Abstract
This paper looks at the differences in quests by looking at the differences between the heroes and villains and what they are searching for. The writer talks about how the nature of the story changes according to whatever the heroes or villains are searching for. An important distinction between those quests that are successful and those that are not is discussed. The plots of Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" are also discussed in brief.

From the Paper
"Both J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are certainly stories in the form of a quest. Indeed, in some senses The Hobbit can be seen to be a sort of "practice quest" for the hobbits, the author, and the readers. While for the dwarfs it is about the reclamation of a home, for Bilbo it is about the search for a treasure, in many ways the least interesting kind of quest.The Lord of the Rings, which is on the most transparent level also about a quest in that it takes the form of a story about a journey, is a much more interesting quest in part because this literal journey (as is true in all good quest stories) becomes increasingly metaphorical as the story progresses, and in part because of Tolkien's skilled use of mythology and comparative religion in crafting it. The traveling of the different characters becomes by the end of the trilogy a symbol and a way of understanding many different things."

Tags:heroes, villains, nature, story, character, traveler, important, distinction, quests, third, category, stories, reader, seeker

Abstract
Two epic heroes of vastly different cultures search for identity, representing all human kind. In the similarly chaotic worlds Arjuna, hero of "The Bhagavad-Gita", and Odysseus, hero of "The Odyssey", learn about themselves in depth and come to terms with death, war and the afterlife, revealing that heroism in these two worlds is quite similar. This paper examines the major differences in their responses to the challenges of their respective quests, their relationship to their gods.

From the Paper
"Two ancient epic poems, The Bhagavad-Gita and The Odyssey, from vastly different cultures, reveal the ongoing search of the human race to understand the significance of the self and humanity's role in a world it cannot comprehend. In both these epics the quest for the individual human's sense of self is presented in the form of the hero metaphor in which a larger than life figure takes on the symbolic search for identity. Arjuna and Odysseus, the heroes of the two epics, both strive to bring order to the everyday chaos of the human world. In many ways the quests are similar. Central to both epics is the way their heroes struggle to discover what their relationship to the gods has to do with their identity. The major difference between Odysseus and Arjuna in the quest for identity, arises from their contrasting cultural conceptions of the gods, those superhuman forces, and how they influence, control, or guide mortal men."

Tags:bhagavad, gita, odyssey, Arjuna, Odysseus, Bhagavad-Gita, Odyssey

From the Paper
"This study will compare three works based on quests---John bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Samuel Johnson's The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia. The study will argue that Johnson's book most accurately portrays the human condition, that Bunyan's book is fairly good but less accurate, and that the anonymous author of Sir Gawain depicts the human condition most inaccurately of the three.

By "accurate" this reader means not necessarily true, for Bunyan's Christian allegory may, after all, be true. However, the "human condition" includes far more non-Christians than Christians, and surely the majority cannot be considered outside of that condition. By "accurate" picture of the human condition, then, it is meant here a picture which most realistically..."

Abstract
This paper describes the acquisition history and business approach of Quest Diagnostics, the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services. This paper is written from the perspective of an independent consultant hired to resolve conflicts and analyze team dynamics in the company. Some areas considered include work-group productivity, an expanded discussion of social influence within the organization, and the role of the individual and diversity. Additionally, Steven Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" are integrated into this paper. The author concludes that everything comes back to the strength of the organization, and the organization must be maintained and promoted as an overall priority for any firm.

Organizational Behavior-Quest Diagnostics
Overview of the Paper
Work-Group Productivity
Social Influence
Individual Differences and Personality
The Habits of Effective People
Perception, Attribution and Motivation
High Performance, Effective and Ineffective Teams
Quality Management and Teamwork
Conclusion
People
Process
Professionalism

From the Paper
"When discussing the dynamic of Work-Group Productivity, there are multiple facets of the dynamic itself to consider. Of course, the success of any group is only as good as its weakest member, but from another point of view, the old adage that two heads, or perhaps twenty heads, is better than one. American businesses, Quest among them, have long ago reached the conclusion that the ability to make important decisions is greatly enhanced by having a group of decision makers involved as opposed to one individual (Robbins, 2005). By having a group involved in decision making, the stress of the decisions is spread among many, removing from the equation the possibility of one figure head melting down in the face of the stress of making decisions all on their own. Beyond this, of course, the group is able to provide a great deal of different perspectives, attitudes, and experiences to the table, making it possible for the decisions to not only be made in a time effective way, but also in such a way that allows for high quality decisions that remove much of the possibility of error and poor judgment."

Tags:Quest, Diagnostics, Corning, management, organizational, behavior, diversity

Abstract
This paper applies the six steps of Joseph Campbell's quest to Alan Paton's book, "Cry, the Beloved Country", addressing the evil in Johannesburg and the transformation that begins healing the rift between black and white.

From the Paper
"In Alan Paton's "Cry, the Beloved Country" the six steps of Joseph Campbell's quest; the Call, the Other, the Journey Helpers and Guides, the Treasure and Transformation are evident. Stephen Kumalo's quest for his son Absalom fits neatly into Campbell's quest framework and through it, Paton expresses a deeper meaning. Johannesburg represents all that is evil in the world and the quest that Kumalo undertakes is not just the literal one to rescue his son Absalom, whose name means father of peace."

Tags:Joseph Campbell, quest, Paton, Cry the Beloved Country, Kumalo, Johannesburg, love, strife

Abstract
One of the most important rites in the Lakota religion is the vision quest. This paper goes on to elaborate on this area of the Lakota religion.

Tags:lakota, vision, quest

Abstract
A paper which presents a detailed comparison between "Quest of the Holy Grail" by F. Locke and "Tristan of Thomas". The writer of this paper presents the two stories and then analyzes where they are similar and where they differ. The paper shows that one of the main differences between the two papers is that in "Tristan" there is an important element of love for human, while in "Quest of the Holy Grail" there is an element of spiritual love and willingness to go wherever that love took them.

From the Paper
"The magical experiences found in each story have much to do with the era of their existence. Loving a woman so much that one is willing to give up the ways of a knight was extremely rare in those times. Loving the hunt for the grail enough to give up all sense of a normal existence was also rare. It is the very rarity that each story depicts that make the stories similar in their foundational natures. The reader can read them both and come away with a sense of fulfillment and a desire to choose a quest of their own and follow their hearts to fulfill that quest."

Tags:Arthurian, era, Isold, knighthood, Joseph, of, Arimathea, Gallahad

Abstract
This paper will discuss the books "Moby Dick" by Hermann Melville and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain. The element of the quest in the stories will be explained and examples cited. The quest of the main characters in the stories will be discussed as well.

Abstract
This paper examines Hamlet's quest for vengeance by looking at the text directly and taking cues from secondary sources. It concludes that Hamlet's delay in taking vengeance is primarily based on his indecision, his self-interest, and his desire to protect Gertrude.

From the Paper
"Shakespeare's Hamlet is a play about revenge and indecision. Because Hamlet's father is wronged, Hamlet himself spends most of the play deliberating on the subject of his revenge against his uncle Claudius, who has killed his father, married his mother, and assumed the throne. Hamlet's adherence to the patriarchal ideals is supported throughout the play by the appearance of his father's ghost, which appears as a sort of dream-like interruption of the quotidian reality in which Hamlet might deny the filial duty to avenge his father. This ghost spurs the prince on to seek revenge, even when Hamlet seemingly wants to get on with his life and save his soul in the process."

Tags:vengeance, gertrude

Abstract
The paper present the views of Oscar Wild and Robert Browning about the search for perfection or the strive to live up to an ideal. They both hold that this quest is not worth the effort and may result in very negative outcomes.

From the Paper
"Idealism means that something is perfect and worth striving for. According to Robert Browning and Oscar Wilde this search for perfection or an ideal leads to disastrous consequences. The quest for the ideal can lead to chasms in life and since no one can attain the ideal, whether that ideal is an ideal character or a state of mind, to try and attain the ideal can lead to heartbreak, as in the case of Lay Chiltern, or downfall as in the case of poor brother Lippo. Therefore, both Wilde and Browning suggest that living up to an ideal is not worth striving for and is not a way for one to live his or her life."

Tags:browning, ideal, idealism, oscar, perfect, perfection, robert, wilde