ArchetypesThe study of symbolism and patterns in

stories

So, What Exactly is an Archetype?

An archetype is essentially a pattern of a character type, situation, or symbol.

Something becomes an archetype when it happens over and over in many different stories

Example: a hero is an archetype because many stories have a hero

Here’s where it gets cool...

Archetypes involve the same aspects of stories being repeated: myths are archetypal, as are fairy tales, Bible stories, and.... most modern stories as well. Turns out, the

archetypes that are in myths are the same ones we still see today

Let me explain...

The wise old wizard is an archetype, because he’s a character that shows up in many different stories

An ancient example: Merlin, the wizard that helps King Arthur

A modern example: Dumbledore, who helps Harry Potter

Let’s look at a couple of different character archetypes, shall we?

The Loyal Sidekick

The Antagonist who actually has a good heart

The Outcast

The Temptress

The Damsel in Distress

Here’s some situation archetypes...

An orphan figuring out who he/she is

A person on a quest to find someone or something

Death and rebirth

battle between good and evil

SymbolsWhat is a symbol?

A symbol is a name or image that has deeper meaning other than its obvious one

It’s something that you can analyze to find a greater significance for the story that it’s in.

Example: a penny = good luck

Symbols are a form of archetypes because they have a pattern of a

similar meaning

Doves = holy, have religious connotations

tree = nature, family, history (roots)

Apple = temptation - Garden of Eden

Lightning bolt = Zeus, storms

Cross = Christianity

Sun = life and happiness

Lightbulb = a new idea

Characteristics of Archetypes

They are not individual, but something we share with all humanity

They are something that we inherit in our subconscious that connects us to our past

While they may alter slightly, their basic idea is the same from place to place

They can be applied to both the past and the present because they are timeless manifestations of ourselves

Where do we get this idea from?

Carl Jung was a psychologist who spent his career studying dreams. He believed the process of growing up was revealed in our dreams through our unconscious mind.

Dreams have their own language; they speak in riddles and symbols

Dreams have basic patterns that connect back to the same themes innate in everyone - therefore archetypes are part of our subconscious

This means that the reason why so many stories follow the same patterns is because it’s wired into our subconscious

Here’s something to ponder...

Jung called this “the collective (or universal) unconscious.” He asserted that all modern beings retain patterns of their ancient ancestors, and that regardless of geography, race, or religion, all people everywhere share common fears and desires. Biologists have long recognized instinctual patterns in lower animals – the nesting of birds, the ritual dance of storks, the spinning of spider webs – and recent DNA discoveries confirm that except for thin differences in DNA structure, all creatures are biologically similar.

Jung argues that the collective unconscious in society is expressed through “archetypes” that embody a primordial, preconscious, instinctual expression of mankind’s basic nature. Because people undergo essentially the same kind of basic experiences, the expression of the collective unconscious is universal, and archetypes are as meaningful to remote tribesmen hunting for food in the jungle as to Wall Street executives fending off lawyers.

Anthropologists have discovered many universal motifs that support Carl Jung’s proposition that people everywhere share archetypal beliefs and experiences. Almost every culture has embodied in its legends, literature or religion similar stories or beliefs, such as the destruction of the world by food, famine, plague, or earthquake; the slaying of monsters; sibling rivalries; and the Oedipus legend. Although the details vary greatly from culture to culture, the basic patterns are amazingly similar. These stories express mankind’s reaction to essentially changeless situations, origination from experiences, attitudes, and problems related to the universe, gods, survival, parents, and children. Every generation retells these ancient archetypes to interpret the world as they experience it.

So why are they important to learn for

English? Literary critics look for myths, legends, archetypes, and symbols because they know that these are the devices that subconsciously influence readers. In good literature, plot provides a structure through which subconscious influences can operate. Plot can evoke deep emotions in readers, but it cannot achieve a profound impact without tapping into our mythic subconscious.