The transformation of the central figure from ordinary to heroic stature is a standard pattern in many fantasies, from Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in Tolkien to Thomas Covenant in Donaldson, and the quest becomes the means by which this transformation is accomplished. In many cases the quest assumes religious or mystical proportions: The conflict becomes emblematic of the war between good and evil, and the journey becomes a search for the way in which to overcome the dark forces.