Introduction to Archetypes II Feraco Myth to Science Fiction 29 September 2011

 Plots are about journeys – descents and ascents, quests and returns, adventures both physical and emotional  A story without movement – without development of either plot or character – is fairly pointless  A book is a static medium, but its content must be dynamic!  Your college essays must also be about journeys – demonstrating both personal growth and your potential for further development Archetypes and Statements

Archetypal Journeys  These may not always be personal- statement fodder, but I’d use one if I’d been on one!  The quest for identity  The epic journey to find the promised land  A common variant is the quest to found the “good city” – a land where our characters and values can prosper  The quest for vengeance  The warrior’s journey to save his people  The search for love / to rescue one’s love

 The journey in search of knowledge  The tragic quest (penance, self- denial, redemption)  The fool’s errand  The quest to defend the land, or to rid the land from danger  The search for home  The “grail quest” (i.e., the search for human perfection) More Archetypal Journeys

 Campbell identified five major stages of the typical Hero’s Journey  Regardless of the archetypal nature of said journey, legend after legend incorporates the following stages  Campbell also established certain characteristics of a hero’s journey; while it’s impossible to find every characteristic in every legend, most of these appear with startling frequency Campbell’s Five Stages

 The hero is called to adventure  This can be something he/she discovers independently, but it’s usually an imperative from someone else – sometimes from a divine source, other times for a national leader, and even from a familial dictate  Interestingly, this call to adventure is met with resistance nearly as frequently as it’s enthusiastically met  Many heroes are reluctant to leave what they know, even when the necessity of their departure is clear Stage One: Departure

 The hero, having left behind the familiar, must cross the threshold of adventure  This usually requires entrance into a new, somewhat dangerous realm  This entrance is also often accompanied by a more mature perspective  Also something of a planning stage; most reluctant heroes also abandon their trepidation once they’ve departed home Stage Two: Initiation

 Usually the longest stage of any heroic plot – the “adventure segment”  The hero often undergoes tests of strength, and these tests are not always immediately recognized or understood  Other tests include trials of endurance and resourcefulness – combinations of physical and psychological prowess  The tests themselves often require creative solutions – it’s rarely as simple as it should be!  The hero sometimes enjoys supernatural or divine aid along the way; in other instances, the hero is accompanied by mortal help (sidekicks, loyal backers, friends, family, warriors, etc.) Stage Three: The Road of Trials

 Also called the “descent” because our heroes almost always fall or stumble along the way  It’s highly unusual for a heroic journey to consist of an endless series of triumphs  Heroes suffer setbacks, particularly during the third stage, and these setbacks lead them to the Cave – an underworld or place of great trial, sometimes within the hero’s own mind  This trial results in the hero’s rebirth, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual  Most importantly, the hero undergoes an internal transformation  It is the lowest point of the journey, but its presence is necessary for true triumph Stage Four: The Innermost Cave

 At the end of the journey – assuming he isn’t killed and doesn’t sacrifice himself along the way – the hero must return home  This can be a dicey proposition; reintegration in particular often proves difficult  However, patience often proves a virtue during heroic journeys, and this stage is no exception  Ideally, the hero uses the lessons he’s learned/wisdom he’s gained through his adventure to benefit his home – to restore the land to former glory, for example Stage Five: Reintegration/Return

 The following situations are common to most heroic legends, and usually appear in something approaching the following order  The first two roughly correspond to the Departure, the third and fourth to the Initiation, the fifth to the Road of Trials, and the final four to the Innermost Cave  That said, the order can shift, particularly when the storyteller modifies the archetypal structure  A Road followed by a Fall, followed by another Road and Fall before ending with a victory and returning home Situations Within a Story

 The Quest  What the hero must accomplish in order to restore peace, order, and normalcy to a troubled land  Usually a search for something – a talisman, for example  Often paired with the Journey, where the hero goes in search of some truth or revelation that will save his land  The Task  The nearly superhuman feat(s) the hero must perform in order to fulfill his quest The Quest and the Task

 The Initiation  For a younger hero, a moment of maturation; for a reluctant hero, a moment of commitment  An increased awareness of the problems, challenges, and stakes involved in what lies ahead  The Ritual  The actual ceremonies (training, departure, etc.) the initiated hero experiences that mark his rite of passage into a new world  Hardens the hero’s role within his society The Initiation and the Ritual

 The Trials  The challenges a hero faces as he approaches his goal  The Fall  The descent from a higher state of being to a lower one  The corruption of values or drive – for younger heroes in particular, a loss of innocence, faith, or trust  The loss of comrades  Often a punishment for a transgression, not always on the hero’s part The Trials and the Fall

 Death and Rebirth  What came before (the hero prior to this point) no longer persists  What comes after (the hero post- transformation) proves key to victory  This motif mirrors the life cycle that dominates nature – young, strong and vigorous rising to power  Watch carefully to see when this takes place; winter indicates old age and death, whereas spring indicates renewal and youth Death and Rebirth

 Battle Between Good and Evil  While some contemporary stories enjoy blurring the line between the two, the pitting of these polar opposites is a very old trope – the clash of one primal force with another  Our insistence on uncompromised good triumphing over evil even against all odds – again, something that’s fading in a more cynical age – seems to paint a picture of humans as optimists  The Unhealable Wound  A loss – either physical or psychological – that cannot be resolved, at least not fully  This can either occur within the hero (physical, emotional, spiritual) or without (losing someone) The Battle and the Wound

Symbolic Archetypes  Light vs. Darkness  Light usually suggests hope, renewal, or intellectual illumination; darkness implies the unknown, ignorance, or despair  Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity  Some characters exhibit wisdom and understanding of situations instinctively as opposed to those supposedly in charge  Loyal retainers often exhibit this wisdom as they accompany the hero on the journey  Supernatural Intervention  Spiritual being intervene on the hero’s behalf – and sometimes against him

Symbolic Archetypes  Fire and Ice  Fire represents knowledge, light, life, and rebirth, while ice represents ignorance, darkness, sterility, and death (think desert)  Nature vs. Mechanistic World  Nature is good; technology is evil. Enough said.  The Threshold  Gateway to a new world which the hero must enter to change and grow  The Underworld  A place of death or metaphorically an encounter with the dark side of the self  Entering an underworld is a form of facing one’s fear of death

Symbolic Archetypes  Haven vs. Wilderness  Places of safety contrast sharply against a dangerous wilderness  Heroes are also often sheltered for a time to regain health and resources  Water vs. Desert  Because water is necessary for life and growth, it commonly appears as a birth symbol (i.e., baptism represents spiritual birth) and sign of purification.  This goes for water in its many forms – rain, oceans, rivers, etc.  The desert, by virtue of its barrenness, suggests the opposite; death, infertility, hopelessness, degeneration, and loss

Symbolic Archetypes  Heaven vs. Hell  Both represent places (above the stars and beneath the world) that ancient Man could not explore; traditionally, humans tend to associate the parts of the universe that seem off-limits to them with the dwelling places of the gods or natural forces they believe govern their world  The gods live in the skies and atop impossibly high mountains; demons lurk in the shadows of the world’s bowels  The Crossroads  A place or time of decision when a realization is made and change or penance results

Symbolic Archetypes  The Maze  A puzzling dilemma or great source of uncertainty/confusion, search for a dangerous monster (inside or outside), or a journey into the heart of darkness  The Castle  A stronghold of safety – a fortress – that may be enchanted…or bewitched. Often contains treasure, warriors, or princesses  The Tower  A stronghold of evil that often represents the isolation of the self  The Magic Weapon  The weapon the hero needs in order to complete his quest

Symbolic Archetypes  The Whirlpool  Symbolizes the destructive power of nature or fate  Fog  Symbolizes uncertainty  Numbers  3, for example, represents light, spiritual awareness, unity (ex. Holy Trinity), and masculinity embodied  4 is associated with the life cycle, four seasons, earth, nature/elements, and femininity embodied  7 is the most potent of all symbolic numbers; it signifies the union of 3 and 4, the completion of a cycle, and the attainment of perfect order (also a religious symbol)