READ,WRITE & LIVE YOUR TRUTH

Tag: #Dumbledore

  • Storytelling Within a Story, What Mentors Do Best

    E.G. Kardos

    Storytelling within a story. What’s that all about?

    Many of the most powerful stories ever told feature a mentor who guides the protagonist throughout their journey. Don’t we all love mentors, both in real life and in fiction? I know I do.

    Hopefully we’re connected with some amazing women and men who help us along the complex jounrey of our lives. A few names come to my mind who guided me at various times of my life, and they have made a difference. I bet you can rattle off a name or two as well.

    In literature, thse mentors are crucial to the flow of the story, and many times, they are characters who we love.

    Some fictional favorites come to mind: Gandalf, Yoda, Miss Jean Brodie, Haymitch, Mr. Keating, Helen Burns and Dumbledore. Great stories with memorable characters.

    There are so many more who enrich the stories we read, we tell and we see.

    Common Qualities

    Side view of a senior man with expressive features and a contemplative look in a dark setting.

    Mentors in books inspire the protagonists’ ongoing journey of understanding, growth, transformation, and connection to their true selves. They help the character make sense of their relationship with a power greater than themselves… and we get to experience a spectacular ride. 

    Photo by Trưởng Bản Review

    All mentors we meet in fiction share the common quality of possessing a strong and natural desire to give of themselves for someone else’s benefit.

    Above all, they have wisdom and that’s why they guide the protagonist with storytelling within the story .

    They know how to build genuine and healthy trust, and their timing is perfect. They understand exactly when, where, and how to share their wisdom to the protagonist at that very moment they need it the most.

    Like Us, Protagonists Learn Through Stories

    Storytelling within the story is done with vivid imagery, with allegory and symbolism. Sometimes these stories push the protagonist to act or give them a signal or clue of what’s to come. Sometimes it just to teach and to remind the protagonist of what they may already know.

    They Build Trust and are Relatable

    Mentors, with their stories, build trust. Relatable, mentors often reveal their own weaknesses and flaws. They are like the protagonist in some way–and they are like us.

    If a mentor doesn’t show compassion or has empathy, they are not a mentor.

    Wisdom is knowledge tempered by experience, and because of this, they make sound judgments. But they can’t tell the protagonist this.

    Oh no, they must find out on their own.

    So there story within the story is crucial for the protagonist to begin to understand themselves, their purpose and their quest.

    The protagonist of the stories we love, keep the ideas and the stories the mentor shares in the forefront of their minds as they decide the best move to take on their, sometimes, lonely path.

    Lonely or not, their path is usually dangerous, complex and tricky so, even with a mentor and their sage advice, it is not easy. 

    In the series, The Elias Chronicles, Elias’ mentor is Zoltan. The sorcerer, guides Elias through dark and uncertain times to help him to understand why he must take his journey—one he reluctantly began.

    Here’s an example of storytelling with a story. Enjoy a chapter from the first book, The Amulet: Journey to Sirok in this trilogy where Zoltan tells a story to Elias about The Tree of Life.

    18

    Tree of Life

    Exhausted from their journey to and from Budapest, Elias slept late the next morning. When he rose, the only sign of Zoltan was the breakfast coffee being kept warm on hot coals and a hardboiled egg on a small plate. Elias ate in silence. 

    He walked out of the cave into bright sunshine and sat on the ground under The Tree of Life in solitude with his thoughts. He sat at the exact spot he had fallen to his worst fear. Cimbora lay at his feet. 

    Trying desperately to tie together all his experiences, he brooded and wondered whether or not he was ready to confront the Sarkany. Zoltan walked up the path in silence and sat on a stump about twenty paces away. Minutes passed.

    “Elias, do you know why I am able to rest my weary bones on this old and decaying stump?”

    Elias looked up at him, said nothing but answered him by shaking his head.

    “Fear, Elias, fear.”

    “Huhh?”

    “Legend has it that the enormous tree, or the one which is giving you shade right now, produced a sapling that was growing as a healthy tree. A young boy nurtured the tree and would visit it frequently. It brought him joy to see it grow, weathering harsh winters and dry summers. That sapling grew for half a century and, as that boy became a man, he came back from time to time. Nevertheless, he would return to sit in solitude to ponder life and reflect on what he found in his soul. 

    “Although the man did not know for sure, he hoped the tree he cared for was an offshoot of the Tree of Life just mere paces away. Over the years as he watched it grow, he would admire them both—The Tree of Life and the tree he had nurtured. His contribution to its growth humbled him.

    “When the man became old, he came back to spend time and sit under the tree with a book. One day when he was hiking to the where the tree grew, he heard a troubling sound. He hastened his approach. He dropped his book and ran, and out of breath he approached the tree. Shocked, he realized it was too late. A young man with an axe had one or two final swings before the tree would fall. To the old man’s horror, he saw the tree that once pointed to the heavens fall to Earth.

    “‘What did you do? That was a precious tree and a one-of-a-kind gift to this planet! With all the other trees in this forest, why this one? There must be many trees closer to your home for your fire,’ the old man screamed. 

    “The young man replied, ‘Oh, this is not for firewood. I had to destroy this tree because I feared its magnificence would overshadow The Tree of Life. It may have become too beautiful and rival what we have come to know and depend on.’

    “‘You idiot!’ the old man said. ‘You fear the wrong thing. Fear not what may become beautiful and magnificent. There’s plenty of room for what is good. Embrace it and become part of it. Destroying what might be, dishonors today and disregards our hope for tomorrow.’ 

    “With that last swing only moments earlier, the old man knew, then, that there was nothing he could have done to save the life of the tree. There was only one place the old man could go from there—forward. With great difficulty and from a place of grace, the old man forgave the young man for his foolish wrongdoing, lowered his head, and he walked away in great sorrow. 

    “A month later, the old man came back with renewed joy in his heart knowing that the time he had spent nurturing the tree and sitting under her shade during his long life gave him refuge from a tired and fearful world. For that, he was grateful, and this memory would be cherished. However, on this day, he brought with him a sapling that he knew he would never live long enough to enjoy its shade but knew others would. He planted it and took care of it until he died. Some say they still see the man in the woods. Some say they feel his presence.”

    “So, Zoltan, which tree did he plant?”

    “It is the tree to my right. It is the tree that is home to the songbirds which bring me such delight. Listen, I hear one singing.” 

    Elias looked up and saw a beautiful tree, and then back to Zoltan. The music of the songbird came to the forefront and the air was full of life. They smiled.

    “Do you know what else the old man realized?”

    “I think so.”

    “Good Elias. Well?”

    “This is just my guess, but aren’t all trees…well all things, like The Tree of Life.”

    “How so?”

    “We live on a round ball. Doesn’t that make us all at the center of the world?” Elias asked.

    “Precisely. All beings are of value and have their place—no being is more worthy than another. I see you have been thinking. Now do you see what I am talking about?”

    “Little by little. I’m starting to understand myself,” said Elias

    “Good, Elias, good! Will you tell me what you have learned from your experiences of your quest so far?”

    “My deepest fear is not failure to follow the path to my dream. My true fear is what will become of me if I succeed. If I follow my heart, will others still love me for who I will become? Will I be able to handle success? Will I be honest and kind? Will I become arrogant? Will I still be me?”

    “My dear man, let me add that we do a disservice to ourselves and the light of humanity that has come before us, to purposefully be anything less than our authentic self. We cannot strive to be anything less than who we truly are.”

    “Understanding is one thing—doing it is another,” Elias said.

    “Yes, Elias you are right. I am embarrassed to say this is why I lost my finger. The finger that made me different and reminded me of who I was and still am. I so desperately wanted to be like the others that I…that I…”

    “Say no more,” interrupted Elias.

    “What I will say is that I regret my actions. I don’t want you to regret yours. So, as I see it, you have no choice in the matter. We must love ourselves enough to fully embrace our true nature. As our self-belief magnifies, we attract others to our light.”

    “Zoltan, you have it all together.”

     “Elias, a day does not go by without reminding myself what makes my heart beat. Our very nature is genuine—it’s real. It is how we were made.

     “I now know the significance of the amulet,” said Elias.

     “Shush, Elias. Since you know, and I know, we have no need to discuss it—do we?”

    Let me know what you think in the comments section below.

    If you enjpoyed this post, take a look at these: Fantasy Fiction and Real Life are the Same, More Ways to Think About Character Development, Mentors and Young Adult Fantasy, Why Fantasy is a Good Read, Developing the Protagonist.

    About E.G. Kardos

    I am a fiction writer and the author of five books. My writing draws inspiration from the beauty surrounding us all—both in nature and in each other. Spirituality, friendship, love, and our connection to the universe inspire me to write.  Here’s more about me and my books.

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  • What is Real? Harry Potter Knows. Do You?

    E.G. Kardos

    “Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”

    Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry’s ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure.

    “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

    ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

    What is real? What is merely just in our heads? I love this quote, not just because I enjoy reading and writing fantasy, but because the question of what is real and what is happening in our heads extends far into our own thoughts and feelings more than, perhaps, we realize.

    Sometimes we act on the thoughts in our heads by moving them to the “real” world. Other times, our thoughts sit idling in our heads always to live there and never to see the light of day.

    But could both scenarios be real?

    Here’s how I interpret this scene in the book and movie:

    grey concrete castle under blue sky during daytime

    “Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”

    Photo by Jules Marvin Eguilos

    Like most of us from time to time, Harry is unsure of himself and confused about what’s going on around him at that very moment. Or, could it be that he may be a bit fuzzy about all the experiences he has had since he first talked to the snake at the zoo? What’ more, he knows Dumbledore is dead, but he’s with him as they say, in the flesh—talking with him. If it were me, I’d be asking the same thing.

    After all, Harry’s a teenager still full of questions rather than answers. Knowing he’s the chosen one, and having been involved in countless supernatural events, doesn’t give him unlimited insights about everything. He keeps questioning his life, as he should.

    So when he asks, “Is this real?” what does he mean when he uses the word “this”? I’d like it to mean his entire adventure, his long journey, as well as that specific moment.

    But why would he ask, “…has this been happening inside his head?” when the person he’s talking to could also be in his head? Again, I have to believe that Harry is talking about his journey as he has attempted to understand it since he first arrived at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

    But that’s when Dumbledore says so matter-of-factly…

    “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry,…”

    But the defining moment comes when Dumbledore finishes his sentence and says,

    “… but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

    So, what is real? According to the “greatest wizard who ever lived”? Simply put, everything.

    And that’s all Harry needed to hear to complete his task.

    As the wise wizard, he might be saying more

    Dumbledore might be talking to Harry, but he’s also talking to us. He might be saying to us as well that what we find inside ourselves is real as well. We might not be able to touch it, smell it, hear it, taste it, or see it, but it’s as real as we are.

    It’s how we interpret life that makes it magical—or not.

    I love this quote because it makes so much sense to me. The magic of our lives isn’t what’s right in front of us; it’s how we feel about what’s right in front of us. Our emotions are powerful, and they drive our actions.

    When we feel strongly about something, we do something about it even if it seems impossible. We act out of love, we act out of fear, or with great hope. Sometimes we act with anger or despair, but we always act on what is in front of us because of what is inside our head—and heart. Our emotions make it real.

    If a thought is not in our heads, where else would we find the inspiration, drive, or desire to act? 

    One may not agree with me or may have an entirely different interpretation of this quote, and that is fine…no, that’s wonderful. Let me know what you think.

    If you like this post, you may like: Fantasy Fiction and Real Life are the Same, Mentors in Young Adult Fantasy, The Fantasy Trilogy: Saving the World One Book at a Time, or the Category, About Fantasy.

    About E.G. Kardos

    I am a fiction writer and the author of five books. My writing draws inspiration from the beauty surrounding us all—both in nature and in each other. Spirituality, friendship, love, and our connection to the universe inspire me to write.  Here’s more about me and my books.

    Latest Posts

    Most Viewed Posts

    All Posts

    Please notify me when you publish a new blog post.

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