Thomas Foster's first chapter echoes the idea of the monomyth or the hero's journey. His idea here is a lot less involved but works to incorporate the major components. It breaks down into these 5 elements.
Every Trip = Quest*
a) Quester
b) Place to Go
c) State Reason to Go There
d) Challenges & Trials
e) A Real Reason to Go
Outcome = Self - Knowledge (May appear as a change)
*except when it’s not
He offers us the following examples in the chapter. I've bolded those that are most relevant / easily accessible:
Thomas Pynchon’s Crying of Lot 49, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queen, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, North by Northwest
Definitely today we have plenty of examples but Shrek works well for today. Shrek starts out as a reluctant hero whose desire is just to save his corner of the swamp and get the fairy tale creatures out of his hair. He resolves to travel to see Lord Farquaad where he is given a larger task to save the princess after entering a tournament to win that "honor". Shrek's stated purpose for all of his actions in the story is to be left alone, but as he faces trials and challenges in his efforts to save the princess, he finds community and ultimately falls in love. When he returns home he's an ogre with a community.
