What’s that in the sky? A bird? A plane? No, it’s the sidekick! Wait, something is wrong with this situation. It should be the hero who is getting recognition and hype from curious spectators while the sidekick is ignored, but this is not how it should be. The importance of the loyal retainer is so great that without them, the hero would not be the person with such power and nobility. They should not be ignored completely, and authors, directors, and creators have come to this realization that a loyal retainer makes for a great story. This realization has created an archetype used in many pieces of literature across time and cultures everywhere. A loyal retainer has the task of showing a hero’s power and nobility; therefore, this character …show more content…
This archetype demonstrates the human nature of being social just by itself. Humans are naturally social creatures that understand the social benefits in having a companion in life. People get married, have partners in projects, and do so much more that seems only possible if there is the help of another person. The same goes for characters in stories. In Shrek, Shrek is skeptical to having the company of Donkey on his journey. Ogre or not Shrek still sees the benefits of having Donkey on his journey because he has the mind of a human. The human nature that a loyal retainer displays is so relatable to many people from many cultures that it is obvious why this is a recurring …show more content…
Whether this is to show the hero’s power or to help with a task the retainer is there to do it. It is also important because it facilitates a reader’s or viewer’s understanding. A hero’s power and the importance of a loyal retainer cannot be seen without the loyal retainers presence. Also, not every viewer or reader can relate to the hero, so placing a companion in the story attract more attention. If a loyal retainer is taken away from any sort of story, then things are hidden and seem unreasonable. The importance of this character archetype is as important as any other character in a story. A loyal retainers job in a story is to show the hero’s qualities and to assist on the hero’s journey in a story. Compared to all other character ideas, a loyal retainer has become a character archetype for many reasons of importance. It is a common action of ignoring the sidekick in any story, but this simply shouldn’t be the case. Both the hero and sidekick in any story have equal importance because without one, the other cannot be as great or exist. Many writers have adopted this idea because of their realization of its greatness that it brings to a
Social Psychology is the scientific study of how we influence, affect, and relate to one another. Social psychology is studied to see how the influence of others can impact how we act. This can be seen in many aspects in life. Most specifically, social psychology can be seen in movies. Recently, I have viewed the movie Shrek which was released in 2001. Shrek is a kid’s movie about an ogre named Shrek who rescues a princess from a castle for Lord Farquaad in order to regain his swamp and privacy. During this process, however, Shrek falls in love with the princess and discovers a secret about her. While watching Shrek, I have noticed that many theories and concepts from social psychology were apparent in the film.
Every story has characters with different roles, and each of them are important to make the story complete. Three characters, Bilbo, Gandalf, and Smaug represent three archetypal roles in this story. Their guide Gandalf, represents the mentor, Bilbo represents the hero, and Smaug represents the shadow. Smaug symbolizes fear to the characters, and the dragon represents one of the characters that are most often causing the most terror and trouble to the other characters in the story. The hobbit symbolizes the hero of the story, because he sacrifices himself throughout the book. Mr. Bilbo Baggins learns more and more each day, and he tries to always do the right thing. Gandalf symbolizes the guidance and help as a mentor, and he provides training and motivation to the characters. These three important characters greatly explain the
The film tells a story about a man who was too proud to run— a tale of a lone, stoic marshal (Will Kane) who was left desolate and abandoned by the townspeople he has sworn to protect because of a four-man gang led by Frank Miller. This is where the loyalty part comes in. Kane did not have to stay and protect the town’s people because he was “retired” and was going to leave town with his wife. Nonetheless he did stay because he felt that it was his duty to protect the townspeople even though no one would volunteer and help him. His wife, Amy along with the some townspeople tells him to leave town im...
Consistent in literature throughout every era and culture, archetypes represent a recurring image, pattern, or motif mirroring a typical human experience. An idea developed by Carl Jung, archetypes in literature exist as representations reflecting vital perceptions of the human psyche expressing the manner in which individuals experience the world. Using Jung’s concept, writers of all epochs embeds archetypes in structures, characters, and images of their narratives. John Gardner, in his novel Grendel, integrates several of Jung’s archetypes into his epic tale derived from the early story Beowulf. Gardner associates Jung’s personas of the outcast, the shadow, and the mentor-pupil relationship through the identities of Grendel, the narrator of events, and the dragon.
They add conflicts, uniqueness, and interest. Each character brings a unique trait to the table and adds diversity to the story. Some have the power to engage our emotions; others obtain the power to influence other character. In “Poor Fish”, the dishwasher is a round, dynamic character that identifies with the readers and experiences an internal change; while Ida is a flat, static character who does not change but influences the perspective of the dishwasher. No matter what type of character, major or minor, each affects the story in their own particular
Cooper uses a great portion of the novel illustrating either the loyal or treacherous temperament of various characters. Through his numerous descriptions, Cooper defines what loyalty is in The Last of the Mohicans. Cooper shows loyalty to be not one’s dedication to an individual, association or institution, but a cause. These various causes, which vary from character to character, act as the cores of various individuals’ loyalties. Cooper writes “let us not delay a moment, without some good and obvious cause” (196). This supports Cooper’s illustration in that it is vital for one to be dedicated and loyal to a specific cause in order to succeed in any effort. These bases for various characters’ loyalties allow them to show allegiance to other individuals, nations, etc. From the beginning of the novel, General Heyward shows allegiance to his cause of safely delivering both Alice and Cora Munro to their father. Alice and Cora show themselves to be dedicated to this same cause through their insistence on seeing their fathe...
In each of the five plays that we have studied throughout this semester: Oedipus the King, Black Watch, Life is a Dream, Noises Off, The Caretaker there were various characters that used the themes of loyalty, honor and duty to guide their actions in order to maintain a positive reputation and righteous self-image. For each of the five plays that we have discussed there is at least one example of characters using loyalty, honor and duty to maintain a righteous self-image, a positive reputation or both.
While the hero of any story may appear to be the sovereign protagonist, heroes cannot succeed without support from one or more sidekicks. Sidekicks are the characters who support heroes through the their journey; they often complement the hero’s weaknesses and build upon their strengths. Throughout history, the sidekick archetype has evolved: ancient sidekicks were minor characters who only existed to assist the hero, but modern sidekicks are complex, developed characters increasingly similar to heroes.
The twentieth century is the century with the greatest loss of human life in the history of civilization. It was a time of mistrust and espionage. To be loyal is defined as “faithful to one's oath, commitments, or obligations” (OED). Some loyalties are bought, while others are earned. Earned loyalty tends to last while loyalty that is bought tends to fade. Two books, The Human Factor by Graham Greene and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro show this difference. While both characters demonstrate external loyalty, Stevens’ loyalty was purchased, and Castle’s was earned. Castle’s genuine loyalty allows him to risk his life, while Stevens’ loyalty is only compliance.
The loyal companion is the character in the story that helps out the main character. The loyal companion is there to support the main character so the story can continue. According to Carl Jung, “The loyal companion archetype is the friend that helps the main character in the text. The Loyal Companion is a supporting archetype” (Carl Jung, P1). This is a supporting archetype. His presence is there so that the story can continue. The sidekick/loyal companion archetype is the character that will do anything for the main character. He usually goes out of his way to try and save the main character. For example, in Cinderella, the fairy godmother says,“Her godmother then touched her with her wand, and, at the same instant, her clothes turned into cloth of gold and silver, all beset with jewels. This done, she gave her a pair of glass slippers, the prettiest in the whole world. Being thus decked out, she got up into her coach; but her godmother, above all things, commanded her not to stay past midnight, telling her, at the same time, that if she stayed one moment longer, the coach would be a pumpkin again, her horses mice, her coachman a rat, her footmen lizards, and that her clothes would become just as they were before (Perrault, P1). The Fairy Godmother is there to guide her to happiness and love because she knows what Cinderella wants. The loyal Companion is there to help, and help
A hero is someone that you look up to, someone who goes out of their way to help you or others at their expense. Hero’s, to me, are those who unexpectedly help you, because no one thinks they can because of who they are and where they come from. To me, hero’s possess qualities such as loyalty, courage, and kindness. A lot of people judge others based on the clothes they wear or their style of hair, but after reading this book, I feel that those stereotypes can be disproved by the three Greasers, Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy- Curtis from “The Outsiders”, who to me, are heros. They can all be considered heroes because of some of their actions and choices they made throughout the book.
The Reversal of Traditions in Shrek In traditional fairy tales ogres are man-eating beast. The prince usually rescues the princess; they marry and live happily ever after. How do the makers of 'shrek' use presentational devices to reverse this tradition to reveal the ogre as good and the prince as evil?
Examples of loyalty can be found in many pieces of classic literature such as _Don Quixote_, _The Odyssey_, and _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_. Many characters in the stories profess their loyalty to other characters. Some of them fail in their loyalty tests while others prevail. I found loyalty to be an underlying theme in all three pieces of literature covered in this paper. The examples provided should prove the theme of loyalty.
Sadly loyalty is a rare thing, so when you find it you shouldn’t even hesitate to do anything you can to keep it. Loyalty is a privilege whether or not we are the ones giving or receiving it, it is a gift.