Basically an archetype is a pattern. It’s a character, situation, or symbol
that appears in different forms in lots of different stories. For example,
in many young adult stories, the hero is an orphan of some kind – the
situation varies depending on the story. In some stories, the hero’s
parents have died. In others, the parents are not available emotionally.
And in other cases, the parents may be in some other location (i.e. on
vacation, kidnapped, etc.). The pattern though, is the orphan status of
the hero. Patterns like these appear everywhere in literature and stories,
and recognizing them, enables the reader to understand these stories on a
deeper level.
Orphan – can be an actual orphan, a temporary orphan (for the duration of the
book), or someone whose parents/family are not available. Authors often make
their main characters orphans so that the character will have a different point
of view than and be able to see things that other can’t.
Pilgrim – someone who must travel outside his/her familiar environment. The
perspective of the pilgrim will always be different from those who live in the
new environment. Characters who are pilgrims usually travel outside their
normal environment to change their perspective and learn something new that
they can then take back with them.
Warrior – someone who takes on the fight or challenge and who will never give
up until the goal has been achieved or the story has played out.
Knight/Champion – like the warrior, except the problem or challenge is not
his/her own. The champion takes on the fight in place of someone who cannot
fight for themselves.
Companion/Sidekick – the role of the companion/sidekick is to accompany,
protect, and/or advise the main character/hero. When there are two
companion sidekicks – one of each gender – they will often become romantically
involved. (Han and Lea, Hermione and Ron)
Villain/Antagonist – takes on many forms. Always seeks to block the
protagonist from accomplishing the journey or goal.
Minion – works for the villain and is sometimes disguised as a “good guy”.
Victim/Damsel in Distress – gives the warrior or champion a chance to shine.
Without the problems of this character, the warrior would have nothing to
fight for.
Sage/Teacher – serves as a mentor to the main character, especially to the
warrior, and must always step aside toward the end of the story so that the
hero can come into his/her full power. Often this means that the teacher dies.
Hapless Foil – unintentionally makes things difficult for the hero – usually in a
comical way. Often while trying to help, this character makes things worse.
The hero will eventually get to a point of total frustration, but will then be
provided with an important insight from this character.
Vixen/Temptress – usually female, but occasionally male. This character is
beautiful on the outside but not on the inside. The main character is often
attracted to her/him for the wrong reasons and must learn to see through the
outer beauty to the truth.
Good Mother – usually a background character, nurtures, provides support, is
always giving. This person does not have to be a literal mother, but plays
that role in the hero’s life (Cinderella’s fairy godmother).
Devouring Mother – has all the opposite qualities of the good mother. She
will devour her young either literally (through causing them physical harm) or
figuratively (by causing emotional damage).
Powerful Father – is often heroic, and often absent or disabled, forcing the
hero to take the father’s place. Often the hero will wish he/she had the
skill and strength of the powerful father figure. This figure does not have
to be a literal father, but plays that kind of role in the hero’s life.
Shadow Father – usually the opposite of the powerful father. This figure is
completely powerless usually in an emotional way rather than due to a
physical handicap. He is often absent from the hero’s immediate life and is
sometimes seen in stories where he is being overpowered by a devouring
mother figure. Often the hero feels resentful towards this character.
Love Interest– any romantic attachment formed between two characters.
Sometimes the hero develops a romantic interest in another character.
Sometimes a romantic relationship develops between two of the hero’s
sidekicks (think Harry and Hermione).
Unrequited Love– This is a love interest that is one-sided. In this situation,
the hero loves from afar. With the love interest being unaware of the hero’s
devotion. Sometimes the love interest gets involved with the hero. Other
times the hero’s love interest is actually not the right person for him/her.
In those cases, there is often someone who would suit the hero much better,
but the hero doesn’t see it because he/she is too blinded by the unrequited
love.
Can be either male or female
Hero as warrior: Someone who faces physical challenges and external enemies
(Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Rocky)
Hero as lover: A pure love motivates the hero to complete his quest – sometimes
the love is romantic, sometimes not (Romeo)
Hero as Scapegoat: Hero takes the blame for something he didn’t do, either
voluntarily in order to help someone else, or because he is being victimized.
Transcendent Hero: The hero of tragedy whose fatal flaw brings about his
downfall, but not without achieving some kind of transforming realization or wisdom
(Oedipus, Hamlet, Macbeth, Kino from The Pearl)
Romantic/Gothic Hero: Hero/lover with a decidedly dark side (Edward in Twilight)
Apocalyptic Hero: Hero who faces the possible destruction of society (Katniss in
The Hunger Games)
Anti-Hero: A non-hero, given the vocation of failure, frequently humorous (Homer
Simpson)
Can be either male or female
Defiant Anti-hero: Opposer of society’s definition of heroism/goodness.
(Annakin Skywalker) He/she is sometimes tempted away from what
he/she knows to be right.
Unbalanced Hero: The Protagonist who has (or must pretend to have)
mental or emotional deficiencies (Hamlet, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest)
The Other — the Denied Hero: The protagonist whose status or
essential differentness makes heroism possible
The Superhero: Exaggerates the normal proportions of humanity;
frequently has divine or supernatural origins. In some sense, the
superhero is one apart, someone who does not quite belong, but who is
nonetheless needed by society. (Superman)
In most stories, the plot follows the basic idea of the hero’s journey. Sometimes this
journey is literal (the hero has to go somewhere), and sometimes, it is more symbolic (the hero
has to overcome something inside himself or herself). Notice how it is similar to a plot
diagram, but not quite the same.
In the typical Hero’s Journey, The main character/Hero makes an actual journey or a
figurative journey (example, a battle with cancer, or helping a team win) and goes through 5
stages:
Rising Action
•Departure: The hero is called to adventure, although he is reluctant to accept.
Climax
•Initiation: The hero crosses a threshold into a new, more dangerous world, gaining a more
mature perspective or a different role. Special weapon is often introduced.
(The Departure and the Initiation can sometimes be reversed – example: The Wizard of
Oz)
•The Road of Trials: The hero endures tests of strength, resourcefulness, and endurance and
must overcome various obstacles or difficulties. Each new task brings new insight.
•The Innermost Cave: The hero descends into the innermost cave, an underworld, or some
other place of great trial. Sometimes this place can be within the hero’s own mind. Once the
hero passes this greatest trial, he comes fully into his own power and can use his special
weapon to meet the enemy and defeat him/it.
•Climax: The hero is in his/her full power and is able to take on the villain or antagonist.
He/she is also able to fully use the special weapon.
•Return and Reintegration with Society: The hero uses his new wisdom to restore fertility
and order to the land
Falling Action and Resolution
There are many different kinds of hero’s journeys, but each one contains the 6
stages listed on the previous page.
• The quest for identity
• The epic journey to find the promised land/to be the founder of the good city
• The quest for vengeance
• The warrior’s journey to save his people or a large group in need
• The search for love (to rescue the princess/damsel in distress)
• The journey in search of knowledge
• The tragic quest: penance or self-denial
• The fool’s errand
• The quest to rid the land of danger
• The grail quest (the quest for human perfection)
• The rite of passage/loss of innocence
• The task to complete, build or create something that will save the day
• Stepping outside normal environment to learn a lesson and take it back home.
Light or Dark - Light usually suggests hope, life, renewal, or intellectual
illumination; darkness implies the unknown, ignorance, death or despair.
Fire or Ice - Fire represents knowledge, light, life, and rebirth.
Sometimes it appears destructive, but hope always arises from the ashes.
Ice, like the desert, represents ignorance, darkness, sterility, and death.
Water - Because Water is necessary to life and emotions, it commonly
appears as a birth symbol. Rain, rivers, oceans, etc. also function the same
way. In addition, water can represent emotion and deeper truths that lie
beneath the surface.
Fog – represents uncertainty and being lost.
Special weapon – that only the hero can wield. Usually the hero must pass
some kind of test before becoming worthy of using the weapon.
Roses – represent passion, love, sincerity, but also duality – they have
thorns!
Sun/Moon - Throughout many traditions the sun represents the father and male
principle and the moon the mother and feminine principle. The energy of the
moon is intuitive, deep, subtle, feminine and psychic. The sun is the source of
heat and the bringer of light out of darkness and symbolizes vitality, passion,
courage and knowledge.
Stars – Stars can represent hope or longing, wisdom and eternity. They can also
be a representation of the author’s or character’s spiritual beliefs.
Trees – Trees generally represent growth, knowledge and wisdom, and nature.
Sometimes they represent protection, especially if they are large.
Animals – there are different qualities associated with different animals and
usually they have to do with common ideas about the animal. For example, a dog
may represent loyalty, or a horse may represent freedom, a lion may represent
courage.
Seasons – Often represent the cycle of life – birth, life, waning, death and
rebirth.
Landforms – Mountains, deserts, valleys – different landforms have different
meanings depending on how they are used in the stories.
Colors:
Red: positive - passion, energy, love; negative – blood, death, sacrifice
Green: positive - growth, hope, fertility; negative - jealousy, envy, illness
Blue: highly positive, security, tranquility, spiritual purity, wisdom, water
Black: positive – wisdom, gestation the time before birth; negative - darkness,
chaos, mystery, the unknown, death, evil, melancholy, mourning
White: positive - light, purity, innocence, timelessness; negative - death, horror,
supernatural, cold, emptiness
Yellow: enlightenment, wisdom
Purple: royalty
Orange: often associated with warmth, the sun, fire
Numbers:
3—light, spiritual awareness, unity (holy trinity), male principle
4—associated with the circle, life cycle, four seasons, female principle, earth,
nature, elements
7—the most potent of all symbolic numbers signifying the union of three and
four, the completion of a cycle, perfect order, perfect number, religious
symbol