I consider the literary theories of northrop frye and a postmodern feminist critique of his work. Structuralism developed from linguistics studies performed during the early 20th century. His aim in this book is to establish a grammar of literary archetypes which will reveal that western literature is a coherent and unified structure that can respond to what frye. Standing back from the anatomy, as frye urges us to do when looking at a literary work, reveals that his theories of myths and genres are extensions of the last two phases of his theory of symbols. Summary of northrop fryes theory of archetypes facebook.
The concept of the archetype is a venerable philosophical principle that came into new prominence and usage in the twentieth century with the development of archetypal literary criticism through the theories of psychologist c. It was in its height as an intellectual movement from the 1950s to the 1960s. Northrop frye working in the field of literature defined an archetype as a symbol, usually an image, which recurs often enough in literature to be recognizable as an element of ones literary experience as a whole. The present essay, archetypes of literature, is taken from the book. On the whole, he wrote about twenty books on western literature, culture, myth, archetypal theory, religion and social thought. They embody universal meanings and basic human experiences and can evoke unconscious responses in a. Figurative language archetypes symbols elements of.
Archetypal literary criticism was also given a boost by feminist scholars of the 1980s such as annis pratt, estella lauter, julia kristeva, and carol schreier rupprecht, who emphasized the cultural and individual in. This asymmetry is a logical outcome of both frye s aim and his prior assumptions. Archetypal criticism a companion to literary theory. The major work of frye s to deal with archetypes is anatomy of criticism but his essay the archetypes of literature is a precursor to the book. An archetype is a setting, character, image, or story pattern that is universally understood. He believed every concept which is reinvented in literature has a mythical origin.
Another way of thinking about archetypes is to imagine that in some way it is possible to plot. The archetypes of literature by northrop frye criticism narrative. Northrop frye, a canadian literary critic, took the original jungian concept of psychoanalysis and applied it to writing and criticism. Frye believed that, as well as archetypal images, there are also archetypal genres, based upon the four. As well as the archetypes of literature, frye says that there are literary conventions, by which he means groups of interconnecting archetypes.
Bodkins archetypal patterns in poetry, the first work on the subject of archetypal literary criticism, applies jungs theories about the collective unconscious, archetypes, and primordial images to literature. This can be attained only by assuming a total coherence in criticism. Jungs archetypes in northrop frye s archetypal criticism showing 14 of 109 pages in this thesis. Archetypal criticism has been connected with another group of thinkers more closely allied to its jungian roots, including maud bodkin and james hillman. True, the unconscious knows more than the consciousness does. The field of archetypal analysis is further delved into in the article, the archetypes of literature, by northrop frye, where the author gives his impression on the significance of archetypes which are so commonly implemented and analyzed in literary works of past and present authors. In the essay frye critically analyses literature against the backdrop of rituals and myths. Northrop fryes theory of archetypes archetypes and northrop frye. The first part deals with the concept of archetypal criticism. Pdf archetypal literary theory in the postmodern era. It is important to define carl jungs main idea that formed the basis of jungian archetypal criticism before commencing a survey of such literary critical ideas and northrop frye s place in this tradition. Archetypal criticism moved into the sphere of literary analysis following maud bodkins groundbreaking archetypal patterns in poetry 1934. Systematic approaches to literary works were congenial to frye s aspiring genius, but transmit poorly to his partisans. Figure 6 presents the organization diagrammatically.
As an acknowledged form of literary criticism, it dates back to 1934 when classical scholar maud bodkin published archetypal patterns in. Herman northrop frye cc frsc july 14, 1912 january 23, 1991 was a canadian literary critic and literary theorist, considered one of the most influential of the 20th century frye gained international fame with his first book, fearful symmetry 1947, which led to the reinterpretation of the poetry of william blake. Summarize the four dailyseasonalhuman life myths listed by frye, being sure to list what happens to the questhero in each phase and the genres of literature. Most uniquely, frye developed a seasonal scheme of archetypal story genresthe romance associated with the high point of summer, tragedy associated with the fall, bitter irony and satire associated with bleak winter, and comedy associated with spring.
Literary criticism should acquire something of the methodological discipline and coherence of the sciences. Archetypes list preap english archetypes are recurring patterns plot structures, symbols, character types, themes that occur in mythology, religion, and stories across cultures and time periods. But jungs theory of the archetypes of the collective unconscious differs. He interprets literature in the light of various rituals and myths. The archetypes of literature by northrop frye free download as pdf file. The archetypes literature northrop frye the archetypes literature northrop frye archetypal literary criticism is concerned to analyzing a text in concern to the myths and archetypes that could be in the text in the form of description, symbols, images, allusions, references, characteristic traits, etc. Archetypal literary criticism is a type of critical theory that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes from the greek arche, beginning, and typos, imprint in the narrative, symbols, images, and character types in literary work. Archetypal literary criticism essay literary analysis. Frye and jungian archetypal criticism project muse.
The romantic hero is a literary archetype referring to a character that rejects. Northrop frye s theory of archetypes archetypes and northrop frye. Fryes thesis in the archetypes of literature remains largely unchanged in anatomy of criticism. The ideas of northrop frye 3 archetype is used by frye to refer to a typical or recurring image. Northrop frye the archetypes of literature 1951 to see and to study the principles of optics are obviously different kinds of experiences. The canadian literary critic and theorist northrop frye was influential in extending the use of the term archetype to specifically literary contexts. The archetypes of literature northrop frye ugc net english. Archetypes of literature archetypes are universal symbols. Archetypes is a common word in terms of literature and art but it is quite probable that many of us arent yet familiar with what it represents totally. In this sense the archetype is, as northrop frye defines it, a symbol, usually an image, which recurs often enough in literature to be recognizable as an element of ones literary experience as a whole harmon, william and c. Archetypes are settings, characters, images, or story patterns that repeat across various cultures and are universally understood. Four essays princeton university press, 1957 is a book by canadian literary critic and theorist, northrop frye, which attempts to formulate an overall view of the scope, theory, principles, and techniques of literary criticism derived exclusively from literature. The search for archetypes is a kind of literary anthropology, concerned with the way that literature is informed by pre literary categories such as ritual, myth and folk tale.
Tarvin 1 northrop frye the archetypes of literature. Myth criticism of northrop frye literary theory and. Frye doesnt seem to have liked to gossip himself, but he wouldnt say no to indulging in a little if other people were doing it. Jung and archetypes 1 carl jung and archetypes myth is the natural and indispensable intermediate stage between unconscious and conscious cognition. To study the principles of literary form, frye relies heavily on both the insights and the methods of anthropology.
Northrop frye s anatomy of criticism 1957 introduced the archetypal approach called myth criticism, combining the typological interpretation of the bible and the conception of imagination prevalent in the writings of william blake. Created using powtoon free sign up at youtube create animated videos and animated presentations for free. The primary source of this coherence is the recurrence of certain archetypes in literature of all periods and cultures. A mor e accurate subtitle for the new book than the one it has been given would be the bible and archetypes,for one learns little here about literature, or about the bible and literature. Seeing and enjoying cannot be taught, but physics and criticism can. Jungs archetypes in northrop fryes archetypal criticism. An archetype is not only a unifying category of criticism, but itself a part of a total form. In archetypal literary criticism, archetypes hold the idea that cultures, folk tales, and common mythical beings all play a role in a texts significance. Archetypal literary criticism is concerned to analyzing a text in concern to the myths and archetypes. Carl jung, a psychoanalyst, came up with the idea of archetypes while studying the human psyche, and interpreting dreams.
Seeing and enjoying cannot be taught, but physics and crit icism can be. Myth criticism of northrop frye by nasrullah mambrol on march 21, 2016 3. Northrop frye would later ensure that archetypal criticism remained in the forefront of literary analysis with. Archetypal literary criticism is a type of critical theory that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes from the greek arche, beginning, and typos, imprint in the narrative, symbols, images, and character types in literary works. Every organized body of knowledge can be learned progressively. Frye s archetypes connect one poem with another and thereby help to unify and integrate our literary experience anatomy of criticism. Frye consciously omits all specific and practical criticism, instead offering classically inspired theories. The archetypes of literature by northrop frye in tamil from exam point of view by shri anish youtube channel.
Jung was born in kesswil, switzerland on july 26, 1875. The archetypes of literature by northrop frye 994 words. Introduction northrop frye, working in the field of literature, defined an archetype as a symbol, usually an image, which recurs often enough in literature to be recognizable as an element of ones literary experience as a whole. As he said, i like to hear gossip, not for its own sake, but for the sake of knowing what other people know.
Studies in poetic mythology is a critical work published in 1963. I hypothesize that a more fully jungian perspective. In literary criticism the term archetype denotes recurrent narratives designs. In the essay frye critically analyses literature against the backdrop of. Archetypal and psychological criticism poetry fryes. It was not until the work of the canadian literary critic northrop frye that archetypal criticism was theorized in purely literary terms. As a literary anthropologist, he relates narrative to the creation of rituals, imagery.