Blog 3

Victoria Lynn Schmidt’s template for the heroine’s journey provides a useful framework for analyzing the character development of female protagonists in literature and film. The template consists of nine steps, which outline the protagonist's transformation from a state of ignorance and innocence to a state of self-awareness and empowerment. Each step represents a key moment in the protagonist's journey, and together they provide a comprehensive roadmap for understanding the heroine's journey.

One of the strengths of Schmidt’s template is that it emphasizes the importance of the protagonist's internal journey. While external events and challenges may play a role in the heroine's journey, the focus is on the protagonist's inner transformation. This focus on the internal journey allows for a more nuanced and complex portrayal of the protagonist's character development, as opposed to a more simplistic "hero saves the day" narrative.

An example of a popular novel that follows Schmidt’s template is Suzanne Collins's “The Hunger Games”. The story’s protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, begins her journey in a state of relative innocence and ignorance about the world around her. She lives in District 12, a poor and marginalized region of the country of Panem, and her primary concern is providing for her family. However, at the beginning of the story when she volunteers to participate in the Hunger Games, a deadly competition in which children from each district fight to the death, she is thrust into a world of violence and betrayal. This shift from blissful ignorance to harsh truth is a good example of the Betrayal step.

The Betrayal/Disillusionment step of Schmidt’s template is particularly evident in The Hunger Games. Katniss is initially idealistic about the Games, believing that she can win and provide a better life for her family. While nobody is truly happy about being selected, the fame and money that comes after are inviting to anyone. However, as she becomes more involved in the competition, she realizes that the world and government she believed to be just and fair are, in fact, corrupt and cruel. The revelation that the Hunger Games are designed to maintain the Capitol's power and control over the districts is a significant moment in Katniss's journey. It marks the beginning of her disillusionment with the world around her and sets the stage for her transformation.

The Rebirth step of Schmidt’s template is also evident in The Hunger Games. This step represents the moment when the protagonist realizes their true purpose or calling. For Katniss, this moment comes when she decides to defy the rules of the Hunger Games and act as a beacon of hope for the other contestants. She uses her skills as a hunter to provide food for the other competitors, and her acts of kindness and compassion inspire them to form an alliance. This calling is especially evident at the end of the story when Katniss refuses to kill Peeta and they decide to eat the nightlock berries and lose together. This decision marks a significant turning point in Katniss's journey, as she shifts from a passive participant to an active agent of change and a symbol of rebellion against the Capitol.

While Schmidt’s template provides a useful framework for understanding the heroine's journey, I noticed that it is not without its limitations. One criticism of the template that I found is that it can oversimplify the complexity of the protagonist's journey. The template presents a linear path, where the protagonist moves through each step in a predetermined order. However, in reality, a character's journey may be more complex and nonlinear, with moments of regression and self-doubt.

Another possible limitation of the template is that it removes a lot of innovation from novel and movie writing. With the rise of streaming services, the way that viewers consume stories has drastically changed. These "new" mediums create opportunities for new kinds of storytelling. While there certainly are exceptions, many authors fall into the conventional "hero on a journey" archetype without changing the plot enough to make it stand out.

In conclusion, Victoria Lynn Schmidt’s template for the heroine's journey provides a useful framework for analyzing the character development of female protagonists in literature and film. The template emphasizes the importance of the protagonist's internal journey, and each step represents a key moment in the protagonist's transformation. While the template may have limitations in its linearity and narrow focus on the internal journey, it provides a comprehensive roadmap for understanding the heroine's journey. The example of The Hunger Games demonstrates how the template can be applied to popular novels and films, highlighting the importance of the different steps in Schmidt’s Heroine’s journey.