Taylor Hembree, Tanner Gustavsen, Nick CarrPeriod 4

Forests

The Forest: Defined

• Most often a dark place of danger, mystery and even magic; somewhere people are afraid to go

• A place of refuge to which one might escape from trouble

Significance

• by being able to identify this archetype, we can understand more about the characters, plot and future events that are based around its provisions and common feature– The forest has two different personalities

which have become set stereotypes for later stories and works

The Dark Forest

Clues: • It is largely feared by a society or group• Fear of the unknown• Uncivilized and unpredictable; the normal rules

of society do not apply to the forest• A place where a hero may become lost or

injured• Common Characteristics: mysterious, gloomy,

wet, cold, misty• Figurative Language: appeals to senses and

plays to the readers fear, helps develop a dark mood and tone

The Place of Refuge

Clues

• Isolated from society

• Distant from ‘home’

• Enchanting magic

• Characteristics: brighter, cheerful, gentle, harmless wildlife

• Imagery: figurative, flowing language, positive tone words

Eragon

• “The deer had led him deep into the Spine, a range of untamed mountains that extended up and down the land of Alagaësia. Strange tales and men often came from those mountains, usually boding ill. Despite that, Eragon did not fear the Spine–he was the only hunter near Carvahall who dared track game deep into its craggy recesses” (Paolini 2).

Analysis

• Forest portrayed as a dark secluded place that society dares not enter

• “untamed”– adds to the fear man has of the unknown, out of his

power

• “strange tales and men often came from these mountains”– fits archetype, forest is a place of mystery, danger,

and trouble

• Emphasis that only one character goes to this place

Eldest

• “ The ground was strewn with dense patches of flowers. From pink roses to bluebells and lilies, spring’s fleeting treausre was heaped about like piles of rubies, sapphires, and opals. Their intoxicating aromas attracted hordes of bumblebees. To the right, a stream chuckled behind a row of bushes, while a pair of squirrels chased each other around a rock” (Paolini 221).

Analysis

• Shift in portrayal or the forest– Dark to light

• Vivid descriptions give a lighter, kinder tone

• “intoxicating”– Suggests that it is a place people want to go

instead of a place to stay away from

• “chuckled”– Helps lighten the tone– Implies that this is a happy place

Harry Potter

The Forbidden Forest

http://youtu.be/9N-_KmZmV20?t=20s

Harry Potter

• Fits dark archetype– Only a few people from Hogwarts ever enter

the forest– Full of mysterious and dangerous creatures;

uncivilized– Stranger hooded creature drinking blood

• Setting– Dark, misty trees, shadows

Song of the ForestsShostakovich

• http://youtu.be/EWrcc00kjEo?t=2m19s

• http://youtu.be/KmZJeImdz0g?t=46s

• How does Shostakovich use music to capture the different moods of the forest?

Hansel and Gretel

• “They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness. When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house, on the roof of which it alighted; and when they approached the little house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear sugar”.

Hansel and Gretel

• Fits both dark and light archetypes– Places danger and strangeness amidst the

beauty of nature– Surrounded by song birds and plants– Mysterious candy cabin in the middle of the

woods

The Scarlet Letter

• The town and the surrounding forest represent opposing behavioral systems. The town represents civilization, a rule-bound space where everything one does is on display and where transgressions are quickly punished. The forest, on the other hand, is a space of natural rather than human authority.

• In the forest, society’s rules do not apply, and alternate identities can be assumed.

• Hester’s cottage, which is located on the outskirts of town and at the edge of the forest, embodies both orders. It is her place of exile, which ties it to the town, but because it lies apart from the settlement, it is a place where she can live in relative peace.

Conclusion

• The forest is a common archetype that has been used in many different stories.

• Archetypes help develop the setting (or a character) and provide additional insight attained from recognition of the archetype.