The Journey as a Metaphysical Quest leading to the Creation of a Multiple Identity

INTRODUCTION
The following dissertation aims at analysing the role of the journey in literature as a metaphysical
quest in human beings. What will be argued is the fact that the journey is not only meant to be a
mere earthly travelling experience but also an authentic spiritual discovery of one's real Self;
moreover, it will be mooted how this can lead to the creation of a new, eventually multiple identity,
which differs from the original one at the moment of departure.
Going from the definition of the term, chapter one offers a general overview about the myth of
quest in literature with particular focus on the Jungian archetypes as inner images, which guide
heroes and heroines throughout their life journeys. In this regard, it is explained which the most
successful archetypes are that need to be activated in order to undertake the journey by considering
Jean Shinoda Bolen's works Gods in Everyman and Goddesses in Everywoman. In addition, the
main stages of The Hero's Journey according to James Campbell will be defined also by taking
David Malouf's Traveller's Tale into account to show different possible outcomes of the experience.
Chapter two is dedicated to the analysis of two literature works, The Overland Mail By Rudyard
Kipling and Remembering Babylon by David Malouf. Respectively, the figure of the runner and the
character of Gemmy Fairley will be examined in order to explore the concept of mimicry,
ambivalence and hybridity in postcolonial studies. This will inevitably lead to consider the
differences between the two figures, their different ways of facing the journey as well as their
approach to life and their relationship with the surrounding communities. At last, it will be shown
how the two men, despite their different background and having taken different journeys, find
themselves in the same dimension, namely an in-between world which is located between the
colonisers and the others; this experience has thus resulted in the creation of a new identity for
them. On this point, the concepts of in-betweenness, postcolonial uncanny and British object will be
discussed.
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In chapter three a parallel is drawn between the fictional characters analysed and the in-between
position of migrants, who own an in-between identity, as it will be claimed. The process of
“acculturation” with the related phenomena of assimilation, integration, separation and
marginalisation is accurately analysed and provides the basis to evaluate the position of Gemmy and
the runner towards the world, by living at the edge and leading border lives like their authors. The
work then focuses on the Italian immigration in the UK with particular regard to London as a
symbol for multiculturalism and acculturation. What follows is a vivid example of the Sardinian
community living in the English capital, whose evidence has been collected through a questionnaire
and  represents a great effort towards the promotion and preservation of the Italian culture abroad. 
This will bring to a final statement in chapter four, according to which the spiritual journey
inevitably leads to the discovery of the real Self , which is only possible through both grief and joy,
facing discriminating attitudes but also sharing multiple values and ideals which help see the world
from a perspective that had never been taken into account before undergoing the journey.
The conclusion in Italian provides a summary of all the contents discussed and alleges the
importance of travelling as a necessary human experience.
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CHAPTER 1 : THE JOURNEY AND THE QUEST IN LITERATURE
1.1 DEFINITION OF “JOURNEY”
“Journey” is defined in Merriam-Webster Dictionary as an act or instance of travelling from one
place to another which involves a character moving from a point of origin to a destination. In
literature criticism and teaching the journey has always been considered as a recurring prevalent
motif and archetypal image; however, this has led literature readers and critics to many different
interpretations due to an imprecise use of the term. It is known that not all journeys have precisely
the same symbolic intentions: some are carefully planned with a specific goal, in others the main
characters who are usually defined as heroes do not even know they are on a journey and sometimes
their readers do not know it either. Yet, the word “journey” is widely preferred as a single term to
describe all such movements. To clarify the meaning and avoid interpretative confusion, the next
subparagraph provides a description and a distinction of nonsynonymous terms for “journey” that
have been recurring in literature.   
1.1.1 JOURNEY, WANDERING, QUEST, PILGRIMAGE, ODYSSEY AND GOING-FORTH
Dan Vogel in his article A Lexicon Rhetoricae for “Journey” Literature
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 suggests a range of six
terms, each descriptive of a type of movement in a narrative.
The most general term “journey” describes most stories or plots in which a character goes from one
place to another but a “journey” per se makes no implication through character or description of the
1
D.Vogel,, College English, Vol.36, No.2 (Oct., 1974), pp. 185-189.
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nature of this movement or of symbolic possibilities in the plot. The term should not be meant to
refer to what happens to the hero's psyche, for the “journey” hero neither begins with an intent to
achieve moral or spiritual enlightenment, nor does he achieve such a discovery. An example of
work for which the term “journey” might be appropriate is Fielding's novel Tom Jones: the
character, indeed, has no particular goal in mind and apparently falls into his adventures on the road
to his destination, London, in a very chaotic way. Therefore, the character doesn't infer any sort of
meaning to his travelling experience and it is purely a “journey”.
A different term from “journey” is “wandering” which is defined in Webster's New World
Dictionary (1962) as a journey that is apparently purposeless, although there is purpose of a sort in
a “wandering”. Even though the hero has no ambition of a hidden mission of moral or spiritual
nature, the author somehow manages to develop the fascinating atmosphere of destiny and the
reader comes to realise it ultimately.  The importance of the journey is not within the knowledge of
the hero but only in the bond between the author and the reader, where the latter gets to discover the
secret and purpose of the apparently aimless experience thanks to the former. Perhaps one of the
most famous examples of “wandering” novel is well represented by Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn by Mark Twain where the basic pattern of symbolic death and rebirth is continuously kept in
focus of the reader's attention.
Perhaps the most troublesome term in the critical literature about “journey” fiction is “quest”.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary its definition involves an act of seeking usually through
an adventurous journey. However, “quest” should be severely restricted to that type of plotted
travelling in which there is an original sense of mission on the part of all the participants in the
experience, namely the author, the reader and the hero or the heroine. In a “quest” it makes no
difference whether or not the hero knows how to fulfil his mission, whether he succeeds or fails it.
What matters is the consciousness of purpose that the hero owns from the beginning of the journey
unlike in a “wandering”. He may not know his goal at the start; he is only aware of the necessity of
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his quest but his steps are somehow predestined. It is the case of T.S. Eliot's Waste Land which
represents an archetypal quest that moves in a predictable and spiritual direction for the protagonist,
though he is unaware of his goal. Likewise, the same author in Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock
presents a protagonist who wanders through half-deserted roads, fogbound physically and mentally
by bits of visions and revisions but owns a strength of will that will lead him to his destination,
regardless of the fact that the outcome of his quest is not really a happy ending. Hence, what binds
the heroes of a “quest” together is the original feeling that a goal exists and is graspable, for which
off each goes, in his own way.
In a “pilgrimage” the movement is enacted by a pilgrim especially to a shrine or holy place
(Webster's New World Dictionary). Unlike in a mere journey or in a wandering the hero definitely
knows at the outset not only that he is going on a purposeful travel like in a “quest” but knows more
particularly what he wants to achieve, as his goal is represented by a spiritual peak. A pilgrim may
as well undergo adventures that are peripheral to his pilgrimage but his journey features a great
sense of monolithic and psychological striving to reach the holy place he is aware of. For instance,
in the poem The Passionate Man's Pilgrimage by Sir Walter Ralegh the aim of the pilgrim's mission
is clearly stated in the lines “Whilst my soul, like a white palmer,/ Travels to the land of heaven;”
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. 
An “odyssey” is a plot in which the hero sets out on what seems to be a straightforward journey to a
pre-decided terminus; however, the main character soon starts to face a series of divinely inspired
adventures but they are neither ruled by any cause-effect pattern nor by any spiritual goal for which
he had undertaken the journey. The prime example of such plot is Homer's epic poem called the
“Odyssey” where Odysseus, the hero, undergoes several unexpected experiences which may have a
symbolic value as a comment upon his life; nevertheless, no such symbolic value surrounds him.
Despite the clear structure of a plot with a beginning, middle and end, no organic relationship
among the parts is perceptible. In this regard, a distinction between two terms is necessary: purpose
and mission. In an odyssey, the hero does have a purpose, since he wants to get to a certain place
2
Sir W. Ralegh, The Passionate Man's Pilgrimage, vv. 9-10.
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but he has no mission in the spiritual or moral sense like in a “quest”, “pilgrimage” and
“wandering”. The absence of a mission may very well be the author's point in writing an odyssey:
the lack of motivation symbolises the spiritual sterility of the characters in a novel, which may thus
reflect the “lost generation” era of its composition.
One last term needs consideration and it is what Vogel calls a “going-forth”: the protagonist
commences his movement with a slight clue that there is purpose and mission in it but with no
conscious idea of what it is until late in the story, when he discovers it though not deliberately:
whereas in a “wandering” only the reader comes to realise the goal of the movement just completed,
at the end of a “going-forth” the unintended discovery binds both the reader and the hero. For
instance, in  the novel Ulysses by James Joyce, though it carries the title of Homer's epic poem, a
“going-forth” experience is represented by the way Stephen Dedalus conducts his experience,
which is not an odyssey but it is filled with the hero's sense of monolithic mission that the original
never had. Similarly, Marlow in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness ultimately realises the
importance of his movement and the message is clearly conveyed to the reader as well, when once
back home he acknowledges Kurtz's values and virtues he had learnt through his words during his
journey in Congo.
1.1.2. THE QUEST AND THE WORLD OF METAPHYSICS
As stated in the previous sub-paragraph a quest involves a hero being on a mission, either with him
being aware or unaware of what he is going to discover. The main focus of a quest is rather on self-
motivation and the reasons leading the hero to undertake the experience. Somehow the idea of quest
is linked to the world of metaphysics, whose definition is not easy to give. According to the
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definition provided by the University of Sedona, the world's largest Metaphysics Degree University,
the word “metaphysics” comes from Ancient Greek and is a combination of two words – Meta
meaning over and beyond – and physics. Thus, the combination means over and beyond physics; its
main aim is the first cause and the nature of being. In his article What is metaphysics? Peter
Eastman defines the term “metaphysics” as the quest to find the ultimate meaning and purpose of
existence, in order to find a decisive and conclusive resolution to the human condition which is
filled with a dreadful sense of uncertainty. Eastman claims that this can be the only meaningful
definition of the term against traditional academic philosophy, which has always been focused on
“system building” with theoretical abstract concepts; Western philosophy hasn't helped either, since
its entire intellectual history has been made of conceptual statements and definitions and has
devalued any simple attempt of a straightforward and direct quest for objective metaphysical self-
knowledge in a genuine way. Academic philosophy has mainly been all about complicated ideas but
one's metaphysical being is much more than mere abstractions and conceptual distinctions;
however, this can only be experienced with personal conviction by looking at one's own being and
making use of one's personal power of observation. Indeed, this is what the quest is based on: it is
about getting deeper into the bottom of things by being mysteriously drawn to the idea of objective
metaphysical self-discovery through simple, clear and elemental self-observation. It involves
identifying the primordial sense of wrongness that we all have, at some time or another in our life,
that there is something not quite right with our “existence” itself and that needs investigating. In
metaphysics this feeling can be labelled as our “ontological dissatisfaction” and it must be
confronted and fought in order to overcome our state of existential agony and perplexity. Because of
this existential mystery haunting us all, we could embark on a quest for metaphysical self-
knowledge underpinned by the fact that, if there is something bothering us there is very likely
something causing this bother and if we could find a way to detect the cause, we might be able to
solve the problem; this does not mean that the going will be easy or that success will be assured, as
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previously stated: what matters is making an attempt to solve the problem on its own terms in an
elemental way. For all the scholarly cleverness and academic intelligence promoted by the Western
metaphysical canon, it is only one's essential being to be the very lead of the personal quest; where
to go and seek for can be found outside, above and beyond the course of our lives.
1.1.3. BOLEN'S JOURNEY TO AVALON: A QUEST OR A PILGRIMAGE?
In her book Crossing to Avalon Chino-American writer and Jungian analyst Jean Shinoda Bolen
describes her mystical experience across Europe, where the movement is not only represented by
the earthly “journey” but also by the shift from a woman's midlife crisis to spiritual transformation.
After having divorced from her husband, the writer receives a mysterious invitation from a secret
admirer of her bestseller Goddesses in Everywoman to take a trip across Europe through holy
places; she accepts and embarks on a new adventure aimed at self-discovery and personal renewal.
According to the edition the title Crossing to Avalon can be found along with two different
subheadings: either A Woman's Midlife Quest for the Sacred Feminine or A Woman's Midlife
Pilgrimage. Whether Bolen's work is to be considered a “quest” or a “pilgrimage” according to the
distinctions provided in the previously analysed Lexicon Rhetoricae for “journey” could be
problematic; it can actually be both things. It is definitely a quest, since she sets out on this journey
with a precise mission of finding meaning for her midlife; she is endowed with great motivation and
strength of will to take the chance. She is accompanied by a female partner and even though there is
a rough idea of a plan and there are suggested places to visit in the invitation, the experience seems
to happen naturally and fluidly. Besides, the fulfillment of the mission can be realised and it is
clearly asserted only at the end of the book. On the other hand, the woman's spiritual awakening is
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helped by the movement across sacred places i.e. Chartres Cathedral, Glastonbury, Avalon,
Findhorn and the Isle of Iona, which are all somehow myth-related places. The author considers the
Grail Myth and the different Grail experiences deriving from it, in which women like knights in
search for a Grail reach out to each other with understanding and support; this way they can get in
touch with the mystical experiences of life and the feminine mysteries of childbirth, nurturing, and
friendship that link women together. Hence, being able to internalise the Myth and being in touch
with holy sites helps quicken the divinity within the self to receive blessing or become healed: this
represents the ultimate aim of a pilgrimage, though with a great sense of wanting to change
something about one's life, that is what features the idea of “quest”. In a nutshell, Bolen's book can
thus be seen as a mixture of both experiences. As she quotes in the chapter called The Grail
Legend: The Spiritual Journey there is not much distinction occurring between the two: “Both a
pilgrimage and a Grail Quest are outer journeys and inner experiences. Both pilgrim and questing
knight leave behind their usual lives and go in search of something they are missing, not necessarily
knowing what that is”
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. In conclusion, despite the distinctions available among the terms of the
lexicon analysed in the first subparagraph, it is unlikely to think that these different “journeys” can
be perfectly pigeonholed into strict categories; rather, as Bolen's work shows, they can merge and
become unique life experiences since each of them can reveal a different inner force. The purpose
of this dissertation is also to show how “quests” as metaphysical experiences may turn out to be
different according to their heroes and be full of different facets by drawing on other types of plot.
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J.S. Bolen, Crossing to Avalon: A Woman's Midlife Quest for the Sacred Feminine, 1994, p.33.
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