FINAL EXAM
Question 1.Discuss the initial refusal of the “call to adventure” in The Hobbit, Dante’s Inferno, “Young Goodman Brown,” and Linden Hills (use two or three). Explain the reason for the refusal and what factors intervene to see to it that the hero eventually answers the call and undertakes the quest. Why does the protagonist finally decide to undertake the descent into the Underworld?
Gandalf selected Bilbo Baggins because he seemed to be the most comfortable hobbit. That is because he had a significant share of good hobbit virtues: he was shrewd, generous, patient, and fortitude. However, the motivation behind Bilbo’s initial refusal to the “call to adventure” was his unwillingness to immediately accept the call due to being overwhelmed by the newfound obligation and sense of duty especially considering the power the ring wielded. This can be understood in Gandalf’s expression of the ring having a power that is great and terrible (pg 60). It is the same case with Dante as he believes he is not worthy of such a calling. He experiences a great deal of tension between what can be said to be the objective impersonality with God’s justice and Dante’s human sympathy for the souls around him. As the story progresses, however, Virgil is there to reprimand him. He does so by explaining why he wants to take Dante through a journey through Hell, which was to teach him valuable lessons (Canto I). Because of Dante the character, Virgil is regarded as his master, evident by his constant swearing of admiration for and trust in him.
Question 2. The quest often involves a confrontation with a tyrant or demonic figure, in traditional quest narratives such as The Odyssey. In the Hobbit and “Young Goodman Brown,” this figure is fairly obvious. Discuss who (or what) takes on the role of the tyrant/demon in any two modern works: “A worn path,” “Araby,” and Linden Hills.
In “A worn path,” Phoenix encounters temptations to steal through the hunter. This way, the hunter takes the role of evil, considering temptations to steal that he somehow exposes her to in her broken state and needing money to buy medicine for her grandchild. The hunter even speaks down to her showing her how she is nothing. It can be said that the white hunter with a dog serves as a representation of external conflicts that she has to deal with. This tyrannical role of temptations to evil is best seen in paragraph 10. For example, when she finds a nickel in her pocket that is a temptation to evil, she evades it. It is also where she reflects on her encounter with this oppressive situation when the author tells how Phoenix felt like chains were her feet symbolizes her struggle against this evil (para 10)
In Araby, what perhaps can be said to take on the tyrant/demon’s role is the narrator’s religious/carnal ecstasy. This can be seen as he accompanies his aunt to the market. (Araby 35) It can be said that the young boy’s quest involved a confrontation with a tyrant or demonic figure in him as he saw himself as a creature that was driven and derided by vanity.
Question 6. On the surface, neither Gilgamesh nor the boy in “Araby” retrieves what he seeks. Does either (or both) derive any benefit from the quest, despite its apparent failure? Explain your answer.
The boy in “Araby” does not retrieve what he seeks nor derive any benefit from the quest, despite its apparent failure because of the obstacles that impeded the boy’s quest for love, which was his dilemma of acting out his powerful crush on Mangan’s sister considering he had to remain chaste as per his religious obligation according to his staunch religious upbringing. I think he attempts to derive some benefit from the quest by stating his adoration for her as a kind of prayer, which can be said to be his attempt to justify his straying from religious teachings. He also does not derive any benefit from the quest because of the fear of losing his friendship with Mangan, which he responds to by being too good to alleviate his guilty conscience.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh does not derive any benefit from the quest because of death’s inevitability, which serves as his main obstacle. Lack of benefit is seen with his bitterness that it is only the gods who can live forever when Enkidu warns him away from the fight with Humbaba. The only thing gained from deadly experiences is fame. Only one thing can serve as a benefit from the quest, despite its apparent failure, is a mere reflection of how rich life has been. This is what the sun god, Shamash, tries to console Enkidu by, but in the end, there is the resignation to the harsh fate. Gilgamesh sees through the theological vision of an afterlife that gives scant comfort because the dead spend their time dead.
Question 7. The “descent into the underworld” narrative often involves an element of self-discovery; what do Gilgamesh, Odysseus, Bilbo Baggins, Dante, Goodman Brown, and Willie Mason (two or three) learn about themselves in the course of their quests, and in what ways do the characters grow- if they grow at all?
Odysseus learns that intelligent people not only can lie and deceive, but they also have an uncanny ability to quickly picking them up and knowing where to source for the truth. This is why Claudius, to learn the truth behind Hamlet’s deceptive antics, sets upon investigating going to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Hamlet’s oldest friends): (Hamlet, II:2, ll 14-18). Although Hamlet is yet to do or say anything to tip off Claudius that he knows of his deceit, he (Claudius) still maintains his suspicion. It is ironic that Claudius, who is also deceptive, worries about falling in on Hamlet’s deception, which is why he sends these old friends to spy on him to extract information that shows his coming of age.
Bilbo Baggins learns about his leadership capabilities, which he thought he did not have. This is best seen when he takes on a leadership role in the Mirkwood episode because initially, Bilbo was an easily-ruffled, excitable little man. Still, we see evidence of him growing into his new, more confident self, like when he showed his willingness to do whatever necessary for the sake of his team. “Tell me what you want to be done, and I’ll try it.” This first show of bravery on his part, which is uncharacteristically Tookish, shows his growing into the leadership role. Also, initially, Bilbo showed resistance to change seen by his continual utterances such as “I wish I had never left my hobbit hole.” Yet, each time he faces a difficult situation, he deals with it instead of retreating to home, which I think he usually would have done before, setting out on the adventure.
Question 10. If you were going to write a quest story of your own, which two texts from this semester would you find most useful as models and why?
Hospitality is a crucial theme in The Odyssey inspired me a lot when I saw how it embodies the cultural values of the Greek. Hospitality in The Odyssey is a social custom that is essential to the ancient Greek social structure. Also called “guest-friendship,” hospitality was a social ritual expected of men in the Greek world (Reece). Following the hospitality rules, men were expected to host visitors and provide them with all the essential amenities and safe, escorted travel as they depart to their next destination. Guest would return the favor by posing no threat to their hosts’ life or property and offer the same courtesy should the host one day become the guest. It is a kind of hospitality that I think no longer exists in many cultures today, and I admire how the Greek culture valued it.
The other text I find most useful as a model is Dante’s Inferno, based on how the poem focuses on the human struggle against the evils of the world, giving numerous examples of sinners being punished for their misdeeds. I like how the main focus in writing Inferno was to describe what punishment is given to those who bring sin on themselves. Throughout his poem, Dante carries this theme expertly; examining each sinner in Hell and how they caused their downfall is inspirational. It gives me comfort in knowing that no evil, regardless of whom is carrying out, goes unpunished.