Abstract
As the Protagonist leaves their old world and enters a new experience, they need help navigating this unfamiliar domain. This is where the Mentor steps in as Guide, Guardian, and Insight. The Mentor knows things. They have a unique world view and often extensive knowledge of the environment into which the Protagonist has journeyed. They can provide patient counsel or unwelcome but necessary advice. They also have a special perspective on the Protagonist’s inner life which, when revealed, helps the Protagonist understand their metamorphosis toward a unity state. This chapter identifies a number of notable Mentors from movies and television series including It’s a Wonderful Life, Juno, Devs, Yesterday, The Matrix, and The Queen’s Gambit.
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Notes
- 1.
The term mentor derives from a character in The Odyssey: Mentor (Μέντορ), an adviser to Odysseus who entrusts his longtime friend to help raise and tutor Telemachus during the father’s extended absence.
- 2.
Tao Te Ching: The Power of Goodness, the Wisdom Beyond Words, https://laotzu.xyz/author/display?id=570.
- 3.
By substituting the “v” in Devs with the Anglicized iteration of the Roman letter, the project is actually called Deus, i.e., God. This not only dovetails nicely with philosophical questions at the heart of the TV series, such as predestination and free will, it also ties this story world to the 2014 movie Ex Machina (i.e., Deus ex machina).
- 4.
In the movie’s credit sequence, we learn Bluto’s unique insights into human nature enable him to eventually become Senator John Blutarsky.
Further Study
Gang Wars, the Prohibition Menace: Brian De Palma’s ‘The Untouchables,’ Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, September 11, 2020, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/the-untouchables/.
Making Sense of the Science and Philosophy of ‘Devs,’ Ben Lindbergh, The Ringer, April 10, 2020, https://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/4/10/21216149/devs-hulu-quantum-physics-philosophy-alex-garland.
Yesterday’s Surprise Cameo Proves What The Movie Is Really About, Q.V. Hough, Screen Rant, June 30, 2019, https://screenrant.com/yesterday-movie-john-lennon-cameo-explained/.
Kim Morgan on It’s A Wonderful Life, Kim Morgan, Beverly Cinema, December 15, 2017, https://thenewbev.com/blog/2017/12/kim-morgan-on-its-a-wonderful-life/.
Great Scene: “Zorba the Greek,” Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, October 9, 2019, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/great-scene-zorba-the-greek-284abcdb2f.
The Matrix Revelation: How the Wachowskis Opened Our Eyes to a New Kind of Action Cinema, Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, March 7, 2019, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/matrix/.
The Queen's Gambit, Walter Tevis, Vintage; Reprint edition, March 11, 2003.
References
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Curtis, R. (screenplay), Barth, J. and Curtis, R. (story) (2019). Yesterday; Universal Pictures / Working Title Films.
Darabont, F. (screenplay), King, S. (short story) (1994). The Shawshank Redemption; Columbia Pictures / Castle Rock Entertainment.
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Myers, S. (2022). Mentor. In: The Protagonist's Journey. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_11
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