Motivation:
– Adventurous experiences create psychological arousal
– Adventure can be interpreted as negative (e.g. fear) or positive (e.g. flow)
– Adventure can become a major pursuit
– Outdoor adventurous activities are for recreation and excitement
– Adventure education uses challenging experiences for learning
Mythology and Fiction:
– Some of the oldest stories are of adventure
– The knight errant was a common adventure seeker character
– Adventure fiction features protagonists on adventurous journeys
– Popular feature films like Star Wars exhibit adventure characteristics
– Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a famous fantasized adventure story
Outdoors:
– Adventure books often feature characters facing the wilderness
– Examples include Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain
– These books focus on survival, gaining new experiences, and connecting with nature
– Less about questing, more about living off the land
– Characters become closer to the natural world through their experiences
Questing:
– Many adventures are based on the idea of a quest
– The hero overcomes obstacles to obtain a reward
– The reward can be a skill, prize, treasure, or safety of a person
– The journey involves challenges and growth for the hero
– Questing is a common theme in adventure stories
Video Games:
– Adventure games involve exploration and puzzle solving
– The genre draws heavily from literature and film
– Many adventure games are designed for single players
– Story and character development are key elements in adventure games
– Multi-player design is challenging due to the emphasis on story
Nonfiction Works:
– Travelers and explorers have written about their adventures for centuries
– Best-selling journals like Marco Polo’s The Travels of Marco Polo
– Personal journals later published, like Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s
– Books written by those not directly involved in the adventure, like The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
– Documentaries often feature themes of adventure
