The Heros Journey: Up

By James Hofstra Period 1 October 19, 2010

Home Culture
The protagonist lives in a normal world, which he/she calls home. Carl Frederickson lives by himself in a house in the city, surrounded by construction sites. His wife, Ellie, is deceased, causing Carl to become a disgruntled and bitter old man.

Call to Adventure
The protagonist is motivated in some way to find a new world. When Carl and Ellie first met as children, Ellie expressed her desire to move to Paradise Falls. She made Carl promise to help her achieve her dream.

Call to Adventure Continued

After Ellies death, Carl feels guilty for not fulfilling this promise while she was alive He decides to tie hundreds of balloons to his home and fly to Paradise Falls before he can be evicted and sent to a retirement home.

Call to Adventure Continued

Carl plans on doing this trip alone, but to his surprise, he discovers, Russell, a young Wilderness Explorer has inadvertently been stowed away

Refusal of the Call

The protagonist declines the opportunity to seek the new world. Carl and Ellie became married and saved up money for a trip to Paradise Falls, but they had to spend the money on necessities.

Refusal of the Call (cont.)

After Ellies sudden death, Carl refuses to sell his property. Carl gets into a fight with the construction workers over his mailbox, leading to a court order prompting Carl to move into a retirement home.

Supernatural Aid
The protagonist receives help from a guiding character or unknown instrument. The thousands of balloons that Carl ties to his house lift the house in the sky.

Supernatural Aid (cont.)

Russell, a young Wilderness Explorer, accidentally accompanies Carl on his journey. Russell proves to be valuable as his outgoing personality balances Carls conformity.

Supernatural Aid (cont.)

Later on, in South America, Carl and Russell encounter Kevin, a giant bird, and Dug, a talking dog. At first, Carl doesnt like the animals, but they prove their worth by helping our heroes out of trouble.

Crossing the First Threshold

The protagonist meets an obstacle that he/she must overcome before continuing. Mr. Fredericksons house steers into a thunderstorm, and he and Russell must pull through the storm to continue their flight.

Road of Trials
The protagonist faces a series of trials, ultimately leading to the final conflict. After the thunderstorm passes, our heroes reach the cliffs near Paradise Falls. They make a rough landing, almost falling off the cliff.

Road of Trials (cont.)

Since the house is still floating, Carl and Russell decide to walk the house around the cliffs to the falls. At this point, our heroes meet Kevin, and then Dug.

Entering the Belly of the Whale

The protagonist is swallowed and becomes prepared for adventure. As our heroes walk toward the falls, they are trapped by a pack of talking dogs, who are trying to capture Kevin. The dogs force our heroes to walk through a valley and into a cave, where an airship lies in wait.

Atonement At-one-ment (A father figure)

The protagonists goal is reconciliation and ultimately to become the dominant character. Our heroes meet famous explorer Charles Muntz, whom Carl has adored all his life.

Atonement At-one-ment (cont.)

In his earlier days, Muntzs discovery of a giant bird skeleton was discredited, and Muntz vowed to capture the animal alive. Our heroes choose to protect Kevin, causing Muntz to turn against them.

Road of Trials (cont.)

Carl and Russell escape from the airship and are chased by Muntzs dogs. After going through the cave and past sheer cliffs (with help from Kevin and Dug), our heroes reach safety, although Kevins leg is injured.

Road of Trials (cont.)

Muntz catches up with our heroes and sets fire to the house, forcing Carl to choose between saving the house and saving Kevin. Carl goes to put out the fire, allowing Muntz to capture Kevin.

Road of Trials (cont.)

Carl and Russell walk the rest of the way to the falls, and the house settles where Ellie had imagined. However, there is animosity between Carl and Russell due to Carls earlier decision.

Master of Two Worlds

The protagonist is able to adjust to who he was and who he might be later.

Master of Two Worlds

As Carl rereads Ellies childhood scrapbook, he discovers pictures of their married life filling up the rest of the scrapbook. A final message from Ellie inspires Carl to let go of his obligation to the house and to live in the moment.

Road of Trials (cont.)

Determined to save Kevin, Russell takes some balloons from the house and flies away, only to be captured by Muntz. Carl tries to get the house airborne again by making it lighter. He succeeds after ditching all the furniture, and goes to save Russell, Kevin, and Dug.

Crossing the Return Threshold

The protagonist faces the final test against evil. Carl reaches the airship and rescues Russell. They then proceed to free Kevin and Dug. When Muntz tries to interfere, Carl fights him alone.

Crossing the Return Threshold (cont.)

The fight eventually escalates to the top of the airship, where Muntz corners Russell, Kevin, and Dug inside Carls house. Carl lures them out through the window, and Muntz is caught on balloon lines, causing him and the house to fall.

Refusing the Return

The protagonist prefers not to return to his/her former home. Carl decides to leave his old house behind and uses Muntzs airship to return to the city; he begins a new life with Russell and Dug.