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Article
An Illustration of the Quest Genre as Spiritual Metaphor in Adventure Travel Narratives
Leisure/Loisir
  • Jasmine M Goodnow, Western Washington University
  • Edward Ruddell, University of Utah
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2009
Keywords
  • adventure travel,
  • spiritual quest,
  • quest genre,
  • reverence
Abstract

Adventure travel narratives are often written within a quest genre. The quest as genre is a romantic narrative that follows a pattern of sequential steps: the call to journey, preparation, the journey, and returning home. This paper proposes that the quests in which adventure travellers embark upon are spiritual in nature. Therefore, the quest genre is a metaphorical vehicle for narrating a spiritual journey. The term “spiritual,” in this context, refers to connecting to something outside of oneself. The purpose of this paper is to describe adventure travel as spiritual questing and to illustrate this idea with three popular adventure travel narratives. It is important to understand the common themes and constructions within adventure travel narratives because of their ability to frame travel expectations and influence various factors in the travel and tourism industry (trip choice, travel mode, destination choice, and intention to travel).

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2009.9651438
Subjects - Topical (LCSH)
Travel writing--History and criticism; Spiritual biography; Quests (Expeditions) in literature
Genre/Form
articles
Type
Text
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Jasmine M Goodnow and Edward Ruddell. "An Illustration of the Quest Genre as Spiritual Metaphor in Adventure Travel Narratives" Leisure/Loisir Vol. 33 Iss. 1: Leisure and Spirituality (2009)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jasmine-goodnow/6/