1. Quests
Brainstorm: What elements must be in place for a story to be considered a quest?

2. 5 Elements of a Quest (usually)
A quester (obviously)
A place to go (not always a physical destination)
A STATED reason for the quest (usually not the real reason)
Trials encountered on quest
The REAL reason for the quest

3. Spoiler Alert!!!
The REAL reason for the quest is ALWAYS the acquisition of self knowledge.
Ok maybe not ALWAYS. We don’t use words like “never” and “always” much in literary analysis.
Even so, this is (very often) the real reason for the quest.

4. How do these works fit the archetype of a quest?
Harry Potter
Star Wars
The Lion King
The Wizard of Oz
Lord of the Rings
Chronicles of Narnia
The Odyssey

5. “The Swimmer” by John Cheever
Write three questions you have about the text.
How does Cheever use the quest archetype to create meaning in “The Swimmer?” (one page response)
What other patterns or symbols do you suspect might be working in the text? Take some stabs! Remember that any answer can be a good one if it’s argued well!