Christopher Vogler The Writers Journey
T h e drill sergeant, a foxy W i s e O l d
Man, has forced him to admit his dependency on others, and from this moment on
he is more cooperative and less selfish.
In romantic comedies the death faced by the hero may simply be the temporary
death of the relationship, as in the second movement of the old standard plot, "Boy
meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl." T h e hero's chances of connecting with the
object of affection look their bleakest.
T h i s is a critical moment in any story, an Ordeal in which the hero must die
or appear to die so that she can be born again. It's a major source of the magic o f
the heroic myth. T h e experiences of the preceding stages have led us, the audience,
to identify with the hero and her fate. W h a t happens to the hero happens to us. W e
are encouraged to experience the brink-of-death moment with her. Our emotions are
annaabi.ee 
