Refusal of the Call/ Meeting with the Mentor

The chapter starts out with the Hero's refusal of the call to adventure. Refusal of the call is expected of the hero because he/she is stepping into an unfamiliar territory. Anyone would naturally be a little frightened about stepping out of their comfort zone, and possible getting harmed in some way. The audience becomes aware of the dangers posed by the adventure, when the hero is reluctant to go. Refusal involves avoidance and excuses. Prolonged refusal often leads to a tragic event, like a death or kidnapping. The reluctance of the hero is often overcome by a tragic event, motivating him/her to go on the adventure. Sometimes refusing the call to adventure benefits the hero: positive refusal. For example, a hero may refuse to rob a bank with other characters in the story. The characters may rob the bank and get arrested or even killed, making it a wise decision on the hero's part to not get involved. Writers also face positive refusal with the world around them. In order to sit down and wright a story, the writer must avoid distractions and temptations from their peers and surroundings. In other cases, the hero may not refuse the call at all. Willing heroes accept the call and do not worry about the consequences. This reminded me of Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump. When the storm hit them he hoisted himself up onto the mast, and began screaming at God to come get him. He was a willing hero because he wasn't afraid to face his own death.

The next chapter talked about the Mentors role in the heroes journey. Mentors provide the hero with protection, guidance, advice, and training. The hero looks for sources of wisdom before embarking on their adventure. Mentors are often the source of wisdom the hero needs. Mentors can also help the story get going, or get the writer out of a dead end. For example, Cinderella would never have been able to go to the ball if it weren't for her fairy god mother helping her out. Mentors and heroes can also have conflict between them. The hero may be ungrateful of the mentors help and either ignore, or be violent towards them. On the contrary, the mentor could turn on the hero and lead them astray. In addition, mentors can provide the story with humor and tragic relationships. In Lord of the Rings, the fellowships mentor Gandalf dies in a battle with a demon, leaving the fellowship feeling depressed and hopeless. Writers also seek guidance from mentors when they get writers block. They may go to a former teacher or fellow writer for ideas and inspiration.

When reading these chapters I reacted by thinking about a time I refused a call to adventure, and who my mentors are. I have use positive refusal to my friends when I have work that I need to get done. I often find it difficult to refuse all calls, especially when it's a nice day out and my roommate wants to go to the beach. I could also use my homework as a call to adventure. Prolonged refusal of this call leads to the tragic ending of bad grades. I use avoidance and excuses to justify my refusal of the call.

I would say that my most influential mentors would be my teachers and my mom. Any person who is older and connected to you in some way, could become a mentor. They have lived on this earth longer than you and could probably give you advice based on their past experiences. When I have problems with any aspect in my life I seek out my mentors for advice. I can also learn by listening to my mentors past experiences.

The use of mentors can be seen in the short story Indian Camp. A young boy and his father travel to an Indian Camp to help a woman in labor. The father is a doctor and is showing his son what his job is like. He is also showing his son pain and suffering, on top of the miracle of life. The young boy is the hero