1. Archetypal Literary Theory

2. Key Points:
Assumes the existence of a collection of symbols, images, characters, and motifs that evokes the same response in all people.
Carl Jung (famous psychologist) called this recognition of the archetypes a response to our “collective unconscious”.

3. Key Points:
Some Archetypes:

4. Key Points: Some Archetypes: Human Archetypes
Women – the Good Mother, the Terrible Mother, the Temptress, the Old Hag
Men – the Wanderer, the Trickster, the Sage, the Hero Rebel

5. Key Points: Some Archetypes: Nature Archetypes
Water – Creation, Birth/Death/Resurrection, Purification, Redemption, Fertility
Garden – Paradise, Innocence, Fertility
Desert – Spiritual Emptiness, Death, Hopelessness

6. Key Points: Some Archetypes: Color Archetypes Animal Archetypes
Red – Blood, Sacrifice, Passion, Disorder
Green – Growth, Fertility
Black – Chaos, Evil, Death
Animal Archetypes
Serpent – Evil, Sensuality, Mystery, Wisdom, Destruction

7. Key Points: Some Archetypes: Jungian Archetypes
Characters - The Hero, The Scapegoat, The Outcast, The Devil Figure, The Woman Figure (Earth-mother, Temptress, The Platonic Ideal, The Unfaithful Wife), The Star-crossed Lovers
Situations - The Quest, The Task, The Initiation, The Journey, The Fall, Death And Rebirth
Symbols – Light-darkness, Water-desert, Heaven-hell

8. Questions/Strategies to Apply:
What characters, symbols, and images do you see in the text that you have noticed in other texts? (Identify the archetypes represented.)
What is the universal function, meaning, or response of all people to such archetypes?

9. Arguments in favor:
Provides a universal approach to literature, and provides a reason why certain literature survives the test of time.
Works well with highly allegorical works

10. Arguments Against:
May ignore the art of literature in favor of stripping the text down to these archetypes.