ARCHETYPE OF CHARACTERS ORPHANS

ARCHETYPES Any characters that are the set model for a pattern Epic heroes fall in this category The kindly older adult – Merlin, Obi Wan, Dumbledore, Joe The bad boy – Lancelot The evil person – sometimes this could be society The orphan – the protagonist – Arthur, Harry Potter

IMPORTANCE OF ORPHANS Lends sympathy to the character More easily seen with feeling and excused from a lot of mistakes – Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights Although orphans were an archetype before and after the Victorian novel – no one did orphans like the Victorians

SEARCH FOR IDENTITY More thorough search with an orphan as they have hardly anyone to base themselves upon They almost come free of prejudice which can be explored as good or bad Those who encounter bad characters who wish to influence the morality of the protagonist, when they overcome the badness and choose the right path it is seen as ingrained in their nature so they were from the beginning moral, ethical, and in possession of the proper values. An establishment of nature over nurture.

UNDERDOG CHARACTER Deserving of good khrama so the end they come to – if it is incredibly great is also believable and instills the idea that good comes to those who are good Because of their difficult upbringing they almost seem more deserving of good fortune The orphan often has an innate sense of righteousness and will lead a life to help others – except Heathcliff who was mistreated and continued to mistreat others.

REMOVE THE PARENTS The character can be shaped in any way There is a suspense and a mystery as there is no safety net and the character must find his/her way The overcoming of adversity adds to the true personality of the character Helplessness and the idea that someone will be there to help. The character will find a friend, a mentor, a way to be directed

ALMOST A SYMBOL Prior knowledge creates almost a story and character simply by the portrait of an orphan. An effective device for writers who need an immediate picture of the character. The vulnerability is realized at the outset of the description

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