WHAT IS ARCHETYPAL ANALYSIS?

GET THIS!

An Archetype it is a universal theme that manifests itself differently on an individual basis.

(In other words, an Archetype can be a theme, a character or a plot)

Archetype = Prototype

Still Confused?

Lets put this in context!

Here are some question one might ask from this analytical standpoint……..

Over the centuries what has this archetype come to

represent?

What common archetype does this character

represent?

What is the common archetype for such an

event?

Who would ask these question?

One of the most prominent archetypal thinkers is a man name Carl Jung.

Jung believed that archetypes were the result of a collective unconscious In other words, he believed that people did not learn archetypes, but many were already known.

Positives• Not verbal or written messages

• Primordial

• Anyone can use it

• Origin of religious ideas, other central concepts

Negatives• May differ across different cultures

• Failure to pay attention to other parts of literature

• Relies on stereotypes/fictional ideas?

•Too abstract, lose personal meaning

•Archetypes can often convey messages that verbal and written information cannot. Seeing something as simple as a clock, meaning time, or a man in black, hinting that he is evil.

•Primordial: That is, we, as individuals, have these archetypal images ingrained in our understanding even before we are born.

•The American Dream

•“All the most powerful ideas in history go back to archetypes. This is particularly true of religious ideas, but the central concepts of science, philosophy, and ethics are no exception to this rule. In their present form they are variants of archetypal ideas created by consciously applying and adapting these ideas to reality. For it is the function of consciousness not only to recognize and assimilate the external world through the gateway of the senses, but to translate into visible reality the world within us.” – Carl Jung

KNOW ALL OF THIS

•English class (obvious) – interpreting author’s use of symbols

•Freshman English – mythology

•Western Civ – analyze ancient art

•Art class – Using recognized symbols to convey deeper meanings

Past Classes

Where would I apply this information?

Literature• Interpreting Literary Works• Apply to own writing

Historically• Ancient Civilizations

Examples - Literature• Lord of The Flies – William Golding • Ralph/Conch – Leadership• Jack – Savage• Piggy – Weakness

• Once More to the Lake – George Orwell

• The Great Gatsby – F. Scott. Fitzgerald

• My Kinsman Major Molonoux – Nathaniel Hawthorn

• The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorn

• The Crucible – Arthur Miller

Examples – Real World

• Political Speech

• Money

•Religion

• News • News anchors

• Source of National Unity/Patriotism• 9/11• Constitution• Flag

Examples – The OfficeThe outcast

The hero

Star-crossed lovers

The Villain

The idiot

BY : ALAN SHORTZ GEORGE CIMINI

Jon Dilger