The Vision Quest

            
             In The Vision Quest, many archetypes and archetypical symbols are used to better understand the story and to make it one of recognition and symbolism. These archetypes allow the story to express and detail itself in many significant ways.
             The first and most important archetype introduced in the story is the young man seeking glory. The "quester" is seeking a vision to better himself and to help him become what he feels he has been selected to do. He is both inexperienced and youthful in the beginning and is later strong and wise. The second archetype found is the old, wise man. His uncle is this character. He signifies a savior of knowledge and wisdom. In the end, after all the conflicts, the old, wise man gives the "quester" words of completion and advice. He is also the one who helped him from the very beginning with guidance and reassurance. The third archetype is the villains, who in this case are the spirits. They are considered the bad influence and the evil being who threaten the "quester." These archetypes are the basic archetypical structure of the story. .
             Like human archetypes, there are also archetypical symbols. These are items in the story that have subliminal meanings to them. For example, the picture featured on the front page is a woven yellow circle with a red cross centered in it. Yellow, symbolizing wisdom encircles red, symbolizing courage and maturity. This may mean that the old man, being the wisdom of the story, is a contributor to the "quester's" actions and growth of maturity and comprehension. The second example of archetypical symbolism is the mountain top the "quester" has to climb. Mountains symbolize youth, obstacles and growth. The "quester" is youthful and faces the spirit's obstacles through the course of the story. .
             Included in the archetypical symbolism is the time of year. The season is spring, depicting youth, the beginning of a quest or journey, and cruelty.