Haven’t We Met Before: an Archetypal Analysis of Guardians of the Galaxy Have you ever thought to yourself, now where have I seen that before? Odds are you were watching a movie or reading a book, when something that happened in the story or a character said or did that sounded familiar. This is probably due to archetypes. Archetypes are original models that others are based upon, almost like a mold or a cookie cutter that makes similar copies. One movie that has many great examples archetypal characters, themes, and journeys is Guardians of the Galaxy, directed by James Gunn. A few of the main archetypes in this movie are the Hero and his journey, the antagonist, the group of hunting companions, and the the universal theme of an individual's …show more content…
He is a Terran, meaning a human from earth who was abducted and brought into space as a young child, directly after watching his mother die - talk about a bad day! Once he grew up he became a member of the Ravagers, a group of thieving, murdering space pirates, who steal whatever they want from whomever they want. Near the beginning of the movie Star-lord is a selfish and greedy thief who steals the orb and then betrays the Ravagers all for money. He may not seem much like a hero at this point, but over time he makes friends and finds out the true power of the stone hidden within the orb causing him to become an almost selfless leader who risk his own life by performing noble acts for the good of others. One of said noble acts is his dangerous attack on Ronan's ship in attempt to stop him from reaching and destroying the planet Xandar. Because this is his main goal in the movie, Star-lord can be characterized as an apocalyptic hero, who faces and overcomes not only the destruction of society but also the entire galaxy. On top of being fairly selfless and noble, Star-lord is also extremely courageous. He demonstrates his courage in the final battle against ronan, as described above, but also much more subtly when he saves Gamora from death in space. He leaves the safety of his pod, removes his space mask, and puts it on her. By doing so he is risking his life so that she may …show more content…
The best character to exemplify this theme in the movie would be Star-lord. At the beginning of the movie he is an unmotivated individual, who follows his passions. He travels the universe, steals what he wants, and fools around with countless women across the galaxy. Later in the movie, however he is presented with a great responsibility, the responsibility to stop Ronan and save the galaxy. When faced with this choice between his old life and the moral obligation that was thrust upon him, he rises up to the occasion and accepts his responsibility. The point in the movie where it is most obvious that Star-lord has started down the path of responsibility is when he debates what do with the stone with some of his friends. Originally, all that he cared about was the money that he could get by selling it, but after the destruction of Taneleer Tivan’s home (the collector's museum), when Rocket recommends finding another buyer, Star-lord explained how the stone would only end up in the hands of another evil creature like Ronan. Then he explains that it was their responsibility to deliver it to the Nova Corps, where it could be safely locked
"The Devil and Tom Walker" is a short story by Washington Irving that many wonder about. It teaches a lesson and has many archetypes in the characters. In literature, an archetype is a typical character, a type of action, or a situation that leads to the representation of such universal patterns of human nature. An archetype may be a character, a theme, a symbol or it can even be a setting. Tom walker is the protagonist of the story he is the main character.
died trying to save the people of Herot. Unfortunately he never got to die, not
Watching a film, one can easily recognize plot, theme, characterization, etc., but not many realize what basic principle lies behind nearly every story conceived: the hero’s journey. This concept allows for a comprehensive, logical flow throughout a movie. Once the hero’s journey is thoroughly understood, anyone can pick out the elements in nearly every piece. The hero’s journey follows a simple outline. First the hero in question must have a disadvantaged childhood. Next the hero will find a mentor who wisely lays out his/her prophecy. Third the hero will go on a journey, either literal or figurative, to find him/herself. On this journey the hero will be discouraged and nearly quit his/her quest. Finally, the hero will fulfill the prophecy and find his/herself, realizing his/her full potential. This rubric may be easy to spot in epic action films, but if upon close inspection is found in a wide array of genres, some of which are fully surprising.
“We meet ourselves time and time again in a thousand disguises on the path of life” (Jung). Writer’s usually have archetypes in their stories to engage the reader's understanding. Throughout the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed, she encounters several archetypes both positive and negative. She was impacted by the people, which made her accomplish her journey hiking the Pacific Crest Trail alone and getting herself back together. There are various archetypes that play a big role in Cheryl's physical and emotional journey. The archetypes make her who she is today and without them she wouldn't be able to transform.
are many themes that at first don’t appear to be related but once given a closer look have
Throughout the years, certain writers were able to set off a deep sympathetic resonance within readers by their usage of archetypal patterns. One of those patterns is known as the hero's journey, which Joseph Campbell gave an understandable idea of in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. According to his book, while comparing world's mythology, he found that no matter how far cultures are from each other, they will still have the same structure of hero's journey in their legends (Voytilla vii).
The Hero’s Journey is an ancient archetype that we find throughout our modern life and also, in the world of literature.Whether metaphorical or real, the journey that a character goes on shows not only the incredible transformation of the hero but it also gives them their life meaning. It is the ultimate human experience and it reflects on every aspect of life. Take Logan, also known as Wolverine, from the X-Men movie as an example. His adventure starts with “The Call,” which is the first step of the Hero’s Journey. This step happens due to the realization of imbalance and injustice that the character has in their life. Logan steps into the first stage of the pattern but is hesitant to start his adventure because he does not know what and
Refer to specific examples. What sets your hero’s journey in motion? What elements of the hero’s journey does it conform to? Use distinctive examples of what you see on the screen. Include quotes from the movie.
In literature, Archetypal Criticism is a critical approach where the reader interprets the meaning of a story by looking at the archetypal characters, events, and symbols that it contains. In general, an archetype is a universal, primordial representation of an event or character that is seen as a general blueprint for stories and myths, such as the Hero or Death and Rebirth (Meyer 1587). Archetypes can be very important in identifying and supporting a theme by giving us background and references for aspects throughout the story. Carol Joyce Oates uses a couple vital archetypes in her short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” a tale about Connie, a teenage girl, who goes through an innocence to experience situation, signifying a transition from childhood to adulthood.
Another similarity in the book and movie is that the characters have to go against their morals in order to decide what to do in certain situations. An example of this in the book is when Skip realises he would have to trespass and steal in order for him to keep himself and his friends alive. Or in...
An archetype in literature is defined as a typical example of a certain type of person. A character in a poem or play can be placed into many different archetype categories. Archetypes help a reader to gain a better understanding of who a character in the work is on the inside. This deeper insight into the character allows the reader to follow the flow of the story easier and more effectively. There are many different archetypes that can help to advance the story. One of the most useful in advancing this story is the typical powerful character. Whether it be supernatural or cunningness this character always comes out on top in the situation and holds the most control over others and their actions. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”,
Generally you would have stories that usually have a character, situation or symbol that appears so often in a work that has a deep universal meaning or a response; like how the color red represents passion or blood, three would represent trinity or mind, body, spirit; and wilderness is danger. This literary device is called an archetype. Numerous stories have the same archetype such as Trifles by Susan Glasspell and El Santo Americano by Edward Bok Lee. Both these two play writers use the victim archetype in these two works. The victim archetype is when a character is hurt by someone or lives in fear that someone will hurt him or her.
There are many similarities between different texts in literature as well as film. Many movies you see are alike. However, every one of them has their own perspective on the content that is presented. Two movies may have an almost identical plot line, but they change the way you view it. For example, there are many movies made about the well known story, Cinderella. They all follow one plot line; a girl’s father dies, and has to live with her wicked stepmother and step sisters whom she does all the dirty work for, a “fairy godmother” helps her sneak out to go to a dance but has to be back by 12:00 so her stepmother does not find out. The girl goes to the dance, meets her true love who just happens to be the guy every other girl is dying to have. She runs out before the clock strikes 12:00 and loses an item of hers that her true love just so happens to find. He uses it to find the girl and they live happily ever after. The well known stories of Pyramus and Thisbe and Romeo and Juliet are similar by two young people falling outrageously in love, the miscommunication, and the suicidal d...
The Maze Runner is a 2014 mystery/science fiction film that can be viewed from an archetypal perspective. An archetype can be described as a pattern that can and is copied and recurring symbols or characters. The concept of archetypes came from Carl Jung a psychiatrist who believed that all cultures use archetypes to build stories without communicating to each other about them. Two groups of archetypes are the character and symbolic archetypes. The film The Maze Runner should be analyzed through an archetypal perspective because it has character and symbolic archetypes.
...e as a commander of the army by devising strategies that defeat larger armies. His bravery is reflected in his tendency to rush into battle himself, killing enemies left and right with little regard for his own safety. His sense of justice is reflected in the way he forgives others' trespasses (within reason), and the description of his rule is a just one. His charisma unites people together; during his exile, all he encounters are impressed with him, and hence do they later join his empire. His piety helps him defeat Soumaoro, since, once Sundiata discovers the extent of Soumaoro's sorcery, he is willing to admit he needs the help of spirits and magic to win. And finally, his legendary strength makes him a hero worthy of remembrance. Balla Fasséké tells him to be a "man of action" so that his deeds will be remembered, and Sundiata certainly lives up to his destiny.