Archetypes

What is an archetype?

In an ongoing attempt to explain how one can make any piece of writing more literary, we can next look at archetypes.  What is an archetype?  It is "a character, an action or a situation that seems to represent [...] universal patterns of human nature" (literarydevices.net)  So what does this mean, exactly?  Most people think of an archetype as a general kind of character, place, etc. that can appear across many literary works.  These behave, in many ways, like a literary allusion [like I wrote about in my last blog] not just to one other work but to several other works at once.  It helps your character feel familiar, normal in some ways, to your reader.

Catalyst

Everyone knows about the stranger walking into a town, saving the day, then walking out again. The common name for this is the catalyst.  The character effects change without being changed.  This is a common figure in so many westerns that it's hard to count. But it can also appear in fantasy, science fiction, literary fiction, romance, and in just about any other genre one can name.  Once you notice this character is a catalyst you know what to expect from him.

Archetype vs. Stereotype

It's important to remember, however, that if you rely too much on the archetype without fleshing out the character and making him unique, he remains a stereotype, a cliched gesture at a character who isn't fully fleshed or interesting. There is a fine line between an archetype and a stereotype.  Han Solo could have remained a stereotype but didn't because he became an interesting character with his own needs, desires, and drives.  He plans to walk out, unaffected like a proper catalyst, but then he returns.  He suddenly becomes a different sort of hero.  Our expectations become challenged as the character becomes more than just a cliche.

Clown/Fool

Another archetype is the clown, as in a Shakespearean clown.  This is not to be confused with a buffoon.  A Shakespearean clown is someone who says humorous or whimsical things, but he says them as social commentary.  He seems a fool, but there's a wisdom in his foolishness.  One great example of that is Olaf from Disney's Frozen.  On one hand, he was quite literally born yesterday.  He is a snowman who looks forward to summer because he does not understand he will melt.  However, he also knows more about love than anyone else.  He embodies both wisdom and foolishness.  A buffoon is someone to be mocked and laughed at, someone who is bereft of wisdom and is just foolish such as Jar Jar Binx from The Star Wars saga.  A buffoon is easy to make into a stereotype and hard to make work on any other level.

See Literarydevices.net, also linked to above, for a short list of other archetypes.  The use of archetypes makes your writing seem more grounded in literature, or, by definition, more literary.  Just beware of stereotypes.  Make sure to flesh your archetypes out.  Try using archetypes and see how they work for you.