Christopher Vogler The Writers Journey
T h e downfall of
a weakened, tragically flawed M e n t o r can show the hero pitfalls to avoid. As with
heroes, dark or negative sides may be expressed through this archetype.
DARK MENTORS
In certain stories the power of the M e n t o r archetype can be used to mislead the
audience. In thrillers the mask of a M e n t o r is sometimes a decoy used to lure the
hero into danger. Or in an anti-heroic gangster picture such as The Public Enemy or
Goodfellas, where every conventional heroic value is inverted, an anti-Mentor appears
to guide the anti-hero on the road to crime and destruction.
Another inversion of this archetype's energy is a special k i n d of T h r e s h o l d
Guardian (an archetype discussed in the next chapter). An example is found in
Romancing the Stone, where Joan Wilder's witchy, sharp-tongued agent is to all appear
ances a Mentor, guiding her career and giving her advice about men. But when Joan
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