Archetypal approach

Archetypal Approach

1. Water Garden Desert Red Green Black Serpent Seven

2. Archetypal Approach

3. Archetypal Approach Also called as mythological criticism Mythological criticism studies recurrent universal patterns underlying most literary works (for example, “the hero’s journey) It combines insights from a variety of academic disciplines- anthropology, psychology, history, comparative religion… it concerns itself with demonstrating how the individual imagination shares a common humanity by identifying common symbols, images, plots, etc.

4. Mythological critics identify “archetypes” (symbol, characters, situation, or images evoking a universal response.

5. Is an approach to literature assumes that there is a collection of symbols, images, characters, and motifs(archetypes) that evokes basically the same response to people. According to Carl Jung, mankind possesses a “collective unconscious” that is common to all of humanity. Myth critics identify these patterns and discuss how they function in the work.

6. They believe that these archetypes are the source of literature’s power.

7. Some example of archetypes Water - creation, purification, redemption, fertility, growth Garden - paradise, innocence, fertility Desert - spiritual emptiness, death, hopelessness Red - blood, sacrifice, passion, disorder Green - growth, fertility, life Black - chaos, death, evil Serpent - evil, wisdom, destruction, sensuality

8. Seven - perfection Hero archetype- the hero is involved in a quest (in which he overcomes obstacles). He experiences initiation (involving a separation, transformation, and return), and finally he serves as a scapegoat, that is, he dies to atone. Archetypal women - the good mother, the terrible mother, and the soulmate

9. Advantages Provides a universalistic approach to literature and identifies a reason why certain literature may survive the test of time. It works well with the works that are highly symbolic.

10. Disadvantages Literature may become little more than a vehicle for archetypes, and this approach may ignore the “art” of literature.