Thinking Activity (Northrop Frye)

Archetypes of literature

Hello friends,

Now-a-days we are habituated to watch movies and serials, Netflix has also taken very important location with purpose. But have you ever imagine that while watching the cinema why we are able to assume that what will happen next? Many times it also happens that what we guess it becomes true also! Sometimes it goes beyond our expectation and satisfied us, but every time it may not happen. Sometimes what we have decoded it becomes significant but the scenes are not appropriate.  You will be surprise when you come to know that it is just because using of archetypes!

Now, you certainly have get surface ideas about archetypes. Here, we will discuss about archetypes of literature and also try to evaluate it.

(1)What is Archetypal Criticism? What does the archetypal critic do?

In literary criticism, the term Archetype denotes narrative designs, patterns of action, character types, themes and images that recur in a wide variety of works of literature, as well as in myths, dreams and even social rituals. Such recurrent items are often claimed to be the result of elemental and universal patterns in the human psyche, whole effective embodiment in a literary work evokes profound response from the attentive reader because reader shares the psychic archetypes expressed by the author.

Later on, Northrop Frye developed this archetypal approach in his most influential book ‘Anatomy of criticism’. It has both the concept the theory of literature and the practice of literary criticism.  According to Frye any work deals with “self-contained literary universe” which have been created over the ages by the human imagination so as to assimilate the alien and indifferent world of nature into archetypal forms that satisfy enduring human desires and need.

Northrop Frye’s intellectual stature made him something of a national oracle and celebrity. In his essay, Frye has tried to  illustrate criticism as its metaphorical relationship to Jungian psychology but he rejects any belief in a collective unconscious or racial memory. He is proving his arguments as any of science taking something expected total coherence.

In archetypal view, Frye asserted that literature turns out to play an essential role in refashioning the impersonal material universe into an alternative verbal universe that is humanly intelligible and viable because it is adapted to universal human needs and concerns. Further, Frye expands archetypal theory.

(2)What is Frye trying prove by giving an analogy of ' Physics to Nature' and 'Criticism to Literature'?

While discussing further about archetypal criticism Frye gives two different analogy  of “Physics to Nature” and “Criticism to literature”.  Here, Frye gives interesting example that one or another way everyone studies nature. As students of physics also study nature deeply but they do not say that they  are studying nature but says they are studying physics. Same way Students of literature also study nature as they say students of literature, but students of literature are not really studying literature. Literature is art and one cannot learn or even teach any art to anyone. Students of literature are actually studying how to read literature means criticism. That’s why Frye uses two analogy “Physics to Nature” and “Criticism to Literature.” Because it is fair enough that students of commerce is supposed to have mastery in sailing anything by the night which task he is given but student of literature can’t supposed to have mastery in any creative writing in any particular form!

In short, 

Students of literature are not students of literature but they are mere students of criticism

We can also say that painters are also mathematician as they need to have highly punctuation while drawing. Then why art is not as remarkable for society as other studies because what physics is to nature is criticism to nature but criticism is not being done properly and that’s why art is also not being remarkable.

(3)Share your views of Criticism as an organised body of knowledge. Mention relation of literature with history and philosophy.

Northrop  Frye also finds that..

“Literature is the central division of the ‘Humanities’ flanked on one side by history and on the other side by philosophy.”

These both methods work in exact opposite manner. One goes inside the text while another goes beyond the text. One pipe inside while another jump outside. This image will help you to identify purpose of this both methods.

(4)Briefly explain inductive method with illustration of Shakespeare's Hamlet's Grave Digger's scene

 Explanation of Inductive Method through Hamlet’s grave digger scene

“Hamlet” is the play which does not need any kind of adjectives for its universality or also need to give playwrights’ name also. If we want to make our idea very much clear about Inductive Method which Northrop Frye discusses, Hamlet’s grave digger scene is the best example where graveyard itself symbolizes darker reality of the life or symbolizes death. Here it certainly leads us towards bad end but also he expresses his love for Ophelia first time!

Hamlet's constant brooding about death and humanity comes to a (grotesque) head in the infamous graveyard scene, where Hamlet holds up the unearthed skull of Yorick, a court jester Hamlet knew and loved as a young boy. The skull itself is a physical reminder of the finality of death. The conversation between these two gravediggers also develops a serious theme that the laws of religion and the state are not same for all. Over the doubtful death of Ophelia the first digger says that the persons of high rank or status should have in this world the right to drown themselves or hang themselves while their fellow Christians do not enjoy the same right.By pointing out that nobles receive different treatment from organized religion than poor people do, the gravediggers show religion is unfair and influenced by appearance rather than the “reality” of someone’s soul. Religion, that bedrock of human life, can’t be trusted, and all of Hamlet’s earlier philosophizing about religion and death, all his agonizing, was pointless.

Dialogues of grave diggers help us in better understanding of this. Laymen’s general observation leads them to particular answers in solving matter of skull that those skull can be of whom? How intelligently they answers is the matter of fact.

Example of archetypes in TITANIC

When we are discussing about archetypes in literature, we should have to look for some better examples from any movies, poems or even from film also. Just like Titanic or Aakhari Rasta & Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram, Titanic is also worthy to refer. The way James Cameron has has used archetypes are really notoceble and interesting too.  Any director or writer takes much care about this while transforming his ideas in concrete form.

‘Titanic’ name itself symbolizes hugeness and destruction too.  This very frame symbolizes the hidden death covered in its hugeness.

When we try to study archetypes in film, we have to study with frames.

(1) Archetype of Fall

is also beautifully used by Cameron. Hero & Heroine of the film followed as Jack and Rose are on the top when they are on the ship headed for a new life in New York while, the ship sinks, Jack dies in the water and even Rose’s life is ruined when she makes it to shore. This downfall signifies much deeper.

(2)Heaven v/s wilderness

This contrast is beautifully shown between safety of ship and danger of ocean.

Symbolic archetypes

(1)Wheel

When we see wheel, first images emerges in our mind as primitive wheel. And this very image contains well furnished form of wheel. James Cameron has used this to symbolise this journey and also for symbol of brutality too. 

(2)Water

Water is a symbol of Peace yet it depends upon in which structure we are shown water. If human beings are at the bank of river it symbolises lifehood or also new beginning. On the other side sea is also another form of water but it leads us to tragic end. James Cameron has interestingly used this archetype. Ocean! SHIP-TITANIC at the middle of ocean leads us towards the land of no man.

(3)Wooden raft

Audience knows very well that Rose is the only survivor of that Titanic but how she was saved is not just as director wants to save her, she was saved. After having too much struggle, 

Though having deprivation and hitch, coincidentally Rose and Jack found wooden raft and yet Jack was not saved.  James Cameron could have been saved Jack also to make Titanic as a successful love story but he couldn't! With this very archetype James Cameron makes this movie as a confessional love story too in which poor class lover sacrifices his life for rich girl where we can find that class barrier can never be removed, it can only be assumed.

(4)Heart of the ocean

Diamond! Diamond is to enough too show richness or luxury but the way James Cameron is portraying in Titanic-Heart of the ocean, is something which is deprived of woman's liberty. Very centeral aspect or main narratology of this film is 'To find Heart Of The Ocean'. Very paradox takes place with the narration of Rose and as finding of This diamond for Others too.

Thank you.