Plot Types Part Five

Tale of a Voyage “There and Back”

Like the Epic Quest, the Tale of a Voyage involves the hero traveling great distances, but here it is the journey itself that is the focus of the story. The hero discovers a world very different from his own, so that when he finally returns home, his perception of his own life has changed.

Example: The Hobbit

Stages

1. Anticipation and “Fall” into the Other World

The hero and his companions stumble out of their familiar, limited existence into a strange new world unlike anything they’ve experienced before.

2. Initial fascination or Dream

Exploration of this new world may be exhilarating, though puzzling. However, it is never a place where the hero feels at home.

3. Frustration

Gradually the mood of the adventure shifts to one of frustration, difficulty, or oppression. A shadow begins to intrude, which becomes increasingly alarming.

4. Nightmare

The shadow becomes so dominating that it seems to pose a serious threat to the hero’s survival.

5. Thrilling Escape and Return

Just when the threat seems to be too much for the hero to bear, they make their escape from the other world back to where they started. The question posed at this point is, “how much has the hero learned/changed from the experience?” Has the hero been fundamentally changed, or was it all ‘just a dream?’