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THRESHOLD GUARDIANS  

By
Helen Adams

Threshold Guardians are exactly what their name suggests. They stand at the gateway be it geographical, mental or cultural and they test or prevent entrance.

Fictional heroes must encounter obstacles on their roads to adventure otherwise they become bland and uninteresting. At each gateway to a new world or new experience there is a threshold to be crossed and a guardian in place to make that entrance more exciting, more frightening or more improbable.

Guardians test the worthiness of entry. Sometimes they come in an aggressive form throwing their weight about, very physical and they might torture, bully or even threaten death. Sometimes the guardian takes the form of incredible endurance, possibly presenting a journey that seems impossible - be it physical or emotional.

Alternatively a guardian might take the form of cultural resistance testing the strength or commitment of those who would cross over or break free from inflexible ritual, belief or custom. Many guardians possess a fierceness or obduracy that seems daunting but given time and wisdom they can often be better understood and so be overcome, bypassed or even turned into allies. A worthy hero may grow to understand his threshold guardian and use such knowledge to handle whatever situation he may face.

Threshold Guardians are often lesser beings hired to protect access. They will be mercenaries rather than generals, bouncers rather than club owners. There can be a symbiotic relationship between the villain and the guardian since the guardian is the one to warn of the approach of the hero, to raise the alarm so to speak. In return he or she benefits from the patronage of the more powerful villain.
There are countless examples of this type of guardian in old Western movies, where the big landowner sends his man to clear the plains of settlers or sheep herders. Or perhaps the local sheriff is in the pay of such a landowner and he reports back on new comers or potential troubles maker but turns a blind eye to any crimes the villain himself may commit.
In a landscape the Guardian will be neutral, testing all travellers, not just our hero. He will blend with nature becoming the Everest of the piece or perhaps the difficult river to be crossed. He might be an unexpected storm that drives our hero off course or a parched desert that weakens our hero leaving him at the mercy of natives people who might become guardians in their own right, testing our hero with their goodness or their barbaric ways. In such cases they may actually become helpers who are there to test the skill or worth of the traveller.

Psychological guardians are used to represent everyday obstacles such as bad luck, oppression or prejudice. They can be small things that affect how we behave at a given moment, for example bad manners when driving can have cause and effect ranging from irritation to road rage and its ongoing repercussions. Similarly missing a bus or train can cause incredible changes as illustrated by those who escape dreadful accidents when some niggling chore that couldn't be put off turned out to be truly life saving. Conversely, missing a flight or train can make you late for any number of important meetings and the longer the journey, the more missed connections to contend with.
On a deeper level these guardians are our internal limitations.

These guardians usually serve to strengthen our heroes resolve but they can also test his strength and find him wanting. The test can be real as in many Greek plays -  a task to be performed or a riddle to solve before the hero can go forward           but it is usually more oblique. Often someone close to the hero, who may have a vested interest in preventing him leaving, will use their relationship to dissuade the venture. [Heroes sometimes have to outgrow their teachers in order to move on]

Sometimes emotional blackmail will be used, or perhaps an almost parental approach, telling the hero that he doesn't know enough, cannot afford to take the risk, will only make a fool of himself           . This blocking before the game has even begun is very similar to the over protective parent who will not allow a child to learn from their own mistakes and it can severely undermine confidence.

Such a hero is far more three dimensional than a super-hero who will always succeed. The audience following a flawed hero experiences emotional suspense and, on those occasions when he refuses or backs away from his dilemma, there is always the thought that he may not win through and, apart from adding tension, this courts the sympathy of those sharing his experience.
In the Forsythe Saga - Jolyon Forsyte asks Soames, a man he detests, to keep his daughter Fleur away from his own son John. The idea of such a union disgusts him but in going behind the young people's backs and acting in this underhand way he is going against everything he believes in. His love for Irene makes him fearful and he is weakened by this but the reader understands and sympathises and is concerned with the possible outcome of such actions.
Sometimes heroes will go adventuring but more often than not some external force or a life circumstance will push them over the threshold. Someone is in trouble, someone vulnerable or naive- our hero has to do his best. Perhaps the victim is just that because of some stupid or thoughtless act on the part of our hero. He may not even like the person he has to save but he knows that he must try. Then again he himself may be the victim of malpractice and he has to do what he has to do just to survive. The variety, the computations are as broad as the imagination and there will always be a threshold guardian to assist or deter.

Dealing with your guardians is equally varied. Our hero can stand and fight, can turn and run, lie, cheat, bribe -you name it. Often the most interesting outcome is when he gets to know his guardian well enough to get into his skin. On a literal level he might knock out one or more of his enemies and use their uniform or codes to infiltrate and so temporarily become the enemy. Playing devil's advocate has always been a way of causing mayhem amongst those who resist your way of thinking.
Just as a superhero can be too one dimensional so can a guardian. Too much predictability leaves the reader yawning as he knows exactly what is going to happen next. Guardians may well be an early indication of change and the hero would do well to pay attention. When you go to the gym or swim against a strong tide, the greater the resistance that you encounter the more strength you will build in achieving breakthrough and that strength remains long after you leave the gym or water. On a more emotional level the hero will also empathise and learn so that he achieves greater compassion as well, transcending his enemies on all levels.
THRESHOLD GUARDIANS;

In your writing try asking yourself the following questions

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