Archetype

1. Archetype A very old imaginative pattern that appears in literature across cultures and is repeated throughout the ages.

2. Two Famous Psychologists and Their Theories • Sigmund Freud • “Personal Unconscious” -VS- • Carl Jung • “Collective Unconscious”

3. Sigmund Freud, German Psychologist • He hypothesized that archetypes exist in the personal unconscious, which is based on personal experiences. • The personal unconscious is individual, not universal. It is learned, not instinctive. • This “Personal Unconscious” theory by Sigmund Freud claims we are born into this world as “clean slates.” • This theory claims all human behaviors are “programmed” into us by our environment (fairy tales, nursery rhymes, children’s games, etc. )

4. Carl Jung, Swiss Psychologist • He believed that beneath an individual’s unconscious, lies the “collective unconscious” of the human race. • The “CU” has pre-existing knowledge. • The “CU” is not individual, but universal; and is instinctive, not learned. • He believes human minds at birth contain “inherent predispositions” to perceive in categories archetypes.

5. What?! • In other words, Jung believes that when a newborn baby smiles, its smile is a universal, archetypal behavior. When a newborn baby suckles, frowns, cries--all of these instinctive behaviors are archetypal.

6. More archetypal Behaviors… • In fact, most young animals (including humans) have an inborn urge to relate to some sort of mother figure. • So, simple inborn, primal instincts such as hunger, reproduction, the need for a mother-figure, and anger are all part of the wide range of behaviors which fall within the category of archetypal behaviors.

7. Carl Jung Overview • According to Carl Jung, we are born with archetypes. • Different cultures “dress them up and put different clothes on them”…but the core image and energy is the same archetypal images. • Our daily life is experienced as archetypal behaviors.

8. Personal Unconscious versus Collective Unconscious • Sigmund Freud maintained the personal unconscious is a personal experience that has been forgotten or repressed. • Carl Jung maintained the collective unconscious has never been conscious, but is the part we share with all of humanity: proof of its existence can be found in the study of the similarity of dreams, delusions, myths, religion, stories, stereotypical ideas, etc.

9. Archetypes: Primary and Enduring Patterns Basic to Literature • These recurring patterns are found in situation (plot). Ex. The battle between good and evil. • These recurring patterns are found in characters. Ex. The hero or the damsel in distress. • These recurring patterns are found in symbols. Ex. Light often symbolizes goodness while darkness is often associated with evil.

10. Archetypical Characters • Damsel in distress- vulnerable woman who needs to be rescued • Outcast- banished from a social group • Hero- mysterious/unusual birth -returns to kingdom after reaching manhood -loses favor with the Gods

11. Five Elements of the Hero • Quest: the hero quest which the archetype has set out on; may not realize he/she is on such a quest until it is too late to retreat • Fear: usually the motivating factor for undergoing the quest; also the principal danger that lurks in the shadow of the archetype • Dragon: represents the major problem/obstacle of the quest; must be overcome for the quest to be successful • Task: must accomplish in order to succeed at the quest; failure can lead to becoming the dark shadow or dark self • Virtue: succeeding at the quest earns the hero these rewards of self, such as the princess, the castle, etc.

12. Mentor-Pupil Relationship • The mentor teaches the initiate often by example, the skills needed to survive the quest and rule successfully.

13. Loyal Retainers • They are somewhat like servants. • They are heroic themselves. • Their duty is to protect the hero. • They reflect the nobility of the hero.

14. Star-Crossed Lovers • Two lovers whose union ends sadly or tragically in the death of one or both of them. Ex. Romeo & Juliet

15. Plots: • Good vs. Evil • The death of a hero • Boy wins girl • The quest or odyssey for something greater • Dead and Rebirth • Examples of Nature vs. Machines

16. Images: • A place where people never die • Hoarded treasure • Fountain of Youth

17. Themes: • Good triumphs over evil • Love conquers all adversity. • The past as a more perfect time • Never Give up!

18. Settings: • Forest- place where rules do not apply • Heaven – allows character to see clearly/gain sight • Garden – place of beauty, safety and restraint • Caves/tunnels/underground- represents a journey into the subconscious. • Rivers- crossing a boundary or border, passing of time

19. Situations: • The Task- what the hero must perform • The initiation- an experience which creates an awakening or awareness. • The unhealable Wound- either physical psychological • The ritual- actual ceremony that marks the right of passage

20. Symbolic Archetypes • Light/darkness- light suggests hope, renewal, intellegence • Darkness implies unknown, despair, or ignorance • Water/desert- water is necessary to life & growth. Ex. Rebirth -desert is associated with bareness and death