This document discusses the literary theory of archetypal criticism. It defines archetypes as recurrent narrative patterns, character types, themes, and images found across literature, myths, dreams, and rituals. Carl Jung believed archetypes were "primordial images" stored in the collective unconscious and expressed through myths, religion, dreams, and literature. Northope Frye's work helped establish archetypal criticism as a method of analyzing texts based on the occurrence of universal mythical patterns. There are common archetypes like "The Journey," "The Quest," and "The Hero" that are found in stories across cultures. Archetypal criticism looks at how literary works tap into and refresh these archetypal symbols and themes.

1. Northope Fry: Archetypal Criticism
Paper:Literary Theory & Criticism: The
20th Western & Indian Poetics – 2
Prepared By: Lajja Bhatt
Roll no:18
Semester:2
Guided by: Dr. Dilip Barad
Maharaja Krishnakumarsihji Bhavnagar
University

2. What is Archetype?
• Recurrent narrative designs,
• Patterns of action,
• Character types,
• Themes,
• Images
Which are identifiable in a wide variety of….

3. Literature
Myths
Dreams
Social Rituals

4. What is Archetype?
• According to Carl .G . Jung(1875-1961) it is
‘Primordial Images’ and ‘Psychic Residue’.
• Maintained & survive in the ‘Collective
Unconscious’.
• Expressed in myths, religious, dreams & private
fantasies
• And work of Literature..

5. Archetypal Criticism
• The archetypal criticism emphasize the
occurrence of mythical patterns in literature,
on the assumption that myths are closest to
the elemental archetype than the artful
manipulation of sophisticated writers.
• Theme of Death - famous as the archetype of
Anarchy
-Reflected in the Cycle of
seasons & Human Life
- Occurred in primitive rituals of
the being who is annually

6. Archetypal Criticism
• Another themes are –The Journey Underground
- The Heavenly Ascent
- The Search
- The Paradise/Hades
Dichotomy
- The Scapegoat
- The Earth Gods
- The Fatal Woman

7. Northope Frye
• Northope Frye’s works helps displace ‘New
Criticism’ as the major mode of analyzing literary
texts before giving way to structuralism &
semiotics.
• Totality of literary works constitute a “Self-
Contained Literary Universe”.
• It play variations upon a number of more limited
archetypes. The type that literature shares are all
“discursive verbal structures’.

8. Archetypal Criticism
• Literature plays essential role to refreshing the
Universal material into Verbal univrse which is
intelligible & Viable
• Literary work constitutes a ‘ Self Constrained
literary Universe’.
• It has ben created over the ages by human
imagination.
• It catches the crystal clear images of alien and
indifferent world of nature.

9. Archetypal Criticism
• There are four mythoi or plot forms in the cycle of
natural world.
•
• Satire
• Comedy
Romance

10. Archetypal Criticism
• The context of the genre determines five different
spheres to his schema.

11. Archetypal Criticism
Comic Tragic
Human Wish fulfillment Isolation
Animals Domestic Hunters
Vegetation Gardena, Parks Wild Forest, Bein
barren
Minerals Cities, Precious
stones
Desert
Water River Sea, Water
Floods

12. Archetypes in Literature
• Two Major categories: Characters & Situations
• In Humans – Hero
- Outcast
- The Scapegoat
– Star-crossed Lovers
- The Shrew
• - Female Fatal
-The Journey

13. Archetypes in Literature
• In Situations/Symbols – The Task
- The Quest
- The Loss of innocence
– Water -The Numbers
- River -The wise old man
• - Sun - Garden
-Colours - Tree
• -Desert - Creation
• - Great Fish - Freud’s symbolism

14. Archetypes in Literature
• Conclusion
The Archetypal Images are the images lies in human
mind deeply as it preserves from many years.
It is cultivating since long back from the
surroundings, intuitions, Nature, Lost skills and
Myths.
It symbolizes the behavioural Pattern of human race
and the earthly things which is Universal.

16. • Contact:
• Email: laaju2u@gmail.com
• Facebook: Lajja Bhatt