The Worth of A Story

The real worth of a story lies in the hero's ability to believe in themselves.

         Every hero arc involves the same obstacle, self doubt. It could be a fear, characteristic flaw or a grudge. Each time a hero goes through this period of darkness, they become more real. Everyone goes through a period of doubt in who they are and what they can do. It may pop up in many forms of life, work, social life or even academic life. Regardless of the form it takes, self doubt is an obstacle and necessary process of growth in humanity. It is that moment in the story when all seems lost. Spider Man loses his powers when he doubts himself. Penelope allows people to control in her life in the form of the curse she has grown to live with. A character makes a big mistake, becomes a different person, or becomes indecisive. If a hero did not go through this process, they would never progress or learn to become the hero of the story.
     There's a great quote from Henry in ABC's Once Upon A Time. Henry and Emma are discussing the curse, and Emma's past. Emma tells him that she's no hero and Henry replies, "I know the hero never believes at first, if they did it wouldn’t be a very good story." His remark proves that good stories come from the obstacle of self doubt being overcome by the hero.
     Heroes transform once they must face their purpose. It is the decision they make in that moment that shows the true strength of their character. It comes with two important elements, acceptance and belief. The hero accepts their role in the story, and they believe that they can change their fate. Alice believes that she can slay the Jabberwocky, Bolt discovers what being a hero truly is, and Lewis goes back to his time to complete his invention and change his situation.
This is what makes a character memorable. Once self doubt is overcome, they achieve power over themselves and the story moves into the final stage.