Analysis Essay

Adventure: A Risk Worth Taking
Adventure adds depth and meaning to The Legend of Zelda. Instead of just entertainment the game becomes a testing ground for self, and a safe environment where one can, with safety try out the risk and growth associated with adventure. The word implies risk and a choice for growth. Analysis would benefit from a definition. To risk oneself, to venture, to dare to come or go, to dare to undertake, to dare to attack. The risk is evident in the definition, the word drips with it. The choice the word contains is to take the risk or not. If the risk is not taken then nothing can be lost, safe guard the position that is already maintained and the person already . The opposite side is to put what you are now at risk with the hope that you will grow. Also to adventure means that you will risk growth. Will you become something better? Will you lose parts of yourself that you wanted to keep? Will the growth that you obtain be worth the risk? The word contains hope, so the logical conclusion that it will. Also bravery, and self-sacrifice.
The word adds to the purpose of the game. The purpose is to immerse the player in the game world, and give them the choice of taking the adventure or not. Let them decide in an environment that has no real life consequences that they will risk something, and show to them that the risk is worth taking, ultimately encouraging adventure in their own personal lives.
Another important component of adventure is its refining characteristic, when an adventure is agreed upon, and the risk is taken then something will be lost. Physically an adventure is trying and refining. You take things with you physically, on an adventure and you see if they are really necessary. How much do you need those extra pounds, or that sedentary life style. Are the things one does really important? You venture something and then decided if it needs to stay or go.
It is the same with ideas and mind sets. You take them on an adventure and see if they will really hold up. You test them to their limits and see if what you value and hold as important is really so. You see if the things you bring along with you serve you well. Do they have triple or quadruple purpose? Does it feel as if nothing is lacking, while carrying just the barest of necessities?
In the context of the game the word adventure describes all the actions taken by the character. He risks himself over and over and becomes stronger, more intelligent and resourceful. Looking through the word at the game helps to explain the choices made by the made character. He begins the game as a boy, and he has the opportunity to stay in a child like world and maintain his innocence and live in happiness and peace in the Kokiri forrest. He would have happiness and companionship in his friend Saria, and who knows perhaps that could grow into love. He risks this existence to grow and to help others.
Another important implication of the word is the travel it implies. We can follow the the trail of the word through middle english to the old french and finally to latin. It carried many meanings, in the old french it meant about to happen and that was based on the word adventure which means to arrive. So we can see that the word has a strong connection with action and movement, and going and doing.
Is an adventure simply a going from one place to another? No the word contains so much more than that. It is important to understand that the movement is a key part but not to forget that integral development and risk that adventure seems to imply. With out those we would be left with plain old travel.
Lets take a look at the idea of arriving and happening. What is about to happen? is the physical thing that you are about to do, climb, swim, jump, ascend, is that the adventure? or is the adventure what is about to happen to you on the inside while these things goes on? I think it is the later. It goes back to that refining that was spoken about earlier. The adventure is to develop yourself and the things you take with you.
Where do you arrive? Some where new every time. Both physically and mentally. You become better physically because of the strenuous travel you put yourself through and mentally because of the travel you put your ideas though. You are never the same person twice, you are always changing adapting, developing, arriving at new conclusions and decisions.   
The Legend of Zelda is an adventure, and so the word becomes the game. With out it the game becomes mere entertainment and the player is disconnected from the experience completely. It robs the game of its teaching potential and its ability to help one to choose to risk things in ones life and develop and grow.