Name : Anjali M. Rathod
Enrollment no. : 4069206420220024
Roll no. : 02
Batch : M.A. Sem. 2 (2022-24)
Subject Code : 22402
Paper no. : 109: Literary Theory & Criticism and Indian Aesthetics
Email Address: rathodanjali20022002ui@gmail.com
Submitted to : Smt. S.B. Gardi, Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar - 364002
Archetypal Criticism and Its Example by Northrop Frye
Introduction of Northrop Frye :
Born : July 14, 1912 , Sherbrooke , Canada
Died : January 23, 1991 , Toronto , Canada
Notable Works : “Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays” , “Fearful Symmetry: A Study of William Blake”
Subjects Of Study : Literary criticism , John Milton
Northrop Frye, in full Herman Northrop Frye was born on July 14, 1912, Sherbrooke, Canada and died on January 23, 1991, Toronto, Canada. He was a Canadian educator and literary critic who wrote much on Canadian literature and culture and became best known as one of the most important literary theorists of the 20th century.
Northrop Frye was educated at the University of Toronto, where he studied philosophy and then theology, and he was ordained a minister in the United Church of Canada in 1936. He then received a scholarship to do postgraduate work at Merton College, Oxford. He returned to Canada in 1939 and taught at Victoria College, University of Toronto. Frye became chairman of the English department there in 1952 and served as principal and chancellor of the college. He gave lectures and taught throughout the United States and Great Britain and around the world.
In 1947 he published Fearful Symmetry: A Study of William Blake, which was a sweeping and erudite study of Blake’s visionary symbolism and established the groundwork for his engagement with literary theory. In Anatomy of Criticism (1957) he challenged the hegemony of the New Criticism by emphasizing the modes and genres of literary texts. Rather than analyze the language of individual works of literature, as the New Critics did, Frye stressed the larger or deeper imaginative patterns from which all literary works are constructed and the recurring importance of literature’s underlying archetypes.
In later works Frye supplemented the examination of archetype and genre with practical criticism; he studied T.S. Eliot (1963), John Milton’s epics (1965), Shakespearean comedy (1965) and tragedy (1967), and English Romanticism (1968). The Stubborn Structure: Essays on Criticism and Society appeared in 1970, and The Great Code: The Bible and Literature, a study of the mythology and structure of the Bible, was published in 1982. Frye’s other critical works—The Well-Tempered Critic (1963), The Secular Scripture: A Study of the Structure of Romance (1976), Northrop Frye on Shakespeare (1986), and Words with Power: Being a Second Study of “The Bible and Literature” (1990)—similarly emphasize symbols and group myths in literature and the systematic classification of literary symbols, genres, and criticism.
What is Archetypal Criticism :
Archetypal criticism is a type of literary analysis that focuses on identifying and interpreting recurring symbols, patterns, and themes, known as archetypes, that appear in literature across different cultures and time periods. These archetypes are considered to be universal and deeply rooted in the human psyche, reflecting common experiences and emotions that are shared by people throughout history.
Archetypal criticism draws on theories and concepts from social anthropology and psychoanalysis to analyze how these archetypes function in a literary work and what they reveal about the human condition. The goal of archetypal criticism is to uncover the underlying meanings and messages of a literary work by examining the symbolic and mythological elements within it.
It has its roots in social anthropology and psychoanalysis, and it became popular in the mid-twentieth century through the work of Northrop Frye. While it is not as widely used today, it still has a place in the study of literature, particularly in the analysis of biblical texts. Essentially, it seeks to identify universal patterns and meanings in literature by exploring the shared experiences and symbols that have endured across cultures and time periods.
Northrop Frye was a prominent Canadian literary criticand he was also a significant advocate of archetypal criticism. In his influential work "Anatomy of Criticism," Frye developed a theory of literary archetypes that drew from the ideas of Carl Jung, as well as the structuralist and mythological approaches to literary analysis. According to Frye, there are four main archetypes in literature: the mythos of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These archetypes correspond to different stages in the human life cycle and reflect distinct cultural and psychological experiences.
Archetypal critics will have to continue to spend much effort convincing readers that there are things undreamed of in their philosophy, the readers' philosophy. Like Wordsworth, critics sometimes have to create the taste which they wish to cater to. People may not know what they are lacking unless the absence is pointed out to them. The archetypal critics' responsibility is largely to create the mental set that will allow the critical commentaries to be considered for their individual merit about individual works instead of, as is so often true, for the seeming limitations of the whole approach.
The task is a formidable one, since most people are unwilling to believe that reason is not the proper-and only-way of understanding reality. We need a loosening up of our conceptions of truth, time, and space, until we can appreciate the validity of different ways of perceiving. People may be afraid to do so because they might lose the certainties that they have built during a lifetime. Yet even a small change is a gain. We might become more catholic in becoming more oriental. We might discover that "primitive" tribes are not invariably muddle-headed because they think that time is not a continuum from then to now, as we do, but rather a wheel or an oval or an ellipse or some other shape. We might learn, in a vibrant, not an academic, way that subjective, psy- chological truths are every bit as real as other facts, perhaps more real, because they direct and form thinking and behavior.
Examples of Archetypal criticism :
Archetypes are recurring patterns and symbols in literature that reflect universal human experiences and shape our collective consciousness. The Hero archetype is one of the most well-known and common archetypes in literature, and the Hero's Journey structure involves the protagonist starting out in ordinary circumstances, being called to adventure, and ultimately transforming through a confrontation with their deepest fear. Luke Skywalker from Star Wars is a classic example of a Hero archetype.
The Trickster archetype is another common archetype in literature and mythology. Tricksters are often androgynous characters who break the rules of society and nature, and love to play tricks on others. They represent the chaotic and complex realities of the world that are beyond human understanding. Tricksters can be evil or good, such as Loki or Bugs Bunny.
The Anti-Hero archetype is a character who possesses some attributes of a traditional Hero, but is not a typical "good guy." Batman is an example of an anti-hero who fights crime and super-villains, but is also a moody recluse with a dark side.
The Byronic hero is an archetype of the hero character, created by Lord Byron. This archetype differs from the traditional hero in that the Byronic hero is flawed and may exhibit qualities like cynicism, depression, and impulsiveness. They are often depicted as highly intelligent and cunning, and may also have a strong sense of their own beliefs. However, they may also appear emotionally tortured and conflicted.
The symbolic archetype of light represents positive concepts such as hope, renewal, and dreams. Light has its origins in The Bible where it is called 'good' by God, and later associated with Heaven. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , the green light is used as a symbol of hope, reflecting Gatsby's aspirations of being with Daisy. Light is often linked with the situational archetype of rebirth, representing a fresh start or new beginnings. Overall, light is a positive symbol in literature, associated with good things to come.
The dark is a symbolic archetype that represents the opposite of light in literature. It is commonly used to symbolize death and the unknown. This archetype is often found in horror stories and tragedies. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, darkness is used as a symbol to represent death and the unknown. Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness also uses this symbolic archetype to represent fear and death.
The "Overcoming the monster" archetype is a story type that features a hero or everyman who must defeat a great evil that is causing destruction. This archetype is present in stories such as Beowulf, where the protagonist has to defeat three monsters. Sometimes, the protagonist may have to save a person or a kingdom, while other times the monster may be symbolic of a greater fear. A modern example of this archetype can be seen in Peter Benchley's novel Jaws.
The sage is an archetype commonly found in literature, typically depicted as an older character who serves as a mentor, teacher, or scholar to the protagonist. This archetype is characterized by a quest for truth and a philosophical mindset. The sage can have a positive or negative influence on the hero, as they can either guide or manipulate them. Examples of the sage archetype can be found in characters such as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter, and Julian Morrow in The Secret History.
Then possibly some of us may not insist on forcing our categories of reality upon others. Quite decidedly even today much of the missionary zeal of the nineteenth century lingers on in our attitudes toward people unlike ourselves; hence it is the job of the archetypal critic to convince readers that in epistemology, as in sex, there is nothing "sacred" or "natural" in the missionary position.
Walter K. Gordon: "The basic contention of archetypal criticism is that literary ex- pression is an unconscious product of the collective experience of the entire species. As such, literature is therefore integrally related with man's cultural past."
Archetypal criticism can aid in pointing out many of these non-literary aspects. Critics should exclude anything that might add to an understanding of literature. He usually does not have to surrender entirely to Some archetypes, but why insist on strapping initially at- one arm down and poking out one eye? e; some The battle of the books is difficult enough to understand fully armed.
Conclusion :
Overall , The advantages of archetypal criticism do not in- depend to a considerable extent upon an acceptance of areas of the mind that most American readers probably do not accept in that is, regions of consciousness different archetypal from the logical. If people do not grant attention the ability of myth itself to invigorate the enclosing human mind, they most likely will reject W. K. criticism which attempts to reveal myth. -stay as What is needed is a re-thinking of basic y within assumptions about what maturity means, ee with about what intelligence means.
works cited :
Britannica, The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia. "Northrop Frye". Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/facts/Northrop-Frye. Accessed 30 March 2023.
Brown, Daniel Russell. “A Look at Archetypal Criticism.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, vol. 28, no. 4, 1970, pp. 465–72. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/428486. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.
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