Robyn Davidson A Hero in Modern Times
In Tracks Robyn Davidson, a woman who had never done “anything which required manual dexterity, patience, or a sense of functional design” (Davidson 93) is thrust into an unknown world. The story of Tracks follows Davidson’s journey from an incomplete young woman to that of a woman trekking through the Australian desert in an attempt to distance herself from urban existence and to seek union with the natural world. Through the theories of Joseph Campbell and Mircea Eliade one can analyze and gain understanding of Davidson’s journey as a hero quest and an undying search for sacred time. Joseph Campbell, a late 20th century scholar, is most famous for his theories on the archetypal hero and mythic tradition. Campbell’s theories of the hero, or “one who is born to serve,” can be observed in numerous literary example and cinematic presentations. A man or woman attempting to overcome his personal limitations and reach a new plane of existence generally characterizes the hero quest. A superb example of a hero quest can be observed in Robyn Davidson’s non-fiction novel Tracks. In a typical hero quest, there are three main steps: departure, initiation, and return. While these steps may appear obvious in Tracks, there are numerous emotions, religious experiences, and physical feelings that are often associated with the hero quest. The first step in the hero quest is that of departure from the profane world into a new field of adventure. Davidson tells of her departure from the profane realm of New York City to the humbling “awesome landscape” (Davidson 37) of the Australian desert. ... First, the awesome beauty of the landscape only helps to inspire Davidson’s courage and inspiration for the long journey ahead of her. ... ” (Davidson 40) This feeling of the overwhelming enormity of the journey at the beginning of the departure is a quintessential aspect of the departure, and can be described as the lowest point in the hero quest. ... In Tracks, one can see Davidson’s evolvement from a woman unaccustomed to manual labor, to a woman who can lead camels through the central desert of Australia.