"Let It Go"
The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation,
And it looks like I'm the queen.
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried!
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know!
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door!
I don't care
What they're going to say
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway!
It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all!
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me I'm free!
Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry!
Here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on!
My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back,
The past is in the past!
Let it go, let it go
When I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone!
Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway!
A Hero fundamentally is a self sacrificial figure, their purpose is to expend themselves in order to persevere the "community" and the perceived natural order. Even the most cynical, misanthropic and surly of protagonist are still serving "community" and the perceived natural order; John Constantine for instance. The purpose of the Hero's Journey is not to empower,actualize or liberate the Hero,though they may experience empowerment,self actualization and liberation over the course of their journey. The purpose of Hero's Journey is the fashioning of a previously weak individual into a powerful instrument that will preserve the"community" and perceived natural order even at the cost of their own existence.
The Hero's journey is about self sacrifice, however it is not the only path that a Protagonist might follow. I have come to realize that their is a subtly different path. This journey has at it's core not self sacrifice but personal fulfillment and is trod by Heroines and atypical Heroes. I had noticed that some narratives had a very different path for their Protagonist than that of the Hero's Journey, especially stories with written by women and with female leads. The notion of a distinct "feminine" journey never occurred to me, Heroes were Heroes regardless of their gender. On a whim I typed "Heroine's Journey" into the search bar and when the hits came up I realized that I had been mistaken. I have come cross three different versions of the Heroine's Journey, my personal favorite was the Virgin's Promise. While respective journeys undertaken by the Hero and Heroine contain the same basic elements,the individual starts weak, is subjected to ordeals , must confront a literal or symbolic death, emerges from these experiences transformed,quest fulfilled they are now free. The arrangement and emphasis of those elements differs. I think that those difference have their roots in the different relationship that females and males with society. Females possess innate worth but at the same time are treated as a commodity, logically Females want to escape their lot. The Heroine's Journey emphasis on personal growth and liberation is an reflection of that desire. Males have little innate value at most they have the potential to be valuable at some future date, a male must in order to be viewed as worthy be willing to make sacrifices on behalf of the community. The Hero's Journey emphasis on self sacrifice is a reflection of the male experience.
