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We've all heard of Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Christopher Vogler adapted the Hero's Journey into The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Vogler said, "The archetypes [the Hero, the Mentor, the Threshold Guardian, the Herald, the Shapeshifter, the Shadow, the Ally, and the Trickster] can be thought of as masks, worn by the characters temporarily as they are needed to advance a story" (24).
With the help of Vogler's The Writer's Journey, today I'd like to discuss The Shadow.
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"Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody." ~ Mark Twain
The Shadow archetype represents the dark side of human nature and is often embodied in the form of a villain: the Joker, Darth Vader, Moriarty, Captain Hook, Nurse Ratched, Annie Wilkes, Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde is also the epitome of my favorite type of Shadow: the secret, internal darkness of an otherwise "good" character, oftentimes the hero himself. "Shadows can be all the things we don't like about ourselves, all the dark secrets we can't admit, even to ourselves. The qualities we have renounced and tried to root out still lurk within, operating in the Shadow world of the unconscious" (65).
The first character that came to mind when I read the "Shadow" chapter in Vogler's The Writer's Journey was Seth Gabel as Cotton Mather in the TV series Salem (probably because I'd watched the most recent episode the night before). In this historical fiction drama, Minister Mather has journeyed to Salem in an attempt to rid the town of "witches" before Satan and his minions destroy the community. Mather preaches godliness and propriety in public while frequenting taverns and brothels in private. He is two-faced--the two sides of his personality in direct opposition with each other, and this is what makes him interesting.
"It's important to remember in designing stories that most Shadow figures do not think of themselves as villains or enemies. From his point of view, a villain is the hero of his own myth, and the audience's hero is his villain" (68). Allowing this paragraph to sink in was an "Ah-ha!" moment for me. How many of us have met less-than-savory individuals who don't have a clue (or at least pretend not to) that they're complete and total jackasses? As far as they're concerned, everything bad that's ever happened to them is someone else's--everyone else's--fault. Their plight has nothing whatsoever to do with the poor choices they've made, the questionable people they surround themselves with, or the deplorable way they treat others. They're the victims, and everyone else is out to get them.
"The hero's greatest opponent is his own Shadow." ~ Christopher Vogler
Whether you choose a separate individual as villain or reveal your hero's dark passenger (Showtime's Dexter is another good example, as is Walter White in AMC's Breaking Bad), the Shadow archetype is one of the funnest, most interesting characters to write, watch, and read. They thrill, titillate, tease, and transgress, so tap, tap, tap away on that typewriter toot sweet!
Thank you for reading, and please join me on June 18 when we discuss the next archetype, The Ally.
"We all need to look into the dark side of our nature. That's where the energy is, the passion. People are afraid of that because it holds pieces of us we're busy denying." ~ Sue Grafton
Works Cited:
 Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Studio City: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998. Print.
For other newsletters in this series, see the links below:
Part 1--"I Need a Hero"
Part 2--"M is for Mentor"
Part 3--"The Threshold Guardian"
Part 4--"The Herald"
Part 5--"The Shapeshifter"
Part 6--"The Shadow"
Part 7--"The Ally"
Part 8--"The Trickster" |
I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. Please do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
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#1976250 by Not Available. |
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#1485856 by Not Available. |
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In this story of frustration and struggle nature can be a savior or the greatest enemy .
#1435435 by audra_branson  |
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The Goldman Series I: A day of disaster and decision, Jack first senses his lifelong enemy
#1053523 by Jack Goldman  |
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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The following is in response to "The Shapeshifter" :
Quick-Quill  writes, "I've never seen this movie [The Shape of Things]. It's the same with Sleeping with the Enemy. I can't watch that one because the beginning hits too close to home at one time. Change can be good. When someone tries to manipulate a person for their own pleasure, self-worth, power/control, or remake them into the friend they lost, it makes a good story, horror or psychotic." Yes, they are difficult to watch for sure. And haunting. 
Elfin Dragon-finally published writes, "I like this newsletter and your take on Shape-shifters. Especially since I'm writing a story where my main character is a shape-shifter and there is a definite distinction between what a shape-shifter is and a changeling. In this case it's a part of world building; know what you what your character to be and what surrounds him/her." Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. And thank you for reading and commenting! 
A*Monaing*Faith writes, "oooooo intriguing shapeshifter element! I do love visual prompts, I'll have to watch this movie it looks good; I think it's the mark of a great cinematic piece when it sticks with you, good or bad, it invoked some STRONG emotions." Yes, it certainly does. After I wrote this newsletter, I recorded the film to my DVR and watched it again with my son and husband. They'd never see it before, and they had the same visceral reaction I did all those years ago. 
BIG BAD WOLF is Merry  writes, "You want a Shapeshifter---William Fichtner in Drive Angry. This guy, at first, is hunting down Nicholas Cage because Cage's character is an undead murderer who busted out of Hell. However, when The Accountant, William's Character, finds out why Cage busted out, he ends up helping the guy out, to a degree. I'll never be able to listen to the song "That's the Way I like It" the same way again. I'll be envisioning a Propane Truck going through a police roadblock with William in the driver's seat, humming to the song, before opening the door, and stepping out onto the hood of a police cruiser." Now THAT is an intriguing review! I'll definitely add it to my queue. I love Cage anyway and am a little shocked that I've never heard of this film. Thanks for the head's up! 
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Short Stories: May 21, 2014 Issue [#6325]
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