symbolism, archetypes, & plot patterns
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SYMBOLISM, ARCHETYPES, & PLOT PATTERNS. I. SYMBOLISM. A symbol is something that stands for something else A person, place, thing, or event that represents something beyond its literal meaning to the story. II. ARCHETYPES. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
SYMBOLISM, ARCHETYPES, & PLOT PATTERNS
I. SYMBOLISMA. A symbol is something that
stands for something else
B. A person, place, thing, or event that represents something beyond its literal meaning to the story
II. ARCHETYPESA. A recurring pattern found in the mythology,
religion, and stories of all cultures and time periods
B. These patterns can be found in characters, symbols, themes, and plots
C. Why are they important?i. Archetypes help us realize that we have
common traits that we share with others outside of our culture.
ii. Since archetypes are universal and timeless, they help us interpret situations and characters that might be quite different from ourselves.
III. SOME COMMONLY USED ARCHETYPESA. The Mother
i. Symbolizes growing, dependence, self-concern, nurturing
ii. The keeper and protector of lifeB. The Father
i. Symbolizes independence or a giving nature
ii. Often acts as a protector or guide
C. WATERi. Most commonly
represents birth and rebirth
ii. It also serves as a symbol for separation, union, life, and destruction
D. THE COLOR BLACK
i. Can represent evil, death, terror, chaos, and the unknown
E. THE COLOR REDi. Most commonly used to
represent love.
ii.Can also be a symbol for death, murder, and lust
F. THE RISING SUN
i. Represents new life, beginnings, birth, hope, and peace
G. THE SETTING SUNi. Often represents death, endings,
and no hope ii. Can also be used to represent
the movement towards the unknown, ignorance, or despair
H. THE CAVE OR HUT
i. Used to represent the womb
IV. THE HERO ARCHETYPE
A. Usually the hero is from a mysterious origin, born under unusual circumstances, or born in secret
B. They are often are physically set apart from others or emotionally feel like it
C. Has an “I can do anything” attitude
D. Performs great deedsE. Goes on a quest
V. WHY DO WE HAVE A NEED FOR HEROES?
A. Role models – we want to strive to be like someone better than us.
B. Want someone to pave the way for all of us – someone to “break the mold”
C. Someone to make the world safe at an unsafe or uncertain time.
A. Throughout cultures and times, certain patterns of story-telling exist.
B. These patterns contain a specific formula of events that drive the story, its central conflict, and theme.
VI. PLOT PATTERNS IN LITERATURE
C. FREYTAG’S PYRAMIDi. Gustav Freytag was a Nineteenth
Century German novelist who saw common patterns in the plots of stories and novels.
ii. In 1863, he wrote Die Technik des Dramas in which he developed a diagram to analyze these stories and novels.
iii. He diagrammed the story's plot using a pyramid.
D. THE HERO’S JOURNEY
i. Joseph Campbell was a theorist in the 1920s who began to study myths and legends.
ii. He found a pattern that spanned all cultures and all ages, which he developed into his theory of “The Hero’s Journey.”
iii. It models human experience, describing the patterns of life, growth, and experience
The Known
The Unknown or Shadow Realm
STAGE ONE: SEPARATION
STAGE TWO: TRANSFORMATION
STAGE THREE: RETURN
Call to Adventure
Threshold Guardians
Crossing the Threshold
Helpers
Abyss or Supreme Test
Transformation
Revelation
The Return
Reward