Archetypal/Mythological Criticism

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Archetypal/Mythological Criticism
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Universal Myths

• Native peoples, and indeed whole civilizations,
  have their own mythologies, but common images,
  themes and motives are present. These common
  images are what Jung called archetypes.

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Carl Jung (1875-1961)
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (1875-1961) believed
all myths came from the same elementary ideas
"archetypes. They are the building blocks not
only of the unconscious mind, but of a collective
unconscious.
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Carl Jung
In other words, Jung believed that everyone in
the world is born with the same basic
subconscious model of what a "hero" is, or a
"mentor" or a "quest."
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Joseph CampbellHero with a Thousand Faces
In 1949, Joseph Campbell began a revolution in
anthropology (the study of people and culture)
with his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces.
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Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)
This book built on the pioneering work of German
anthropologist Adolph Bastian (1826-1905), who
first proposed the idea that myths from all over
the world seem to be built from the same
"elementary ideas."
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Joseph Campbell and Heroes
Campbell eloquently argues that all stories are
fundamentally the same story, which he named the
"Hero's Journey," or the "monomyth."
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Practical Applications of Campbells Archetypes

• Walt Disney Productions used Campbells
  archetypes of the hero, journey, obstacles, etc.
  and created a template for a Disney story line.
  All Disney stories feature a hero who is
  essentially good, a few obstacles to be
  surpassed, and a journey towards a certain goal
  (physical, emotional, or mental).

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Archetype

• An original model or type after which similar
  things are patterned.
• Archetypes can be well-known story patterns,
  universal experiences or personality types.
• Myths, fairytales, fictional genres, and cultural
  heroes are generally archetypal in their use of
  symbols and metaphors.
• The basic cycles of life and nature are sources
  of archetypal images and symbols.

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Archetypes from Nature

• Water birth-death-resurrection creation
  purification and redemption fertility and
  growth.
• Rivers death and rebirth (baptism) the flowing
  of time into eternity transitional phases of the
  life cycle. . . .
• Sun (fire and sky are closely related) creative
  energy thinking, enlightenment, wisdom,
  spiritual vision.
• Rising sun birth, creation, enlightenment.
• Setting sun death.

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Colour Archetypes

• Red blood, sacrifice, passion disorder.
• Green growth, hope, fertility.
• Blue highly positive secure tranquil
  spiritual purity.
• Black darkness, chaos, mystery, the unknown,
  death, wisdom, evil, melancholy.
• White light, purity, innocence, timelessness
  negative death, terror, supernatural
• Yellow enlightenment, wisdom.