All stories are the same story

Quote :

“There is one story and one story only
That will prove worth your telling...”
Robert Graves

The stories of Jim Harvey of “Tumbleweed,” Luke Skywalker of the Star Wars saga, and Audie Murphy are all versions of the same story, a tale that has been told and retold from our prehistoric beginnings, across every culture. It is the story of the mythological hero. These heroic legends all share the same basic structure, one that wells up from our unconscious, and one that we recognize and respond to most strongly when we have the most need for its retelling.
Introduction to A Myth in Action by Ann Levngston Joiner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z4EGRMCrJY

Annie

1/5/2013

Is there a site you can use free clip art or photo art

I'm looking for picture of three young boys backs to you

pulling a red wagon ? Thanks..

Cheers..Joe..

That's a pretty specific image, Joe. It might be hard to find.

You can find free and public domain clip art through google or any search engine. Once you find a site, search for something like "boys and wagon," and browse through to see if there is something you can work with.

Ann,

Well said!

On one level, there is precious little that is new under the sun--nothing new at all if one looks to Hollywood where they specialize in the subtle and blatant exploitation of the same old ideas with precious little added in the retelling. ("Homage" in Hollywood means "be honored that I plagiarized you.") But even there we find an occasional pearl worth keeping.

As human beings within the limits of our five senses we experience the same tragedies and triumphs (large and small), the same pain and pleasure, the same yearning and angst born of the human condition. Throughout history we have codified these into the collective myths and archetypes that provide us with a sort of shorthand hard wired into our conscious and subconscious minds for understanding aspects of the human condition. We've weaved cautionary and inspirational tales like children putting together blocks to represent in rough form a representational vision of aspects of the human condition. Artists then breathed life into these through their talents in paintings, sculptures, drawings, music and, of course, words.

Some inarticulate, untalented sods simply copy others' visions, regardless of the form that their art takes. But talented artists can still transform our myths and archetypes into glorious works that move us and provide a different perspective, whether they break new ground or stick closely to the familiar themes. We don't need to know anything about Jung, about myths and archetypes, art or literature to connect with a well executed story. At some level, we viscerally understand the nature of the trickster, or the hero, or the Byronic antihero, for that matter, through our common experience as human beings who happen to read (and/or watch movies).

When we break out of the mold we get Waiting for Godot or The Cube. I get their message--or at least I can intelligently construct an analysis of what I think the authors were trying to say about the human condition in the respective play/movie. But I'd rather read/watch/listen to Moby Dick or a terrific retelling of the story (Jaws), or revisit the heroic ideals of Hector and Achilles (gosh, not in any movie I've seen) in, say, Gladiator or the Star Wars sagas, and the the satanic antihero in Milton's Paradise Lost or Star Trek's The Wrath of Kahn than see an endless pantheon of "novel" artists translate wonderfully meaningless visions of a dot on a canvas, a vulva on a plate, or some uninspiring idiot walking about lost in the desert for an hour and a half. Those pieces of "art" tell me nothing beyond the vacuousness of the artist's talent--and mind. If I want stories that convey the meaninglessness of life, or the exploitation of human beings, or the pain in the human condition I can watch television (especially during the day or in the wee hours of the morning) or, for that matter, take a walk down any inner city street at midnight.

Interesting thread. Human tragedy takes various forms and yet there is much in common with those who have gone before. Whether it be personal assault or being placed in danger, the angst is there.
There is much that can be learned about a good story that can allow the reader to experience the emotions of the characters. How people react varies. Some become calm in the face of adversity while others may panic. What is it that triggers these emotions?
Two days ago, my wife was telling my son about our abduction in Beirut. She couldn't believe how calm I was while she was in a panic. "Dad said, don't worry, everything will be alright. And when Dad says not to worry, that's when I know it's time to worry." (She said that jokingly). She went on to explain the details of how she felt. She had an urge to go to the toilet. She wondered what she would do if they dragged me away. Would she grab hold of me and scream or what? I had similar feelings wondering what I would do if they took my wife away from me. We don't know how we will or would react until the situation calls for it. I feel I know what I would have done, but it was not necessary to put it to the test.

We learn of rape victims and how some fought to defend themselves while others surrendered knowing that the more they struggled, the more they would be harmed. Each person reacts in their own way. There is seldom time to consider or contemplate the move one will make and therefore reacting instinctively is often what happens. How do these instincts come to the fore? Is there something in ones background that prepared them for such an emergency? Don Stephens writes about that in his Halo novels that reflect the training one received. How that would apply to other emergency situations, is not certain.

Victor - I can see you "get it."

Thought of a few things as I was reading your response that you might find interesting.

Universal's 1955 film, "To Hell and Back," starring Audie Murphy as himself, held the studio's record for highest grossing film for twenty years, when it was replaced by "Jaws."

The plot of one of Murphy's best films, 1953's "Gunsmoke," was borrowed by the TV series, The Virginian (another Universal production, so I guess it's OK), for a segment called "Ryker," during the 2nd year of the series, to introduce a new regular, Deputy Sheriff (later Sheriff) Emmett Ryker, played by actor Clu Gulager. Emmett Ryker was my primary source for the character, Jake Holder, in Redstone Stories and Redstone's Valley, so I guess all of my stories are the same story, too.

My OP seems to be generating several comments that are a bit "off topic." Maybe that is connected to the title. If "all stories tell the same story," then anything goes, I guess.

One of those items, though, has to do with something extremely important: Abe's comment on rape and the varying reactions of the victims. I would say that there is no inappropriate response to the circumstance, as the responsibility falls entirely on the perpetrator - in every instance. Period. It is most important that the victim understands that. The circumstances for every victim are unique, and responses are based on a large number of factors. I'm not sure what the connection between instinctive behavior and the archetypal collective is, but maybe, especially when the discussions covers such serious actions and consequences, this topic deserves its own thread.

Why can't I see the graphic in the beginning post?

There is no graphic. There is a video.

I can't see it either.

I've linked this page before, but I cannot find where - it was too long ago.

This site is still a fantastic place to learn the process of the Hero's Journey, and tips for writing your own hero stories.

It has - for better or worse - had a profound influence on my work:

http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/ref/summary.html

Ann,

Audie Murphy is a perfect example of the hero in life and film. I loved the movie and admire the man. The success of the movie and its box office draw is unsurprising. How on earth can one not be moved by a dyed in the wool hero playing himself. He IS the archetype come to life--the flesh and blood Achilles without the bravado or Hector with better luck. We throw around the word "hero" as though it referred only to a type of sandwich. When faced with heroism of the real kind, we react predictably: appreciation, awe, gratitude and, if we're honest, an acknowledgment of our own relative insignificance in comparison to the embodiment of the archetype.

In the absence of an Audie, we turn to Quequeg, Supergirl, Captain Kirk, Wonder Woman, Neo, Laura Croft, Maximus, or any number of other fictional incarnations of the archetype. And that's just fine, as long as we don't forget the real heroes like Audie, Joan of Arc, Maria Pita (there's one you never heard of from my neck of the woods), Mahatma Gandhi, Sir Thomas More and the countless other flesh and blood embodiments of the archetype who ignored the gravest danger to themselves and were willing to face the ultimate sacrifice for their country, religion, principles--not for glory or posterity but simply because they could do no less being who they were.

alice wrote:

I can't see it either.

I added the YouTube link, Alice - it is really a delightful little video. Hope you take the time to watch.

Alice,

You most likely need to install the Adobe extension for your browser. You can find it here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Dear Victor,

You forgot Wooffer in you list of "heros."

Love,

Betty

Yeah, add Wooffer - and Daniel Redstone

...and Russell Crowe.

And Harvey Lee Yeary?

Thank you, Ann!

I'll second the additions. Pencil in their creators, too.

I did not mean to side track this thread. Annie is right. We all write the same story, live the same lives, harken to the same angel. The beauty of it is that we see it all with our own eye. Love,

Betty

And it's that "own eye" that makes each version of the story so special.

Did you sidetrack the thread? I didn't notice.