Enlightenment within The Cave
Story is about change.
The root of that change is determined by the protagonist’s decisions in the beginning of the story, versus the end of the story. That conversion isn’t automatic. The lead must recognize their initial desires from the start. As the story unfolds, the protagonist is forced to make decisions, do to conflict, and slowly begins to recognize their personal philosophies aren’t serving them well. The cave opens its darkened interior and the protagonist enters.
The Cave is where the protagonist reflects on her life, her decisions, and in order to face her villain head on, she must relinquish some control over her misbeliefs and allow a little piece of her to figuratively die.
What is a Misbelief?
A misbelief is something everyone of us is dealt in life. We are products of our environment and how we perceive situations from that environment creates our personal philosophies. And those philosophies aren’t always reliable. Here is an example. An adult woman judges others based on how frivolously they spend money. She should spend money on her family, not the Audi. I bet she can’t even afford that car. But where did that thought originate? Why is she judging someone she doesn’t know? Let’s take a dive.
Let’s say she grew up in a low-income family and the family car was always breaking down. She was always hungry and tired from walking to school and back—uphill, in the snow, both ways. Later, and despite going to college and earning a high-paying job, she continues to keep the misbelief of frugalness. She moves through life, hoarding every dollar she makes, drives used cars, and rarely purchases new clothing.
When she meets the man of her dreams, and learns about his frivolous spending habits, she must decide if her personal philosophy is serving her well. Will she ditch the guy of her dreams, or recognize that her judgement toward others is based on her childhood experiences. At this point of the story, she must enter the cave to determine her self-worth, and reflect on why she feels the way she does.
The Cave is the Death of the Protagonist
The Cave happens just before the climactic battle, regardless of the genre. In romance, the cave refers to the misunderstanding between the lovers that leads to deep contemplation about the relationship. In horror, the cave is the realization, or choice of survival, at the hands of the killer psychopath. In fantasy, the cave is a time of reflection for the hero before the ultimate battle with the villain.
Death is a symbol of the transformation of your protagonist. Look at it this way. Darkness is scary. The protagonist can’t see her own hand in front of her face. Creepy noises come from every direction. There is banging, scratching of walls, and voices telling her that she doesn’t belong here, to turn around, to run. She is at her most vulnerable stage and here in the shadows, she also holds her most powerful tool—her mind.
The Cave is the place, the moment, when the protagonist’s authentic story unfolds. It is where she will recognize her past mistakes, her flaws, all the voices that told her she was never worthy of this adventure. Her mind’s eye casts images of her worst fears. Her biggest foe isn’t the villain himself. In actuality, the villain pushes all of the protagonist’s insecurities to the surface. It is her choice to move forward and face the fear, or waddle in her own self-deprecation.
Happy Writing,
-RADolence