Points

293

With that, SAM lifts FRODO onto his shoulders and starts to CLIMB MOUNT DOOM! His plain hobbit-face grows stern, almost grim, as the will hardens in him. WIDE ON: TWO TINY HOBBITS on the ENDLESS shale SLOPES of the MOUNTAIN...a aThe

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, screenplay by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson, novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Movie script, October 2003, pp. 129–130.

So, too, with writers on their journey in breaking story. The quest to discover a story is not an easy one, the struggle to understand the characters and make sense of the plot at times an overwhelming task. There are even moments when voices in your head, like Gollum, may tempt you to give up your “precious” creative undertaking. Yet by pausing and looking back at your sojourn, you realize how far you have come … and how close you are to reaching the goal. Thus, consider the story-crafting process which has led you to this point. • Breaking Story I: Protagonist Character Treatment. Using eight key questions, you initiated the exploration of your story’s most critical character: Who is the Protagonist? What does the Protagonist want? What does the Protagonist need? What is the eventual resolution of the Protagonist’s want and need? What is at stake for the Protagonist? Who or what opposes the Protagonist? What does the Protagonist fear the most? Why does this story have to happen to this Protagonist at this time? You aggregated the questions and responses into a Protagonist Character Treatment. Your expectation was not to know all of the answers, but rather to use the queries as a way to open the door to this uncharted narrative space with the Protagonist as your guide.1 • Breaking Story II: Master Brainstorming List. In this next stage, you widened the scope of your inquiry into the far corners of the story universe. You accomplished this through a rigorous focus on brainstorming, using a series of freewheeling character development activities to engage your story’s inhabitants: three indirect engagement exercises where you reflected about individual characters (Questionnaire, Biography, and Free Scene) and three direct engagement exercises where you immersed yourself within the experience of your characters (Interview, Monologue, and Stream of Consciousness). Amassing this content into a Master Brainstorming List, you sorted the wheat from the chaff, identifying promising narrative 1

See Chapter 15 for more on the Protagonist Character Treatment.

294

S. Myers

elements which you collected as a series of bullet points in the form of top sheets. This last part of the formal brainstorming process transitioned you from exploration mode into the next phase: wrangling the story.2 • Breaking Story III: Four Primary Plotline Points. Here you considered a group of questions selected to pinpoint the spine of the story’s plotline: What is the Beginning? What is the Act One end? What is the Act Two end? What is the Ending? Ideally, you could etch those responses in stone, but for some in their process, this exercise may be more akin to plunging preliminary stakes in the sand. No matter how clear or unclear the answers are, they represent a first pass at pulling together the overall trajectory of the Protagonist’s journey through physical time and space.3 • Breaking Story IV: Four Themeline Movements. After absorbing yourself in the story’s external world, you shifted focus to the internal world, the domain reflecting the Protagonist’s psychological journey. You delved into the character’s emotional life with another set of questions: What is their Disunity state? What is their Deconstruction process? What is their Reconstruction process? What is their Unity state? If their sojourn is one where hidden aspects of their psyche emerge into the light of day and the Protagonist integrates them in their passage toward wholeness, these four movements represent a logical, yet organic path to understanding the character’s unity arc. Having worked with both the external and internal worlds of the screenplay universe, you are prepared to progress from wrangling the narrative to the next and final aspects of breaking story: construction.4

Ten Major Plotline Points The goal of this stage is to expand Four Primary Plotline Points into Ten Major Plotline Points. Why ten? This hearkens back to a conversation with Larry Gordon, who produced the movie K-9 (1989), based upon a spec script I co-wrote. What he shared about the plotting process, the “whammo theory,” is detailed in this excerpt from a book written by another Hollywood producer Art Linson:

2

See Chapter 16 for more on the Master Brainstorming List. See Chapter 17 for more on Four Plotline Points. 4 See Chapter 18 for more on Four Themeline Movements. 3

19 Breaking Story V Ten Major Plotline Points

295

When you run out of theories and you can sense the writer’s eyes are getting glassy, you can always pull out the Whammo Chart. Supposedly Joel Silver got this from Larry Gordon, who got it from some Egyptian who worked at American International Pictures (AIP) many years ago. As the legend spreads, it is a scientifically tested theory which requires each action script to have a “Whammy” every ten pages. This would be a big-action set piece, something that would kick you in the groin and wake you up. If the script wavers a bit, spending a little too much time on nuance and character, it violates the theory. According to the natural laws of physics, without a bang the audience is buying popcorn by the twelfth page and looking for the exit sign if you stretch it to page twenty-five.5

It is a worthy and admirable undertaking to study Aristotle’s theory of Beginning, Middle, and End … to delve into Joseph Campbell’s reflections on The Hero’s Journey… to ponder Carl Jung’s concept of Individuation. As you have learned in these pages, each has relevance in grasping the essence of character-driven storytelling and its role in determining a story’s structure. However, in the realpolitik of commercial storytelling, movies and television are fundamentally about entertaining an audience by engaging them emotionally. Therefore, in a very real and pragmatic way, a writer does well to heed the admonition of veteran Hollywood producers: Every ten pages or so, give the reader a whammo.6 To be sure, something happens in every scene. At their core, scenes exist to move the narrative forward. Thus, each scene must have a point to justify its existence. An event happens which engages characters, the outcome of which pushes them ahead in their collective journey. That is a given for any and all scenes. However, plotline points are sizably different. Something big happens. Big enough to jolt a reader’s imagination. Big enough to reset the audience’s perception of everything that has come before. Big enough to act as a cliffhanger. From a writing point of view, a plotline point is a significant event that twists the narrative in a dramatic new direction. With that as a preface, here is an overview of Ten Major Plotline Points.

5 Art Linson, A Pound of Flesh: Perilous Tales of How to Produce Movies in Hollywood (Grove Press, 1998), p. 64. 6 There is no set number of plotline points. For example, in a Go Into The Story interview with 2012 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting recipient Allan Durand, he responded to a question about how he structured the plot for his Nicholl-winning script: “The way I did it is every five to ten pages, I wanted a big fist to come out of the screenplay and punch the reader right in the gut.” Interview: Allan Durand, Scott Myers (editor), Go Into The Story, January 2013, https://gointothe story.blcklst.com/interview-allan-durand-2012-nicholl-winner-5377f9638f3d.

296

S. Myers

ACT I OPENING An introduction to the story universe and some of its major characters, including the Protagonist and their disunity state. HOOK An unexpected incident occurs, jumbling the Protagonist’s world which necessitates a response. LOCK Events propel the Protagonist out of their ordinary world and into the new world of their metamorphosis journey. ACT II DECONSTRUCTION TEST On the defensive, the Protagonist confronts signi icant opposition, capped by an occurrence that tests their old ways of being. TRANSITION A major challenge arises which the Protagonist survives by a tentative embrace of some key aspects of their emerging authentic nature. RECONSTRUCTION TEST In this biggest trial to date, the Protagonist rises to the occasion inspired by emotional and intellectual wisdom learned along the way. ALL IS LOST The Protagonist suffers a massive blow, serving as a major reversal in fortune putting into question their will to go forward. ACT III ON THE OFFENSIVE The Protagonist digs down to reserves of inner strength and summons the determination to move ahead despite the odds against them. FINAL STRUGGLE The climactic challenge in which the Protagonist, empowered by their true nature and acquired wisdom, passes this ultimate test. DENOUEMENT The Protagonist returns or inds a home, a re lection of their new life as they have moved toward a state of unity.

Notes on Ten Major Plotline Points While acknowledging this paradigm is but one way to approach story structure, there is an inherent flow and internal logic to this sequence of plotline points.

19 Breaking Story V Ten Major Plotline Points

297

• Opening: A story must begin somewhere and while the Opening may occur in the narrative’s past or future, or in some different or parallel storyline, what appears in the first few pages of a screenplay, television pilot script, novel, short story, or play has a baseline function of ushering the reader into that story universe. Since it is critical to create a bond between the Protagonist and the audience, it is important to establish this key character as soon as possible. While many promote the importance of creating a “sympathetic Protagonist,” it is better to focus on writing a compelling Protagonist, one with a complex psyche featuring at least some dynamics with which the reader can identify emotionally. One way to achieve this is to begin the story by portraying aspects of the Protagonist’s state of disunity, their flawed, imperfect nature representing the start of their psychological journey. • Hook: Some refer to this plotline point as the “inciting incident.” Others the “call to adventure.” Here we use Hook for it has a double meaning: This is a significant event that hooks into the narrative and turns it in a new direction; the event is so dramatic, it hooks the audience’s attention. This Act One midpoint is a surprising occurrence, unexpected compared to what has transpired thus far as well as suggesting an unpredictable— and entertaining—adventure ahead. The Hook is not a random event, but rather something tethered to the Protagonist’s conscious goal (want) and unconscious goal (need). The Hook happens because it needs to happen to jump-start this particular Protagonist on this specific journey. • Lock: This plotline point at the end of Act One marks a threshold in which the Protagonist finalizes their departure from the old world and enters a new experience where the rest of their adventure will take place. The Lock also serves as a reminder to the writer to have locked down key narrative elements in setting up the story in the first act: establish the story universe; introduce the Protagonist and most, if not all of the story’s family of characters; explore the Protagonist’s disunity state; set up the central conflict most often involving a Nemesis character or dynamic; make clear the genre; convey a sense of narrative voice; and suggest the Protagonist’s conscious goal and unconscious goal. By Act One’s end, the Protagonist is symbolically locked out of their old world while the audience is locked into everything they need to know to follow the story as it unfolds in the pages ahead. • Deconstruction Test: Amidst the Protagonist’s foray into this unknown world, they discover something: Out here, their old ways of being—beliefs and behaviors, coping skills, and defense mechanisms—no longer work so well or at all. Stumbling along in reactive mode and struggling to survive

298

•

•

•

•

S. Myers

emotionally and physically, the Deconstruction Test is an event driving home the point that the Protagonist needs to find a different way forward. Fortunately, when previous attitudes and practices are found wanting, then fall to the wayside, the resulting fractures in the Protagonist’s psyche allow formerly latent dynamics of their true self to creep into their conscious awareness. Transition: A consequential event occurs, forcing the Protagonist to embrace instincts arising from their authentic nature. The experience may surprise the Protagonist as this newfound power helps them overcome the current challenge and yet, there is something familiar about these impulses. As well there should be, for this first flare of the character’s hidden potential has existed within their psyche for years—repressed, ignored, or avoided— but now freed from the chains of their original state of disunity. The midpoint of the story marks a Transition: From here on out, the character will rely less on their old ways of being … and more on the positive dynamism emerging from deep within. Reconstruction Test: Pulling together wisdom they have gleaned from allies, along with a growing connection to their inner self, the Protagonist is confronted by the most daunting test to date. They succeed, not just by luck, but through an embrace of their inner strength. This Reconstruction Test confirms to the Protagonist they are on the right path, not only toward their conscious goal, but also providing them a foretaste of who they have the capacity to become. Encouraged by their burgeoning power, the Protagonist shifts fully into proactive mode with their eyes focused on the prize. All Is Lost: Then, it all falls apart. No matter how empowered the Protagonist may now be, the Nemesis is still stronger and manifests that strength in a decisive response. Staggered, the Protagonist’s forward momentum stops. Peering into the near future, the path vanishes swallowed by a gloomy haze of despair and potential defeat. The All Is Lost moment marks a dire reversal. The Protagonist contemplates their situation, confronted by an existential question: “Who am I?” Do they give up and return to their old world as an act of failure … or do they push ahead despite the now significant odds against success? Offensive: A flicker of hope surfaces. Perhaps the Protagonist recalls a key piece of wisdom they have grasped along the way. Maybe their unique perspective from the depths of emotional despair provides a revealing insight into their circumstance. But always, there are an emotion, a feeling, and a passion which rise up from within to enliven them. True, they are an underdog and the opposition forces are the overlord, but in this pivotal

19 Breaking Story V Ten Major Plotline Points

299

moment, the Protagonist experiences a profound connection with their true self. Mobilizing their courage and focusing their will, the Protagonist goes on the Offensive. • Final Struggle: Just as logic (and Aristotle) dictates a story must have a beginning, it also has an ending. No matter the size or scope of the narrative, intimate family drama to superheroes saving the universe, everything builds toward a climatic sequence. For the Protagonist, this usually pertains to their conscious goal, but it always involves their unconscious goal. For it is their ultimate need—why they were called to this journey in the first place—which drives the Protagonist through this Final Struggle. While there may be shades of gray as to the meaning of the story’s resolution, it is inescapable that this culminating set of events speaks to the end point of the Protagonist’s metamorphosis: reaching their potential. • Denouement: There remains one last beat in the story, a chance for the reader to get a sense of what it all means for the Protagonist and other key characters … what has been learned during the journey, what has been gained. If it is a unity arc, the Denouement will portray a semblance of how this has changed the Protagonist’s life for the better. Now in alignment with their true self, they begin a new life. Questions for the writer to ask about this final moment in the story: What do you want the audience to feel when they walk out of a theater or turn off their television? What emotions do you want a reader to carry with them when they close the book? The denouement provides a final few moments to convey what the story means on a fundamental human level. As should be clear from this overview of the Ten Major Plotline Points, there is a synergy between the inner life of the Protagonist and the events of the plot. As a writer, you seek to identify plotline points that serve and support the Protagonist’s psychological journey, encouraging, provoking, forcing, and eliciting change as part of the character’s arc.

Summary In constructing the story structure, the writer identifies a succession of plotline points which occurs every ten pages or so. As compared to most scenes, these are significant events which twist the narrative in a new direction. They not only shift the plot, but also cause the Protagonist to change, moving them incrementally forward from disunity to deconstruction to reconstruction to unity.

300

S. Myers

Fig. 19.1

Balloon house atop Paradise Falls in Up (2009)

Writing Exercise Example: Ten Major Plotline Points Once again using the Pixar movie Up as an example, here is a take on the story’s Ten Major Plotline Points (Fig. 19.1): Opening: Introduce Young Carl; his fascination with world famous explorer Charles Muntz; meet Young Ellie; she enlists him in her adventure club; Young Carl breaks his arm; that night Ellie visits and shares My Adventure Book; she cajoles Young Carl into swearing someday he will fly her to Paradise Falls; he immediately falls in love. Hook: Carl meets and chases away Russell; has an altercation with a construction worker; summoned to court; ordered to relocate to an old folk’s home. Lock: Airborne in the balloon house, Carl is annoyed by stowaway Russell; a mighty storm, Carl knocked unconscious; when he wakes up, it turns out Russell has guided them to South America. Deconstruction Test: Guiding the balloon house toward Paradise Falls; Carl picks up Kevin the bird and Dug the dog to go along with Russell the boy; a frustrated Carl just wants to be left alone. Transition: At night in the rain, Carl listens to Russell’s confession about hoping his absent father will attend Russell’s Wilderness Explorer badge ceremony; Russell coerces Carl to swear he will help get Kevin back to her babies.

19 Breaking Story V Ten Major Plotline Points

301

Reconstruction Test: Taken in by Muntz, Carl learns the explorer is obsessed with finding none other than Kevin; a big chase during which Carl surprisingly helps he, Russell, and Kevin to escape. All Is Lost: When Muntz captures Kevin, Carl turns his back on the bird; chooses to bring the balloon house to the top of Paradise Falls; a hollow achievement as Russell is crushed by Carl’s betrayal; Ellie’s absence makes Carl’s accomplishment that much more sorrowful. Offensive: Carl flips through Ellie’s My Adventure Book only to find a set of photographs depicting their married life; Ellie’s words beyond the grave, “Go have a new one (adventure)”; Russell flies away to save Kevin; Carl tosses furniture from the house to lighten the load and follows Russell. Final Struggle: Along with Russell and Dug’s assistance, Carl defeats Muntz; says goodbye to the balloon house as it floats down through the clouds; they all fly away in Muntz’s dirigible. Denouement: Carl brings Kevin to her babies; Carl bestows the “Ellie badge” to Russell at his Wilderness Explorer ceremony; Carl, Russell, and Dug eat ice cream and play “red car/blue car” fulfilling Russell’s paternal wish; they have become a surrogate family; the balloon house rests atop Paradise Falls.

Breaking Story Exercise Five: Ten Major Plotline Points As the focus shifts to constructing the framework of the narrative, use these ten questions to grow the story’s spine. • • • • • • • • • •

What What What What What What What What What What

is is is is is is is is is is

the Opening? the Hook? the Lock? the Deconstruction Test? the Transition? the Reconstruction Test? the All Is Lost? the Offensive? the Final Struggle? the Denouement?

A plotline point may consist of one scene or a set of scenes, but each in its own way will be substantial enough to alter the course of the narrative, twisting it in a new direction. This process lays the groundwork for the final stage in breaking story: the scene-by-scene outline.

302

S. Myers

References Linson, A (1998). A Pound of Flesh: Perilous Tales of How to Produce Movies in Hollywood ; Grove Press. Walsh, F & Boyens, P & Jackson, P (screenplay), Tolkien, J.R.R. (novel) (2003). The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; New Line Cinema.

20 Breaking Story VI Scene-By-Scene Outline

Key Concepts Covered in This Chapter • Index Card: A tool a writer uses to note details of individual scenes which then can be grouped into act or sequence stacks leading to a scene-by-scene outline. Also: Note Card. • Scene-by-Scene Outline: A comprehensive version of a story laying out its structure one scene to the next. • Sequence Theory: The concept that a screenplay is divided into a set of scenes, each having a Beginning–Middle–End, which when connected comprises the story structure. • Beat Sheet: A scaled down version of the story in which each scene is described in minimalist terms.

This is where the rubber meets the road. Or when it comes to breaking story, where the pen meets the paper. Specifically: Index Cards.1 With the expanse of hi-tech software available nowadays, it is perhaps surprising that for many writers, an essential tool in the story-crafting process is something as basic as three-by-five inch index cards.Karen McCullah and Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, whose screenwriting credits include 10 Things I Hate About You and Legally Blonde, use cards.2 So does Dustin Lance Black, who won an Academy 1

Also: Note Cards. Creative Spark: Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith, Academy Originals, August 2014. https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=dKU8K_Npc-M. 2

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_20

303

304

S. Myers

Fig. 20.1

The index card outline for this book

Award in 2009 for Best Original Screenplay for the movie Milk.David Seidler as well, who received an Academy Award in 2011 for Best Original Screenplay for the movie The King’s Speech.3 In fact, virtually all television writers employ index cards to break story. A typical television writers room will have dozens of cards tacked on walls, the team working on character arcs, brainstorming potential scenes, sketching out A, B, and C storylines, all ending at some point with each episode laid out, one card after another. That final product before a writer goes to pages? A Scene-by-Scene Outline (Fig. 20.1). Why are index (or note) cards such valuable tools? They are inexpensive and readily available at any office supply store or even the local drug store. They can be pinned to the wall, laid out on a table, or arranged on the floor, thus, they are adaptable to all work environments. You can easily switch the order of scenes by merely swapping cards. It is a simple, yet satisfying process. You jot down notes, one scene per card. As the stack of cards grows and you hold them in your hands, there is a tactile sense the story is coming together, one scene after another.

3 Creative Spark: David Seidler, Academy Originals, December 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Z43xej7evbk.

20 Breaking Story VI Scene-By-Scene Outline

305

You begin the carding process with Ten Major Plotline Points. Fill out ten cards, one by one, describing a scene or set of scenes comprising each plotline point. That short stack of ten cards represents the spine of your story, the foundation for the plotting process to follow. The next step? The story’s subplots.

Working with Subplots As detailed in Chapter Thirteen, this is the relevant writing principle: Subplot = Relationship. Building off that precept, you create a list of important character relationships. For example, here is a roster for the Pixar movie Up: Carl—Ellie Carl—Russell Carl—Kevin Carl—Dug Carl—Muntz Carl—Real Estate Developer Muntz—Kevin Russell—His Father (in absentia) Russell—Kevin Kevin—Her Babies Dug—Alpha and the Dog Pack Each of these is a subplot. Each has a beginning, middle, and end. Each has a specific function tied to both plotline and themeline. Most important, each is a relationship. Thus, yet again, it is time for character work. One approach is to pursue this throughout the breaking story process: • Master Brainstorming List: Make a list of the characters who have emerged thus far. What are the central relationships? • Four Plotline Points: Consider each relationship. What is its beginning point? What is its end point? • Four Themeline Movements: Reflect on each relationship. What is the connection for each character to the Protagonist? What is the respective narrative function of each character and their relationships with the Protagonist?

306

S. Myers

• Ten Plotline Points: Think about each relationship. What happens during the middle part of their subplot? It also works to focus on the subplots at this final stage of story prep by fleshing out scenes for every relationship from beginning … through the middle … to the end. As an example, here is the Carl–Dug subplot from the movie Up: –– Carl, Russell, and Kevin first meet Dug. He’s a talking dog who has been tasked by Muntz with tracking down a bird (i.e., Kevin). –– Muntz’s lead enforcer dog Alpha contacts Dug via video. This leads Alpha, Beta, and Gamma in the direction of Carl and the others. –– Carl is fed up with the antics of Dug and Kevin. He tries to get rid of them, but it is no use as they keep coming back. –– Dug explains to Carl and Russell that Kevin needs to get back to her brood and Kevin departs. –– Dug inadvertently guides Alpha and his squad to Carl and Russell. Dug feels bad. –– Dug leads Carl, Russell, Kevin, and the balloon house in an escape from Muntz and his Alpha dog pack. Dug creates a rock slide to help. –– When Muntz captures Kevin, Carl tells Dug he is a “bad dog,” sending the dog away before Carl makes his final push to Paradise Falls. –– Airborne in the balloon house to find Russell, there is a knock at the door: It is Dug. This time, Carl welcomes Dug as the dog’s master. –– Dug assists Carl in his fight with Muntz’s attack dogs. –– Dug bites Muntz’s leg. Muntz kicks Dug away and shuts him out, leaving Muntz alone with Carl for a one-on-one battle. –– Carl, Dug, Russell, and Kevin celebrate defeating Muntz. –– Dug is in the audience beside Russell’s mother as Russell receives the Ellie Award from Carl. –– Dug sits next to Carl and Russell as they eat ice cream and count cars, Carl calling “red car,” Russell “blue car,” and Dug “gray car.” Notice the flow of this subplot. It is evidenced not only through the events themselves, but also by the nature of the relationship between Carl and the dog. At first, Carl wants nothing to do with Dug. Once Dug realizes Kevin is the bird his “master” (Muntz) is desperately searching for, and as well that Kevin is part of Carl’s “clan,” Dug sticks close to Carl and the others. This allows time for Carl and Dug to interact with some high and low experiences. The middle part of their relationship is capped off with the All Is Lost

20 Breaking Story VI Scene-By-Scene Outline

307

plotline point: Carl yells at Dug, calling him a “bad dog” and sends him away. However, when Carl flies up to Muntz’s airship, Dug reconnects with Carl, only this time Carl embraces the role of Dug’s new “master,” replacing Muntz. By the very end, Dug has become an integral part of Carl’s surrogate family along with Russell, filling the void left by Ellie’s death. The relationship between Carl and Dug is a helpful reference for the work you do at this point filling out each your story’s subplots. What is the function of the subplot in question? What is its specific three-act structure (Beginning– Middle–End)? What is the relationship arc between the two characters? How does the other character impact the physical and psychological journey of the Protagonist? You may very well already have scenes or at least the seeds of scenes for various subplots in your Master Brainstorming List. Go through the top sheets and write down a brief description of each scene on their respective index card. Separate the cards into individual subplot stacks. The goal: Build out each subplot into its own complete mini-story. In order to achieve that goal, it is time to engage in more brainstorming. Focus on one relationship at a time. Reflect on the questions cited above related to a subplot: function, structure, relationship arc, impact on the Protagonist. Allow your mind to wander into possible scenes. You will benefit by returning to the direct engagement exercises used during the Master Brainstorming List stage: Interview, Monologue, and Stream of Consciousness. Pick one of the characters and interact with them, specifically about their relationship to the Protagonist. You may also be rewarded by doing some executive thinking, stepping outside the story universe, and connecting the dots between subplot scenes. What sort of interstitial event could bridge this scene and that scene? If none comes to mind, simply write TBD (To Be Determined) on an index card, trusting the scene in question will reveal itself. Undertake this brainstorming work with every key relationship, focusing on one at time. As a possible scene emerges, write it down on an index card and add to that subplot stack. Eventually, you will have developed several subplots represented by a set of cards, each its own mini-story. Some may have as few as three cards. Others may have a dozen or more. These in combination with the Ten Major Plotline Points are the building blocks you will use to create a scene-by-scene outline.

308

S. Myers

Working with a Character Map By this stage in breaking story, you should have a clear sense of each character’s corresponding narrative function. As you move toward an outline, consider the five Primary Character Archetypes: Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, and Trickster. As a point of reference, here is the family of characters in the movie Up (Fig. 20.2).

Fig. 20.2

Character Map of the movie Up (2009)

20 Breaking Story VI Scene-By-Scene Outline

309

• Protagonist: Carl Fredricksen. The story is told through his perspective. His character undergoes the most significant metamorphosis. All the other characters are connected to him. • Nemesis (Major): Charles Muntz. Muntz begins as a false mentor, inspiring Ellie and Carl’s dream of someday flying to Paradise falls. Ultimately, when Carl realizes Muntz is his enemy, the Final Struggle becomes a battle between them. They share a similar shadow: Muntz obsessed with locating the mysterious bird (who turns out to be Kevin); Carl obsessed with getting the balloon house to the top of Paradise Falls. • Nemesis (Minor): Alpha and the Dog Squad. As Muntz’s minions, they provide a looming threat throughout Act Two before Carl intersects with Muntz. • Attractor: Russell. As a Junior Wilderness Explorer, Russell awakens Carl’s latent spirit of adventure. When the duo bonds over time, Carl embraces Russell as part of a “father-son” surrogate relationship.4 • Mentor: Dug. As goofy as he is, the dog has insights about this new world into which Carl and Russell have entered (e.g., Kevin is trying to get back to her babies, Muntz is searching for Kevin). More importantly, the example Dug sets (“I have just met you and I love you”) arouses Carl’s latent ability to love. This enables Carl to bond with Russell and eventually Dug. • Trickster: Kevin. The very fact the bird they named Kevin is revealed to be a female speaks to the character’s shifty persona. Moreover, Kevin is a troublemaker, appearing when not wanted, disappearing when needed. Kevin sometimes is an ally, other times an enemy, and tests Carl’s will to fulfill his promise to Russell: bring Kevin back to her brood. The relationship between Carl and Muntz forces Carl to answer this existential question: Who am I? Witnessing first-hand the dark side of obsession, how Muntz is willing to do anything to restore his reputation, Carl realizes his preoccupation with getting the balloon house to the top of Paradise Falls has blinded him to the possibilities of having a new life. The subplots between Carl and Russell, and Carl and Dug inform the question: How am I? These two characters influence Carl’s behavior facilitating his evolution from cynical loner into a potential companion who grows into his roles as a surrogate father and master to a rambunctious talking dog. Finally, the Carl–Kevin subplot tests Carl, zeroing in on the question: Does he have the will to do what

4

Ellie is the original Attractor. Her death creates a vacuum which Russell fills.

310

S. Myers

needs to be done? This involves Carl fulfilling the promise he made to Russell to return Kevin to her babies … which eventually Carl does. This map is a helpful way to sort through the characters who have emerged in your story-crafting process by determining their respective narrative functions. That insight can inform how you understand the purpose of every scene in each subplot.

Working with the Sequence Approach Before moving to the final stage of carding the story, there is one more concept to incorporate into the process: Sequence Theory.5 It is a popular approach to screenplay structure in contemporary Hollywood and has historical roots stretching back to the earliest days of the movie business. Once filmmakers progressed beyond the era of the “cinema of attraction,” short entertainments featuring oddities such as crying babies, snowball fights, and boxing cats, they began to produce actual stories. Initially, they were limited to one-reel movies which typically held about ten minutes of film stock. The demand for longer stories led to multiple reel movies as well as serials, overarching sagas presented in theaters as weekly episodes. As a result, filmmakers approached each reel as its own mini-story with a beginning, middle, and end: a setup of the situation, rising action as the Protagonist seeks to achieve a goal, resulting in a partial resolution, thus propelling the story into the next reel. Indeed, once the studio system evolved in the 1920s, scripts (which were called “continuities”) often designated each reel as a “sequence.”6 The most common use of the sequence approach is to break down a screenplay into eight sequences, each anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes. As you will see, this aligns nicely with the Ten Major Plotline Points. The main takeaway: As you card the script structure, you may use the sequence concept as an organizing principle from one set of scenes to the next.

5

The definitive book on the subject is written by Paul Joseph Gulino: Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach (Continuum Press, 2004). 6 This practice may have vanished into the mists of time were it not for Czech-American screenwriter, filmmaker, and educator Frank Daniel. He rediscovered what he called the “sequenced approach” to film story and promoted it over the course of decades at a number of film schools including Columbia University, the University of Southern California, and the American Film Institute. As a result, this approach took root among Hollywood screenwriters and has continued to be popular to this day, even as it evolves at the hands of working writers.

20 Breaking Story VI Scene-By-Scene Outline

311

Working with Index Cards Let us presume you have done due diligence brainstorming your characters and fleshing out key subplots. At this point, you will have several stacks of index cards: one for the Ten Major Plotline Points, one for each subplot. Now it is time to re-stack the cards. • Four stacks: They represent Act One, Act Two Part A, Act Two Part B, and Act Three. Place the Opening, Hook, and Lock cards in Act One; Deconstruction Test and Transition in Act Two Part A; Reconstruction Test and All Is Lost in Act Two Part B; Offensive, Final Struggle, and Denouement in Act Three. Sort through each subplot and their respective cards, placing each card (scene) in one of the four stacks. If you are uncertain where a particular scene should go, consider this: Act One = Disunity; Act Two Part A = Deconstruction; Act Two Part B = Reconstruction; Act Three = Unity. Use the Protagonist’s character arc as a touchstone to help place each of the subplot cards. • Eight sequences: Working with each of the cards in the Act One stack, divvy them up into two sequence stacks: Opening to Hook (Sequence One), Hook to Lock (Sequence Two). Do this with Act Two Part A, Lock to Deconstruction Test (Sequence Three), Deconstruction Test to Transition (Sequence Four); Act Two Part B, Transition to Reconstruction Test (Sequence Five), Reconstruction Test to All Is Lost (Sequence Six); Act Three, All Is Lost to Offensive (Sequence Seven), Offensive to Final Struggle (Sequence Eight); then the story’s tag representing the Denouement. Depending upon the exigencies of the story, a sequence may have four or fewer cards or ten or more. Whatever the number, your task at this point in working with the cards is this: see the movie. Starting with cards from the Opening to the Hook, lay them out, and feel free shuffle their order. Imagine one scene leading to the next. This is where Aristotle comes back into play: What sets the sequence into motion? What transpires in the middle, character actions and events? What leads to a partial resolution, something is resolved while a new challenge or possibility is set into motion? Once you have those cards in an order that you can envision as a set of scenes in your movie, set that stack aside and pick up the next one: Hook to Lock. Do the same thing for each sequence of cards. Once you have eight stacks, plus the Denouement, it is time to sort the cards yet again. Does one scene flow to the next? Is there a timeliness and

312

S. Myers

pacing to the crosscuts between the plotline and various subplots? Is there a balance between conflict and resolution? Is there a variety of scene types— exposition, interaction, action, and revelation—to elevate the entertainment experience of the audience?7 Is there a sense of narrative drive to propel the story forward? Does each scene answer a question, then raise another to send the audience onto the next scene? Of all the questions you may ask as you go through your cards over and over, the most important one is this: Does each scene, each sequence, each act serve and support the Protagonist’s journey? Every part of the plot must be tied to the Protagonist’s fate, each event and each character relationship an integral part of this critical character’s arc.

Scene-By-Scene Outline Once you have sorted your cards enough times so you can “see” your movie from sequence to sequence, you are ready for the final step: create a sceneby-scene outline. Since every writer and every story is different, there is no single template. Some writers may begin writing from their cards. Others may transfer the story into a spreadsheet. Some writers may use a Word or Pages file and put together something akin to what is often referred to as a Beat Sheet. Here is an example of this type of outline: The Final Struggle sequence and Denouement in Act Three from the movie Up. FINAL STRUGGLE INT. DIRIGIBLE, TROPHY ROOM Carl and Muntz engage in an Old Man Sword Fight. INT. DIRIGIBLE, COCKPIT Alpha backs Dug into the control panel, bumping a lever. EXT. DIRIGIBLE It rocks wildly to the side.

7 What type of scene is it?, Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, August 2019, https://gointothestory.blc klst.com/what-type-of-scene-is-it-f39ea907c302.

20 Breaking Story VI Scene-By-Scene Outline

INT. DIRIGIBLE, TROPHY ROOM Trophy cases topple and tumble toward Carl. He crashes out the window, clinging to frame with his cane. Sees Russell hanging on the balloon house. Carl pushes Kevin up the steps on the outside of the dirigible. EXT. DIRIGIBLE Carl and Kevin make their way up the side. Muntz follows. INT. DIRIGIBLE, COCKPIT Alpha leaps at Dug, but Dug jams the Cone of Shame onto Alpha’s head. Alpha is trapped. The other dogs are stunned. Dug tells them to sit. They obey. EXT. CARL’S HOUSE Dog-piloted biplanes attack the house, Russell barely hanging on. He sees Carl and Kevin on the outside of the dirigible. Russell yells at the pilot dogs: “Squirrel!” Distracted they crash into each other and parachute down.

EXT. DIRIGIBLE, TOP Carl and Kevin make it to the top. A door pops open: It’s Dug. Russell steers the house over to the dirigible. Muntz appears, firing a rifle at the house. The house crashes onto the side of the dirigible. Carl holds onto the house which now includes Russell, Kevin, and Dug. Muntz attacking. INT. BALLOON HOUSE Russell, Kevin, and Dug trapped, Muntz kicks down door, gun in hand.

313

314

S. Myers

EXT. DIRIGIBLE Carl waves a chocolate bar for Kevin to see: “Chocolate!” Kevin lunges for chocolate, knocking the rifle from Muntz’s hands. Muntz falls to his death. Russell and Dug are alive, holding onto the balloon house hose. EXT. DIRIGIBLE, TOP Carl pulls Russell and Dug onto the dirigible with Kevin. They watch the balloon house descend into the clouds. Russell: “Sorry about your house, Mr. Fredricksen.” Carl: “You know, it’s just a house.” DISSOLVE TO: EXT. KEVIN’S HOME Kevin reunited with her brood. Russell, Carl, and Dug bid farewell to the birds. INT. DIRIGIBLE, COCKPIT Carl and Russell pilot the dirigible away. Dug and the other dogs stick their heads out windows into the breeze. DENOUEMENT INT. AUDITORIUM Russell there to receive his merit badge. Father is a no-show. Carl appears and awards Russell the Ellie badge. EXT. FENTON’S ICE CREAM PARLOR Carl and Russell sit on the curb, playing “red car, blue car.” Dug calls out: “Gray car.” The dirigible floats above the store. The three have become a family. EXT. PARADISE FALLS Carl and Ellie’s house rests atop the spot… just as Ellie imagined it.

20 Breaking Story VI Scene-By-Scene Outline

315

For some writers, this is enough detail. Others will include: more dialogue, specific transitions from scene to scene, reminders about each scene’s central conflict, character goals, the impact of each scene on the Protagonist’s character arc, and so forth. There is no “right” way to create an outline. The critical thing is for you to feel comfortable with this final version of the story, so you are confident when you move into the next chapter of your process: writing the first draft.

Summary An indispensable tool for this stage of breaking story is the index card. Through a process of noting one plotline point and scene per card, brainstorming and developing character relationships in order to flesh out key subplots, and stacking cards, a writer ends up with a scene-by-scene outline. Breaking Story Exercise Six: Scene-By-Scene Outline Use the following process to create an outline which will guide you through the page-writing process. 1. Ten Major Plotline Points: Assign each plotline point to its own individual index card. Provide a brief description of what occurs that twists the story in a new direction. 2. Key Relationships: Identify the story’s most important character subplots, considering each one’s function, structure, relationship arc, and influence on the Protagonist. 3. Subplots: Once again, immerse yourself in the lives of your characters, brainstorming scenes which can flesh out each subplot. 4. Character Map: Consider the respective narrative function of each member of the “family of characters” and their relationship to the Protagonist. 5. Act Stacks: Distribute cards into four stacks: Act One, Act Two Part A, Act Two Part B, and Act Three. 6. Sequence Stacks: Distribute cards into eight stacks: Opening-Hook (1), Hook-Lock (2), Lock-Deconstruction Test (3), Deconstruction TestTransition (4), Transition-Reconstruction Test (5), Reconstruction Test-All Is Lost (6), All is Lost-Offensive (7), Offensive-Final Struggle (8), plus Denouement.

316

S. Myers

7. See The Movie: Go through the cards, scene by scene and sequence by sequence, until you can envision the movie from beginning all the way to the end. 8. Scene-By-Scene Outline: Based on the cards, create a beat for beat iteration of the story either as an fully detailed outline or less comprehensive beat sheet. Feel free to include as much or little detail for your outline. This is a decision you should make based upon your writing instincts, your past experience as a writer, and—most importantly—what you will need to best support your process writing the script. Summary This is but one way to approach screenplay structure. While it may reflect mainstream commercial sensibilities of the Hollywood filmmaking business, there is no limit to possible narrative paradigms as they relate to creating movies. I believe it represents the path of least resistance for a writer as it is a story structure which falls squarely into the wheelhouse of what development executives, producers, managers, agents, and talent expect when they read and assess a movie script. However, a writer should not feel constrained by any structural formula they encounter in learning the craft. If the characters are identifiable and complex … the story concept intriguing and distinctive … the journey compelling and entertaining … the emotion authentic and relatable … a story can be told however it needs to be told. Yet, the stark reality is this: A story can never be told unless the writer makes their way through the first draft. This is the next stage in the process after breaking the story.

References Black, D. L. (2014). Creative Spark: Academy Originals; Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Gulino, P. J. (2004). Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach; Continuum Press. McCullah, K. and Smith, K. (2014). Creative Spark: Academy Originals; Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Peterson, B. and Docter, P. (screenplay), Docter, P., Peterson, B. and McCarthy, T. (story) (2008). Up; Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios. Seidler, D. (2014). Creative Spark: Academy Originals; Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

21 Writing the First Draft

No matter what kind of story—novel, short story, feature length screenplay, one-hour teleplay, and half-hour script—the paramount goal of a first draft is the same: to type the words The End. Reaching that point means you have something. The initial draft is certain to be flawed in countless ways and requiring rewrites, yet imperfect as it is, it can stand on its own as a story. The first draft is a critical juncture in the story-writing process. Far too many projects set sail with mighty ambitions, but crash on the rocky shores of confusion, frustration, and despair. The writer loses sight of where they are going because they have never figured out the course of the journey to begin with. If, however, you have done due diligence in breaking story, you know where you are headed one scene to the next. You have a map to guide you through the turbulent waters ahead and reach your destination: Fade Out. Even equipped with a scene-by-scene outline, you face an arduous task in this stage of your writer’s journey. The sheer process of sitting down day after day to confront a blank page, progress measured in scenes which struggle to come to life, makes writing a first draft a battle of attrition. Fortunately, there are proven practices you can adopt to gird you for the challenges ahead. This final chapter presents a set of road-tested tactics grouped into three categories: Attitude, Strategies, and Tricks.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_21

317

318

S. Myers

Attitude Much of a writer’s success in completing a first draft derives from the attitude they bring to this stage of the process. Even equipped with an outline, since each scene still only exists in theory, there is a way in which the first draft feels akin to creating something out of nothing. It is easy to be overwhelmed by that undertaking. Embracing an appropriate writer’s attitude can make a world of difference. • Journey of discovery: No matter how much you may think you know about your story and its characters, you will understand considerably more by the time you reach the end of the first draft. That is because with every scene you write, you will discover things: insights into character motivations, backstory, personality, voice; complexities of character relationships and how each may impact the story; themes and hopefully even the story’s central theme; objects which emerge as talismans, physical artifacts with symbolic meaning. Every page has the potential to reveal something new which you could not anticipate, even while breaking story. Thus, it is important to embrace a spirit of openness to what comes your way as you write the first draft because at its core, it is a journey of discovery. • It will not be perfect: No matter how much you have prepared before typing Fade In, nor how attuned you are to the emerging story as you write, you must accept this fact: The first draft is going to need a rewrite. Indeed, multiple rewrites. This may be a dispiriting thought, especially to a novice writer, however, if you shift your perspective, this is actually quite freeing. For if you know the first draft is not going to be perfect, that pressure is off. You do not need to worry about dotting each “i” or crossing each “t.” No one needs to see this initial pass at the material but you. Instead of cringing at the thought of writing an imperfect draft, embrace it. Allow yourself the freedom to have some fun with each scene. Play around with transitions. Explore narrative voice. Conjure ways to create more visual moments. Since it is inevitable the first draft is going to be flawed, revel in the ride and lean into your creative instincts. • Get the damn thing done!: There is only one rule about writing a first draft: Finish it. If it is a journey of discovery, the more you write, the more you learn, the further you get, the better your understanding. By reaching The End, you will not only know your story at a much deeper level than before you started the draft, you will have broken through a psychological barrier. Instead of, “I want to write this story,” you can now say, “I have written this story.” You are no longer dealing with something

21 Writing the First Draft

319

which exists only in abstraction, you have an actual thing you can read, review, and revise. That represents a world of difference since having a first draft in hand provides you a foundation for the rest of your writing journey. Embrace the golden rule of first drafts: Get the damn thing done!

Strategies Once you have adopted an appropriate writer’s attitude, there are some key strategies you can employ to facilitate the first draft process. • Set a schedule: If you are a university or film school student, this is a given. Your teacher will set specific dates upon which to deliver script pages. By the end of the quarter or semester, you will have finished the first draft. If you are not currently enrolled in school, adopt the same approach: Create a schedule of due dates. The Ten Major Plotline Points in your sceneby-scene outline creates an ideal template. Week One, you focus on the Opening. Week Two, the pages leading up to the Hook. Week Three, the scenes taking you to the Lock. Over the course of ten weeks, averaging about ten pages per week—a mere one-and-a-half pages per day—you will have reached The End. Creating a structure of weekly due dates is an effective way to motivate yourself to pound out script pages. • Always go forward: As tempting as it may be to return to previously written pages and revise them, a more effective strategy for most writers is to use each writing session to move the story ahead. Every screenwriting software program includes the ability to insert notes. Make use of this. When you run into a problem in a scene, note the concern, then go onto the next scene. This is not only about pushing the story toward the finish line, it also acknowledges how easy it is to slip into a rut of rewriting pages. This can not only slow down your progress, but also derail the first draft entirely, an insidious temptation conveyed by the Voices of Negativity (see below). Whenever you are tempted to go back and rewrite, refresh your writer’s attitude: The first draft is a journey of discovery, it will not be perfect, and your goal is to get the damn thing done. • Script Diary: Just before you type Fade In and begin the first draft process, create a Word or Pages document. This is your script diary and you may begin each writing session here. Note the date and time of day. Gather your thoughts about the scene you are set to write: what the point of the scene is, its central conflict, the respective function of each character, transitions into and out of the scene, and so forth. This is not only your chance to

320

S. Myers

loosen your fingers and your creative muscles, it is also a way for you to transition from the Real World into the Story World, a bridge to get your head into a creative space where you can feel your characters and envision the environment of the scene in question. After you have made that transition, open your screenwriting program and let your fingers fly.

Tricks Attitude and strategies are all well and good, but sometimes a writer needs to reach into their bag of tricks to augment their writing progress. • Write every day: This may be the single most common piece of advice professional writers provide when asked about their approach to the craft. This simple commitment is a trick you can play against the influence of procrastination. No matter how unenthusiastic or uninspired you may feel on any given day, sit down … and write. Even if just one scene … one page … one paragraph … you will have continued a string of consecutive writing days and in so doing, pushed back against the gravitational pull of lethargy. One key: Set a specific time each day for your writing session. Ideally, you will have determined what your best creative time is. Early morning? Late night? Mid-afternoon? Do your best to sync your daily writing sessions with your personal circadian rhythm where you are at your peak creatively. This will motivate you to sustain your daily writing ritual. • Don’t finish that scene: As you approach the end of your daily writing session and you find yourself in the middle of a scene, stop. Get up and get on with your life. Why? First, since you know the ending to the scene, that will ease you into your next writing session. You will be energized to wrap up the scene and in so doing provide momentum into the next scene. Second, by stopping in the middle of a scene, your create a kind of cliffhanger. Your instincts will be to finish it. Carrying that tension with you overnight will propel you to your desk the next day to experience the release of writing the end of the scene. • Voices of Negativity: Just as your characters have an inner world of memories, thoughts, and emotions, so, too, do you. Doubtless as a writer, you know well these familiar voices in your head. Sometimes they are sly: “It’s such a beautiful day, why waste it inside writing?” Sometimes they are manipulative: “Don’t write that new scene, instead, go back and rewrite those pages you rewrote yesterday.” Sometimes they can be downright mean: “This story is awful. Who are you kidding? You are no writer!” These

21 Writing the First Draft

321

Voices of Negativity conspire to undercut your creative ambition. Instead of fighting them, accept that they will never go away. They are a daily part of your writing experience. Often, you can deal with them by acknowledging their presence, then simply letting them go. Take a deep, cleansing breath. Go back to the writing. If the voices are particularly chatty, try this: Have an honest conversation with them. The script diary is a perfect place to conduct this exchange: “Hey, Perfectionist Voice? I don’t need you now. Instead, what I need is the freedom to write whatever comes out of my fingers on the keyboard. But I promise, when I reach the final draft and do that last edit? You are more than welcome to participate. For now, goodbye!”

Two Final Pieces of Advice After all the hard work you have done breaking story and creating an outline, when you sit down to a scene, set all that aside. Instead, clear your mind and come at the writing from a feeling place. As the author Ray Bradbury wrote: I’ve had a sign over my typewriter for twenty-five years now which reads, “Don’t think.” You must never think at the typewriter, you must feel. Your intellect is always buried in that feeling anyway. You collect up a data, you do a lot of thinking away from your typewriter. But at the typewriter, you should be living. It should be a living experience.1

How best to engender such a living experience, a feeling place when writing? Why, through your characters, of course. For this scene, this living moment, ask yourself: Where is each character emotionally? Where are they in relation to the plotline? Where are they in relation to the themeline? What are they feeling right now? Just before you set your fingers on the keyboard, spend time with your story’s most important character: the Protagonist. Since they are at the center of the narrative, everything revolving around them, and they are in the midst of a personal metamorphosis even as change is a challenge, what are they feeling? What emotions do they bring to the start of this scene? What inner dynamics are roiling around in their psyche? What need is emerging from the dark corners of their self? What are they living right now?

1 Day At Night, James Day interviews Ray Bradbury, CUNY-TV, January 21, 1974, https://www.you tube.com/watch?v=tTXckvj7KL4.

322

S. Myers

Finally, if ever you are confused about your story—and you will be—reach out to your characters. After all, it is their story. No one knows it better than your characters. And always… Begin with character. End with character. Find the story in between.

Index

A

Adaptation (2002) 220–223 Addiction (as Disunity element) 36–37 Alien (1979) 204–205 Aliens (1986) 152–153, 286 All in the Family (1971–1979) 163 All Is Lost (Plotline Point) 298, 301, 306 Almost Famous (2000) 181 Amadeus (1984) 30, 286 American Beauty (1999) 58–59, 97 Americans, The (2013–2018) 38 Analyze This (1999) 218 Animal House (1978) 187–191, 249 Apartment, The (1960) 134, 156, 285 Aristotle 276–277, 279, 280, 295, 299, 311 Arrival (2016) Attractor characters in 171–172 Protagonist’s journey in 5 Reconstruction in 80 role of fate in 251 As Good As It Gets (1997)

disunity elements in 37 Nemesis in 148, 249 reconstruction in 80 Assumed Identity stories 55, 58 Attractor (Character Archetype) 145–157 in The Apartment 134 in Barry 138 Buddy Story 159, 167 in Casablanca 133 in The Dark Knight 140 definition of 132, 159, 161 False Attractor 159, 164 as family and friends 165–168 as inspiration 169–172 in Killing Eve 139 as lover 162–165 in The Social Network 134–135 in television series 163, 167 in 10 Things I Hate About You 159–161 in True Grit 135 in The Wizard of Oz 133 Authentic Nature attractor characters and 179

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 S. Myers, The Protagonist’s Journey, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2

323

324

Index

definition of 75 Mentors and 218 Protagonist’s Need and 245–246 reconstruction and 76, 93, 286–288, 291 transition event and 298 Tricksters and 201 unity arc and 283, 284 see also Core Essence; True Self Avengers, The (2012) 151 Avengers: Endgame (2019) 151 Avengers: Infinity War (2018) 151

B

Babylon Berlin (2017–present) 202 Backstory in Breaking Bad 101 definition of 35, 36 disunity and 36–38 Back to the Future (1985) disunity elements in 37 Nemesis in 151 Protagonist’s Want in 245 reconstruction in 76 Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) 167 Barry (2018–present) 138, 181, 287 Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, A (2019) 179 Beautiful Mind, A (2001) 148, 219–220 Beavis & Butthead (1993–2011) 168 Before trilogy (1995, 2004, 2013) 210 Being There (1979) 24 Big Bang Theory, The (2007–2019) 167 Big Fish (2003) Deconstruction in 285 disunity elements in 38 Protagonist-Attractor subplot in 166 Big Lebowski, The (1998) 200

Big Little Lies (2017, 2019) 77 Big Sick, The (2017) disunity elements in 38 Protagonist-Attractor subplot in 165 reconstruction in 80 unity arc in 99 Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991) 181 Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) 181 Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) 151, 201 Black, Dustin Lance 303 Black Swan (2010) 32 Blade Runner (1982) 151 Body Heat (1981) 151 Bowen, Elizabeth 272 Bradbury, Ray 321 Brainstorming. See Master Brainstorming List (Breaking Story) Brainstorming, definition of 258 Braveheart (1995) 171 Brazil (1985) 249 Breaking Bad (2008–2013) deconstruction in 55–64 disunity in 42–44 old ways of being in 64 reconstruction in 82–84 role of fate in 125 unity in 101–103 Breaking Story. See Four Primary Plotline Points (Breaking Story); Four Themeline Movements (Breaking Story); Master Brainstorming List (Breaking Story); Protagonist Character Treatment (Breaking Story); Scene-by-Scene Outline (Breaking Story); Ten Major Plotline Points (Breaking Story) Breaking Story, definition of 242

Index

Bridesmaids (2011) disunity elements in 38 Mentors in 188 Protagonist’s journey in 4 Protagonist-Trickster subplot in 218–219 Bridges of Madison County, The (1995) 210 Brokeback Mountain (2005) 164 Buddy Story 159, 167 Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1996–2003) 38, 163 Bull Durham (1988) 202 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1968) 25–27

C

Cable networks 22 Call to Adventure 35, 52, 179, 251, 297. See also Inciting Incident Campbell, Joseph 279, 280, 295 The Hero’s Journey 285, 295 The Hero With a Thousand Faces 5, 277 influence of 5–6 on initial state of Hero’s Journey 285 on inward journey of the hero 288 on the Ordinary World 6, 279 The Power of Myth (book) 7 The Power of Myth (PBS series) 6–7 Carnal Knowledge (1971) 32 Carrie (1976) 38, 218 Casablanca (1941) Character Archetypes in 133 disunity elements in 38 Protagonist-Attractor subplot in 163 Cast Away (2000) 148, 249 Change Agent 25–27 in Being There 24

325

definition of 19 in Forrest Gump 24 in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 24–25 in WALL-E 23–24 Character Arc definition of 19, 20 in The Incredibles 20 in Legally Blonde 20 Protagonist as change agent 23–25 Protagonist who refuses to change 25–28 in television storytelling 21, 26, 27, 32 in True Detective 20 see also Disintegration Arc; Unity Arc Character Archetypes 7–21, 131 in The Apartment 134 in Casablanca 137 classic movie examples 133–134 contemporary movie examples 134–136 definition of 135 list of Primary Character Archetypes 131–133 as masks 131, 139–141, 197, 202, 206, 230 in television series 137–139 in The Wizard of Oz 133 see also Attractor (Character Archetype); Character Map; Mentor (Character Archetype); Nemesis (Character Archetype); Protagonist (as Character Archetype); Trickster (Character Archetype) Character-driven storytelling character map and 226 disunity elements in 36 story prep 241 in television projects 139 Character Map

326

Index

behavioral connection 225, 230 construction of 226–230 definition of 225 existential connection 225, 229 for Shakespeare in Love 233 for The Silence of the Lambs 230–232 for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 234–235 Cheers (1982–1993) 163 Children of Men (2006) 170 Chinatown (1974) 249 Citizen Kane (1941) Disintegration Arc in 28–30, 31 Mentors in 185 City Slickers (1991) 188 Coco (2017) 38, 200 Community (2011–2020) 168 Conflict, Nemesis as 150–153 Conjuring, The (2013) 151 Conscious Goal definition of 275 Four Primary Plotline Points and 279 Protagonist’s Want as distinct from 251 in Shakespeare in Love 233 in The Silence of the Lambs 230 Ten Major Plotline Points and 294, 295 in Up 281, 288, 289 Core Essence 242, 245, 283, 285, 286–287, 288 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019) deconstruction in 66–69 disunity in 46–49 reconstruction in 89–92 role of fate in 125 unity in 106–110 Crazy Rich Asians (2018) 148, 181 Creed (2015) 151 Cujo (1983) 151

D

Dallas Buyers Club (2013) 32, 80 Dave (1993) 58, 141 Dead Poets Society (1989) 32 Death (as Disunity element) 36 Death Wish series (1974, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1994) 39, 171 Deconstruction (Themeline Movement) in Breaking Bad 62–64 comedic twists in 58 in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 66–69 definition of 55–57 in formalized settings 57 physical manifestations of 58 in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 69–71 variations of 57–58 in The Wizard of Oz 56–57 see also Reactive mode Deconstruction Test (Plotline Point) 291, 297, 301 Denouement (Plotline Point) definition of 95, 291, 299 in Finding Nemo 124 in The Old Guard 200 in The Silence of the Lambs 100 in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 113 in 10 Things I Hate About You 159 in Up 301, 314–315 Descendants, The (2011) 97–98 Deuce, The (2017–2019) 38 Devs (2020) 183 Dexter (2006–2013) disunity elements in 38 Mentors in 178 Protagonist’s Character Arc in 32 Protagonist’s personal metamorphosis in 5 Die Hard (1988) 97, 148, 244 Dirty Dancing (1987) 162–163 Disintegration Arc 30–34

Index

in Amadeus 30 in Citizen Kane 28–31 definition of 19 in The Night Of 32 popularity of 22 Taxi Driver 33 in television storytelling 22 in The Wolf of Wall Street 30–32 District 9 (2009) 58 Disunity (Themeline Movement) 285 in Aliens 152 Attractor characters and 161, 212 in Breaking Bad 42–44 character-driven storytelling and 38 in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 49 deconstruction and 56, 69 definition of 6, 35, 285 Event and Response process and 119 in The Hero’s Journey 275, 285 inauthentic existence and 75, 113 inciting incident an 293 in Jerry Maguire 213 Mentors and 179 narrative imperative and 11 in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 24 origins of 36 in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 196 Protagonist’s Backstory and 36 Protagonist’s Personal History and 36 in Shakespeare in Love 44–46 in The Shawshank Redemption 14 in The Silence of the Lambs 40–42 in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 50–51 Disunity elements 36–38, 69 addiction 36–37 death 37

327

home 38 mental illness 37 parent 38 work 38 disunity elements in 285 Divorce 2016–2019 163 DNA, character 8 Donnie Darko (2001) 214 Double Indemnity (1944) 31, 251 Drive (2011) 21, 80

E

Edge of Seventeen, The (2016) 181 Edge of Tomorrow (2014) deconstruction in 58 Mentors in 180 Nemesis in 150 reconstruction in 80 Elephant Man, The (1980) 149 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) 167 Euphoria (2018–present) 37 Event and Response 8, 119, 125 Ex Machina (2014) 156, 164, 183 Exorcist, The (1973) 248 External World Character Arc and 20 definition of 19, 118 duality of human existence and 118 Event and Response process and 119–119 in Finding Nemo 119–126 Protagonist’s Want and 20 subplots in 209 see also Plotline Extraordinary World 185

F

Falling Down (1993) 32 Family and friends, Attractor as 159, 165–168 Family of Characters

328

Index

character development and 254 Character Map of 225, 230–232, 308, 315 definition of 209 subplots and 209 see also Character Archetypes Fatal Attraction (1987) 250 Faulkner, William 266 Fault in Our Stars, The (2014) 164 Fences (2016) 166 Field of Dreams (1989) 38 Fight Club (1999) 218 Final Struggle (Plotline Point) in Aliens 152 definition of 95, 99, 291, 299, 301 in The Shawshank Redemption 205 in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 110 in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope 198 in True Grit 135–136 in Up 309 Finding Forrester (2000) 38, 181 Finding Nemo (2003) 124 Firefly (2002–2003) 200 First draft writing 317–322 attitude toward 318–319 strategies for 319–320 tricks for 320–321 (500) Days of Summer (2008) 32, 38 Fleabag (2016, 2019) 22, 285 Fly, The (1958, 1986) 58 Formulaic storytelling 23 Forrest Gump (1994) 24 Four Primary Plotline Points (Breaking Story) 281–288, 294 Act One beginning 275, 280 Act One end 275, 280 Act Three ending 280–281 Act Two end 275, 280 Three-Act Structure and 276–277 writing exercise 287

writing exercise example for Up 281 Four Themeline Movements (Breaking Story) 291–299 deconstruction 285–286 disunity 285 reconstruction 286–287 unity 287–288 writing exercise 288–289 writing exercise example for Up 288–289 seealso Deconstruction (Themeline Movement); Disunity (Themeline Movement); Reconstruction (Themeline Movement); Unity (Themeline Movement) Friday the 13th (1980) 140 Friends (1994–2004) 163, 167 Full Metal Jacket (1987) 57, 180

G

Galaxy Quest (1999) 58, 141 Game of Thrones (2011–2019) 9–10 Get Out (2017) 178, 285 Gladiator (2000) 39, 171 Glee (2009–2015) 163 Godfather, The (1972) Mentors in 180 Narrative Imperative in 11–12, 17 Godless (2017) 4, 39 Gone With the Wind (1939) 164 Good Boys (2019) 167 Good Place, The (2016–2020) psychological arc of Protagonist in 4 unity arc in 287 Good Will Hunting (1997) disunity elements in 38 Mentor in 178 Protagonist’s personal Metamorphosis in 5

Index

unity arc in 287 Graduate, The (1967) Protagonist’s Conscious Goal in 4, 244–245 story’s end point in 4, 32, 244–245 Gran Torino (2008) 32, 38 Gravity (2013) 36, 148, 288 Green Book (2018) 167 Grey’s Anatomy (2005–2020) 164 Grillo-Marxuach, Javier 251 Groundhog Day (1993) disunity elements in 38 Metamorphosis in 7 Nemesis as opposition in 149 Protagonist-Attractor subplot in 163 reconstruction in 80

H

Halloween (1978) 140, 151, 249 Handmaid’s Tale, The (2017–present) 39, 149 Hangover, The (2009) 244 Hanna (2011) 185 Happy Death Day (2017) 149 Happy endings 21–22, 96 Haunting of Hill House, The (2018) 151 Heat, The (2013) 167 Her (2013) 32, 39, 164 Hero’s Journey, The 277–278, 285, 295 High Noon (1952) 151 Home (as Disunity element) 38 Home Alone (1990) 248 Homecoming (2018, 2020) 23 Homeland (2011–2020) 32, 37, 185 Hook (Plotline Point) 291, 297, 300 House of Cards (2013–2018) 23 Hunger Games, The (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) 149, 249

329

I

I Love Lucy (1951–1957) 163 I May Destroy You (2020) 38 Inauthentic Existence 75, 229, 285 In Bruges (2008) 32, 151, 167 Inception (1999) 218, 245 Inciting Incident in the Batman trilogy 155 definition of 35 disunity and 35, 52 function of 285 hook as 297 Protagonist’s Want and 245 see also Call to Adventure Incredibles, The (2004) Attractor characters in 165 Character Arc in 8 disunity elements in 38 Mentors in 181 Independence Day (1996) 151 Index Cards 303, 304, 311–312, 315 Individuation in Breaking Bad 104 definition of 19 Carl Jung on 21, 55, 118 narrative imperative and 119 shadow and 154 transformation and 21 Inside Out (2015) 38 Inspiration, Attractor as 169–172 Internal World definition of 19, 118 Event and Response process and 119 in Finding Nemo 119–124 subplots in 209 see also Themeline Intouchables, The (2011) 167, 215–217 Iron Giant, The (1999) 167 Iron Man (2008) 141, 182 It Happened One Night (1934) 97, 162

330

Index

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) disunity elements in 37 Masks in 142 Mentors in 184, 185 unity arc in 187

J

Jaws (1975) 151, 250 Jerry Maguire (1996) Finding Home narrative Archetype in 96 Protagonist-Attractor subplot in 210–213 Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) 97 John Wick (2014) 39, 171 Jojo Rabbit (2019) 170, 180 Journey definition of, 3 as universal narrative archetype 56 see also Hero’s Journey, The Jung, Carl 12 on Individuation 22, 56, 118 on inner contradictions and fate 36, 39 on pain of consciousness 59, 72 on the unconscious Shadow 154 on unity of character 113 Juno (2007) 185, 198

K

K-9 (1989) 167, 294 Karate Kid, The (1984) 151, 180 Kill Bill -Vol. 1 (2003) 171 Kill Bill -Vol. 2 (2004) 171 Killing Eve (2018–present) 139 King’s Speech, The (2010) 156, 304 Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) 251

L

Lady Bird (2017) disunity elements in 38

Protagonist-Attractor subplot in 166 Protagonist-Trickster subplot in 218 La La Land (2016) 210 Last Vegas (2013) 166 Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983) 168 Law & Order (1990–2010) 137 Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 58 Leftovers, The (2014–2017) 22, 39 Legally Blonde (2001) Character Arc in 20 Protagonist’s Need and Want in 246 screenwriters 303 Léon: The Professional (1994) 58, 167, 249 Liar, Liar (1997) 58, 246 Limey, The (1999) 171 Linson, Art 294 Lion King, The (1994) 36, 96, 246 Little Miss Sunshine (2006) 76 Lock (Plotline Point) 291, 297, 300 Logan (2017) 36, 170 Long Shot (2019) 165 Looper (2012) 156 Lord of the Rings, The (trilogy; 2001, 2002, 2003) 151, 167, 185, 292 Lost (2004–2010) 96–97, 148 Lover, Attractor as 159, 162–164 Lucas, George 5

M

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) 149, 170–171 Martian, The (2015) 249 Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The (2017–present) 79, 181, 285 Mary Tyler Moore Show, The (1970–1977) 168 M*A*S*H (1972–1983) 168 Masks

Index

Character Archetypes as 139–142 definition of 131, 139 metaphor of 141 Trickster 196, 206, 230 Master Brainstorming List (Breaking Story) 258–273, 293 biography exercise 261 direct engagement exercises 261–263 executive writing 264–265 free scene exercise 261 indirect engagement exercises 259–262 interview exercise 262 monologue exercise 262–263 questionaire exercise 259–260 receptive writing 264–265 strategies 265–266 Stream of Consciousness exercise 263 top sheets exercise 264–265 writing exercise 273 writing exercise example for up 267–273 Matrix, The (1999) Mentors in 187 Protagonist vs. Nemesis in 249 reconstruction in 80 Trickster in 198 McCullah, Karen 303 Mean Girls (2004) 151 Memento (2000) 247 Mental illness (as Disunity element) 37 Mentor (Character Archetype) in The Apartment 134 in Barry 138 in Bridesmaids 188 in Casablanca 133 in The Dark Knight 136 definition of 132, 175 Devs 182–183 False Mentor 175, 181–183 in The Godfather 180

331

as guardian 184–186 as guide 179–184 as insight 187–191 in It’s a Wonderful Life 184, 185 in Juno 185 in The Matrix 187–188 in 1917 180 in The Queen’s Gambit 188 in Rango 189–191 in The Social Network 134 in The True Grit 135 in The Untouchables 175–177 in The Wizard of Oz 133 in The Wolf of Wall Street 214–215 Metamorphosis centrality of Protagonist and 4, 5, 7 Character Arc and 19, 30 deconstruction and 55–56, 59, 72 definition of 3 Disintegration Arc and 19, 30 Event and Response process and 117, 119 Internal World and 20 as organic process 161 outside forces leading to 7–8 proactive mode and 75 Protagonist’s Need and 19, 79–80 reconstruction and 75–76, 85, 90, 93 role of Attractor characters in 162 role of Disunity in 12, 14, 17 role of fate in 7–8 role of Trickster in 202 screenplay universe and 117–118 in television storytelling 254 unity arc and 19 see also Transformation; Unity Arc Michael Clayton (2007) 201 Midnight Cowboy (1969) 167 Mindhunter (2017–2019) 4, 181 disunity elements in 38 Mentors in 181 Protagonists in 4

332

Index

Miracle Worker, The (1962) 149 Mistaken Identity stories 55, 58, 141 Modern Family (2009–2020) 163 Moneyball (2011) 38 Monk (2002–2009) 149 Monsters, Inc. (2001) 167, 212–213 Moonlight (2016) 38, 165 Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) 140 Mulan (1998, 2020) 140

N

Narrative archetypes 22, 56, 96–98. See also Hero’s Journey, The; Unity Arc Narrative Drive 210, 244, 275, 279, 281, 312 Narrative Function 137, 139 of Attractor characters 159 Character Map and 226, 315 definition of 131, 132 of Mentor 175, 178 of Trickster 197, 201 Narrative Imperative definition of 3, 11, 17 Event and Response process and 119 fate and 251 in Finding Nemo 121 in Game of Thrones 9–10, 17 in The Godfather 9–11, 17 Mentors and 190 Protagonist’s journey as 8–12 Protagonist’s Unconscious Goal and 283, 288 in reconstruction 76 in The Shawshank Redemption 12–17 in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope 8–9, 17 National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) 187, 249 Natural, The (1984) Nemesis in 151

Trickster in 205 victory narrative archetype in 96 Neighbors (2014) 96 Nemesis (Character Archetype) 145 in The Apartment 134 in Barry 138 in Casablanca 133 as conflict 150–153 in The Dark Knight 136 definition of 132, 145 etymology of “nemesis” 147 in Killing Eve 139 as a Mask 140, 141 as opposition 148–150 as Shadow 153–156 in The Shape of Water 145–147 in True Grit 135 in The Wizard of Oz 133 Nepo, Mark 59 Never Have I Ever (2020) 36, 202–203 New Girl (2011–2018) 5 New Ways of Being 75, 76 New World Act One end and 280, 283 Character Map and 225–226 deconstruction and 55–56, 65, 290 definition of 3 in Finding Nemo 121 Hero’s Journey and 275 lock (Plotline Point) and 291 Mentors and 190, 309 Protagonist’s journey and 4 Protagonist’s Want and 245 Reactive mode and 283 reconstruction and 76, 80 in Shakespeare in Love 65 in The Silence of the Lambs 60 see also Extraordinary World Night Court (1984–1992) 168 Nightcrawler (2014) 37, 80, 287 Night Of, The (2016) 32 Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) 149

Index

1917 (2019) 180 North by Northwest (1959) 141 Northern Exposure (1990–1995) 163 Nurse Jackie (2009–2015) 36–37

O

October Sky (1999) 181 Odd Couple, The (1970–1975) 168 Offensive (Plotline Point) 291, 298, 301 Office, The (2005–2013) 168 Officer and a Gentleman, An (1982) 57 Old Guard, The (2020) 199–200 Old Ways of Being in Breaking Bad 64 in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 25 in deconstruction 55–56, 57, 72, 202, 286 deconstruction test and 291, 297 definition of 55, 72 reactive mode and 283 transition and 298 see also New Ways of Being Old World Act One end and 281 All Is Lost (Plotline Point) and 298 Character Map and 225–226 deconstruction and 56 definition of 3 disunity elements and 51 in Finding Nemo 121 Hero’s Journey and 275 lock (Plotline Point) and 291, 297 Protagonist’s journey and 4 see also Ordinary World One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) change agent in 24 Nemesis in 151 101 Dalmatians (1961) 148

333

127 Hours (2010) 148, 249 Opening (Plotline Point) 291, 297, 300 Opposition, Nemesis as 148–150 Ordinary People (1980) 36, 248 Ordinary World Act One end and 275, 283 definition of 3 disunity state and 279, 285 in It’s a Wonderful Life 185 Joseph Campbell on 5, 6, 278 lock (Plotline Point) and 291 reconstruction and 77 Trickster and 196 World Out There and 196 see also Old World

P

Palm Springs (2020) 149 Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) 200 Paper Chase, The (1973) 181 Parent (as Disunity element) 38 Parks and Recreation (2009–2015) 168 Perry Mason (2020) 181, 287 Personal History biography and 257 definition of 35 disunity and 36 in Hero’s Journey 5 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) 193–195 Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987) 167, 218 Plotline definition of 118, 280 External World and 19 in Finding Nemo 121–124 subplots and 223 see also Four Primary Plotline Points (Breaking Story) Postcards from the Edge (1990) 166

334

Index

Power of Myth, The (PBS series; 1988) 5–7 Pretty Woman (1990) 165 Proactive mode 75, 80, 90, 283, 286, 298 Protagonist as change agent 23–25 character DNA and 8, 17 definition of 3 etymology of the term 5 goal of 4 journey embarked upon by 4 other major characters linked to 4 personal Metamorphosis of 5 prime functions of 4–5 psychological arc of 4 refusal to change 25–28 spine of plot created by journey of 4 as story’s central character 4 Protagonist (as Character Archetype) in The Apartment 134 in Barry 138 in Casablanca 133 in The Dark Knight 136 definition of 132 in Killing Eve 139 as a Mask 140, 141 in The Social Network 134 in True Grit 135 in Unorthodox 137–138 Protagonist Character Treatment (Breaking Story) 241–254, 293 identifying the Protagonist 242–243 Protagonist’s fears 250 Protagonist’s Need 245–246 Protagonist’s opposition 249 Protagonist’s stakes 247–249 Protagonist’s Want 243–245 resolution of Protagonist’s Want and Need 246–249 role of fate 251 in television development 254

writing exercise 253–254 writing exercise example for Up 252–253 Psycho (1960) 31, 218, 249

Q

Queen’s Gambit, The (2020) 188, 287–288 Quiet Place, A (2018) 151, 203

R

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Masks in 142 Protagonist’s journey in 4 stakes in 248 Rango (2011) deconstruction in 58 Mentors in 189–190 as Mistaken Identity story 58 reconstruction in 80 Reactive mode 56, 76, 80, 283, 286, 297 Reconstruction (Themeline Movement) authentic nature and 76, 92–93, 287, 291 in Big Little Lies 77 in Breaking Bad 82–84 in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 87–89 definition of 75–76 in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 79, 181, 285 Protagonist’s Need in 79–80 in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 90–92 varieties of 76–80 in The Verdict 78–79 Reconstruction Test (Plotline Point) 291, 298, 301 Revenant, The (2015) 39, 171, 203 Rocky (1976) 96 Romancing the Stone (1984) 210

Index

Room (2015) 248 Russian Doll (2019–present) 149

S

Saving Mr. Banks (2013) 38 Scene-by-Scene Outline (Breaking Story) 303–316 Character Map and 308 index cards and 303, 304, 307, 311–312 Sequence Theory and 310 subplots and 305–307 writing exercise 315–316 writing exercise example for Up 312–315 Schindler’s List (1993) 58 Scrubs (2001–2010) 168 Se7en (1995) 249 Seidler, David 304 Seinfeld (1989–1998) 137, 167 Shadow, Nemesis as 153–156 Shakespeare in Love (1998) Character Map 233 deconstruction in 64–65 disunity in 44–46 reconstruction in 85–86 role of fate in 125 unity in 103–106 Shameless (2011–present) 22 Shape of Water, The (2017) 145–147 Sharp Objects (2018) 37 Shawshank Redemption, The (1994) False Mentors in 181 Mentors in 178 Metamorphosis in 12–17 narrative imperative in 12–17 Tricksters in 206 Shield, The (2002–2008) 27 Shrek (2001) disunity elements in 39 Protagonist vs. Nemesis in 249 reconstruction in 80 Trickster in 202

335

Sideways (2004) 218 Silence of the Lambs, The (1991) Character Map 230–232 deconstruction in 59–61 disunity in 44–46 external and internal worlds in 125 Protagonist in 4 reconstruction in 80–82 unity in 99–100 Silicon Valley (2014–2019) 32, 39, 148 Silver Linings Playbook (2012) 37, 97 Sister Act 140 Sixth Sense, The (1999) 97 Sleepless in Seattle (1993) 162 Slumdog Millionaire (2008) 7, 210 Smith, Kirsten “Kiwi” 303 Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) 242 Social Network, The (2010) Character Archetypes in 142 disunity elements in 39 Nemesis as Shadow in 156 Protagonist who refuses to change in 27 Some Like It Hot (1959) 140 Sopranos, The (1999–2007) 32, 165, 286 Soul (2020) 287 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) Character Map 235 deconstruction in 69–71 disunity in 50–51 reconstruction in 90–92 role of fate in 125 unity in 110–113 Spirited Away (2001) 245 Stand By Me (1986) 167 Star, The (2017) 242 Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977) 8–9 narrative imperative in 9

336

Index

role of fate in 7–9 Tricksters in 198 Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 142 Star Wars universe, influence of Joseph Campbell on 5 Sting, The (1973) 167 Streaming services 22 Stream of Consciousness 263, 267, 272–273, 293, 307 Subplots 209–223 benefits of 209 definition of 209 Protagonist-Attractor 210–213 Protagonist-Mentor 213–217 Protagonist-Trickster 217–223 Succession (2018–present) 26, 156 Sunset Blvd. (1950) 217–218 Superman (1978) 151 Superman II (1980) 151 Swicord, Robin 264

T

Tampopo (1985) 181 Taxi (1978–1983) 168 Taxi Driver (1976) 31 Ten Major Plotline Points (Breaking Story) 294–301 All Is Lost 291, 298, 301, 307 deconstruction Test 291, 297, 300 denouement 291, 299, 301 final struggle 291, 299, 301 hook 291, 297, 300 lock 291, 297, 300 on the Offensive 291, 298, 301 opening 291, 297, 300 reconstruction test 291, 298, 301 transition 291, 298, 300 writing exercise 301 writing exercise example for Up 300–301 Terminator, The (1984) 185

Terminator 2-Judgment Day (1991) 151 Terms of Endearment (1983) 166 Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The (1974) 151 Thelma & Louise (1991) 167 Themeline. See Four Themeline Movements (Breaking Story) Themeline, definition of 117, 118, 280 Theory of Everything, The (2014) 149 30 Rock (2006–2013) 168 This Is Us (2016–present) 138, 165 Thor (2011) 151 Thor: Ragnarok (2017) 151 Thor: The Dark World (2013) 151 Three-Act Structure 275–277, 307 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) 32, 39, 80 Titanic (1997) 164, 210 To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) 197 Tootsie (1982) disunity elements in 38 Masks in 140 Protagonist-Attractor subplot in 165 reconstruction in 80 spine of plot created by Protagonist’s journey in 4 Trainspotting (1996) 36 Trainwreck (2015) 169 Transformation in Breaking Bad 44 Joseph Campbell on 278 Character Arc and 20 in The Dark Knight 136 deconstruction and 59, 72 disunity elements and 28–52 fate and 251 in Finding Nemo 124 individuation and 21 New Ways of Being and 75 positive 22

Index

Protagonist-Attractor subplot and 213 Protagonist’s Need and 246 Protagonist’s Unconscious Goal and 99 reconstruction and 76, 77, 290 self-destructive 30 in television storytelling 137 unity arc and 97, 99 see also Metamorphosis Transition (Plotline Point) 291, 298, 300 Trickster (Character Archetype) in Alien 204–205 in The Apartment 134 in Barry 138 in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) 201 in Bull Durham 202 in Casablanca 134 in The Dark Knight 136–137 definition of 132, 193, 195 in Firefly 200 in Juno 198 in To Kill a Mockingbird 197 in Killing Eve 139 in The Matrix 198 in Michael Clayton 201 in The Natural 205 in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 193–195 as shapeshifter 197–202 in The Shawshank Redemption 205–206 in Shrek 202 in The Social Network 136 in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope 198 as test 202 in True Grit 135–136 as will 203–206 in The Wizard of Oz 133

337

True Detective (Season One, 2014) 20, 286 True Self deconstruction and 56–57 definition of 55 denouement and 299 in The Hero’s Journey 288 inauthentic existence and 75 narrative imperative and 125 Plotline Points and 291, 299 proactive mode and 283 Protagonist’s Need and 245 unity and 113, 287 in The Wizard of Oz 56–57 see also Authentic Nature; Core Essence 12 Years a Slave (2013) 58, 96 Twin Peaks (2017) 148

U

Unconscious Goal in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 110 definition of 283, 287 final struggle and 99 in Inception 246 in The Lion King 246 in Rocky 246 in Shakespeare in Love 233 in The Silence of the Lambs 230 Ten Major Plotline Points and 296–299 Unity (Themeline Movement) Becoming Lovers narrative archetype 97 in Breaking Bad 101–103 Coming Home narrative archetype 96 definition of 19, 20, 95, 283–284 denouement and 299 Finding Home narrative archetype 96 formulaic storytelling and 23

338

Index

Four Themeline Movements of 32, 288, 290, 294 individuation and 23–24 integration in 95, 103, 106, 118 Metamorphosis in 19 narrative archetypes 96–99 recovery narrative archetype 97 resurrection narrative archetype 97 Saying Goodbye narrative archetype 97 in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 110–113 survival narrative archetype 96–97 victory narrative archetype 96 Unity Arc definition of 283 denouement and 299 Four Themeline Movements of 32, 283 in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 113 variations of 22, 95–99 Unorthodox (2020) 137–138 Up (2009) Character Map for 308–310 character relationships in 305–307 disunity elements in 39 final struggle and denouement outlines for 312–315 Four Primary Plotline Points in 279–280 Four Themeline Movements in 288–289 Master Brainstorming List for 269–273 Nemesis in 155 Protagonist Character Treatment for 252–254 reconstruction in 80 subplots in 305–307 Ten Major Plotline Points in 300–301 Usual Suspects, The (1995) 141

V

Verdict, The (1982) disunity elements in 36 Mentors in 181 reconstruction in 78–79 Veronica Mars (2004–2007) 36 Vertigo (1958) 149 V for Vendetta (2005) 149, 249 Victor Victoria (1982) 140

W

WALL-E (2008) 23–24 Watchmen (2019) 140 West Side Story (1961) 210 When Harry Met Sally… (1989) 97 Whiplash (2014) Disintegration Arc in 32 disunity elements in 39 Nemesis as Shadow in 155 Protagonist’s Want in 80 reconstruction in 80 story’s end point in 4 Wild (2014) 244 Withnail & I (1987) 167 Wizard of Oz, The (1939) 167 Character Archetypes in 133, 167 deconstruction in 56 disunity elements in 37 Mentors in 133, 178 Nemesis in 133 Protagonist’s Want in 244 psychological arc of Protagonist in 4 reconstruction in 76 Tricksters in 133 Wicked (Broadway musical) and 242 Wolf of Wall Street, The (2013) 214–215 Wonder Years, The (1988–1993) 163 Work (as Disunity element) 38

Index X

Yesterday (2019) 162, 183

X-Files, The (1993–2002, 2016, 2018) 168 Y

Z

Yentl (1983) 140

Zorba the Greek (1964) 186

339