What is the Quest? The Quest consist of five things; “a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges and trials en route, and a real reason to go there” (Foster 3). The Quest does not have to be violent or action packed to show up in literature. It is when a person overcomes a battle or challenge in his or her life. This will show up in places one would not expect. In this paper the reader will see examples of the quest in The Great Gatsby, The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass, and Speech in the Virginia Convention to show how it shows up in unexpected places.
First, The Great Gatsby shows several versions of the Quest. Nick Carraway was on a quest to be in the bonds business. Carraway leaves home and heads for New York. Some could say the real reason for this quest is to find a way into the wealthy lifestyle. This is not the main quest of the story by
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“The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege” (Douglass 25). He believed fully in equal rights, he knew he deserved the same privileges as the white people. Douglass spent his life searching for equal opportunities for himself. “The real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge” (Foster 3). Douglass wanted knowledge about himself. He spent his life fighting, he did not take things from his masters, and some of the most feared abusers feared him. After many trials and problems he gained his freedom, but it did not come easy. He was beaten by many, and even spent time in jail for planning an escape. He finally conquered his quest through good behavior and a little deceit. Douglass realizes he is stronger than he was lead to believe his entire life. He made it out of slavery by his own self empowerment. There are stories where the Quest is the central idea, in these cases the reader is locked in hoping to find if the quester