Masculine Quest Narrative

The male quest narrative -- 'monomyth' in the jargon of Joseph Campbell-- has a blog, here.

Aspects of Hornby's High Fidelity suggest that the text can be interpreted as an inverted quest:

"the story of the rugged individual who realizes his true nature through heroic struggle" and thus "finds a sense of identity and place in the world" (Leonard and McClure 17). Campbell's work influenced George Lukas' science fiction epic Star Wars: "According to Campbell, the hero's quest occurs in three phases: the separation, the initiation, and the return. As the hero separates himself from his home, he often encounters a helper that guards and guides him through trials that initiate him into the true nature of reality. When he achieves mastery, he may return home to enrich his former community" (Leonard and McClure 17, 18).