Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with archetypes

Jungian literary criticism

leibniz — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:49:45 -0800

Help me find examples of literary criticism adopting the Jungian idea that all the characters are aspects of the same person. I am researching character from the standpoint of analytic philosophy of mind/emotions and aesthetics of literature. I am interested in exploring the idea that every character in a book is really just different aspects of one person. I take this to be derived from Jung's claim that everyone in your dreams is really yourself. So first of all, can anyone point me to an exact reference to this idea (preferably accessible online). And if not in dreams, then in literature, or even in real social life? Related to this is of course the stuff about archetypes, but I consider that idea completely secondary to the first one about distributed identity and I am much less interested in it.

Second, I am interested in finding examples of literary/film criticism that use this basic assumption to analyse a work. I am personally applying it to the work of Herman Hesse (who was analysed by Jung and where the connection to his works has been made before). But can anyone provide references to scholarly articles that do this (again preferably accessible online)?

By the way, I don't know much about the literary criticism tradition, and am generally sceptical of their style, so tips regarding that are also welcome.

Examples of 'The Infinite' in Myth and Their Effect on Conditions of Truth

0bvious — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:32:00 -0800

I am searching for examples of The Infinite, or the immeasurably large, in our mythologies and archetypes. I am also interested in the categories of Truth which came out of the emergence of Western, ontological thought. Does the trust in a rationally conceivable reality deny us the infinity of the mythological realm? By rooting ourselves in the present, and denying atemporal mythologies, do we also deny the infinite origins from where we came? Mythologically rooted cultures do not usually posit a beginning of time. Humans exist as part of a holistic cycle which spans back and forward into the infinite realm of mythology. There can really be no 'truth' in this perennial world of myth, where the spiritual and 'unseen' realm is just as 'real' as our present state of being.

Western 'truth' (ontologically defined rationality) denies the holism of all things (as do the Monotheistic religions), actively attributing identity to patterns perceived in the world we can see (or to God). This taxonomy or identification of patterns creates a false belief in a fully formed reality - a 'truth'. This taxonomic understanding is to simulacrum what philosophical enquiry was to Plato's shadows in the cave. In consequence, our distinction from The Infinite, from the realm of myth, qualifies us as distinct from reality - we live the simulation, not the absolute.

----------

I am just going off on one here, to outline vaguely what the forms of infinity, myth and ontology have had on our development (/evolution?).

Please feel free to agree, disagree or add to my examples.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to your responses.

Help me find a fable about selfishness?

mr. remy — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:54:35 -0800

[Literary archetype filter] I'm looking for short moral tales / folk stories / fables with themes of selfishness and pig-headedness. Specifically, I need stories about somebody who focuses so intently on X that they don't realize they're alone and screwed until too late. I'm finishing the edit of a young adult manuscript that is significantly improved by little epigrammatic chapter headings that symbolically crystallize the action of each chapter. Sort of a story-in-the-story.

Unfortunately, the work that I've until now used for the epigrams is not in the public domain, and the (potential) publisher has asked me to find a substitution. The suggestion of Aesop's "Ant and the Grasshopper" has been made, but it is too common and simplistic.

What I need is a story about some character behaving bullishly in pursuit of a private goal, in spite of well-intended advice from others. Determined to go-it-alone. Until ... s/he realizes they are alone and it's too late, and there's a big bad punishment or consequence. The most important part of the story is the 'oh shit' moment.

Folk stories - from any tradition - get bonus points. And, for reasons I'm not gonna bother with here, stories with amphibians in them get double-extra points. Links? Thoughts?

Book identifying mythical archetypes?

Andrhia — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 09:24:21 -0800

BookFilter: Looking for a book a friend once found containing every myth, fable, and legend the author could find from multiple cultures, with analysis breaking them down into (I believe) a hundred or so archetypes. Other information: The book is on the older side, and doesn't appear to be any of the books suggested in this thread.

Raw material for understanding subconcious and emotional undercurrents in situations

beatrice — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 09:59:59 -0800

The terrain of the subconscious. The stories we tell ourselves. Book recommendations to better pick out and respond to the undercurrents of situations. Maybe books on archetypes, folklore, symbols, fantasy. Maybe just books with strong character development. I've been reading pop psychology and business inspiration. (Who did move my cheese?) Great and all, but there has got to be more to life than knowing your bottom line and communicating it clearly. I mean, what truly motivates people? What are these subconcious drives driving me? I need an infusion of new ideas.

Looking at some of the patterned ways I see situations and react, I've started to realize that I have this sort of persona, there's a certain persona I always fall for, there's someone I'm trying to prove I'm not, etc. I can discern some of the easy patterns just by reading cognitive psychology (a la the Feeling Good Handbook). But it's more than just single recurring thoughts. It's a whole complex of ideas. In ways, I've gotten more insight by reading novels with strong character development. Learning how others see things, feeling what it's like inside others' lives and minds.

So I am looking for book recommendations, from non-fiction books that explicitly explain things like archetypes, to compilations of folklore, to great novels... Books that are complex and textured enough to serve as raw material for understanding myself and others, seeing the deeper dynamics in situations, etc.

All other tips, beyond book recommendations, are also welcome.

How many kinds of news stories are there?

merlinmann — Sat, 26 Mar 2005 11:22:54 -0800

Do editors choose and assign feature news coverage based on archetypal stories, and, if so, how many types are there? I recall hearing that there are basically N kinds of news stories--particularly features--that make it into press and TV broadcasts. They include things like "young person on the way up," "famous person's fall from grace," "surprising comeback" and so on. If memory serves, there were 6-10 of these types of stories. Anyhow, I recall hearing that these archetypes comprise the frames in which editors will often choose to place the majority items that get covered. (Implying, perhaps erroneously, that items which aren't conducive to this treatment are less likely to receive coverage.)

A) Is this anywhere near accurate, and B) can any J-school vets (or smarter Google hackers than I) pull up a good reference on what these notional, archetypal stories might be (true or otherwise)?