Archetypal Literary Theory

Key Points: Assumes the existence of a collection of symbols, images, characters, and motifs that evokes the same response in all people. Carl Jung (famous psychologist) called this recognition of the archetypes a response to our “collective unconscious”.

Key Points: Some Archetypes:

Key Points: Some Archetypes: Human Archetypes Women – the Good Mother, the Terrible Mother, the Temptress, the Old Hag Men – the Wanderer, the Trickster, the Sage, the Hero Rebel

Key Points: Some Archetypes: Nature Archetypes Water – Creation, Birth/Death/Resurrection, Purification, Redemption, Fertility Garden – Paradise, Innocence, Fertility Desert – Spiritual Emptiness, Death, Hopelessness

Key Points: Some Archetypes: Color Archetypes Animal Archetypes Red – Blood, Sacrifice, Passion, Disorder Green – Growth, Fertility Black – Chaos, Evil, Death Animal Archetypes Serpent – Evil, Sensuality, Mystery, Wisdom, Destruction

Key Points: Some Archetypes: Jungian Archetypes Characters - The Hero, The Scapegoat, The Outcast, The Devil Figure, The Woman Figure (Earth-mother, Temptress, The Platonic Ideal, The Unfaithful Wife), The Star-crossed Lovers Situations - The Quest, The Task, The Initiation, The Journey, The Fall, Death And Rebirth Symbols – Light-darkness, Water-desert, Heaven-hell

Questions/Strategies to Apply: What characters, symbols, and images do you see in the text that you have noticed in other texts? (Identify the archetypes represented.) What is the universal function, meaning, or response of all people to such archetypes?

Arguments in favor: Provides a universal approach to literature, and provides a reason why certain literature survives the test of time. Works well with highly allegorical works

Arguments Against: May ignore the art of literature in favor of stripping the text down to these archetypes.