Whiteboard Notations & Grand Argument Storymind Notes on TKAM

Two weeks ago I filled a white board with comments made during the conference call my sisters and father had after reading Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.  Here they are, in no particular order or significance...

exagerated characters
say-go-be-didn't
suck in your stomach and put some color on
rules of southern women
fringe people
It's not time to worry yet
embarrassed of her dad
tolerance
Daddy/Atticus parallels
weak excuses
side stories make it palatable to a Southern audience
not just an Uncle Tom's Cabin story
both a principle and issue book
careful observing of human nature
insight into human nature
that's just what happened to Joseph (archetype)
say so much with a little phrase
profiling
what is the "static" in our lives preventing us from hearing calls for help
background--literacy--how long your family's been reading
faulting Atticus (or ourselves) for allowing vulnerability
prejudice is pervasive
Civil Right's couldn't have happend before the Salk vaccine
social situations in the South are complex
Dill ran away because he wasn't needed (or didn't feel needed)

I led the discussion, beginning with a brief overview of the Grand Argument Story as explained by Tracy and Laura Hickman at a "Big Read" event I attended a year ago.  They explained that there are four journeys in a story-- the Objective Journey, the Main Character Journey, the Impact Character Journey, and the Subjective Journey.  Their engaging power-point lecture draws speculations and input from the audience.  Eventually it is clear that in THIS story the Objective Journey is the trial of Tom Robinson.  The entire town is interested in this event.  This is a journey of prejudice.  The Main Character Journey would be Scout's.  We see the events through her eyes.  The Impact Character Journey is Arthur Radley's (or Boo's).  He impacts Scout the most.  His influence is felt throughout the story (as suggested on the first page of the book).  The Subjective Journey is that of both Scout and Boo--their story of overcoming their own prejudices and preconceptions.

I am not saying here that I necessarily agree with this.  Some might say that Boo is a Christ archetype.  Possibly more on that later.

Speaking of Character Archetypes, the Hickmans go on to explain the Drivers of the Story (or those that move the story forward) and the Passengers of the Story (or those that are taken along for the ride).  The Drivers are the Protagonist (or hero), the Contagonist (the one with his or her own agenda, a manipulator, a puppet master), the Guardian (the protector, always weak), and the Antagonist (or the bad guy, as it were).  The Passengers of the story are the Skeptic (disbelieving, questioning), the Reason (thinks everything through), the Emotion (feels deeply, acts according to feelings), and the Sidekick (hopeful, believing, faith).  Now the fun begins.  Who is who in this story?  Here are the names:  Tom Robinson, May Ella Ewell, Atticus, Bob Ewell, Jem, Scout, Arthur Radley, Dill, and Calpurnia.  Now to plug them into their roles in the story.  (I won't give away here all the fun the Hickman's have drawing the conclusions out of the audience).

I neglected to share the Mythological Cycle of the Journey Story (again as outlined by the Hickmans).  First, the main character crosses a threshold (a point of no return or the first step which takes him or her into the unknown)--the "Threshold Crossing".  A Helper comes.  There is a "call to adventure".  A "prize" is gained (or the person is changed, experiences character growth).  The "threshold" is crossed again.  This is the "Threshold Return".   But this is not the end.  There is a "Return to the world", "Attaining the prize", "Helpers" again, and "Tests".  The Hickmans also call this the Storymind.

My teenage daughter explains this cycle using the movie "Up".  In her words, "Mr. Fredricson wants to go on an adventure.  A boy called Russel comes and helps him.  They cross the threshold when they go through a storm.  A test they go through is trying to return the bird to its home before the other evil guy can get it.  More helpers come in the characters of Doug the dog and the bird.  They do get the bird back to its home.  The go back to society.  They have crossed the threshold back home.  The prize is they both have grown and learned that relationships are an adventure."