Hero's Journey Archetype: The Mentors Gift

[Black Razor]

Sup ya'll....

Been a while....been busy with life and all. Back now and hoping to dedicate myself to the novel for a while.

Anyhow, I've been studying formal literary theory, and been taking a psychology class in school, both of which have given me a new perspective about my writing process.

Subconciously, for quite some time I suppose, I have been considering taking a character that I created in a completely organic matter and making her my protagonist. Remi, a 17 year old girl with an abusive background, posessess very strong psychokinetic power.

As a child she witnessed her family being brutally murdered, though unknown to her brother survived. Her brother actually becomes the antagonist, though this is very deeply hidden and isnt revealed until the end of the story.

She was kidnapped, tortured, abused physically and mentally. She finally snaps, kills everything in a ten mile radius with a psychokinetic blast...lives on the streets for a while...and is then found by what used to be my main character, but now I am reworking him into a mentor.

Which leads me to my actual question....

Traditionally the Hero's Journey archetype involves a series of mentors who are part wizard, part wise man, and part surrogate parent. These mentors of course must die in order for the Hero to come into their own. Often, in the beginning of the journey the Hero receives some kind of gift from their first mentor that inevitably will aid them in their quest. Also quite often, this gift seems to have immediate signifigance...ie Frodo's Ring and Lukes Lightsaber....and perhaps there is something in Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Anyhow, this gift is a tradition in classic storytelling...and I intend to put it into my story. However, as I prefer an organic storytelling process. As such, I am stuck on what this item should be for my heroine.

Does anyone have ideas on what questions I should ask myself in order to figure out what this gift should be?

~BR

 

[Pantheon]

Bascially, the gift can be anything, depending on whats its primary function will be. A good gift could be her mothers necklace that was given to her by her father. The mentor could find this, and keep it, knowing it will supress her psychokinetic powers. Or on the alternate, the mentor could give her a rare artifact, coveted amongst psychokinetics for its power increasing ability.

Also the gift doesn't have to be a solid object, the gift he could be giving her is life and freedom. He could take her away from the hostile evironment she is in now, and let her live a life she should have had, filled with joy and happiness. *Enter antagonist to ruin the day*

That sort of thing

 

[Lith]

I wouldn't worry about fitting your story in with the typical hero's journey- if it's good, it's good regardless of whether it fits a pattern. But since you said you want it, go for it, even if you don't know what it is yet.

I recently finished my first draft of my first book (first one completed, that is), and my heroine got a magic necklace, which I felt the story needed, and which yet I couldn't figure out the significance of, until I was literally wrapping the story up, and then I was suddenly able to tie it in backwards into what I had written. Not that I would make a general recommendation to put stuff in without understanding where you intend to take it, but sometimes it can work out better that way.

So, for advice, maybe just look around your house or room at some of the stuff that people have given you, which means something to you. It doesn't have to be valuable or even durable stuff- I have a handkerchief from my grandfather which is worthless except that it's the only thing of his that I have, and wearing it reminds me of him. It's not even something to be proud of, really, since he used it as a handkerchief instead of a hair tie, but whatever- I washed it, and it's the sentiment that counts, right?

 

[James Beam]

Sup ya'll....

Been a while....been busy with life and all. Back now and hoping to dedicate myself to the novel for a while.

Anyhow, I've been studying formal literary theory, and been taking a psychology class in school, both of which have given me a new perspective about my writing process.

Subconciously, for quite some time I suppose, I have been considering taking a character that I created in a completely organic matter and making her my protagonist. Remi, a 17 year old girl with an abusive background, posessess very strong psychokinetic power.

As a child she witnessed her family being brutally murdered, though unknown to her brother survived. Her brother actually becomes the antagonist, though this is very deeply hidden and isnt revealed until the end of the story.

She was kidnapped, tortured, abused physically and mentally. She finally snaps, kills everything in a ten mile radius with a psychokinetic blast...lives on the streets for a while...and is then found by what used to be my main character, but now I am reworking him into a mentor.

Which leads me to my actual question....

Traditionally the Hero's Journey archetype involves a series of mentors who are part wizard, part wise man, and part surrogate parent. These mentors of course must die in order for the Hero to come into their own. Often, in the beginning of the journey the Hero receives some kind of gift from their first mentor that inevitably will aid them in their quest. Also quite often, this gift seems to have immediate signifigance...ie Frodo's Ring and Lukes Lightsaber....and perhaps there is something in Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Anyhow, this gift is a tradition in classic storytelling...and I intend to put it into my story. However, as I prefer an organic storytelling process. As such, I am stuck on what this item should be for my heroine.

Does anyone have ideas on what questions I should ask myself in order to figure out what this gift should be?

~BR

Way to late to be of any use to the OP, but an interesting question nonetheless and I came across something that may hint an answer.

Kal Bashir argues that the supernatural aid's magical gift is used to

a) repress the ultimate antagonism. So in Star Wars, Ben Kenobi's light sabre is used to defeat Vader and the Emperor.

or

b) to pass into a new world. So in the Matrix, the pill allows Neo to cross over.

or

c) resolves a later challenge. I can't think of an example, but i'm sure there is one.

So you're answer is going to be related to your particular monster and hero's challenge.

Anyway...hope you finished your story

 

[Brian G Turner]

Possibly, the gift itself is simply knowledge, and everything else is a tool.

Frodo's ring wasn't really a gift as much as a plot device to define the purpose of the story, and Luke didn't actually need the light saber to defeat Darth Vader - it was simply a tool to use in the process.