A quest narrative is essentially the same thing as the heroic journey or the heroic cycle. I've seen that narrative style explained in anywhere from five to twelve steps. The additional number of steps is really just smaller divisions of the big, main plot chunks. Let's keep things as simple as possible and use a six step quest narrative. The six steps are as follows:
- Hero introduction is usually mundane
- Call to adventure
- Early struggles
- Rock Bottom
- Success
- Return to normal
Jerry, and his journey through the tunnel, does follow those six steps.
First Jerry is introduced to the reader in a fairly boring, mundane way. He is on vacation, with his mom, at the beach. Not exactly something that screams danger and adventure.
Second, Jerry sees the other boys jumping into the water and making a swim underwater for a very long time. He discovers that they are swimming through an underwater tunnel. He wants to do the same. He needs to do the same.
Third. Jerry attempts the swim and fails. He blames it on a few things, and begins to work toward fixing those problems. He gets a pair of goggles and begins to exercise his lungs in order to maximize his breath hold time. If this was an 80's film, there would be a training montage with some great, inspiring music in the background.
Fourth. Jerry's rock bottom moment is caused by his mom. She tells him that they will be leaving in just a few days. Jerry realizes that he might not have enough time to complete his training. Failure is a very real possibility.
Five. Jerry swims through the tunnel!
Six. Jerry goes back to his mother and follows her every word. He no longer has the deep need to separate himself from her in order to achieve his goal and complete his quest.
"I don’t think you ought to swim any more today.”
She was ready for a battle of wills, but he gave in at once. It was no longer of the least importance to go to the bay.
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