ARCHETYPES NOTES 3 SYMBOLS AND MOTIFS THE UNDERWORLD

ARCHETYPES NOTES #3 SYMBOLS AND MOTIFS

THE UNDERWORLD • In many stories, “the hero” goes to the land of the dead. • This place usually represents the hero’s internal conflicts. • The hero grows stronger from his visit to the underworld. • The underworld may be literal, with actual dead people/spirits • OR the underworld might be metaphorical… • Odysseus interacts with the dead at a crucial point in the story.

THE TASK • The hero’s “job” or mission • Something the hero has to do to save the day • Usually something noble and virtuous • Odysseus’s task is to return home after the war, so he can be with his wife.

THE QUEST / JOURNEY • A difficult journey toward a goal • Often has symbolic or allegorical meaning • During the journey, the hero learns life lessons and faces a challenge at the end • The journey often changes the hero more than the destination does • Odysseus’s task is his decades-long journey back to his home, Ithaca.

LIGHT / DARK … GOOD / EVIL • Light and whiteness = Good / holy • Dark and blackness = Bad / sinful

THE FALL • A character falls from grace • Fall is usually a result of the character’s own actions e • The fall could explain the downfall of a tragic hero or the beginning of a villain’s descent • Odysseus actually falls from grace throughout the story due to his hubris (arrogance/pride)

THE MONSTER • Either a real monster or a symbolic “monster” • Represents the hero’s or society’s fears and taboos • The hero must face the monster and overcome it • Defeating the monster ends its terror and also helps the hero grow • The monster is usually not the villain

ARCHETYPES NOTES #4 GENRE AND TROPES

GENRE • A genre is a category of literature (or anything) • Fable : A narrative story demonstrating a useful truth, often with talking animals and supernatural elements. Fairy tale is similar. • Coming-of-age story : Child learns life lessons and becomes mature through the story’s events. • Science fiction / fantasy : Supernatural elements are used to depict real-world ideas or concepts. • Dystopia : A novel set in a “perfect world” that went horribly wrong. • Western : A story set in the American Old West, often involving a good vs. evil battle between a lawman and a criminal

TROPES • Recurring literaryand rhetorical devices, motifs and clichés • Tropes and archetypes are very similar and often used synonymously • A trope is basically a stereotype or cliché– something that is used in many, many stories

ALLUSIONS • A reference in a story to • Another story • An event or person in history • Something in religion or philosophy • Allusions give the story more meaning, as long as you recognize what’s being alluded to • Many classic stories are constantly alluded to in other works… • The Odyssey • Romeo & Juliet • Frankenstein • The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde • … you’re not going to make me list them all, are you?

THE “POINT” • Archetypes, tropes, and genre conventions define a work. Most stories we encounter aren’t really unique. They’re “archetypal” and follow genre and trope norms. • Knowing which “rules” of storytelling a story follows, and which it subverts, helps us understand what the author is trying to do and can increase our appreciation of the work. • Allusions to other works also help give us more context for the story we’re reading/watching/playing, and sometimes, they’re necessary to really “understand” a story. For example… Can you really “understand” Animal Farm without knowing about the Cold War? • The Odyssey is one of the defining stories of the epic poem genre, featuring one of Greece’s most famous heroes. The Odyssey is constantly being alluded to and used as inspiration, even thousands of years later… which is why we’re still reading it. • Crazy stuff, dude.

WORKS CITED • Information/ideas: • https: //prezi. com/wm 5 mfmdmckxk/archetypes-and-the-odyssey/ • https: //prezi. com/mjy 9 m 3 uhyabm/character-archetypes-in-literature-and-film/ • https: //prezi. com/avrikl_tv 4 v 4/villains-of-the-odyssey/ • Images: • Bing images (misc. )