An Analysis of Things Even God Doesnt Understand as Myth

The Story from a Mythical Perspective:

Theme: Redemption is possible through love, friendship, and charity.
The Call to Adventure: Molly senses that Charlie is in emotional distress and, to a lesser degree, so is
she. Charlie cant see past his troubles, so sees no way out. Molly understands that Charlie is stuck. She
suggests that some time away in Mexico might help them both. The adventure is not the road trip. It is
the romance between Molly and Charlie. Muleg represents a stage outside of Charlie and Mollys
normal lives where the adventure unfolds.
Thresholds: Crossing of thresholds include: leaving Santa Cruz, Johns discussion at Deetjins, crossing the
border, arriving in Muleg, molly crawling into bed with Charlie, Johns heart attack, Mollys father
dying, Mollys trip to the funeral, Mollys reaction to Rafael, Molly returning to Muleg, Johns leaving.
Threshold Guardian: Mollys friend, Kate, warns her against going on the trip. Molly is reluctant to leave
Santa Cruz, and very reluctant to get into a relationship with Charlie. For Charlie, his pessimism at first
holds him back. Then the drive through Los Angeles is difficult. When they get to Muleg, Molly does
practically everything she can to convince Charlie that a long-term relationship between them is not
going to happen.
Allies and Enemies: The time in Muleg before Johns heart attack is a time for everyone to stabilize and
strengthen before the coming trials. Allies include Father Francis, Valencia and her family, the women at
the bakery and Raul, the fisherman. Enemies are mostly the fears that Molly and Charlie both harbor. Of
course, Ian is always lurking in the background.
Pre-ordeal Tests: The team is tested by:
Charlies and Johns efforts to help Pedro
Mollys desire to help Valencia and then her idea to adopt her
Mollys reluctance to get into a relationship with Charlie
Johns heart attack
Approaching the Innermost Cave and Bonding: Charlie, Molly, and John bond on the drive to Muleg
and during their time at Playa de las Islas. Charlie and John bond working on Pedros ranch. Molly and
Charlie bond when John has his heart attack.
The Ordeals:
For Molly:
o When she has to decide whether to accept Charlies desires to get together
romantically
o At the party in New York
o While she is making major decisions about her life when she is in New York
For Charlie:
o When Molly writes him that she isnt ready for a relationship
o When he is kidnapped
o When John dies
For John:
o First heart attack

o
o

When Molly writes Charlie that she might not come back to Muleg
When he leaves

Rewards and Celebrations:

The lunch when John arrives home from the hospital
the party at Pedros following Charlies rescue form the kidnappers
Charlie and Mollys night at the hotel when she returns from New York
The scene on the back porch when Molly gives John the book
The evening Charlie and Molly go rowing and decide on their future
The backpacking trip to the eastern Sierra
The Road Back: Charlies kidnapping and then Johns disappearance mar the road back from the
adventure.
The Resurrection: The resurrection for the story occurs when Charlie and Molly return to Santa Cruz
together and spend the summer preparing for their new purposeful lives working to help small
communities. The story comes full circle when they go back to the eastern Sierra where Charlie and John
first met.

John as a Mythical Character

John serves a number of classic roles in this story. He is primarily a Tragic Hero and Catalyst Hero. That
can be seen either from viewing John as God or as a person who believes he is God. John at time also
plays the roles of shape shifter, threshold guardian, ally (for both Molly and Charlie,) and shadow.
Whats at stake for John is the ultimate demise of the grand experiment because of the apparent
failure of human pairing. For John, the future of intelligent life on earth is at stake.
1. Universal Traits
a. His belief in love
b. Coolness and courage (facing the snake and when he has a heart attack.)
c. Compassion for Charlie and Molly
d. Self-confidence (when almost run down and with the snake)
e. Idealism
f. Willingness to work hard on Pedros ranch
g. Curiosity and acceptance of other people
h. Curiosity about the world
i. His need to resolve the pairing problem with human beings
2. Unique Traits
a. His confusion about human pairing breaking down
b. A tendency toward long-winded explanations
c. Confidence in his explanations as to how the universe works
d. Obscurity about who or what he really is
e. His emotional response to Mollys gift book
f. His response to his near death from the heart attack
g. A lack of ego
h. His intellectualism
i. His sense of humor
j. The fact he worked in a beauty parlor
k. His fascination with hands

l. His seeming asexuality

m. His sacrifice in leaving
3. Growth
a. Learning the importance of friendship
b. Leaning that pairing amongst humans is not as simple as he thought
c. Learning that pairing is still viable among humans and that the grand experiment is not
in jeopardy
4. Action
a. Appears in the road in front of Charlies truck
b. Avoids the snake
c. Is compassionate with Charlie
d. Is curious about human pairing
e. Gets a reluctant Charlie to go to Mexico
f. Acts a best friend to both Molly and Charlie
g. Introduces Father Francis to Molly and Charlie
h. Helps Charlie at Pedros ranch
i. Survives the heart attack
j. Encourages both Molly and Charlie to resolve their differences and become better
people
k. Along with Francis, rescues Charlie during the kidnapping
l. Works out to get in shape for rowing
m. Leaves in Vaya Con Dios
n. Writes a goodbye note
5. Sacrifice
a. Gives up unspecified quest to John Charlie and Molly after Muleg
b. Willing to play supporting role to Charlie and Molly
c. Risks his health and life to help Charlie work on Pedros ranch
d. Give his time to getting to know Valencias family and neighbors.
e. Gives his life to liberate Charlie and Molly
Johns Character Arc
Puzzled about human pairing Convinces that human pairing is alive and well
Thinks pairing is simple Understands human pairing is complex
Is on a mission Returns to heaven
Johns Mythical Journey
1. Normalcy: When human life on earth was evolving before there seemed to be a crisis in pairing
behavior
2. Flaws: Hes a bit naive about modern life and idealistic.
3. Challenge: To find our why human pairing behavior is breaking down
4. Call to Adventure: When he returns to earth or when he accepts Mollys invitation to go to
Muleg
5. Refusal of the Call: None in this story
6. Mentors: Charlie, Molly, and Father Francis teach him about pairing in the real world
7. Crossing the Threshold:
8. Tests:
a. John has to accept the complexity of human relationships.
b. John has to understand why Molly leaves.

9. Allies: Charlie, Molly, the priest

10. Enemies: The rattlesnake
11. Cave and Ordeal: When he is trying to understand human behavior and is coaching Charlie while
Molly is away
12. Reward: Having his faith in human beings restored
13. The Road Back: After Molly returns
14. Resurrection and Return:
a. His disappearance (death) and assumed return to heaven
b. John takes the sins of Charlie and Molly with him when he goes away allowing them to
start fresh.

Molly as a Mythical Character

Molly as a Hero and Shape Shifter
Molly is incomplete. Her father and other men wounded her early in her life. She never won her fathers
love or approval and is still looking for it. She needs men but also needs to control men. This keeps her
from ever giving herself fully to love. She longs for love and companionship, but she cant open herself
to it. She also sees herself as a bit of an aristocrat, which, in that sense, makes her a phony. She is also
looking for meaning in her life. She has been searching for guidance and has resorted to a variety of
cults, practices, and gurus. Mollys future happiness is at stake.
1. Universal Traits:
a. Love nature
b. Likes gardening
c. Appreciate Charlie as a friend and appreciates his good traits
d. Wary of strangers (when John sleeps in her house)
e. Wanted children and is disappointed she didnt have them
f. Is swept away by her love for Valencia
g. Looking for love and companionship
h. Has been hurt and mistreated by men
i. Is vulnerable to attractive men (male bobbles)
j. Looking for approval, especially from her father
k. Sees herself as an aristocrat
l. Is looking for meaning in her life
2. Unique Traits:
a. Falls for cults or five-and-dime religions
b. Attracted to inappropriate men
c. Looking for mens approval especially her fathers
d. Is embittered towards men. Sees them as jerks.
e. Doesnt think she is deserving of love
3. Growth
a. Learns to trust men (Charlie, John, Father Francis)
b. Gets past her addiction to pretty men
c. Accepts Charlie as a long-term companion quits looking for perfection or the unattainable
d. Choses a role for herself in life that contributes to society and gives meaning to her life
e. Lets go of her need for approval. Stands up for herself when she slugs Rafael.
f. Finds a way to help and work with children
g. Gets centered in her search for a belief structure abandons her search for far-out religions

h. Accepts that some men are good people.

4. Action
a. Offers to go to Mexico
b. Accepts John
c. Becomes enlightened in Muleg
d. Tries to help Valencia
e. Wants to adopt Valencia
f. Begins to open up to Charlie
g. Decides to be sexual with Charlie and tries to make it meaningful through ceremony
h. Goes to Ottawa
i. Goes to New York
j. Goes to party in New York
k. Reacts to Rafaels advances with confidence
l. Takes time in New York to figure out what she wants with Charlie
m. Returns to Muleg
n. Discusses future with Charlie
o. Insists that they have to look for John when he disappears
p. Goes out in a boat with Charlie to look for John
q. Instigates flying to look for John.
r. Leaves Muleg
s. Helps Valencia and her family
t. Studies nursing
u. Goes backpacking
v. Reinforces her bonding with Charlie
5. Sacrifice
a. Leaves her comfortable world in Santa Cruz
b. Searches for enlightenment through meditation
c. Gives her time to help Valencia
d. Gives up her fear and bitterness to be close to Charlie
e. Gives up her independence to be close to Charlie
f. Gives up the protection of her fear and protectiveness to be close to Charlie
g. Gives up the comfortable situation in Muleg to close the book on her father.
h. Give up the fast life in New York to be with Charlie
i. Gives up her fears that Charlie will abandon her, as have so many other men.
j. Risks her life to search for John in the boat.
k. Gives up her glamorous life as a photographer to work with babies in Africa
6. Death and Resurrection
a. The Santa Cruz Molly dies/disappears when she goes to Muleg
b. Mollys craving for unsuitable men slowly dies as she accepts Charlie but is tested once
more when she goes to New York. She kills it permanently when she slugs Rafael.
c. The old Molly who craves acceptance from men also dies when she slugs Rafael.
d. Any reluctance she has about Charlie dies when Charlie is almost killed during kidnapping.
e. Part of Molly dies when John leaves.
f. Molly is reborn when she returns to Muleg.
g. After John leaves, Charlie and Molly are reborn as a couple.
h. Molly merges with Charlie and his world when they go backpacking.
Mollys Character Arc
Needs mens approval Does not crave mens approval

Is embittered towards men Accepts that men are no all bad

Is afraid of commitment Wants commitment with Charlie
Doesnt think she deserves love Accepts Charlies love lovingly and sees herself as deserving
Attracted to inappropriate men Gets beyond that attraction
Still trying to win her fathers approval Closes issues with her father
Unclear of her role in life Accepts a role
Looking for meaning in her life Finds meaning in being in partnership with Charlie and in helping
children
Is spiritually unstable Finds spiritual clarity
Mollys Mythical Journey
1. Normalcy: Life in Santa Cruz
2. Flaws:
a. Doesnt trust men so bails from relationships
b. Feels threatened and abandoned by men
c. Feels the need for an imagined life
3. Call to Adventure: When Charlie shows up.
4. Meeting the Mentor:
a. John and Charlie are both mentors.
b. Ottawa Aunt
5. Crossing the Threshold: Her experience in Ensenada represented by the scarf.
6. Tests:
a. Charlies proposal to get into a relationship
b. Death of her father
c. Call of her imagined life in Ottawa and New York
d. Encounter with Rafael
e. When John disappears
7. Enemies: Her father, brother, and Rafael
8. Allies: Charlie, John, Priest, Valencia, women at the bakery
9. Innermost Cave: New York
10. Ordeal:
a. Ottawa and New York
b. When Charlie is threatened
c. When John disappears
11. Reward:
a. Relationship with Charlie
b. Friendships with John and Francis
12. Road Back:
a. Flight back from New York
b. Johns disappearance
13. Resurrection:
a. Return to California
b. Backpacking at the end
14. Elixir: Upcoming adventure in Africa with Charlie

Charlie as a Mythical Character

Charlie is honorable but has not been able to live up to his expectations of himself and has been
horrified and wounded by the cruelty and inhumanity he has witnessed. When the story begins, he is on
a downward spiral. He is a good person but has been beat down by life and has totally lost confidence in
himself. He has contemplated suicide. His life is at stake.

Charlie as a Hero
1. Universal Traits
a. Admiration of the beauty of nature
b. Empathy and kindness (starts with fish)
c. Clumsiness (getting injured)
d. Worries about, and disappointment with love and romance and being rejected by
women
e. Elicits sympathy: under truck, job cancelled, divorce, with Angel
f. Admiration of John after snake incident
g. Adoration of Bonnie
h. Bonding at the Sierra Crest
i. Friendship with Molly
2. Unique Traits
a. Falling for inappropriate women
b. Bitter towards modern society
c. Distrustful and suspicious of women
d. Down on his luck
e. Guilt and dark secrets of his past
f. Wants a relationship but is also capable of being a jerk
g. Believes he is a coward
3. Growth
a. Learns that he is not a coward
b. Learn to love despite rejection, to love in a larger sense
c. Regains his faith in human kind
d. Regains his desire to contribute to society and, in doing so, discovers a reason for being.
e. Becomes more tolerant of religion and other peoples beliefs
4. Action:
a. Agrees to go to Muleg
b. Initiates work at Pedros farm
c. Preservers in sending e-mails to Molly in New York even after she rejects him.
d. Takes care of John
e. Tries to warn Rutoh
f. Offers to be killed in place of John or Francis during kidnapping
g. Goes out in a boat to look for John
h. Proposes going to Africa with Molly
i. Studies water conservation
j. Reads poems to Molly
5. Sacrifice
a. Offers to sacrifice his life during kidnapping
b. Puts himself in danger trying to warn Rutoh
c. Loses his friend John
d. Give up chasing woman
e. Gives up his image of himself as a victim

f. Gives up the good life in Muleg

6. Death and Resurrection
a. Charlie faces death in the desert after reading Mollys letter and is reborn when he
thinks of his father.
b. Charlie is reborn when he changes his attitude about his love for Molly.
c. Charlie faces death and is reborn when he says, Kill me during the kidnapping.
d. Charlie is released from his guilt of being a coward (reborn) at the end of the kidnapping
when Ian tells him that Rutoh considers him a courageous man.
e. Charlie and Molly return to help their global community.
Charlies Character Arc
Coward Hero
No confidence Confident
Bitter and angry at society Hopeful and charitable
Hopeless and defeated in love Enlightened and confident in love
Spiteful of religion accepting of religion
Feeling useless Feeling he has something to contribute
Angry at women Understanding of women
Lonely In love and in a partnership
Charlies Mythical Journey (Not yet completed)