How do narratives explore the protagonist's ultimate desire to return to their ordinary, non-magical home after experiencing a fantastical world?
This thread traces stories where the magical adventure, however grand, serves as a temporary detour, with the protagonist's deepest longing being to return to their familiar, mundane world. It originates with a clear desire for home, evolving to explore themes of belonging, the value of the ordinary, and the bittersweet nature of leaving wonder behind.
How the idea moved: 5 landmark works
Odysseus's entire ten-year journey is dedicated to returning to Ithaca and reclaiming his throne, wife, and son from the suitors, thereby re-establishing his identity as king and head of household.
Pick this one apart →Like Odysseus, Crusoe undergoes an extended, perilous journey and period of exile, facing numerous trials and adapting to a harsh world, before finally achieving a return to his original home and society, albeit one he is now alienated from. (inherits from The Odyssey)
Pick this one apart →Candide's extensive travels and trials across the globe, enduring immense suffering and disillusionment, culminate in a deliberate choice to return to a simple, un-heroic life, mirroring Odysseus's ultimate desire for his home and family after his epic adventures. (inherits from The Odyssey)
Pick this one apart →Dorothy's entire quest in Oz is driven by her desire to find a way back to Kansas.
Pick this one apart →Ifemelu's return to Nigeria and her struggles to re-adjust to Nigerian society, finding herself an 'Americanah' (a Nigerian who has adopted American ways), directly illustrates the challenges of re-integration and the shifting nature of home.
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