THE ORIGINAL PATTERN

An Introduction to Archetypal TheoryBy Emma Wood

Dictionary Definition: very typical of a certain kind of person or thing. Recurrent as a symbol or motif in literature, art, or mythology

HISTORY OF THE ARCHETYPAL THEORY

Carl Gustav Jung, a psychologist, created and used the archetypal theory for his ideologies surrounding human psyche

Archetypal Theory was a concept that resides in humans collective unconsciousness. An innate theory about the common types of personalities or characters

Jung stated that the human psyche was made up of three components: the ego, the personal unconsciousness, and collective unconsciousness

The Ego is the conscious mind, the personal unconscious mind contains memories and the collective unconscious contains knowledge and experiences we share as human beings

The Collective Unconscious is where the concept of Archetypes resides

Carl Jung

ARCHETYPAL KEY TERMSJUNG’S FOUR MAJOR ARCHETYPES

The Self – Represents the unconscious or conscious of an individual. This process includes various aspects of personality are integrated

The Shadow – Consists of the life and sex instincts. It exists as the part of the unconscious mind and made up of repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts and shortcomings. It is also described as the darker side representing wildness, chaos, and the “unknown”

The Anima or the Animus – Anima is the feminine image in the male psyche and the Animus is a male image in the female psyche. They represent the true self rather than the image we present to others and serves as the primary source of communication with the collective unconscious

The Persona – How we present ourselves to the world. Represents all of the different social masks that we wear among different groups and situations. Shields the ego from negative images.

Source: (http://psychology.about.com/od/personalitydevelopment/tp/archetypes.htm)

GENERAL ARCHETYPES KEY TERMS

The Father – The authority figure, the patriarch, stern or powerful

Jay Pritchett (Modern Family)

The Mother – The Matriarch, nurturing, comforting

Cameron Tucker (Modern Family)

GENERAL ARCHETYPESKEY TERMS

The Child – Longing for innocence, rebirth, and salvation

Brittany S. Pierce(Glee)

The Wise Old Man – Offers guidance, knowledge, and wisdom

Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter)

GENERAL ARCHETYPESKEY TERMS

The Hero – The Champion, or the Saviour, brave and courageous

Olivia Pope (Scandal)

The Villain – The “Bad Guy”, evil and ruthless

Queen Anne Bolyen (Wolf Hall)

GENERAL ARCHETYPESKEY TERMS

The Maiden – Innocent, desirable and pure

Sansa Stark (Game of Thrones)

The Trickster – The Liar or Troublemaker

Alison DiLaurentis (Pretty Little Liars)

KEY QUESTIONS

Does the main character in stories portray the Jung’s theory of archetypes?

In narratives, is there always a Hero (protagonist) and a Villain (antagonist)?

What does the text suggest about the Archetypal Theory?

How many archetypes reside in the narrative?

Do we all have an innate concept of archetypes?

Does the archetypal theory apply to every character in literature, mythology and films?

Do all archetypes, in the text, have a “Persona”, the concept that Jung created stating that we all put a “mask” on for other people?

Do all characters, in the text, have “Shadow”? Do all the archetypes have a dark side?

What happens to the archetypes in the narrative?