Enneagram – Page 46 – Enneagram and Encaustic

MERMAID MAN AND BARNACLE BOY

Here they are! The first episode of the superheroes has begun.

ONE

An introduction to MM and BB, showing them young and vital, explaining their powers. It has the tone, and indeed is, the opening sequence to a TV show. Spongebob and Patrick, cosplaying, watch and cheer.

TWO

Turn to reveal Spongebob with the starfish on his nose. There is evil afoot! They fly out of the pineapple house.

Squidward suns himself in his front yard. Oh, he’s the archenemy, Reflecto. Heh heh.

THREE

Donuts worn on the fingers. They’re the magic rings that grant the superpowers. Patrick takes a bite from his.

FOUR

Spongebob and Patrick squat down and grunt, charging up some kind of attack. A jellyfish swims toward Squidward. Did they call it? Squid, blowing on it, “reflects it”. He’s become too powerful!

Back to the “sea cave” with Squid chasing.

Patrick says, “What would the real Mermaid Man do?” Outside the door, Squid says, “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” They live in the retirement home nearby.

SWITCH

Establishing shot of Shady Shoals.

FIVE

There they are, sitting on a couch watching TV. They’re in costume (that’s funny) but older. Way older. Spongebob and Patrick stan. There’s evil afoot!

MM freaks out over the word “evil”, wrestling with the furniture. The rest home attendant tosses Patrick and Spongebob from the building. Spongebob gives a speech with fireworks and an insert of a live old captain flashing a thumbs up. The superheroes must come out of retirement!

Back to the Shady Shoals. MM and BB dish up gruel in the buffet line. BB is obviously older but still cognizant. MM is in dementia. With pink fluffy slippers.

Spongebob, visiting, relates an episode of their show with Man Ray as the villain, acting out the parts. The attendant tosses him.

Spongebob in drag comes back to Shady Shoals. Oh, no, haha. Patrick in burglar gear steals the purse, trying to provoke a superhero moment.

This episode is out there.

BB and MM start fighting, basically over how annoying Spongebob is.

SIX

BB completely loses it. He pulls out a box containing the magic rings.

Noice. Beautiful Three/Six mirror moment.

SEVEN

Say the oath! The narrator from the TV show takes over MM’s voice.

EIGHT

MM and BB with the classic attacks. Spongebob and Patrick, unintimidated, look on starry-eyed.

Oh, so funny. “He’s absorbing it like some kind of evil sponge.”

The dog paddle! On the one hand, old people who can no longer function as they did in their prime, are silly. That’s kind of icky. On the other hand, they sound just like Spongebob and Patrick did, which is thematically layered. I’m embarrassed to laugh, but . . . it’s hilarious.

Spongebob and Patrick, having the time of their lives, are eventually tossed out of the area.

NINE

They watch TV again. It’s the NEW adventures of MM and BB. The heroes play checkers, with POW! inserts at the moves.

As you can see, this episode is very Four-light/Five-heavy. Maybe I spotted the wrong Switch, but where else would it be? The showrunners, I’m guessing, really wanted to spend time with the superheroes. They’re great! Who wouldn’t? But it’s given us a lopsided structure and an awkward episode.

Adding Pawns

We always have our own Pawn. We can also travel with two other Pawns. Rook is one already in our group, although I immediately want to ditch him.

This is another unique aspect of DD. My Pawn goes onto the server and becomes available to other real-life gamers to take out adventuring. I can enter a Riftstone and jump on the server to find other gamers’ Pawns and take them out, too.

Rook is an NPC. When I have no internet connection (and DD can be fussy at times) I always have access to a level-appropriate Pawn. I hate that, though. I prefer toons that other humans have crafted and built and dressed. So much personality can be conveyed!

Now I must confess something so nerdy it’s embarrassing.

DANIEL CLEAVER, NINE

He’s the Wickham, so we know he’s charming and utterly deceitful. (I haven’t done Wickham yet! Holy cow, what am I thinking?) The casting of Hugh Grant leans in to the whole picture of a rascal who ends up being a rake. (I believe those are the proper Regency period-specific terms.)

So, what Enneagram is this version of Wickham? Cleaver is successful. He mentions that the Americans have come because the publishing house is in financial trouble, but we don’t see signs of hardship. It could just be one of his ruses, I don’t know. Unlike Wickham, Cleaver is not going to end in wrack and ruin. He’s a plain working stiff, moderately successful and fully employable.

Cleaver doesn’t really excel at anything. He’s not even a particularly great villain! He’s handsome and socially comfortable, and that’s all he needs to get through life.

Oh, gawd, he’s a Nine.

With Bridget as a Four, this makes perfect sense. The Four/Nine combo are drawn to each other, but they are more toxic than supportive.

I’ll officially delve into Wickham later, but I feel quite certain he won’t end up being a Nine.

My Pawn

When we approach the gate, the exit into the larger world, we’re stopped. A Riftstone stands in the corner of the square. A swirl of aether, and out lands a person. He holds up his palm, which has a glowing scar similar to the one on our toon’s chest. The Chief explains:

“Not human, quite. They look the part sure enough, but they lack the will . . . the spark that drives us. They have no capacity to feel nor act alone, so they live as sellswords.”

That is a Pawn of the pawn legion. This one who’s here to help us is named Rook. He’s a mage. He gives us advice (go shopping!), more like a robot would than a human. And so he and we leave the village together.

We head down a quiet lane and see a salesman, Reynard, attacked by goblins. Our first fight! If we help him he gives us a cape, another piece of armor. Also (*cough*) he’s a very useful person to rescue.

BRIDGET JONES, FOUR

I’m tempted to classify this under the Works of Jane Austen category, because we all know that Bridget Jones’ Diary is an admitted derivative of Pride and Prejudice. However, I think it’s become a stand-alone franchise that deserves its own category.

Does Bridget show any character traits that resemble Elizabeth Bennet? I’ll say no. The plot — one man who seems attractive, one repulsive, switch places as the heroine learns more — is the similarity. She has no sisters, no cousins; we have no Bingley, no Lady Catherine. It’s just the love triangle and the mistaken assumptions therein. I’m not bothered that Bridget is a unique person.

I do like the social commentary comparison. For both women, society expects them to be married at their age. They want to be married, too, but not at the expense of their standards. They both have pushy, socially embarrassing mothers, and fathers who are ineffectual.

So, what Enneagram is our Bridget? She has a beloved circle of friends and a party-hardy attitude. (Lol I just went down a rabbit hole of whether it’s party hardy or party hearty. I’ll stick with my first instinct.) Her diary writing suggests she’s not happy with herself. However, she is indomitable. She’s embarrassed, yet she continues to forge ahead. Sliding down a fireman’s pole bottom-first into camera doesn’t keep her from going out on assignment again. She misses the post-trial interview while she’s buying a cigarette, and then nails it. Shaming moments are heaped on her, but she’s still chasing Darcy down the street in her “knickers”. Isn’t all of this exactly what we love about Bridget and why we watch her over and over?

A Four? She seems like a Heart Type. Her exercise is something she does to lose weight, not as a Body Type. Her publishing job is more about the social connection than the intellectual pursuit; not a Head Type. She’s clearly not a Three. I’ll say that her lack of punctuality is what marks her as a Four. A Two would be more concerned about tardiness and what people will think. A Four is going to tend to themselves first (in her case, nursing a hangover), and an obligation to their work schedule would come second.

Beginning Dragon’s Dogma

How do I begin to talk about the videogame Dragon’s Dogma? I’ve owned this game on every platform possible. Currently I play it on the Nintendo Switch. It’s a beloved property with a unique storyline. Even though I’ve gamed through it more times than I can count, I want to share it here. I’d love to check, also, what kind of Story Enneagram it might have.

I’ve decided to start a brand new playthrough. New toon, new beginning. Rather than remember certain aspects, I need to approach the story fresh, at level one. This means I must delete an existing character. DD only has one save slot. Down the line you’ll understand why I agonized a little bit over this decision.

Start-up.

The Southern Air Temple

I didn’t remember how much of Avatar was told in parallel stories. Aang is our protagonist, but Zuko is a sub-protagonist, and his story unfurls in evocative ways, too. The Story Enneagram for this episode has double numbers because we’re experiencing two stories.

ONE

At a lakeside overnight camp, Aang wakes Sokka. He’s ready to get home today, for the first time in 100 years.

Cut to Zuko docked at a Fire Nation shipyard for repairs.

TWO

As soon as Zuko disembarks, he’s met by Commander Zhao. Now, this guy is Trouble. Zuko lies to him about how his ship sustained damage. (It was the Avatar, remember.)

Cut to the team flying toward the Air Temple. Sokka is hungry and the food storage is empty. This starts out as a typical Sokka bit — he represents us normies, surrounded and outnumbered by magic — but it is also Trouble. His hunger will set the Eight in motion.

Katara warns Aang to be prepared. The Fire Nation is ruthless. Aang shrugs off her concerns.

ROBIN HOOD (1938), NINE

Most iterations of Hood will measure against Errol Flynn’s portrayal in this version. He’s an archetype. The cheerful brashness, the resolute seeking of redress, the swordplay, even the tights — he personifies the basic understanding of Robin Hood.

Is there an Enneagram under all of that?

Nine. Of course.

He’s very physically competent. He’s the greatest archer. He can almost best Little John with the staff. He rides, he rope swings, etc. This is a Body Type.

Part of the Robin Hood mythos is his reluctance. He’s an aristocrat who can survive the Prince John regency without pain, if he so chooses. Injustice becomes too much for him and he engages in rebellion. All of this is very Nine. Trouble must push at him until he can no longer resist.

This Hood’s Marian, as a Three, is a good match for him. Her vitality will pull him forward when he would otherwise sit back.

I am curious, though, if a Hood with a different Enneagram would work. Must this character be a Nine in all versions of his story? Stick a pin in this one.

MAID MARIAN (1938), THREE

One of the most beautiful women in film, this Marian is my heroine. The costume design (wimples!), the luminous portrayal by Olivia de Havilland, and Marian’s feisty and loyal character make this the best of the Maids.

She’s brave. As a ward she has the protection of King Richard, but he’s not around. Prince John clearly tells her that she’s vulnerable. Until that moment you could argue that Marian isn’t particularly brave. She’s entitled. However, she’s a lone woman in a rough world. Sneaking to the inn to help organize an escape for Robin is above and beyond. She’s afraid for Robin, but not for herself.

Even when she’s potentially just privileged — when she’s “invited” to share a meal with the Merry Men — she sees the poor and how Robin provides for them as pitiable and just. Marian is a “broad”, a great gal who subverts your expectation that she’ll be fussy.

So what Enneagram is she? This Marian is no Body Type. She doesn’t have a penchant for archery, horseback riding, or any outdoor activities. She’s Heart. She knows how to play a room, even a large dining hall with dogs fighting over meat scraps. She’s bold and not intimidated.

Not a Two. She’s too tough. Four or Three? Her vivacity could indicate either, but I’ll say a Three because her emotions are on such an even keel. Her ups and downs only vary slightly from center.

The Avatar Returns

I must remind myself of the first part, The Boy in the Iceberg, and that this episode is a continuation, a part two. This is to be the second half of the Story Enneagram, the arc of both parts together.

SWITCH

I assumed that the episode break would be the Switch, and that seems to be true. Katara and Aang inadvertently signaled Zuko on his Fire Nation ship, revealing the Avatar’s location. When they return to the village Gran-Gran tells Aang he must leave. Katara knew not to go on the derelict, and now Aang is banished. He walks away.

FIVE

Zuko arrives, his ship breaking through the ice wall that surrounds the village. Out he comes, down the ramp, and Sokka attacks him. It’s futile. Riding a penguin, Aang slides in to save the day. He saw the ship arrive from a distance. The villagers, especially the children, are in danger from his bending fight with Zuko, though, so Aang surrenders. The Fire Nation ship, with Aang aboard, pulls out.

So far, everything up until now feels like the momentum from “Iceberg” is finishing up. The confrontation between Aang and Zuko is what we expected. Sokka, using regular warrior skills, is basically powerless in an arena of bending. A world without the Avatar is powerless against the Fire Nation.

SIX

During the skirmish we have positive confirmation that Aang is indeed the Avatar. He says, “Looking for me?” We get the great moment when Zuko, who’s been seeking a one hundred year old man, realizes his adversary is a child.

At the Three, Aang in the iceberg is revealed. He’s got the glowing forehead arrow and the beam of light. Clearly he’s special, different. At the Six we now know why. The penguin-sledding boy is more than he seemed.

SEVEN

Aang, looking around at the vulnerable villagers, surrenders to Zuko. Zuko honors his promise, takes the Avatar on board, and leaves. “Set course for the Fire Nation.”

We don’t know enough about Zuko yet to realize what a triumphant moment this is for him. Yes, the villain has won, but we’ll learn so much more about his character and what drives him. This is a taste of Zuko’s storyline.

EIGHT

Katara and Sokka will follow after Aang in their canoe. Of course Appa comes in and becomes their transport. It’s a nice little moment. Also, it’s a call-back to the Two when their canoe crashed. Good continuity.

The rest of the episode is a bang-up battle with Aang on the ship. “I’m guessing you’ve never fought an air-bender before.” And we’ve never seen an air-bender fight. It’s amazing! Fire — punching fireballs at someone or throwing an arc of flame on a roundhouse kick — makes sense. It’s just a continuation of regular martial arts technique. Air bending, though, is more magical. It’s based in aikido — using your opponent’s strength against them — but wind is used in creative, unexpected ways. It’s a great scene, a great Eight. I won’t spoil it with jaw-jaw.

Zuko doesn’t quit, though. A key character trait of his, his indomitable will even when he’s losing, leads him to inadvertently knock Aang into the ocean. Aang, sinking, starts to glow. In later episodes we’ll learn that he’s entered the Avatar state. Right now, though, he just goes to another level of power. He water bends a whirlpool that lifts him from the ocean. As an air bender he’s been winning the fight. As the Avatar, he’s a destructive force who can’t be stopped.

He’s quickly exhausted, though, depleted. Katara and Sokka help him onto Appa, and they all escape. Zuko’s ship, bow crushed under an ice block, is left behind. “I won’t underestimate him again,” he says. Beautiful climax, beautiful resolution. Very satisfying.

NINE

Now we have our team, flying through the sky. They’ll head to the Northern Tribe where Aang and Katara can study water bending together from a master.

First, though, some fun stops along the way are planned. Aang is a reluctant Avatar. His psychological journey to accept his destiny is already clearly a main arc. A lot of questions started in this first double episode, a lot of excitement and delivery. You’re totally hooked.