Monday 6 October 2014

Cars - A Hero's Journey


Ordinary World: 

The ordinary world to the hero is the world of racing.

The Call to Adventure:

Hero's world is suddenly changed when he falls off the back of his lorry and ends up in Radiator Springs.

Refusal to the Call:

Wants to get back to his world of racing.

Meeting the Mentor:

Meets Doc Hudson, who he realizes is the Hudson Hornet, a famous racer.

Crossing the Threshold:

Commits to staying to fix the damage he caused.

Tests, Allies and Enemies:

Forms friendships with the people in the town and is tested by Doc Hudson.

Approach:

Being trained on a dirt track to try and get better at racing.

The Ordeal (Death and Rebirth):

Finishes fixing the road, but gains a new respect for the town and the people who live there.

The Reward:

The friendship of the town.

The Road Back:

The championship race, now has the support of his new friends as his new pit crew.

The Resurrection:

When he could win the race he stops and goes back to push Weathers over the finish line so he can finish his last race.

The Elixir:

Starts up his headquarters in the town to bring tourists back to the town and save it.

1 comment:

  1. Cars is possibly a harder journey to define in terms of the Hero's journey steps because the main character is already a hero in his own world (a special world - we assume that he has already been on one journey to be a success). He is then forced (by fate) out of his comfort zone to a simpler place (back to an ordinary world) where he's asked to redefine his interpretation of both worlds. E.g...which one is special..in the end he has to find a way to combine both. His journey has no real quest as such (from his point of view) other than to leave the town and return to his previous life. I would argue that Cars is more of a post hero's journey story for those reasons.

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