What is a quest? A trip to a mystical land to kill some large beast or find a magical sword? An odyssey to a remote island in search of buried gold? Or maybe a manhunt; stalking a target around the world in constant pursuit of revenge. Any of these things could be considered a quest and usually, these things aren’t accomplished by one individual. A prime example of this consistency can be found in the novel True Grit by Charles Portis. In the novel, there are three prime instances of the three protagonists usually found in quest stories. Mattie Ross is the novel’s heroine, Rooster Cogburn is the novel’s Wise Old Man and Laboeuf is the Helper or Guide. When these three unite, there is nothing that can or will stop them.
Through out the novel, Mattie Ross displays the qualities of the heroine. For example, Mattie fits the quest hero characteristic of getting the call. Mattie's story begins when Tom Chaney, a man who works for her father Frank Ross, shoots Frank dead outside of the Monarch Boarding House in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Mattie then goes to Fort Smith to retrieve the body of her recently deceased father and to look into what is being done to capture Chaney. She is very surprised and a bit disgusted to learn that law enforcement, both at the local and federal level are doing next to nothing about the situation. Upon hearing this, she accepts the call, which is to take the situation into her own hands and hire someone to go after Chaney with her. She displays her acceptance if the call when she is conversing with Rooster Cogburn about the matter. “They say he [Tom Chaney] is over in the Indian territory and I need someone to go after him” (64). THis proves that Mattie has recognized her task and is approaching it with open a...
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...ng the trio numerous times by proving if a piece of evidence is linked to Chaney. He proves this when he says “‘He [Cogburn] knows the land and I know Chelmsford’” (81). This means that Laboeuf knows Chelmsford and therefore, is useful and fits the description of the guide character. To sum up, Laboeuf fits the description of the helper in the story
In conclusion, True Grit can be considered a quest novel. Mattie clearly fits the description of the heroine, Cogburn fits the description of the Wise Old Man and Laboeuf has the characteristics of the Helper/Guide. Even when the odds seemed stacked against them, even a bald, one eyed drunk, a stubborn fourteen year old girl and a cowlick sporting ranger can take down one of the worst bands of looters in the country. Maybe any novel can be considered a quest novel, even ones in the Wild Wild West.
Works Cited
True Grit
Mattie Ross is not a typical country girl, but rather a very typical quest type hero. Just like any other quest hero, she possesses the drive to accomplish her goal, the brains as to how to accomplish it, and the reason to embark on such a dangerous quest. Mattie wants to avenge her father’s death, Franks Ross, after Chaney shoots him in broad daylight, while he was just trying to help Chaney. When Frank is trying to talk to him, “Tom Chaney raised his rifle and shot him in the forehead, killing him instantly” (10). Mattie is devastated with this news, and sets out to find Tom Chaney, and kill him herself, or watch him be killed. She goes to Fort Smith and starts asking around for information regarding Frank Ross, her father. When Mattie looks for deputy marshals for the job, she picks Rooster Cogburn for the job, because she hears he is the one that will shoot Chaney on sight, and not just try and talk. Another way that Mattie is the hero is that she does not give in when Rooster and LeBeouf tell her to go back across the river, and they tell the ferrymen, ‘“Slim, take this girl to town and present her to the sheriff. She is a runaway. Her people are worried nearly to death about her. There is a fifty-dollar reward for her return”’ (136). LeBeouf is unquestionably telling a story about this, just to get Mattie to stay, whe...
In Foster's book, quests are described as being a very popular device used frequently in literature. Foster says that a quest has five parts; a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges and trials, and the real reason to go (Foster 3). In “Pulp Fiction”, many quests are present as each character has their own voyage. These separate voyages all revolve around one main quest, Marsellus Wallace's quest to get his briefcase back. One of the mini stories revolving around the main quest is the story of Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega. Vincent Vega has been asked by Marsellus Wallace to take his wife, Mia out on the town while he is away. Vincent has heard a story about a man who gave Mia a foot-rub and was afterward thrown out of a window by Marsellus, so he is rightfully paranoid about his quest. Vincent is the quester in this m...
In his book, Foster sets out five guidelines that define quests: a quester, a destination, a stated reason to travel, difficulties faced on the way, and an “actual” reason for
Colin Powell once stated, “A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” Powell means that the only path available to achieve a goal, is the one where everyone brings their best characteristics to the table. This describes the characters in a quest story as they all bring their talents and best attributes to accomplish a common goal. Charles Portis’s True Grit is no exception as the three main characters resemble those of a quest story having characteristics that play a big part in achieving their goal. Mattie Ross resembles the quest hero persona, Rooster Cogburn as the wise old man, and Ranger LaBeouf as the hero’s helper and guide.
“You must pay for everything in this world” (Portis 40). In the screen play of True Grit based on the novel by Charles Portis, the character of Mattie Ross goes on the hero’s journey to avenge her father’s death when she hears that her father was murdered in Fort Smith. Her decision to purse the killer takes her journey into Indian Territory. Throughout her hero’s journeys she will have to go through three stages, separation, initiation, and the return. Mattie will also have to complete the steps that are within the stages.
Catherynne M. Valente once noted, “Funny how "question" contains the word "quest" inside it, as though any small question asked is a journey through briars.” A simple question asked by Mattie Ross in True Grit by Charles Portis, testing the justice being done about her father’s murderer, develops into a quest as a U.S. Deputy Marshal, a Texas Ranger, and bold young girl embark on a journey they will never forget. Throughout their adventure, Mattie Ross, Rooster Cogburn and LaBoeuf seem to exactly fit the motif of quest characters. Mattie exactly portrays the hero of a quest novel with her determination and courage. Rooster Cogburn, on the other hand, depicts the Wise Old Man given the fact that he possesses important knowledge and acts as a surrogate father. LaBoeuf acts as the helper, because he posses some skills that are needed and help greatly throughout the story. Mattie Ross, Rooster Cogburn and LaBoeuf obtain the many qualities that characterize quest characters.
Today in the world there are many types of adventures that are closely related to the Hero’s Journey. In the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, it uncovers the adventure of Christopher Boone searching for the killer of Wellington, his neighbor’s dog. Christopher ran away from Swindon, his hometown, because he discovered that his father lied about his mother’s death and that he killed Wellington. While on his adventure, Christopher encounters challenges such as talking to strangers and being followed by a police officer. Since Christopher was a person who showed symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome, a developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to socialize with others, it causes him to have a hard time
Since the earliest literature, many of the world’s greatest stories have been built around a quest. According to Thomas Foster, “when a character hits the road, we should start to pay attention” (Foster 3). Throughout Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Foer, Oskar Schell, a young who boy who lost his father in the tragic events of September 11th, experiences a quest of his own. The journey he embarks on seemingly appears to follow the structure of the quest archetype set up by Foster in his novel, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, as it consist of the required elements of a quest being: a quester, a place to go and reason to go there, and challenges and trials along the way. These elements eventually culminate in the event
These timeless tales relate a message that readers throughout the ages can understand and relate to. While each of these tales is not exactly alike, they do share a common core of events. Some event and or character flaw necessitates a journey of some kind, whether it is an actual physical journey or a metaphorical one. The hardships and obstacles encountered on said journey lead to spiritual growth and build character. Rarely does a person find himself unchanged once the journey is over.
Carey explains that Treasure Island has a variety of common elements to other quest tales: the rituals, the guardians, and the struggles. The typical ritual of a quest ...
There are many stories that follow Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, and tells the tale of a Heroic character. These fables introduces us to heroes that begin their journey in an ordinary place, then receive a call to enter an unknown world full of bizarre powers and peculiar events. These heroes often display great traits, such as bravery or intelligence, that defines their character. One of these heroic's tales is Haroun and the Sea of Stories, telling the adventures of a young man named Haroun. This essay will prove that Haroun from Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie is a hero, because he possess heroic qualities. Haroun shows his heroic qualities by overcoming obstacles, helping his friends, and having good intentions.
“I was just fourteen years of age when a coward going by the name of Tom Chaney shot my father down in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and robbed him of his life” (Portis 11). Mattie Ross goes on a journey to find her father’s killer with the help of two companions, Rooster Cogburn and Leboeuf. Leaving Fort Smith, they set out into the Indian Territory to track down Tom
Answer: The five aspects of a quest: a) a quester, b) a place to go, c) a stated reason to go there, d) challenges and trials en route, and e) a real reason to go there. In All the Bright Places, the “wanderings” of Finch and Violet are all quests, but this comparison will focus on their first adventure.
Why is the journey significant? What is the purpose? It helps the hero and follows the hero all throughout his journey, the hero encounters many stages.
Understanding a story requires understanding the characters and how they feel. Misfit, the character from “ A good man is hard to find,” is a man who had be...