Blog # 12: Prewritten: The Alchemist

The Alchemist is a story of shepherd boy named Santiago. He had a peaceful and happy life with his flock, but one day sleeping at an old ruined church in Spain where sherperds used to sleep, under a sycamore tree, he had a dream that reveals a hidden trasure buried at the Egyptian Pyramids. Santiago wanted to turn that dream into true, so he decided to consult a Gypsy woman who can help to interpret his dream. She told him that his dream is in the language of the world, and if he goes over there he will find a great treasure. Her answer related to the treasure was not clear to Santiago. In fact, he thought that her interpretation was helpless and waste of time, though. Later, Santiago decided to buy a thick book in order to spend his time doing something productive. In the same day, Santiago met an old man who told him how he could get his treasure. Of course Santiago was surprised about the words mentioned by the old man when he did not even mentioned about his dream. The old told him that he knew how he could find his treasure, as a result, he had to pay him with 1/10 of his flock. This old man was a king of Salem in Tarifa, and he told the boy about his own dream in which he succeded in discovering his Personal Legend. Now the king helped him to discover his real obligation in this world, so he gave to the boy two rocks, Urim and Thumin, which help him to make decisions when he got problems on his path. Santiago decided to follow his dream after that, but when he got in Africa he was robbed. Santiago without any penny in his pocket he decided to look for a job. And, he worked at a crystal glasses store for many months.

Bog 11: My chosen Story

The Achemist by Paulo Coelho is going to be my story because it has an important message to people of pursuing a dream. Also, I would like to talk about it because this story has many elements of the Hero Quest. The plot of this amazing story is based on Paulo Coehlo experiences during his learning of lessons of life. His example of a young shepherd who has to accomplish a journey to fulfill his personal legend and find his treasure in the Pyramids of Egypt is the process that he had to going trough to become mature, smart, and hard worker. Moreover, there is an entry of this novel in wikipedia.org.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alchemist_(novel)

Blog 10: Reflexion

Nowadays, It is more interesting to watch a movie because I've learned how to analyzed it. On a movie, its elemets, symbols and archetypes are the main points to get a full understanding of it. The Hero's Quest has been a guide for me because it helps me to indentified the small details that are present on a movie. Furthermore, Joseph Campbell with his teaching of Monomyth contributed me to understand better a hero's journey in which shows hero's challenges to acomplish his/her goal.

Blog 9: Hero's Quest

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 adventure and science fiction produced by Walt Disney.This amazing movie has action, adventure, and fantasy. Its environment has magic, curse, and supernatural events. These all complements help to the audience to believe in creatures and fantasy worlds.
This movie follows the steps of the Hero's Quest described by Joseph Campell because it contains a popular hero as the pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Jack has a challenging mission to accoplish through his journey because he has to face many obstacles and personal problems that he has for being a pirate.
This amazing movie begings when the Commodor James Norrington (Jack Davenport) of the British Royal Navy proposes to Elizabeth (Keira Knigtley), but before she can answer, she faint and fall off the rampart into the bay. The medallion she wears emits a pulse. That medallion belongged to Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) was a pirate, but thanks to Elizabeth no body knew about it. Later at the same time, the pirate Jack Sparrow arrived in Port Royal to commander a ship, but he rescues Elizabeth from the bay water. Jack was unluckly that he was recognized as a pirate and was arrested. Jack with his ingenious and abilities tried to escaped from them by threatening Elizabeth. He doesnot escaped for long time because he was captured in the workplace of Willian Turner with who had a fight of swords. Jack was unfotunately knocked unconcious by Mr Brown with a bottle. Later, he was jailed and judged to be hanged the next day. Moreover, that night Port Royal was attacked by the Black Pearl ship in response to the medallion pulse. The Black Pearl was commanded by the Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and its crew. This ship was known as a ghost ship that causes destruction and dead. However, that night during the invation Elizabeth was kidnapped by the Black Pearl's pirats because she had something that belongged to them. It was a medallion that was stolen, and it cursed over the Black Pearl pirates.
After, the attack of the Black Pearl Will and Jack had a conversation in which Jack reveals his true allegiance and battles Barbossa. As a result, Will heps Jack to escaped from jail because Jack was the only person who can help Will to rescue Elizabeth. Jack , Will and a group of crazy pirates went to rescue Elizabeth. During their adventure Jack got a lot of information about Will Turner whose father was a pirate and his father stole a gold medallion from a box full of them. Once the medallion was stolen it cursed over the Black Pearl creating immortality on its crew. The curse over the pirates was notorious when the night time or obscurity showed up the pirates turned into immortal skeletons. Jack also told Will that his father was a pirate and he has pirat blood running into his veins, but Will did not accept to be a pirate. The Captain Jack and his crew was closed to the place where the Captain Barbossa was hidden and where he kept captured Elizabeth. Jack and his knowledge about the place make a plan to save Elizabeth from it. This place was glommy, scary and hell untill certain point.
Jack and his crew entered to the caves where the Pearl's pirates where hiddden with their gold fortune. One more time, he arrived at the same time that the Captain Barbossa was almost trying to kill Elizabeth because Barbossa thought that sacrificing her together with the medallion the curse will be gone. Jack was trying to negotiate with Barbossa about the freedom of Elizabeth while Barbossa was surprised to see Jack after long time. Will was alert about the situation that was happening. But, for certain reasons a battle took place inside the cave because Jack's crew and Will were trying to get Elizabeth Freedom and Jack was looking for revenge to Barbossa. Furthermore, Norrington also joinned to the battle against to the cursed pirates. When the pirates look like they are going to win the ambush Norrington and his crew were saved at the time that Jack tosses the bloodied coin to Will who returns it mixed with his blood to the chest. Will add his own blood to the medallion because only like this the curse will be break it. Moreover, during that battle Barbossa attempted to kill Elizabeth, Jack shoots Barbossa first, in the heart with the shot ha had saved for the past ten years. No longer cursed , the pirates surrender to Norrington letting the Navy take back the Dauntless. Later, Jack became dissapointed to see the Black Pearl gone but he says he is proud of his crew for keeping to the code (" Anyman who falls behind is left behind")
At the Port Royal, Jack is to be executed while Will attempted to rescue him. But, both of them were capture. Elizabeth confesed to her father and friend her love to Will, so Will was pardoned and allowed to married Elizabeth. During this conversation Jack scapes by faling from the fort into the bay. His crew , who escaped with the Black Pearl , arrives on time to rescue him. Norrington allows him to escaped with one day ahead before to be persuit.
In the last part of the movie's scene the monkey goes into the cave where Barbossa's body is, and steals a piece of the curse Aztec gold from the chest, thebery becoming curse again.
Analyzing this movie, it is found many symbols and some archetypes such as pirates, curse, skeletons which refer to the fantastic science fiction adventure. These all elements help the audience to understand better the story. also, this movie teach us that people can get anything they want with courage, braveness and never to give up. This lesson is for all of us because we can reach our goals with love and courage.


Work Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean:_The_Curse_of_the_Black_Pearl.

Web 26 of 2010.