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According to Campbell 1972:30, a scholar in myth studies, quest narrative that contain heroes and their journey involving universal structural
pattern: The standard path of the mythological adventure of the hero is
magnification of the formula represented in the rites of passage: separation – initiation – return; which might be named the nuclear unit of the
monomyth. A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and
decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons of his fellowman.
The hero learns to accept the difficult truth that all is in flux, that all must
change, that life is an unending cycle of deaths and rebirths, a discarding of the things that were meaningful yesterday for those that assume new significance as
the future unfolds. The heros willingness to undertake the quest is the sign that he understands and accepts these exacting conditions of human life. The hero must
know that to be static is to be dead. Thus, no matter what, he must undertake the journey, achieves the goals and returns to share the goals with society.
4. Christopher Vogler’s Mythic Structure
Campbell’s concept of the archetypes of hero’s journey has influenced Vogl
er’s works. Campbell defined the archetypes of hero’s journey structure into 17 stages that signify Separation-initiation-return, Vogler also summed up his
own as ordinary world-special world- ordinary world. It consists of 12 stages from three acts. Act one ordinary world consists of ordinary world, call to adventure,
refusal of the call, meeting with the mentor, crossing the first threshold. Act two special world consists of tests-allies-enemies, approach to the inmost cave, the
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crisis or supreme ordeal, and seizing the reward. Act three ordinary world consists of the road back, resurrection, and return with elixir Vogler, 2007: 6.
In the hero’s journey, a hero leaves his comfortable and ordinary environment into a challenging and unfamiliar world. That unfamiliar world is
usually a forest or a strange city that become an arena of the conflict between the hero protagonist and villain antagonist. In some stories, passage of the journey
is not always a real physical action of adventure. It could be in the mind, in the heart, or in the spirit of the hero, or in the realm of relationship of the hero with
her surroundings. The main purpose of the passage is that the hero is able to grow and change from being “despair to hope, weakness to strength, folly to wisdom,
love to hate, and back again” Vogler, 2007: 7 Thus, according to Vogler 2007: 10-
18, in his structure of hero’s journey, at first heroes are introduced in the ordinary world, where they receive
the call to adventure. Generally, they are reluctant at first or refuse the call, but are encouraged by a mentor to cross the first threshold and enter the unfamiliar place
which Vogler called it as the special world. Within the special world, they encounter tests, allies, and enemies. Then, they approach the inmost cave and
crossing a second threshold where they endure the ordeal. After the heroes pass the ordeal or defeat the enemy, they can take possession of their reward and are
pursued on the road back to the ordinary world. The reward is not always a physical object or treasure; yet it could be gaining new knowledge or personal
growth. In the road back, they cross the third threshold that is an experience of resurrection or another climatic event. After being transformed by experiences and
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becoming a new personality, they return with the elixir, that is a boon or treasure that they share with other people in the ordinary world.
a. Act 1 Separation – Ordinary World
This is the first section of the story. In this part, the hero is introduced that he is receiving unexpected call and being separated from the known world to enter
an unknown through labyrinths and some dilemma. This section consists of stage 1 to stage 5, they are;
1 Stage 1: The Ordinary World
In presenting stories through novel, film, theatre, film, or TV shows, its storytellers utilize the very first part before the beginning of the story by
providing some aspects like metaphoric title and its design cover, opening image or shot, and prologue. The aim is to hook the readers or viewers with certain
atmosphere so that they can shape a frame of reference to experience its story they are going to read or watch in a better way. In the same purpose, the ordinary
world although it is set in a mundane or familiar environment where the hero is presented, it provides an impression and such interesting tone to hook the readers
about what problems may happen in the story. Since the crucial problems in every story happen in the middle or in the special world, the ordinary world must be
formed to explain that the story begins from a comfort zone where the hero has not received any significant trouble, like what Vogler states:
Because so many stories are journeys that take heroes and audiences to Special Worlds, most begin by establishing an Ordinary World as a
baseline for comparison. The Special World of the story is only special if we can see it in contrast to a mundane world of everyday affairs from
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which the hero issues forth. The Ordinary World is the context, home base, and background of the hero. 2007: 87
Not only creating the contrast against the special world, Vogler also provides other characteristics and the functions of the ordinary world in his book.
The first is making an entrance that is how the readers first experience the hero with his or her appearance and behaviour. Meanwhile the second is introducing
the hero to the readers so that they could identify themselves into the story, because the universal mood and unique characters that are presented appeal the
readers to feel equal to them. The third is showing hero’s lack, wounds, inner and outer problem. Hero’s lack and wounds help to create sympathy for the hero, and
draw the readers into the desiring for unite completely with the hero. While the inner and outer problem is to humanize the hero that every human need to learn
something, grow and deal with a moral dilemma or challenges of life 2007: 83- 97
The fourth characteristic and function is suggesting the dramatic question of the story, for a good story always poses a series of question about the hero. The
fifth is presenting exposition and back-story. Back-story is all relevant or additional information about the hero’s background and history while exposition
is the way back-stories are revealed gracefully. The sixth is stating the theme of the story that is an underlying statement or assumption about an aspect of life
which is applied in the story. In other words, it is to discover what the quality or idea of a story is really about. Above all, the last characteristic of the ordinary
world is foreshadowing the model of the special world. Some battles and moral
