Crossing the First Threshold/ Tests, Allies, Enemies

Stage five of the hero's journey is crossing the first threshold. Crossing the threshold means that the hero has now completely committed to the adventure. As the hero approaches the threshold, a final commitment is brought about through an internal or external force. An external force could be something like the villain killing, threatening, or kidnapping someone close to the hero. The hero now feels like there are no more options and he/she must accept the call to adventure. An internal force could be the little voice inside the heros head, pushing him to be brave and courageous. The hero may be bored with his normal day to day life and want something a little more adventurous, even if it means a great deal of change. Often times, a threshold guardian tries to block the hero from entering the "unknown". The threshold guardian tests the hero's commitment to adventure, and could be considered a mentor or an enemy.

In stage six of the hero's journey the hero encounters tests, allies, and enemies. Now that the hero is in an unfamiliar world, he/she will have to overcome obstacles and decided who to trust, and who not to trust. The new world is often a polar opposite of the ordinary world the hero just left. In this time of adjustment from the ordinary world to the special world, the hero undergoes a series of tests and trails. These tests prepare the hero for the greater battle ahead, and are usually not life-threatening. One of these tests would be whether the hero has a good judge of character or not. The hero will have to determine who is his enemy and who he can rely upon to be his allie.

Vogler p. 49-80

These chapters in the book describes roles that characters take on in stories. These roles include; Threshold guardians, heralds, shapeshifters, shadows, allies, and tricksters. Threshold guardians test the heroes commitment to adventure. They could take the form or a person, or could be the heroes inner demons. Any figure that blocks the hero from improving themselves could be considered a threshold guardian. The herald of the story brings the challenge to the hero. They announce the need for change and give motivation. A herald could be a positive, negative, or neutral figure. Often times, mentors act as heralds of a story. The shapeshifter is the character who constantly changes in the eyes of the hero. They could change their appearance or mood, and are often used in love stories to depict the male or female character. They bring doubt and suspense to the story. The shadow figure represents the dark side of things. It could be secrets the hero doesn't want anyone to know, or it could be qualities that the hero doesn't want to admit about themselves. Many shadow figures are also shapeshifters and can be a destructive force if not dealt with. The ally of the story is often the heroes right hand man. They serve many different functions, some of which are companion, consciemce, or comic relief. Allies are friends of the hero who want to help them on their adventure. Sam, from Lord of the Rings, serves as an ally to Frodo. Finally, the trickster of the story represents the desire for change, as well as the need for mischief. Tricksters help the hero ground themselves, as well as point out their follies. They may be allies or servants of the hero and bring comic relief to a story.

Connecting this section to the real world was easy because everyone deals with threshold guardians, heralds, shapeshifters, shadows, allies, and tricksters everyday. A threshold guardian could be a friend telling you to skip class and hang with them, or it could be the voice in your head saying that you can't do something. A herald could be your teachers, parents, or coach. Your sports coach would act as a herald when they challenge you to run more, or do more push-ups. Anyone who has been in a relationship can understand the role of the shapeshifter. When reading about shapeshifters, I thought about my friend Sam watching football. One moment he would be jumping up and down with excitement, and the next moment he could be punching a wall he's so mad. Unfortunetly, shadows are also a part of our daily lives. Anything that we don't like about ourselves and want to hide from others is a shadow. Even something as little as waking up with a pimple and putting cover-up on it, could be considered a shadow. The ally figure could be your best friend, your family, or your pet. Your ally is like your sidekick who would go anywhere with you. I would consider my roommate my ally because she's always up for new things.  When I think of trickers I think of class clowns and people who could make you laugh, no matter what kind of a day your having. When having a bad day, sometimes you just need to laugh and lighten up a bit, and thats where the tricksters come in.

Refusal of the Call/ Meeting with the Mentor

The chapter starts out with the Hero's refusal of the call to adventure. Refusal of the call is expected of the hero because he/she is stepping into an unfamiliar territory. Anyone would naturally be a little frightened about stepping out of their comfort zone, and possible getting harmed in some way. The audience becomes aware of the dangers posed by the adventure, when the hero is reluctant to go. Refusal involves avoidance and excuses. Prolonged refusal often leads to a tragic event, like a death or kidnapping. The reluctance of the hero is often overcome by a tragic event, motivating him/her to go on the adventure. Sometimes refusing the call to adventure benefits the hero: positive refusal. For example, a hero may refuse to rob a bank with other characters in the story. The characters may rob the bank and get arrested or even killed, making it a wise decision on the hero's part to not get involved. Writers also face positive refusal with the world around them. In order to sit down and wright a story, the writer must avoid distractions and temptations from their peers and surroundings. In other cases, the hero may not refuse the call at all. Willing heroes accept the call and do not worry about the consequences. This reminded me of Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump. When the storm hit them he hoisted himself up onto the mast, and began screaming at God to come get him. He was a willing hero because he wasn't afraid to face his own death.

The next chapter talked about the Mentors role in the heroes journey. Mentors provide the hero with protection, guidance, advice, and training. The hero looks for sources of wisdom before embarking on their adventure. Mentors are often the source of wisdom the hero needs. Mentors can also help the story get going, or get the writer out of a dead end. For example, Cinderella would never have been able to go to the ball if it weren't for her fairy god mother helping her out. Mentors and heroes can also have conflict between them. The hero may be ungrateful of the mentors help and either ignore, or be violent towards them. On the contrary, the mentor could turn on the hero and lead them astray. In addition, mentors can provide the story with humor and tragic relationships. In Lord of the Rings, the fellowships mentor Gandalf dies in a battle with a demon, leaving the fellowship feeling depressed and hopeless. Writers also seek guidance from mentors when they get writers block. They may go to a former teacher or fellow writer for ideas and inspiration.

When reading these chapters I reacted by thinking about a time I refused a call to adventure, and who my mentors are. I have use positive refusal to my friends when I have work that I need to get done. I often find it difficult to refuse all calls, especially when it's a nice day out and my roommate wants to go to the beach. I could also use my homework as a call to adventure. Prolonged refusal of this call leads to the tragic ending of bad grades. I use avoidance and excuses to justify my refusal of the call.

I would say that my most influential mentors would be my teachers and my mom. Any person who is older and connected to you in some way, could become a mentor. They have lived on this earth longer than you and could probably give you advice based on their past experiences. When I have problems with any aspect in my life I seek out my mentors for advice. I can also learn by listening to my mentors past experiences.

The use of mentors can be seen in the short story Indian Camp. A young boy and his father travel to an Indian Camp to help a woman in labor. The father is a doctor and is showing his son what his job is like. He is also showing his son pain and suffering, on top of the miracle of life. The young boy is the hero