The Importance of Journeys

The Importance of Journeys

A thorough study of journeys reveals that a journey is much more than

just movement from one place to another. Journeys are about learning

and growth, and they have the potential to teach people about

themselves and the society in which they live. An Imaginative Journey

is one in which the individual doesn't in fact have to go anywhere in

the physical sense. The physical journey is replaced by an expedition

that is fuelled by the human capacity to imagine. Imaginative Journeys

create endless possibilities. They can offer an escape from the

realities of life, and are frequently used to comment on social or

human traits and characteristics.

Imaginative Journeys are represented in the focus text, "The Tempest"

by William Shakespeare, the 2003 calendar cartoon in the Sydney

Morning Herald by Michael Leunig, and the Board of Studies Booklet

Prescribed text "The Road Not Taken", a poem by Robert Frost. The

composers attempt to create a world in which imagination dominates the

actions and desires of the characters, as they are taken on a journey

of magic and discovery.

In "The Tempest", Shakespeare attempts to generate a world where the

audience is transported to a world of magic and superstition. This is

successfully achieved through the utilisation of numerous dramatic

techniques such as setting, symbolism, creation of conflict and

characterisation.

Prospero, in his twelve years of exile, has had an abundance of time

to imagine his vengeance on his brother, Antonio. Using his magical

powers and supernatural forces, he creates a storm to capture his

enemies, with the assistance of his spirit ...

... middle of paper ...

... Curly's day is a journey of

learning and growth. He chooses to escape the realities of life by

embarking on his own imaginative journey. Mr Curly can go wherever he

chooses, yet learns that he must return "back to the desk" and embark

on many more journeys, "hundreds of them", in order to achieve

fulfilment and continue on his journey through life. In Robert Frost's

poem, "The Road Not Taken", the composer effectively conveys the

concept of the journey, and the notion of imagining the possibilities

of where life's journey can lead. Frost has used numerous techniques

to convey the meaning of the poem to the reader. The journey described

here is the universal journey every individual will experience in

life. It is the journey of learning and growth, incorporated in the

complex and exciting journey of life and existence.