SYMBOLS AND ARCHETYPES
SYMBOL — "a term, name, or even a
picture that may be familiar in daily life, yet that possesses specific
connotations in addition to its conventional and obvious meaning" (Jung).
·
More
than apparent meaning--an inherent multiplicity of meanings
·
A
larger "unconscious" aspect
·
Can
be analyzed, but cannot be fully explained
·
Example:
a penny=good luck (make a wish)
ARCHETYPE — an original model after which
other similar things are patterned; from the Greek
word
arkhetupos meaning “exemplary.”
·
(In literature): an image, story-pattern, or
character type that recurs frequently and evokes strong, often unconscious,
associations in the reader. For
example, the wicked witch, the enchanted prince, the sleeping beauty, and the
fairy godmother are widely dispersed throughout folk literature and appear in
slightly different forms in poetry, drama, and novels.
·
(Alternative
definition): a term that accepts Carl Jung’s idea of recurring patterns of
situation, character, or symbol they are the common themes that show up in
every culture of the world. Archetypes are recurrent, appearing in slightly
altered forms to take present day situations and relate them to the past to
find meaning in contemporary world.
THREE BASIC TYPES OF ARCHETYPES
Situation Archetypes
THE QUEST—This motif describes the search
for someone or some talisman (thing) which, when found and brought back,
will restore growth and prosperity to a wasted land ( Galahad for the Holy
Grail The Lion King, Excalibur, Idylls of the King.)
THE TASK—To save the kingdom, to win the fair
lady, to identify himself so that he may reassume his rightful position, the
hero must perform some nearly superhuman deed.
(Arthur pulls Excalibur from the stone, Frodo must arrive at Rivendale.)
THE INITIATION—This archetype usually takes
the form of an initiation into adult life.
The adolescent comes into his/her maturity with new awareness and
problems along with new hope for the community. This awakening is often the climax of the story. (Growing Up: Huckleberry Finn, King Arthur, the hobbits.)
THE JOURNEY—The journey sends the hero in search
for some truth or information necessary to restore fertility to the
kingdom. Usually the hero descends into
a real of psychological pit and is forced to discover the blackest truths,
quite often concerning his faults. Once
the hero is as this lowest point, he must accept personal responsibility. (The Odyssey, The Canterbury Tales,
The Aeneid, The Fellowship of the Rings.
THE FALL—This archetype describes a descent
from a higher to a lower state of being.
The experience involves a loss of innocence and bliss. The fall is often accompanied by expulsion
from a kind of paradise as penalty for disobedience and moral
transgression. (Adam and Eve, Lancelot
and Guinevere, Paradise Lost, etc.)
DEATH AND REBIRTH—The most common of all
situation archetypes, this motif grows out of the parallel between the cycle of
nature and the cycle of life. Thus,
morning and springtime represent birth, youth, or rebirth; evening and winter
suggest old age or death.
NATURE VS MECHANISTIC WORLD—Nature is good
while technology and society are often evil.
(e. g. Walden, The Terminator, )
BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL—Obviously, the
battle between two primal forces.
Mankind shows eternal optimism in the continual portrayal of good
triumphing over evil despite great odds.
(e.g. The forces of Sauron and those of Middle Earth in The Lord of
the Rings)
THE UNHEALABLE WOUND—This wound is either
physical or psychological and cannot be healed fully. This wound also indicates a loss of innocence. These wounds always ache and often drive the
sufferer to desperate measures. (Frodo’s
shoulder, Lancelot’s madness, Ahab’s wooden leg)
THE RITUAL—The actual ceremonies the initiate
experiences that will mark his rite of passage into another state. The importance of ritual rites cannot be
over stressed as they provide clear sign posts for the character’s role in
society as well (weddings, baptisms, coronations)
THE MAGIC WEAPON—The magic weapon symbolizes
the extraordinary quality of the hero because no one else can wield the weapon
or use it to its full potential. It is
usually given by a mentor figure (Excalibur, Odysseus’s bow, Thor’s hammer,
Samson’s hair)
Symbolic Archetypes
Light vs. Darkness |
Light usually suggests hope, renewal, or
intellectual illumination; darkness implies the unknown, ignorance, or
despair |
Water vs. Desert |
Because water is necessary to life and
growth, it commonly appears as a birth or rebirth symbol. Water is used in baptismal services, which
solemnizes spiritual births.
Similarly, the appearance of rain in a work of literature can suggest
a character’s spiritual birth. While
water symbolizes life, rebirth, and purification, death symbolizes the
opposite. |
Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity |
Some characters exhibit wisdom and
understanding of situations instinctively as opposed to those supposedly in
charge. (Sam from The Lord of the
Rings, Alfred the Butler to Batman) |
Haven vs. Wilderness |
Places of safety contrast sharply against
the dangerous wilderness. Heroes are
often sheltered for a time to regain health and resources. (e.g. the Batcave, Camelot, Rivendale, the
Crystal Cave) |
Character Archetypes
The HERO:
this archetype is so well defined that the life of the protagonist can
be clearly divided into a series of well-marked adventures. At birth some attempt is made to kill
him. He is however, spirited away and
reared by foster parents. We know
almost nothing of his childhood, but upon reaching manhood he returns to his
future kingdom. After a victory over
the king or a wild beast, he marries a princess, becomes king, reigns
uneventfully, but later loses favor with the gods. He is then driven from the city after which he meets a mysterious
death, often at the top of a hill.
Father-Son
Conflict: tension often results from separation during
childhood or from an external source when the individuals meet as men and where
the mentor often has a higher place in the affections of the hero than the
natural parent. (e.g. Arthur and Uther, Romeo and Lord Montague)
Mentors: these individuals serve as teachers or
counselors to the initiates. Sometimes
they work as role models and often serve as father or mother figure. (e.g. Merlin, Gandalf to Frodo, Obi Wan to
Luke) .
Mentor-Pupil
relationship:
mentor teaches by examples the skills necessary to survive the quest.
The Initiates: these are the young heroes who, prior to
their quest, must endure some training and ceremony. They are usually innocent
and often wear white (e.g. Arthur, Daniel in The Karate Kid, Princess
Leia, Luke Skywalker
Young Man from the
Provinces: this hero is spirited
away as a young man and raised by strangers.
He later returns to his home and heritage where he is a stranger who can
see new problems and new solutions (e.g. Tarzan, Arthur, Dorothy from The
Wizard of Oz, Mr. Spock)
Loyal Retainers: these individuals are somewhat like
servants who are heroic themselves.
Their duty is to protect the hero and reflect the nobility of the
hero. (Sam in The Lord of the Rings,
Watson to Sherlock Holmes)
Hunting Group of
Companions: loyal companions willing to face any number
of perils in order to be together.
(e.g. Robin Hood and his Merry Men, the Knights of the Round Table)
Friendly Beast: this
shows that nature is on the side of the hero.
(e.g. Toto, Lassie, Trigger)
The Evil Figure with
the Ultimately Good Heart: A redeemable devil figure saved by the
nobility or love of the hero.
(e.g. Green Knight, Scrooge, any
romance novel hero)
Devil Figure: Evil
incarnate, this character offers worldly goods, fame, or knowledge to the
protagonist in exchange for possession of the soul (e.g. Satan, Lucifer,
Hitler, Mephistopheles)
The Scapegoat: an
animal or more usually a human whose death in a public ceremony expiates some
taint or sin that has been visited upon a community. The death often makes him a more powerful force in the society
then when they lived. (e.g. Oedipus, the
Jews and the minority that can be blamed for the ills of the times)
The Outcast: a figure
who is banished from a social group for some crime (real or imagined) against
his fellow man. The outcast is usually
destined to become a wanderer from place to place. (e.g. some cowboys, Cain,
the Ancient Mariner)
Temptress: characterized by beauty, this woman is one to whom
the hero is physically attracted and who ultimately brings about his downfall
(e. g. Delilah, Guinevere)
SYMBOLISM
The
Natural Cycle
Day
to night, spring to winter, youth to old age.
These suggest all kinds of imagery:
light = goodness spring
= hope girl = innocence
darkness = evil winter =
despair crone = evil
knowledge, impending death
A
symbol may represent good or evil, depending on its context. A tree is usually a symbol of life—but not
if the author uses it as the venue for a lynching, or if it is turned into a
crucifix. Here are some images
and their most common symbolic meanings:
black |
protection,
death, evil, mystery, power |
white |
purity,
innocence, cleanliness, holiness |
red |
passion,
emotion, charisma, creativity, blood, life, courage |
pink |
innocence,
childhood, feminine things |
orange |
projects
needing a push, abundance, fall |
yellow |
cowardice,
health, sun |
green |
growth,
fertility, renewal spring, things that grow |
blue |
loyalty,
protection, peace, calmness, and spirituality, sadness |
purple |
royalty,
sacred things |
brown |
mother
earth, friendship, strength |
crescent
moons |
four
seasons |
eagle |
strength,
courage, clarity of vision |
heart |
true
love, lasting love, and love for others |
pineapple |
welcome
and hospitality |
raindrops |
water,
great abundance, growth, rebirth |
scallops |
ocean
waves, smooth sailing in life |
stars |
protection
against fires, good fortune, hope, love, harmony |
tulips |
faith,
hope, charity, and trust in mankind |
wheat |
abundance
and goodwill |
garden |
nature
ordered to serve human needs; a paradise |
wilderness |
nature
hostile to human needs |
river |
life,
often seen as ending in death as the river ends in the sea |
sea |
chaos,
death, source of life |
flower |
youth;
red flowers symbolize death of young men |
country
animals |
ordered
human society |
predatory,
wild animals |
evil;
threats to society |
fire |
light,
life |
sky |
heaven,
fate, or necessity |
bridge |
link
between two worlds; between life and death |
time
passing |
hour
glasses, sun dials, clocks, and scythes |
rain
and mist |
uncertainty |
dove |
peace
and forgiveness |
roses |
love |
ivy |
friendship,
faithfulness |
laurel |
victory |
oak |
strength
of the family |