Archetypes• Folk tales depend heavily on archetypes• Children’s literature also depends heavily

on archetypes and archetypal patterns.

Archetype

1. An original model or type after which other similar things are patterned; a prototype: "'Frankenstein' . . . 'Dracula' . . . 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' . . . the archetypes that have influenced all subsequent horror stories" New York Times.

2. An ideal example of a type; quintessence: an archetype of the successful entrepreneur.

3. In Jungian psychology, an inherited pattern of thought or symbolic imagery derived from the past collective experience and present in the individual unconscious.

Archetype

• Universal patterns • All humans have a collective unconscious

of shared experiences (Carl Jung).– Similar stories– Creation myths– Similar characters– Universal patterns of understanding the world

Why care about archetypes?• We naturally and easily understand them without much

thought.• They are easy to recognize and help us to know what to

expect. • So writers/storytellers don’t need to describe or explain

these characters or patterns. (Since readers easily understand them, plots can be concise and focus on action.)

• Interest is not on the outcome but on how the story is “dressed up.”

• Authors dress up old stories by combining them in new ways, changing them to surprise readers, and making the details fit their own views.

Why Child Lit often depends on Archetypes

• Children’s literature depends heavily on archetypes because – They help to keep stories concise and plot

driven.– They are comfortably familiar to young

people.– They are easy to work with, for both writer

and reader.

A summary

• Lord of the Night sends Wind on a mission to bring back four musicians who are being kept prisoner by the Sun. He gives Wind three magical objects to help him and on his quest. Wind also receives help from three wise aquatic women. Finally, he succeeds and brings the musicians, who are colors, back to the earth and they bring joy making the world a colorful place.

Summary of Cinderella

• A young woman’s father remarries to a cruel woman who has daughters of her own. This woman and her daughters treat the young woman terribly, like a slave. The young woman endures every hardship with grace. Finally, she is seen for whom she really is, the most beautiful and kind woman in the kingdom and the prince chooses her to be his bride while the sisters are neglected.

What do these stories have in common?

1. Helpless, good people are held like prisoners.2. Lord of the night seeking color, is like the King seeking a bride

for the prince.3. The good people escape and bring joy to others.4. They escape through the help of others more than their own wits.5. Before escaping they do their jobs well without complaining.

They are always good. 6. The heroes in each story are helped by kind women and a little

magic.7. There are animal-like helpers in each. Help comes from nature.8. They travel by magical transportation.9. They escape during the night.10. After they escape, the people holding them captive don’t try to

get them back, they go along with the new order. 11. Both stories have a black and white world and a colorful world. 12. In the end, the captives end up where they were meant to be.

In both “Cinderella” & Musicians of the Sun …

Common characters

• the passive good person/people waiting to be rescued.

• the wise old woman, mysterious but helpful.

• the agent sent on a mission.• the good king/rich man/father/god.• the tyrant who is good underneath. (Musicians)

Sets of three(in one story or the other)

• Three times going to the ball• Three daughters• Three magical objects to use on the quest• Three women helpers

Special objects or patterns(in one &/or the other)

• Magic objects that help• Music and color are linked together• Magical transportation • Mirror for seeing far away• Birds as spiritual symbols

Work in your groups of three or four

• Find your group• Give handouts to group members and one to

me.• Each presentation is 5-7 minutes• Take notes on similarities during presentations• After all have shared, search hard for any

similarities you can find.• The similarities don’t need to be common to all

four stories. If they are in two, that’s fine.

New Groups for folktale presentations1 Irene Lin 5 Jing 9 Yoko 13 Kiki  Ken   Janet   Janice   Irene Li  Grape   Emily   Monica Hsu   Easter  Sandy Ho   Carmen   Sandy Lin   Zona               2 Shelly 6 Shirley 10 Wendy 14 Doria  Irene Cheng   Kira   Sherry   Sharon Pei  Danny   Catherine Liou   Raphael   Sandy Wang  Nina Yeh   Lydia   Andy   Eric              Monica Ho3 Helen 7 Vicky 11 Cheryl

  John   Sandra   Candice    Cindy   Victoria   Catherine Chiu    Coco   Lisa   Anne Ku               4 Betty 8 Alice 12 Vivian    Chris   Tommy   Patty    Ben Lin   Jessie Lin   Sunny    Eleen   Christine   Jimmy  

Do these in your groups• Take notes on similarities during presentations• After all have shared, search diligently for any

similarities you can find. These things don’t need to be exactly the same, as long as you kind find any little bit that is similar. – Are any of the characters similar in any way?– Are there any similarities in the plot (what happens)?– Are there any similar objects?

• I will ask each group to report briefly on similarities you found. – Tell the names of the stories. – Share one or two similarities briefly.