Archetypes: The Building Blocks of Literature
Student Name: ______
Think about the number of stories you encounter daily either reading, viewing, or listening. This would include all of the following categories:
-books, short stories, newspaper stories,
movies, sitcoms, tv shows, video games,
news reports, magazine stories, songs, etc.
Write down this number and circle the categories apply to you: ______
Write down what percentage of the stories you encounter are fictional: ______
Add up the number of stories that each person in your group encounters and put the total for your group here: ______
Put the total number of stories for the entire class here: ______
Do you agree with the following statements?
•Storytelling is essential for the survival of humanity and provides hope for humanity.
Comment:
•Without stories, mankind would slowly go mad and become suicidal.
Comment:
Why do we need stories?
•To explain ______phenomenon such as great ______and the ______of the world.
•To answer such questions such as why we are ______and why we ______.
•To help us escape reality by entering a world where the ______wins, the forces of ______are defeated, and ______conquers all.
•To help define the roles of ______and ______such as the ______and the ______so that we might recognize them in reality.
What are archetypes?
•They are the basic ______of stories that all writers use to create a ______to which readers can escape.
•Without ______about archetypes, all cultures around the world use them to ______their stories. This is called the ______(term coined by Carl ______).
•Examples of archetypes are: the ______, the ______in ______, the battle between ______and ______, etc.
•THE QUEST—search for ______or some ______, which when it is found and brought back will restore ______to a wasted land, the desolation of which is shown by a leader’s ______and ______.
•THE TASK—to save the ______, to win the fair ______, to identify himself so that he may assume his rightful ______, the hero must perform some nearly ______deed.
•THE INITIATION—this usually takes the form of an initiation into ______life. The adolescent comes into his/her ______with new awareness and problems along with a new ______for the community. This awakening is often the ______of the story.
•THE JOURNEY—the hero goes in search of some ______or information to restore ______to the kingdom; he must descend into a real or psychological ______and is forced to discover the blackest ______quite often concerning his ______; once the hero is at his ______point, he must accept personal responsibility to return to the world of the ______; this could also appear as a group of ______people (trapped on a ______, ______, ______) to represent ______.
•THE FALL—describes a descent from a ______to a ______state of being. The experience involves a defilement and/or a ______of ______and bliss. The fall is often accompanied by ______from a kind of ______as a penalty for ______and ______transgression.
•DEATH AND REBIRTH—grows out of a parallel between the cycle of ______and the cycle of ______. Thus, morning and springtime represent ______, ______, or ______; evening and winter suggest old ______or ______.
•NATURE VS. MECHANISTIC WORLD—Nature is ______while technology and society are often ______.
•BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL—Obviously the battle between two ______forces. Mankind shows eternal ______in the continual portrayal of ______triumphing over ______despite great ______.
•THE UNHEALABLE WOUND—The wound is either ______or ______and cannot be healed ______. This wound also indicates a ______of innocence. These wounds always ______and drive the sufferer to ______measures.
•THE RITUAL—The actual ______the initiate experiences that will mark his ______of passage into another state (______, ______)
•LIGHT VS. DARKNESS—light suggests ______, ______, or ______illumination; darkness suggests the ______, ______, or ______.
•WATER VS. DESERT—water is necessary to ______and ______and so it appears as a ______or ______symbol; the
appearance of ______in a work can suggest spiritual ______or ______; characters who live in the ______are often “______” to morals or the “good side”
•HEAVEN VS. HELL—______live in the ______or ______; ______forces live in the ______of the earth
•INNATE WISDOM VS EDUCATED STUPIDITY—______characters can often be ______using their ______while some very ______characters have no common sense
•SUPERNATURAL INTERVENTION—the ______most often intervene on the side of the ______to assist him in his ______.
•HAVEN VS. WILDERNESS—for the ______, places of ______are required for time to regain ______and ______; these hideouts are often in ______places
•FIRE VS. ICE—fire can represent ______, ______, ______, and ______while ice can represent ______, ______, ______, and ______
•MAGIC WEAPON—some ______used to fight the forces of ______that has ______properties
•THE HERO—mother is sometimes a ______, circumstances of birth are ______, some attempt is made at birth to ______him; raised by ______parents, returns to his kingdom to right ______, marries a ______, becomes ______, meets a mysterious ______, body is ______rather than buried
•YOUNG MAN FROM THE PROVINCES—hero is taken away as a ______man and raised by ______; when he returns home, he can view ______objectively and can solve them ______
•THE INITIATE—young heroes or heroines who go through ______; usually ______and wear ______
•MENTOR—______or ______to the initiate; often are ______or ______figures to the hero or heroine
•FATHER-SON CONFLICT—father and son are ______and do not meet until the son is an ______; often the mentor is ______and ______more
•HUNTING GROUP OF COMPANIONS—loyal ______willing to face any number of ______to be together
•LOYAL RETAINERS—somewhat like ______to the ______who are heroic themselves; their duty is to ______the hero and reflect the ______of the hero; they are ______.
•FRIENDLY BEAST—a ______on the side of the hero shows that ______sides most often with the forces of ______
•DEVIL FIGURE—evil ______; offers worldly ______, ______, or ______to the hero in exchange for possession of the ______
•EVIL FIGURE WITH GOOD HEART—redeemable ______figure saved by the ______or ______of the hero.
•SCAPEGOAT—______or ______who is unjustly held responsible for others’ ______; ______but they often become more powerful force ______than ______
•OUTCAST—figure ______from a social group for some ______against his fellow ______(could be ______accused of a crime or could ______to banish himself from ______)
•EARTHMOTHER—offers ______and ______nourishment to those she meets; shown in ______colors and has large breasts and ______symbolic of her ______capabilities
•TEMPTRESS—______beauty; brings about the ______downfall because he is ______attracted to her
•PLATONIC IDEAL—female figure who provides ______stimulation for the ______; he is ______physically attracted to her
DAMSEL-IN-DISTRESS—a female character who needs the ______to rescue her from either ______or ______danger
•STAR-CROSSED LOVERS—two ______forbidden to be together because of the rules of ______or ______; often ends ______
•CREATURE OF NIGHTMARE—______or ______disfigured or mutated; monsters who are the ______in the story