journeys

It is not so much the destination that matters, but it is the journey itself which matters as this is where understanding and development is gained. J.G. Ballard’s Empire of the sun, Gus van Sant’s Finding Forrester, T.S. Eliot’s Journey of the Magi and Margaret Atwood’s Journey to the Interior, all show how the journey itself is what matters in the end, as it involves and exploration of the self, as individuals review their growth and development in the light of experiences which challenge and inspire them.

For Jim, the protagonist of the quest narrative, Empire of the Sun, the journey is much more important than his reunion with his parents at the end, as on this journey Ballard shows how the war changes Jim from a naïve and arrogant young boy to a mature and very different young adult at the end. Ballard does this by highlighting very explicitly his naivety at the beginning of the novel. While discussing with Mr Maxted the vastness of the Chinese population triggered by Chinese women weeding the grass, Jim asks “they could weed the whole world?”

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The development of himself and understanding of his identity is one way in which Ballard shows the journey is what matters in the end. The climactic step in William’s development is when he leaves the apartment to, and reveals himself to the world, in order to save Jamal from being expelled for plagiarising William’s work. William has abandoned the world at the beginning of the text, and Jamal reunites him with it. However, their journey is conditional, as Jamal is not allowed to reveal William’s identity or whereabouts to anyone. The poem exists as an extended metaphor where the idea of journey becomes synonymous with self-reflection and examination. ‘a new name for a new life’” this is symbolic of the death of his old life and of the continually changing Jim throughout his journey. Journey of the Magi), it is during the journey itself where the insight and growth is experienced. ” Jim has left the privileged pre-war world, and he has become his own responsibility, as the ‘old’ Jim would not have noticed any change in the mirror as a servant or his mother would have cleaned him before he had the chance. The film is about a young boy, Jamal, who finds inspiration in an older mentor, who he later finds out to be the most influential novelist of the century, William Forrester, who unlocks his potential in writing. ” The mirror takes on increasing significance as it re-occurs, each time reflecting a different Jim as he eventually “scarcely recognised his long hair and grey cheeks, the strange face in a strange mirror…an urchin half his previous size, and twice his previous age. The tension between them is evident at the beginning of the film, however throughout their journey this eases. The peer pressure is evident, when his teacher asks him if he had read a certain poem, he replies “Nah…I never read it”, with the fear of being ‘smart’ in front of the entire class watching him, when we, and the teacher, know he has. While at the same time, Jamal teaches William the value of friendship. Also, Jim requests almost smugly to himself, that he ‘wanted the war to end soon, that afternoon if possible. ”

Margaret Atwood’s Journey to the Interior is a multi-dimensional exploration of the concept of journey, where the persona’s mental wanderings take her on a quest to discover the meanings associated with identity and nationhood.

Common topics in this essay:
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Approximate Word count = 2081
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

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