ARCHETYPES NOTES 2 CHARACTER ARCHETYPES CONTINUTED THE SIDEKICK

ARCHETYPES NOTES #2 CHARACTER ARCHETYPES, CONTINUTED

THE SIDEKICK / COMPANION • A friend of the hero • Keeps the hero safe and on the right path • Often a foil to the main character – “the yin to the hero’s yang” • They show the hero’s positive and negative traits by contrasting with them

THE CAREGIVER / MOTHER FIGURE • Either the hero’s actual mother or a stand in ((usually female) • Guides and protects the hero (especially as a child) • Provides all for all of the hero’s needs

THE CONSCIENCE / VOICE OF REASON • Character whose purpose is to say the truth and give moral advice • Usually the most logical one in the group • Often gives the author’s point of view. • Benjamin the Donkey from Animal Farm is a good example, as well as Edwin from Touching Spirit Bear.

THE TRICKSTER • A character who is very intelligent or has secret knowledge. • Uses his or her smarts to play tricks on other characters, often breaking society’s rules • Known for being cunning, but not always evil

THE ANTI-HERO • A protagonist who has the opposite characteristics of a hero. • This character is not all “good” or all “evil” • This character has his own ideas of right and wrong, even if they conflict with society’s.

THE DOPPELGANGER • A duplicate or shadow self • Often an evil version of the protagonist, but not always • May be a separate person, even the main villain, but can also be one character’s “other form”

THE EVERYMAN • A type of protagonist • A realist who often comes from the working class • A good person and part of the “silent majority” • Humble and hardworking • Someone the audience can usually relate to as an “underdog”

THE SCAPEGOAT • A character who takes the blame for everything. • This character is either entirely innocent or only partially guilty but is targeted as the sole cause of everyone’s problems • A good example of this is Snowball from Animal Farm