We had a great time enjoying the WHS drama production of Seussical the Musical. I am so incredibly proud of all my former students who sang and danced their hearts out tonight.
Thanks for treating my little theatre buffs to such an amazing performance!
So.... several students have expressed an interest in reading the Game of Thrones series (recently made popular as an HBO series). Having read the books myself, I am well aware that this is not a series that is generally appropriate for my 8th grade students. However, the fantasy genre offers many YA titles/series that offer a similar level of intrigue and action.
Click on the links below for more info about these exciting titles.
So..... What's the difference between and Allusion and an Archetype??
An Archetype is a type of character, action, or
situation that occurs over and
over in literature, a pattern
that occurs in literature and
life. These are not specific to a single text or character.
An Allusion is a reference to a literary,
mythological, or historical
person, place, or thing. These are specific to a certain text, character, event, person.
Watch Katy Perry's music video for her song wide awake and identify as many examples of archetypes and allusions as you can.
As you read your independent books, keep an eye out for classic archetypes and literary allusions. They're everywhere!!!!!
Traditional Situational Archetypes: The Quest
What the Hero must accomplish in order to bring fertility
back to the wasteland, usually a search for some talisman,
which will restore peace, order, and normalcy to a troubled
land. The Task
The nearly superhuman feat(s) the Hero must perform in
order to accomplish his quest. The Journey
The journey sends the Hero in search of some truth that
will help save his kingdom. The Initiation
The adolescent comes into his maturity with new
awareness and problems. The Ritual
The actual ceremonies the Initiate experiences that will
mark his rite of passage into another state. A clear sign of
the character's role in his society The Fall
The descent from a higher to a lower state of being usually
as a punishment for transgression. It also involves the loss
of innocence. Death and Rebirth
The most common of all situational archetypes, this motif
grows out of a parallel between the cycle of nature and the
cycle of life. Thus morning and springtime represent birth,
youth, or rebirth, while evening and winter suggest old age
or death. Battle between Good
and Evil
Obviously, a battle between two primal forces. Mankind
shows eternal optimism in the continual portrayal of good
triumphing over evil despite great odds. The Unhealable Wound
Either a physical or psychological wound that cannot be
fully healed. The wound symbolizes a loss of innocence.
Archetypal characters in literature fulfill a specific role to aid in the progression of the story and help the audience understand what is going by tapping into their prior experience with characters who exhibit similar attributes and fill similar functions within a story.
Some examples of character archetypes in modern film...
Common character archetypes:
The Hero
The Hero is a protagonist whose life is a series of wellmarked
adventures. The circumstances of his birth are
unusual, and he is raised by a guardian. He will have to
leave his kingdom, only to return to it upon reaching
manhood. Characterized by courage, strength, and
honor, the hero will endure hardship, even risk his life
for the good of all. Leaves the familiar to enter an
unfamiliar and challenging world. Young Man from the
Provinces
The Hero returns to his home and heritage where he is
a stranger who can see new problems and new
solutions The Initiates
The Initiates are young heroes or heroines who must go
through some training and ceremony before
undertaking their quest. Mentor
The Mentor is an older, wiser teacher to the initiates.
He often serves as a father or mother figure. He gives
the hero gifts (weapons, food, magic, information),
serves as a role model or as hero’s conscience.
Mentor - Pupil
Relationship
In this relationship, the Mentor teaches the Hero/pupil
the necessary skills for surviving the quest. The Threshold
Guardian
Tests the hero’s courage and worthiness to begin the
journey Father - Son Conflict
In this relationship, the tension is built due to
separation from childhood or some other source when
the two meet as men. Hunting Group of
Companions
These are loyal companions willing to face hardship
and ordeal in order to stay together. Loyal Retainers The Retainer's duty is to reflect the nobility and power
of the hero. Friendly Beast An animal companion showing that nature is on the
side of the hero The Shadow
A worthy opponent with whom the hero must struggle
in a fight to the end. Must be destroyed or neutralized.
Psychologically can represent the darker side of the
hero’s own psyche. The Devil Figure
This character is evil incarnate.
The Evil Figure with
Ultimately Good Heart
A devil figure with the potential to be good. This
person is usually saved by the love of the hero.
he Creature of
Nightmare
A monster usually summoned from the deepest, darkest
part of the human psyche to threaten the lives of the
hero/heroine. Often it is a perversion or desecration of
the human body. The Scapegoat
An animal, or more usually a human, whose death in a
public ceremony expiates some taint or sin of a
community. They are often more powerful in death
than in life. The Outcast
A character banished from a social group for some real
or imagined crime against his fellow man, usually
destined to wander form place to place. The Platonic Ideal
A woman who is a source of inspiration to the hero,
who has an intellectual rather than physical attraction
to her Damsel in Distress
A vulnerable woman who needs to be rescued by the
hero. She is often used as a trap to ensnare the
unsuspecting hero. The Earth Mother
Symbolic of fruition, abundance, and fertility, this
character traditionally offers spiritual and emotional
nourishment to those with whom she comes in contact.
Often depicted in earth colors. The Temptress or Black
Goddess
Characterized by sensuous beauty, this woman is one to
whom the protagonist is physically attracted and who
ultimately brings about his downfall. May appear as a
witch or vampire White Goddess
Good, beautiful maiden, usually blond, may make an
ideal marriage partner; often has religious or
intellectual overtones. Star-Crossed Lovers
Two characters engaged in a love affair fated to end
tragically for one or both due to the disapproval of
society, friends, family, or some tragic situation.
Archetypes are fundamental “building blocks” of
storytelling. Carl Jung, a German psychologist, came up with the term ARCHETYPE. He
thought that most people fell into certain categories. Later, English teachers
noticed that the way Mr. Jung described people were also the same as certain
characters that showed up in stories. The term changed and students all over
the planet study Literary Archetypes.
Certain characters,
plots (situations), objects (symbols) and settings show up over and over in stories from all over the world and
in all time periods. These archetypes have special symbolic meanings.
Archetypes represent universal symbols of bigger ideas, just like a baby
represents youth and innocence. A road may represent not just a trip, but the
journey through life.Symbolic archetypes occur throughout literature to help the audience identify with and understand important parts of a text.
Common 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 beings intervene on the side of the hero or
sometimes against him.
Fire and Ice
Fire represents knowledge, light, life, and rebirth, while
ice, like the desert, represents ignorance, darkness,
sterility, and death.
Nature vs. Mechanistic
World Nature is good while technology is evil.
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 a fear of death.
Haven vs. Wilderness
Places of safety contrast sharply against a dangerous
wilderness. Heroes are often sheltered for a time to regain
health and resources
Water vs. Desert
Because Water is necessary to life and growth, it
commonly appears as a birth symbol, as baptism
symbolizes a spiritual birth. Rain, rivers, oceans, etc. also
function the same way. The Desert suggests the opposite.
Heaven vs. Hell
Man has traditionally associated parts of the universe not
accessible to him with the dwelling places of the
primordial forces that govern his world. The skies and
mountaintops house his gods, the bowels of the earth
contain diabolic forces.
The Crossroads
A place or time of decision when a realization is made and
change or penance results
The Maze
A puzzling dilemma or great uncertainty, search for the
dangerous monster inside of oneself, or a journey into the
heart of darkness
The Castle A strong place of safety which holds treasure or princess,
may be enchanted or bewitched
The Tower
A strong place of evil, represents the isolation of self
The Magic Weapon
The weapon the hero needs in order to complete his quest.
The Whirlpool
Symbolizes the destructive power of nature or fate.
