Archetypes Flashcards
What is Allusion?
A brief reference to a significant literary, historical, or cultural person, place, event, or statement used to make an idea more easily understood.
Example: “She’s my kryptonite”
This references one of the most popular superheroes “Superman”, whose greatest weakness is kryptonite. In other words, whoever says this phrase means the person is their greatest weakness.
What is a Source?
An existing text on which an author draws to create a new work of literature.
What is an Archetype?
A character, situation, or symbol that represents something universal about human nature or the human experience.
Example: Many stories from different time periods and cultures feature the archetypal character of the hero. A hero is usually a good person who defends against evil forces and wrongdoing.
Situational Archetypes
Commonly seen storylines throughout the literary world.
Example: The Heroes Journey is extremely common in literature. It represents the hero’s path; a pattern most follow throughout life.
Symbolic Archetypes
An object, location, or image in a story that contains more than one functional meaning.
Example: A character wearing all black is evil while a character wearing all white is good. Light vs. Dark, Good vs. Evil
