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Once Upon an Archetype
Readers, throughout time and across cultures, are able to identify with the archetypes used in stories. Carl Gung, a student of Sigmund Froid, coined the word archetype, a term used to describe universal or group symbols that evoke deep emotions in a reader. Archetypes may convey more than one meaning, either signifying a positive or negative interpretation to its readers. Archetypes may be found in many different works of literature and are generally prominent throughout the traditional works of fairy and folks tales. Primarily stories that were shaped by women of an earlier time, fairy and folk tales were once, and in many cases still are, the most common method of teaching young children the fundamental morals and principles in which one lives by. As people read or listen to stories, archetypes create an imperative effect on its readers that enables them to clearly construe the message of a particular work of literature.
There are many distinct archetypal storylines that may be expressed throughout the original works of fairy and folk tales. The Princess Who Stood On Her Own Two Feet is a fairytale that depicts the archetypal storyline of true love. “In short, she had every gift but love, for in all the kingdom there was no suitable match for her” (Jeanne Desy 49). A young princess is so intent on finding a prince to love that she does not realize the true love she already has with her enchanted dog companion. The princess sacrifices much of her individualism to capture the heart of a prince who does not love her for who she really is as a person. The genuine moral of this fairytale is that if one must sacrifice individualism and other qualities that define them as a person to win the heart of another, then it is not, in actuality, true love. True love is habitually the essence of a typical fairytale storyline, so as readers strive to comprehend the message being exposed in the story, one may come to the conclusion that true love is occasionally blind and is not often recognized.
Characters, above all in fairy and folk tales, are frequently archetypal, with their actions usually resulting in a lesson pertaining to the realities of life. Rapunzel is a renowned fairytale concerning an attractive young woman with hair that is “as fine as spun gold” and “twenty yards” long. Rapunzel is forced to remain in a tall, isolated tower in a forest by an evil sorceress. One day, a prince fortunately discovers the tower where Rapunzel is being held captive, and is enthused by her angelic singing voice. “It was Rapunzel, who passed the time in her solitude by letting her sweet voice resound in the forest”(17). The prince began returning to the tower everyday just to listen to Rapunzel sing out in song, until one day he finds a way to successfully come in contact with her, which was by climbing her twenty yard long golden tresses. After talking with Rapunzel for quite some time, the prince asks for her hand in marriage, which Rapunzel willingly accepts. The two lovers commence in a secret engagement, for if the sorceress knew that Rapunzel was in contact with people of the outside world she would indisputably become angry. The actions of Rapunzel indicate that one must do everything within their power to keep the bond of love strong and intact if one wishes to do so. Many readers may interpret the story of Rapunzel based on the cultural information of its time. For instance, the way Rapunzel is being confined in a tower pertains to the concept that young girls of this particular time period were sheltered to ensure that their virginity was retained. Another archetypal character that is quite famous by reputation is the witch. In the folk tale Vasalisa, a witch by the name of Baba Yaga flies across the sky in a cauldron. The old witch has greasy hair, a long chin and nose which meet in the middle of her face, a small white goatee and warts on her skin from her work with toads, and fingernails that are stained brown, very ridged, and so curled over that she is not capable of making a fist. Baba Yaga is asked to kill a little girl named Vasalisa by tricking her into thinking she is going to receive fire from her by doing three tedious tasks each day for two days straight. When Vasalisa proves to be triumphant in accomplishing all the tasks laid out before her, Baby Yaga is so impressed that she gives Vasalisa the fire she needs. “Here! There’s your fire. Don’t say another word. Just be on your way” (32). Baba Yaga proves to be a witch who actually takes pity on someone who requests something from her, so readers of this story may be quite astounded since the description of the witch matches her respective archetype, but the notion that witches are heartless creatures evidently fails to be true.
Archetypal images are another aspect of fairy and folk tales that must be taken into account for a reader to understand the true meaning of a story. Archetypal images have the ability to positively or negatively set the tone, foreshadow an event, or affect a character. In the folk tale The Robber Bridegroom, one of the archetypal images is three colors of wine, which are white, red, and yellow. In stories, colors are often archetypal and may even create an important effect on a certain character. In this case, the color yellow may mean some form of wickedness, while the color red may correspond to death and white may signify afterlife to the story’s readers. All three said colors are appropriate, since a kidnapped maiden unfortunately dies shortly after being forced to consume all three wines. “They gave her wine to drink, three full glasses, one white, one red, and one yellow, and soon her heart burst in two” (Grimm 10). In this particular situation, these three archetypal images have the capability of affecting a character negatively, which in this case was by the death of a young maiden. In the folk tale Bluebeard, one of the archetypal images is a castle in the woods. In stories, forest settings often foreshadow an event that will result in something dreadful. “So a candle was lit and held in to the room and all three women screamed at once, for in the room was a mire of blood, and the blackened bones of corpses were flung about and skulls were stacked in corners like pyramids of apples” (12). As is expected, a woman’s husband has a secret room in which there are dead corpses of all his previous wives. Given that a negative effect resulted from the archetypal setting of a castle residing in a forest, the notion that archetypal images have the ability to foreshadow events proves to be true. In all, readers are capable of determining whether a positive or negative outcome would result in consequence of an archetypal setting because of its natural foreshadowing effect.
Archetypal events help to enhance the plot of a work of literature through journeys and actions that result in transformations of characters and other people of significance. In the folk tale The Water of Life, the youngest son of an ailing king must search for and find the only remedy that will cure his ill father, which is the water of life. While on his journey, the youngest son comes across a dwarf who was treated cruelly by his two eldest brothers when they were on their quest seeking out the water of life. Seeing as the youngest son spoke kindly to the dwarf, the small creature tells him where the water of life may be found. “As you have spoken pleasantly to me, and not been haughty like your false brothers, I will help you and tell you how to find the water of life” (6). Because of the youngest son’s kind actions, he was successfully able to locate the water of life and cure his sick father. The youngest son is then compensated for his righteousness by being given his father’s kingdom to rule. This story exhibits an essential moral that is relevant to the everyday life of humankind. If one is altruistic and considerate towards others, one’s reward will be more fulfilling than if one was selfish and unkind towards others. Another archetypal event that is present in The Water of Life is that of when the youngest son decides to sleep inside the enchanted castle as he is very tired, but often sleep may imply danger or even death. “Then he went on and came to a room where there was a beautiful bed freshly made, and as he was very tired he thought he would take a little rest” (p.6). Because the youngest son fell into a deep slumber, he was very short on time when he finally awoke. In his haste to obtain the water of life, the iron gate of the castle closed so quickly that it took off a fragment of his heel. If the youngest son did not fall asleep, then he could have taken his time obtaining the water of life and his heel would still be intact.
Archetypes and the effects that they have on readers help people to comprehend and appreciate the many brilliant works of literature that have been shaped throughout the course of history. Being able to recognize archetypes enhances a person’s ability to interpret stories in a number of different ways. By identifying archetypes, a person may develop their own opinions based on their respective beliefs and how they process information as a whole. As people apply their own knowledge of archetypes to literature and everyday life, they have the capability to expand their horizons and learn more through the methods of analysis. Archetypes are recurrently present, with the same effect, in other literary and artistic works and in life. For instance, the Bible is a remarkable source for archetypes, being that it contains the image of an apple, a famous archetypal image that is acknowledged by the Christian faith. In conclusion, archetypal storylines, characters, images, and events may all be identified not only in literature and artistic creations, but by everyday people who have done so throughout history and across all kinds of cultures worldwide.
Comment if you'd like...
-L1z
[edit] My Grandpa(dads side)is coming over for dinner next Sunday:) I don't think he's been to our house for years. Actually, I think the last time he may have come over was when my sister made her First Communion! Unfortunately, he most likely will not be able to stay too long since he's on an oxygen tank for his breathing and it runs out really fast:( Still, I'm glad he's coming because I havn't seen him in a while. Mike will be able to meet him also if he wants to.
Readers, throughout time and across cultures, are able to identify with the archetypes used in stories. Carl Gung, a student of Sigmund Froid, coined the word archetype, a term used to describe universal or group symbols that evoke deep emotions in a reader. Archetypes may convey more than one meaning, either signifying a positive or negative interpretation to its readers. Archetypes may be found in many different works of literature and are generally prominent throughout the traditional works of fairy and folks tales. Primarily stories that were shaped by women of an earlier time, fairy and folk tales were once, and in many cases still are, the most common method of teaching young children the fundamental morals and principles in which one lives by. As people read or listen to stories, archetypes create an imperative effect on its readers that enables them to clearly construe the message of a particular work of literature.
There are many distinct archetypal storylines that may be expressed throughout the original works of fairy and folk tales. The Princess Who Stood On Her Own Two Feet is a fairytale that depicts the archetypal storyline of true love. “In short, she had every gift but love, for in all the kingdom there was no suitable match for her” (Jeanne Desy 49). A young princess is so intent on finding a prince to love that she does not realize the true love she already has with her enchanted dog companion. The princess sacrifices much of her individualism to capture the heart of a prince who does not love her for who she really is as a person. The genuine moral of this fairytale is that if one must sacrifice individualism and other qualities that define them as a person to win the heart of another, then it is not, in actuality, true love. True love is habitually the essence of a typical fairytale storyline, so as readers strive to comprehend the message being exposed in the story, one may come to the conclusion that true love is occasionally blind and is not often recognized.
Characters, above all in fairy and folk tales, are frequently archetypal, with their actions usually resulting in a lesson pertaining to the realities of life. Rapunzel is a renowned fairytale concerning an attractive young woman with hair that is “as fine as spun gold” and “twenty yards” long. Rapunzel is forced to remain in a tall, isolated tower in a forest by an evil sorceress. One day, a prince fortunately discovers the tower where Rapunzel is being held captive, and is enthused by her angelic singing voice. “It was Rapunzel, who passed the time in her solitude by letting her sweet voice resound in the forest”(17). The prince began returning to the tower everyday just to listen to Rapunzel sing out in song, until one day he finds a way to successfully come in contact with her, which was by climbing her twenty yard long golden tresses. After talking with Rapunzel for quite some time, the prince asks for her hand in marriage, which Rapunzel willingly accepts. The two lovers commence in a secret engagement, for if the sorceress knew that Rapunzel was in contact with people of the outside world she would indisputably become angry. The actions of Rapunzel indicate that one must do everything within their power to keep the bond of love strong and intact if one wishes to do so. Many readers may interpret the story of Rapunzel based on the cultural information of its time. For instance, the way Rapunzel is being confined in a tower pertains to the concept that young girls of this particular time period were sheltered to ensure that their virginity was retained. Another archetypal character that is quite famous by reputation is the witch. In the folk tale Vasalisa, a witch by the name of Baba Yaga flies across the sky in a cauldron. The old witch has greasy hair, a long chin and nose which meet in the middle of her face, a small white goatee and warts on her skin from her work with toads, and fingernails that are stained brown, very ridged, and so curled over that she is not capable of making a fist. Baba Yaga is asked to kill a little girl named Vasalisa by tricking her into thinking she is going to receive fire from her by doing three tedious tasks each day for two days straight. When Vasalisa proves to be triumphant in accomplishing all the tasks laid out before her, Baby Yaga is so impressed that she gives Vasalisa the fire she needs. “Here! There’s your fire. Don’t say another word. Just be on your way” (32). Baba Yaga proves to be a witch who actually takes pity on someone who requests something from her, so readers of this story may be quite astounded since the description of the witch matches her respective archetype, but the notion that witches are heartless creatures evidently fails to be true.
Archetypal images are another aspect of fairy and folk tales that must be taken into account for a reader to understand the true meaning of a story. Archetypal images have the ability to positively or negatively set the tone, foreshadow an event, or affect a character. In the folk tale The Robber Bridegroom, one of the archetypal images is three colors of wine, which are white, red, and yellow. In stories, colors are often archetypal and may even create an important effect on a certain character. In this case, the color yellow may mean some form of wickedness, while the color red may correspond to death and white may signify afterlife to the story’s readers. All three said colors are appropriate, since a kidnapped maiden unfortunately dies shortly after being forced to consume all three wines. “They gave her wine to drink, three full glasses, one white, one red, and one yellow, and soon her heart burst in two” (Grimm 10). In this particular situation, these three archetypal images have the capability of affecting a character negatively, which in this case was by the death of a young maiden. In the folk tale Bluebeard, one of the archetypal images is a castle in the woods. In stories, forest settings often foreshadow an event that will result in something dreadful. “So a candle was lit and held in to the room and all three women screamed at once, for in the room was a mire of blood, and the blackened bones of corpses were flung about and skulls were stacked in corners like pyramids of apples” (12). As is expected, a woman’s husband has a secret room in which there are dead corpses of all his previous wives. Given that a negative effect resulted from the archetypal setting of a castle residing in a forest, the notion that archetypal images have the ability to foreshadow events proves to be true. In all, readers are capable of determining whether a positive or negative outcome would result in consequence of an archetypal setting because of its natural foreshadowing effect.
Archetypal events help to enhance the plot of a work of literature through journeys and actions that result in transformations of characters and other people of significance. In the folk tale The Water of Life, the youngest son of an ailing king must search for and find the only remedy that will cure his ill father, which is the water of life. While on his journey, the youngest son comes across a dwarf who was treated cruelly by his two eldest brothers when they were on their quest seeking out the water of life. Seeing as the youngest son spoke kindly to the dwarf, the small creature tells him where the water of life may be found. “As you have spoken pleasantly to me, and not been haughty like your false brothers, I will help you and tell you how to find the water of life” (6). Because of the youngest son’s kind actions, he was successfully able to locate the water of life and cure his sick father. The youngest son is then compensated for his righteousness by being given his father’s kingdom to rule. This story exhibits an essential moral that is relevant to the everyday life of humankind. If one is altruistic and considerate towards others, one’s reward will be more fulfilling than if one was selfish and unkind towards others. Another archetypal event that is present in The Water of Life is that of when the youngest son decides to sleep inside the enchanted castle as he is very tired, but often sleep may imply danger or even death. “Then he went on and came to a room where there was a beautiful bed freshly made, and as he was very tired he thought he would take a little rest” (p.6). Because the youngest son fell into a deep slumber, he was very short on time when he finally awoke. In his haste to obtain the water of life, the iron gate of the castle closed so quickly that it took off a fragment of his heel. If the youngest son did not fall asleep, then he could have taken his time obtaining the water of life and his heel would still be intact.
Archetypes and the effects that they have on readers help people to comprehend and appreciate the many brilliant works of literature that have been shaped throughout the course of history. Being able to recognize archetypes enhances a person’s ability to interpret stories in a number of different ways. By identifying archetypes, a person may develop their own opinions based on their respective beliefs and how they process information as a whole. As people apply their own knowledge of archetypes to literature and everyday life, they have the capability to expand their horizons and learn more through the methods of analysis. Archetypes are recurrently present, with the same effect, in other literary and artistic works and in life. For instance, the Bible is a remarkable source for archetypes, being that it contains the image of an apple, a famous archetypal image that is acknowledged by the Christian faith. In conclusion, archetypal storylines, characters, images, and events may all be identified not only in literature and artistic creations, but by everyday people who have done so throughout history and across all kinds of cultures worldwide.
Comment if you'd like...
-L1z
[edit] My Grandpa(dads side)is coming over for dinner next Sunday:) I don't think he's been to our house for years. Actually, I think the last time he may have come over was when my sister made her First Communion! Unfortunately, he most likely will not be able to stay too long since he's on an oxygen tank for his breathing and it runs out really fast:( Still, I'm glad he's coming because I havn't seen him in a while. Mike will be able to meet him also if he wants to.