Emma Mactaggart
The magic of a QUEST is the thrill of the chase, the excitement of being thwarted from getting to claim the prize, and the tremendous challenges that come along the way.
It is the perfect plot line for any child who needs to be reminded
of the value of their endeavours as they practice an instrument,
or a recently learnt skill, all to increase their chances of a ‘win’.
At the outset of the story, the hero’s interest is piqued, and then the hero decides, all by themselves, to set off in search of the object. What I truly love about the QUEST is the object is called a ‘MacGuffin’. At the end of the day, it has no true intrinsic value – although it may have been assigned a value at the beginning – and yet it represents the incredible value of self-determination!
Another really awesome component of the QUEST is the hero is accompanied by friends. The friends each have a superpower to help move the story forward, but it is important that three friends = one hero! Our hero’s own skills and ability to succeed in the quest is never in doubt. Think of Dorothy, and her friends the lion, the tin man and the scar crow. Each of them has a skill or power of observation, and yet is missing ‘something’ that they too are on a quest to discover, which is why they are so willing to join in. It really is the story of teams and how successful they can be if they all work together.
The quest, in its simplest form, looks like this:
- We meet the hero, and then the hero’s friends
- Set out on adventure, and it is all going to plan
- Meet a monster (evil force), survive and continue
- Have to deal with temptation, overcome and continue
- Now have to deal with deadly opposites or journey to the underworld, make a decision, and continue…
- Arrive at the destination – only for it to be HORRIBLE
- Miraculous success, get object and return home!
Akilah’s Necklace was written by the children in Year 4 at Darling Heights State School in 2020. Their school is the most diverse primary school in Queensland, with children from over 40 nations in their community. This story is a quest to find the perfect place to keep a treasured necklace, and this safe place is at home. It is a story about the refugee experience, and how being ‘safe’ is the most important treasure of all.
Rachel’s Quest was written by a group of children for YellowBridge Disability Services, specifically to show that children with what is perceived as disabilities can contribute successfully to a community, especially one that works together. Rachel discovers a secret map and convinces a troop of village children to help her find the treasure. Together they must overcome obstacles and dances and challenges, and what they discover along the way is far more precious than any treasure could be!
It is the decisions our hero makes, with the advice from friends, that propels the story forward. The ‘monster’ could be distraction, or a bully, or a true force. Temptation is about possibly giving up in lieu of some other choice, and deadly opposites / journey to the underworld is about making the right decisions in a moment when all is unfamiliar. The final ordeal is always outrageous – think of Indiana Jones as he snatches the holy grail, only for the entire cave system to collapse around him!
These stories are about fortitude, determination, and are designed to increase a child’s self-efficacy – their belief in their own self and the belief they honestly CAN achieve anything.
