Vogler pg.'s 143-173

Summary
In this section of Vogler the approach to the inmost cave and the supreme ordeal are discussed. The approach is the final preparation in the story, as the hero must make him/her ready for anything prior to the supreme ordeal. The heroes are tested once more by a new set of threshold guardians because they are entering a new special world with different regulations. The tests they encounter may seem impossible because they are in life and death situations, since the approach also functions to heighten the stakes. Characters may switch roles as they encounter villains, and their encounters can help the hero regroup and encourage others. The ordeal is the point in the story when the hero faces the main crisis, but this is not the climax of the story. The hero is faced with some type of life or death situation, and the ability to survive it is the ultimate test of a hero. This crisis is usually the main event of the story and divides the story into two halves. After the hero faces life and death he/she is reborn and nothing is the same from this point on. The hero usually survives whatever the crisis may be because a taste of death is just as shocking and emotional for the audience. The ordeal is considered one of the deepest depressions and therefore leads to some of the highest rewards. The most common ordeal is a battle or confrontation with the enemy, however a hero's greatest opponent is his/her own shadow. A shadow represents the hero's flaws as well as fears and is projected in the form of demonizing. Other types of crises include love, negative animus/anima, an elder, a relationship, marriage, balance, or a parent. The hero's ability to overcome these crises make them stronger and ready for the next stage of the journey.
Reaction
I think it was interesting how Vogler laid out all of the different types of crises but only offered two examples of how the story can be structured, the central crisis and delayed crisis. I guess it makes sense that most stories follow a similar structure. But I think a story about the crisis of the heart is much different than a story with a hero battling a dragon. Regardless, I do agree with Vogler in that, "Good structure works by alternately lowering and raising the hero's fortunes and, with them, the audiences emotions" (161). I think that what the audience feels is definitely critical to the success of any story. I also liked the section on the hero's greatest opponent being himself/herself. Without being able to overcome personal fears or shortcomings the hero would never be able to deal with the ordeal and proceed with the rest of the story.
Reflection
So far throughout the hero's journey, the hero has had reoccurring relationships with many other characters, and specifically a villian figure. In this section of reading, that also holds true as the villian becomes the projection of the hero's downfalls and the human form of his/her fears. In many movies the villian dies instead of the hero to conform with keeping the audience happy, but occasionally the hero dies shocking the audience. Vogler warns about the dangers of doing this but I think it's a suitable alternative to provide variety and experiment with the audience's emotions. I think that a movie can still be good and successful even if the hero dies,such as Gran Tourino starring Clint Eastwood, it all depends on how it is executed; and this relates back to importance of the structure of a good story.
Questions
1. Vogler suggests Adriane's Thread as a way to connect the hero to loved ones in the story. Can you think of any other accessory structure to the hero's journey?
2. Do you agree with Vogler that the approach to inmost cave is a separate special world? Why or why not?
3. "The ordeal can be defined as the moment the hero faces his greatest fear" (Vogler 169), do you think that a hero can face his greatest fear prior to the ordeal? What about a hero overcoming a personal flaw in order to take the journey in the first place?