The Enemy at the Gates–Guardians of the Threshold
Posted by Anjuelle Floyd | Filed under Articles and Essays, Musings
Guardians of the Threshold, which Christopher Vogler discusses in The Writer’s Journey, Mythic Structure for Writers, may present as enemies.
Yet instead they seek to test the protagonist or central character of a story, to ensure that she or he has integrated the wisdom and information provided by the Mentor.
The best protagonists earn success by seeking to understand the experience of the Guardian of the Threshold. Working in tandem with the Threshold Guardians the protagonist gains access to dimensions of her or himself they had yet to tap.
Guardians of the Threshold often present like the Nazi German sniper, Major Erwin König, played by Ed Harris in the movie, “Enemy at the Gates,” or Marine Gunnery Sergeant, Emil Foley played by Louis Gossett Jr. in the movie, “An Officer and a Gentleman“.
In both movies König and Foley present what appear as insurmountable challenges to the movies’ central characters, Vasilli Zayetsev (Jude Law) and Zachary Mayo (Richard Gere). These Guardians of the Threshold appear in both instances as if enemies seeking to prevent the central characters from entering the gates of accomplishment and success of achieving their goals.
While Zaytsev desires to live up to the reputation that Commisar Danilov, played by Ray Fiennes has created him to be, Mayo wants to become a U.S. Navy Aviation Officer.
Each of these jobs hold duties that demand commitment, discipline and a respect for discipline, in both the way one carries out their tasks, and how they live their lives as individuals.
Guardians of the Threshold ask the protagonist to examine her or his morals, and reasons for wanting to achieve the goals they so desire.
They touch upon not only the spirit, but also the soul of the protagonist.
What are the ends to which you will go in seeking to establish meaning by writing and crafting stories?
Why does writing stories hold such importance for you?
Tags: An Officer and a Gentleman, central character, Christopher Vogler, Commisar Danilov, commitment discipline, desires, Ed Harris, ends, Enemy at the Gates, Guardians of the Threshold, importance, Jude Law, Louis Gossett Jr., Major Erwin König, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley, means, moral, protagonist, Ralph Fiennes, reasons, respect for discipline, Richard Gere, The Enemy at the Gates, The Writer's Journey-Mythic Structure fo Writers, U. S. Aviation Officer, Vasilli Zaytsev
Facebook
GoodReads
LinkedIn
MySpace
Scribd
Shelfari
Twitter
YouTube
Loading ...