Briar Rose - Tom

"Caught in the briars , but still slashing away valiantly, driven more by fear now than by vocation..." (Coover 28).

The hero's quest for Beauty is driven by his desire and apparently by his vocation. Many think of their vocation as who or what they are and as such, accept tasks given to them as being a part of them. The question that I believe rises from this quote, is whether he is seeking Beauty because he genuinely wants to, or because he believes it is his job to. If it is his desire, the tale is one of introspection and deep personal reflection. If it is his vocation, the tale may be one of societal pressures and influences on personal desire. I believe Briar Rose explores the former subject and the hero will come to realize that it is him who in the end wants her.