Annotated Bibliography-Crossing the first threshold and testing of allies and enemies

Cameron Bradley

Annotated Bibliography

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Studio

City:Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.

 

Summary

Stages five and six in the Vogler text now explain the hero crossing his first threshold and determining his allies and enemies.  Whiles at the first threshold, the hero must either fight a threshold guardian or overcome n inner demon that motivates them to keep traveling the road he or she has chosen.  The threshold guardians are sometimes training for the hero for hat he is to face later in the story.  In other words, the crossing of the first threshold is a quiz leading to a test. 

            The next stage covers the hero trying to determine his allies and enemies.  In this stage, a series of trials and tests are put on the hero to determine his state of mind toward the people around him.  After the tests, the characters may be torn into teams, sidekicks, enemies, rivalries and other aliases toward the hero.  At the end of this stage, the hero must prepare for the next stage called approaching to the Inmost Cave. 

 

Reaction

            These two stages just seem to be prep for what is going to happen later.  We get a better understanding of which character is “good” or “bad.” In other word, character development is important here.  Motivation is also tested in these stages.  The motivation can be tested with either a fight for a flashback. 

 

Terms

1.     Can the test of allies and enemies be false when a character is lying?

2.     What is an example of a mental test in the crossing of the first threshold?

3.     Can the crossing of the threshold r testing of allies and enemies be taken out of a story?