In the next section of the reading, Vogler describes the tests, allies and enemies the hero encounters in Stage Six, and how they help to mold the story. Vogler states that by this point, the hero is fully immersed in the "new world". Here the contrast between the old and new worlds becomes most evident, either literally (geographically), or through a set of drastically different conditions. The hero begins undergoing a series of tests in preparation for the more dire challenges to come later. These tests are often passed with the aid of allies that the hero meets in the new world. Of these allies, one or two may stick with the hero for the duration of his journey, becoming his sidekicks, or a group of allies with different strengths may become a team assembled by the hero. During "Act Two" the hero will also encounter various types of enemies in the shadow, trickster, threshold guardian and sometimes the herald. The hero also begins to familiarize himself with a new set of rules pertaining to the new world, and finds "watering holes", which according to Vogler typically take the form of bars, where both violence and romance can breed.
I found Vogler's interpretations of the end of Act One, and beginning of Act Two to be rather helpful. I was impressed with his ability to create a formulaic description of fantasy driven narrative elements, which can and do manifest themselves in drastically different ways from story to story. The example from Thelma and Louise was great at illustrating a classic "no way out" scenerio, which forces the heroes to cross the first threshold that sets their story in motion. As a theatre scholar, I also liked his comparison of the first threshold, as it appears at the end of Act Two to be followed by a "fade out" or closing of the curtain, before reopening to show the hero fully committed to the journey and navigating the new world. Even more formulaic was the corporate analogy used at Disney, which compares the first threshold to a plane as it is just taking off from the runway-- gaining speed and eventually becoming airborne.
I also appreciated Vogler's mentioning of the contrast between worlds, as portrayed after the first threshold. He says that the differences between the two are highlighted in this section, but adds that they don't neccessarily have to be physical changes in location; instead an emphasis can be placed on a new set of conditions and challenges. I think this is important to keep in mind, since many modern narratives or films don't change location, yet still fulfill the narrative component of creating contrast. I was surprised however, by how little time Vogler devoted to the "enemies" section of the reading. While he determined the archetypes through which they can appear, he never mentioned the possibility and frequently used narrative strategy, of characters shapeshifting from seeming allies to enemies. I liked the mentioning of the "rival" enemy, but thought Volger used poor examples to illustrate it. The Rival is a very common type of enemy it seems, especially in romance driven stories, and many comedic films. Lastly, I was unsure of the significance of the watering hole, and if it really is a key element to the new world, especially since Vogler only have the example of a bar setting, which seemed a bit two specific. However, after giving it some thought, I realized that the "watering hole" is in fact, frequently found in storytelling, and the most common, if not obvious example is indeed a bar/saloon type establishment.
Questions for discussion:
1) Other than bars, what are other ways in which the watering hole appears in stories?
What is the main function of including a watering hole in a narrative?
2)Can a hero jump directly into his/her mission without undergoing the "pop quizzes" as they present themselves in section 6? Would they be less prepared?
3) What is the most common form that the "enemy" takes (archetypes)? What do you make of the Rival enemy?
3)
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