A Beginner's Guide to Archetypal Literary Theory

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A Beginner's Guide to Archetypal Literary Theory
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What is Archetypal Literary Theory?

• Archetypal literary theory focuses on recurring
  archetypes, patterns, symbols and myths in
  literature.

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What is an Archetype?

• According to Carl Jung, an archetype is a
  primordial image residing in the collective
  unconscious of a people, expressed in literature,
  myth, folklore and ritual.
• Essentially, its a pattern or universal theme.

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Who was Carl Jung?

• Carl Gustav Jung (1875 -1961) was a Swiss
  psychiatrist, a close friend of Sigmund Freud.
• His theory divided the psyche into 3 parts
• EGO
• PERSONAL UNCONSCIOUS
• COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS

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Psyche

• Personal Unconscious
• Memories and personal information we arent
  conscious of on a daily basis.

• Ego
• The conscious part of our psyche.

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What is the Collective Unconscious?

• The collective unconscious refers to that part of
  a person's unconscious which is common to all
  human beings.

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(1) Shared Instinct

• The archetype of "the great mother" would be
  expected to be very nearly the same in all
  people, since all infants share inherent
  expectation of having an attentive caretaker.

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(2) Common Experience

• Every surviving infant must either have had a
  mother, or a surrogate.

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(3) Shared Culture

• Nearly every child is indoctrinated with
  society's idea of what a mother should be.

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The Collective Unconscious

• Jung believed that all humans share a universal
  psyche, which is manifested in dreams and myths.
• Literature imitates not the world, but rather the
  total dream of humankind.

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How is an Archetype Expressed in Literature?

• Characters (hero, scapegoat, outcast, mentor,
  temptress, villain)
• Stories/Situations (tragedy, quest, rags to
  riches, death and rebirth)
• Symbols (light/dark, heaven/hell)

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So What is Archetypal Literary Theory?

• Archetypal literary theory identifies archetypes
  and symbolic/story patterns in literature and
  discusses how they function.
• Emerged in the 1930s

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The Hero

• The hero is a character who embodies key traits
  valued by its originating culture.
• The hero commonly possesses superhuman
  capabilities or idealized character traits which
  enable him to perform extraordinary, beneficial
  deeds.

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Common Types of Heroes

• Willing Hero
• Ready for action and destined
• for greatness
• Unwilling Hero
• Normal person thrown into an
• unusual situation or a hero who refuses the call
• Antihero A bit shady and breaks the rules
• Tragic Hero Suffers at the hands of his tragic
  flaw Dies in the end

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The Mentor/Guide

• Provides motivation, insights, training to the
  hero.
• Often represented by the wise old man.
• Found alongside almost all heroes.
• Does not have to be human.

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Common Types of Mentors

• Continuing Mentor
• Someone who helps throughout journey
• Comic Mentor
• Adds some comic relief
• Fallen Mentor
• Helping, but dealing with own issues
• Dark Mentor
• Sinister may be loyal or not

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Loyal Retainers/Hunting Group of Companions

• Loyal Retainer
• Somewhat like servants to the hero who are heroic
  themselves their duty is to protect the hero and
  reflect the nobility of the hero.

• Hunting Group of Companions
• Loyal companions willing to face any number of
  dangers to be together.

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The Earth Mother

• The Great Mother offers spiritual and emotional
  nourishment to those she meets.
• The mother archetype manifests itself in a host
  of feminine symbolism.
• Nurturing and caring.
• Often connected to nature.

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The Shadow

• The Shadow archetype represents the brutal,
  animalistic characteristics of an individual.
• It is amoral
• It is responsible for unpleasant, socially
  unacceptable thoughts, feelings behaviors.
• Usually the antagonist.

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The Devil

• Evil incarnate offers worldly goods, fame, or
  knowledge to the hero in exchange for possession
  of the soul. Often associated with a snake.

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The Persona

• The persona is the mask or appearance one
  presents to the world.
• A well-developed individual may have several
  masks for different social situations.

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The Anima

• The Anima is the feminine archetype in men
  (gentleness, patience, receptiveness).

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The Animus

• The Animus is the male archetype in women
  (assertive, controlling, fighting spirit).

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The Trickster

• A trickster is someone who breaks the rules of
  the gods or nature, sometimes maliciously but
  usually with positive effects.
• Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or both
  they are often very funny.

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The Scapegoat

• An animal or human who is
• unjustly held responsible for
• others sins they are often
• sacrificed or shunned from
• their community but
• are still a powerful force.

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The Shapeshifter

• Character who misleads the hero by hiding his/her
  intentions and loyalties. Adds tension and
  uncertainty.
• They can sometimes physically transform.

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Star-Crossed Lovers

• Two lovers forbidden to be together because of
  the rules of society or family often ends
  tragically.

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The Outcast

• Figure banished from a social group for some
  crime against fellow man (could be falsely
  accused of a crime or could choose to banish
  themselves from guilt).
• Destined to wander from place to place alone.

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The Temptress

• Characterized by sensuous beauty and the hero is
  attracted to her physically.
• She is often the cause of the heros downfall.
  She leads him off course.

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The Damsel in Distress

• Vulnerable woman who must be rescued by the hero.
• She is often part of a trap to catch the
  unsuspecting hero and allow the villain to win.

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The Platonic Ideal

• This woman is a source of inspiration and a
  spiritual ideal for whom the hero has an
  intellectual rather than physical attraction to.

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The Herald

• A person, message or incident that initiates the
  journey.
• Upsets the balance and announces the coming of a
  significant change.

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Situational/Symbolic Archetypes

• See Handout

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Thats All Folks
For a more comprehensive list of archetypes,
please see the .pdf attached in the ENG 3U1
folder on my website.