Archetypal By: Emily, Brittany, Brandice, & Alyssa

Archetypes They are images that reflect basic patterens of universal themes Symbolic images exist outside of space&time. Example: Shadow, the old wise person, and the innocent child Archtypes in nature : Rives, mountains, fire, oceans etc.

Background info Jung believed that a human being is inwardly whole, but that most of us have lost touch with important parts of our selves. Archetypes, according to Jung, are "primordial images"; the "psychic residue" of repeated types of experience in the lives of very ancient ancestors which are inherited in the "collective unconscious" of the human race and are expressed in myths, religion, dreams, and private fantasies, as well as in the works of literature (Abrams, p. 10, 112) People might use these to show something without explaining it… For example: the use of the color white might portray innocent where as the color red might represent evil

Pros Archetypes allow you to save time while writing, to maintain momentum without becoming over whelmed with details, and to allow the reader to safety assume. Example: It doesn’t need to be said that the school bus is yellow with black writing or that the cheerleader’s outfit is yellow and red. The reader already knows these things.

Cons The archetypes may embody cultural or symbolic meanings which are not fully clear to the author, and may emerge only through historical or other cultural perspective The writing may become little more than an “empty shell” for archetypes, and this approach may ignore the art of literature.

Blood by Naomi Shihab Nye Nye is essentially incorporating her personal values and ethnic traditions into the poem through use of a paradox. Paradox is an archetype that is found in heroes. Ex: A hero is considered a perfection for human behavior, but no one is perfect; the hero might have tragic flaws. One paradox used is blood. It is one of the elements of the color red, which symbolizes sacrifice and disorder. Nye wrote this poem at the time of the Arab Israeli conflict, so the archetype seems appropriate. Another archetype is Nye’s life. She is a true Muslim in the sense she has the “right “ beliefs and values. But during the time of war, she begins to realize that what it means to be an Arab means to experience fear and casualties.

Workcited Works Cited Burris, Skylar Hamilton. Mythological / Archetypal / Symbolic. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec "Carl Jung." Handout on Carl Jung. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec Siegel, Dr. Kristi. Introduction to the Modern Literary Theory. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec