Choose Your Own Adventure
by Lauren Wester
Often one believes that they must follow the path of all those who came before and that their fate is already chosen. But, one can create their own path if one wants to take on the challenge. In changing the book, Christopher Robin Leads an Expotition (Expedition), I created my altered book entitled “Choose Your Own Adventure.” The title comes from a series of children’s books. However, the title has several meanings which correspond to the definitions of “adventure”. In old French, “adventure” was a synonym of “fate”. In modern French, it means a type of voyage or embarkment, like that of Perceval. I want this book to inspire the reader to embark on an adventure to change their destiny, to break the mold.
My own inspiration was the story of Perceval who defies the destiny of his lineage in becoming one of the greatest knights. His mother warns him that his entire family died as knights, including his father and his brothers. However, Perceval is not afraid and continues his quest. Several pages include examples of other people who have defied their destiny. The “Fille de Kung-Fu”, for example, defies the traditional role of a girl in China by undertaking a mission to become a Kung-Fu world champion. She changed her adventure (in the old French meaning) and chose another that pleased her more.
Another concentration of my project is the definitions of the word “adventure”. Throughout the book, Christopher Robin Leads an Expotition, all of the characters have their own definition of this “expedition”. According to Christopher Robin, it’s a parade of everyone.
According to Eeyore, it’s only “confused noise”, and for Piglet it’s a surprise. I include a poem of Baudelaire in which he expresses his desire to explore the body of a giant because there is the theme of exploration, and eroticism, which is a type of adventure. I add other meanings of the central word, including that of an undertaking, and that of fate. In this way, the reader chooses the definition of adventure that pleases them the most, they chooses their own adventure.
This book is an exploration of the word “adventure” that begins with the modern meaning, and continues with that of old French. I invite the reader to reflect on the future and to ask themselves “Where do I go from here?” This page is a moment of deep reflection. I give the example of Perceval who decides to leave for “the king who makes knights.”* The page emphasizes the risks of following this new path with phrases such as “Dangerous Place”, “Fear”, and “lot de défis” (many challenges). Although there are risks, one can profit from it in becoming “A Renaissance Woman.” At the end of the book, I invite the reader to begin their own adventure, or story, in providing a blank page.
Chrétien de Troyes left Perceval unfinished, but many artists wrote possible endings. At the end of my book, I put these endings so that the reader can choose the next adventure of Perceval. The series “Choose Your Own Adventure” is the model for this ending and for this last meaning of the title.
Perceval, Winnie the Pooh, and Christopher Robin are examples throughout the altered book of people who discover during their expeditions. Perceval discovers his name, Christopher Robin and Pooh discover the North Pole, and I hope that these examples encourage the reader to discover themself. This is the reason why I wrote at the beginning, “Perceval and Christopher Robin lead an expedition on how to choose your own adventure.”
*Chrétien de Troyes, Perceval, ou le roman du Graal, trad. Jean-Pierre Foucher et André Ortais (Genève : Editions Gallimard Jeunesse, 1997), 33. All citations of Perceval are from this edition.
Great article, lots of intersting things to digest. Very informative