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.