Addicted to Archetypes

By: Jeremy Brittain

What makes us so fascinated, and almost obsessed, with specific archetypes? We all love good characters, and “good” characters were never coined such without specific, intentional development. Yet, we see recurring themes – specific types of characters immortalized and placed on a pedestal above the rest. Why? Perhaps our culture is saturated with an addicted people, those who crave a particular type of character; once they are given a slice of that cake they can’t stop craving more. The chosen one, the manic-pixy dream girl, the anti-hero, the mentor, the rebel, the secret billionaire, and the list goes on and on. 

If our culture is so fascinated with specific archetypes, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when writers continue to pump out mass amounts of content hosting our favorite characters. And yet we wonder… how did they know this would be our new obsession? We told them it would. Well, society did as it became clear which ones worked and which ones didn’t. 

To use an example that you would literally have to be living under a rock to not understand, J.K. Rowling showed us that people not only love the chosen one but also the sidekick and the nerd. In other words, we love Harry and we love Ron, but I think we really love Hermione. We, the literary community, have not been very silent with our likes and displeasures, especially when it comes to characters. I think much of our actual obsessions with literature are rooted in deep, hyper-fixations on the characters within such. After all, what is a good story without powerful characters? It seems quasi-impossible to develop affection for plot without the characters driving such. No, in reality, the characters are the poison we pick, and frequently. 

The chosen one is an archetype all too familiar in the literary world, specifically looking at the idolized Harry Potter. Why do we love this archetype? Much of it pertains to our fascination with good heroes. With the chosen one, additional layers are added to the already desirable archetype. For example, not only is this character heroic but they typically have some form of quest which only they can complete. In other words, they were born and handcrafted to perform a specific type of task. In Harry’s example, it was to defeat the evil dark-wizard Voldemort – there was no one else who could have done it. Rowling added layer after layer of prophecy and fantastical elements, forcing her reader to follow Harry through seven books in order to witness Harry fulfill his destiny. 

Is our society fueling this? As our culture transforms and generations age out giving rise to new readers and new fascinations, are the archetypes evolving, too? I would argue yes and no. Certain archetypes have been around for a long time. When people think of the antihero, they think Deadpool, Severus Snape, and they forget the ancient Robin Hood. We’ve always loved a good hero. However, the type of hero is changing, giving rise to new archetypes such as the manic pixie dream girl. Why are people obsessed with Daisy Jones & The Six? Newsflash, it’s not The Six. The characters are great, but people love Daisy. Not only do they love Daisy, they love this archetype. What about the rebel and the chosen one? Well, let’s say they fused into one character – Katniss Everdeen is born. The lovable underdog, who so happens to be the chosen one, concurrently becomes one of society’s favorite rebels – people are obsessed with the girl on fire. Yet, is it really Katniss or is it the archetype she embodies?

Furthermore, where have these archetypes come from and where are they going? What’s the source and what does the future entail? The concept of the archetype was developed by Carl Jung and explicitly established twelve character archetypes in the early twentieth century. Much of what we see today is a result of these Jungian archetypes developed a century ago. While we have observed evolution amongst these particular archetypes, it is safe to say that some have remained rather static. However, this is by no means a negative notion. The magician archetype developed by Jung is still a powerhouse and we love our Dumbledores and Gandalfs, to the point of being stubbornly unwilling to ever part with them. Moreover, the archetype that has transformed the most is the hero, giving rise to multiple different types of heroes already discussed here such as the anti-hero and the chosen one. This specific type of archetype will likely continue to transform along with society and culture, birthing new types of heroes for the next generation. As literature continues to expand and evolve one thing will remain constant – our addiction to archetypes.