Summer SAVY 2017, Session 2/Day 1- Me, Myself, and the Monomyth (Rising 6th/7th)

Posted by morganr1 on Monday, June 19, 2017 in SAVY.

Structuralism is a branch of literary theory that posits that there is an overarching structure that is common throughout different stories. This week we are focusing on the structuralist theories of Joseph Campbell and others to better understand why stories are told in a specific way.

The beginning of almost every story establishes an ordinary world and a main character who is then beckoned to leave their ordinary world and enter into a new adventure.

We used the first quarter of Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” to better understand an early chapter of Harry Potter and the beginnings of films such as Paddington, Kubo, and Zootopia.

We then set out to write our own stories which embodied the traits of a classic story with a clear protagonist, conflict, and a mentor.

Over dinner, try asking your child to identify protagonist and mentor relationships in their favorite narratives (my favorite is Yoda and Luke Skywalker).

Mr. Rhoads