Baby Houseman's Heroic Journey -- Part 8

This post follows up Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 and Part 7.

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In my previous posts of this series, my comparison of 1) the movies The Wizard of Oz and Dirty Dancing with 2) the genre of the Hero's Journey progressed through the scene of Supernatural Aid.

In The Wizard of Oz, the Supernatural Aid happens when a tornado transports Dorothy's house onto Oz, where Dorothy meets the Good Witch of the North, who becomes Dorothy's mentor and who gives her a talisman -- a pair of ruby slippers -- which gives Dorothy the confidence to accept her Call to Adventure.

In Dirty Dancing, the Supernatural Aid happens when Baby Houseman meets Billy Kostecki at just the right moment for him to enable her to follow Johnny Castle further into the employees' bunkhouse. Billy gives Baby a talisman -- a watermelon -- that gives her the confidence and a reason to enter the bunkhouse and to join the "dirty dancing" party. Thus Baby accepts her Call to Adventure.

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According to the Wikipedia article about the Hero's Journey, the Supernatural Aid scene is followed by the following two scenes.

Crossing the First Threshold

This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are unknown.

Belly of the Whale

The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero's known world and self. By entering this stage, the person shows willingness to undergo a metamorphosis. When First entering the stage the hero may encounter a minor danger or set back.

After a heroine crosses the First Threshold, she enjoys the new delights of the Extraordinary World. However, she still feels like a stranger there.

Eventually, however, the heroine feels consumed by the Extraordinary World and feels that she is perhaps permanently separated from her Ordinary World. Ultimately she faces the possibility of even dying in the Extraordinary World.

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In The Wizard of Oz, after Dorothy receives her talisman (the pair of ruby slippers) from her mentor (the Good Witch of the North), she is delighted as she begins to learn about her new surroundings.

Eventually, however, the delights are replaced largely by dangers. As she crosses through a field of poppies, she might fall into a permanent sleep. Now she is in the Belly of the Whale, from which she might never escape.

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In Dirty Dancing, Baby carries her talisman (the watermelon) across the First Threshold and into the bunkhouse where the "dirty dancing" party is taking place.

Crossing the Threshold

The movie camera shows Baby seeming to pass through a Space-Time Portal.

At the bunkhouse party, Baby begins to become acquainted with the resort's employees with whom she is not supposed to socialize. She has fun watching them dance and has some more fun dancing briefly with Johnny.

After Baby has been introduced to Johnny and Penny briefly in the bunkhouse, she becomes more acquainted with them several days later, when Penny is demonstrating wigs.

Baby sees Penny and Johnny again,
several days after the "dirty dancing" party.

Baby engages Penny in a personal conversation

Baby is having delightful fun getting to know these employees with whom she is not supposed to socialize.

As the story continues, Baby learns more about Penny and Johnny, helps Penny get an abortion, learns how to dance from Johnny, and performs with him at the Sheldrake Hotel.

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Baby's Belly-of-the-Whale realization happens when she learns that Penny has fallen into mortal danger following her abortion.

Baby sees Penny's mortally dangerous situation while Baby herself is planning to sexually seduce Johnny. Seeing Penny perhaps dying as a consequence of sexual intercourse, pregnancy and abortion must cause Baby to ponder her own mortality.

Soon afterwards, Baby's father learns about Baby's situation and becomes furious with her. Now Baby must ponder also that possibility that she soon will become estranged from her family.

Baby pondering mortality and estrangement

Baby is continuing her heroic adventure, but now she is in the Belly of the Whale. Now she realizes that she might not be able to return ever to her Ordinary World.

Baby's realizations of her own mortality and of her eventual separation from her family do not discourage her. On the contrary, her determination to continue her heroic journey becomes stronger.

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After a heroine has passed through the Belly of the Whale, she continues her heroic journey with increased confidence and determination.

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This series continues in Part 9.