Hello readers, I'm writing this blog as an Assignment on Paper number 109(Literary Theory & Criticism and Indian Aesthetics) assigned by Professor Dr. Dilip Barad sir, Head of the Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.
Name: Gayatri Nimavat
Paper: 109(Literary Theory & Criticism and Indian Aesthetics)
Roll no: 06
Enrollment no: 4069206420220019
Email ID: gayatrinimavat128@gmail.com
Batch: 2022-24 (MA Semester - 2)
Submitted to: S. B. Gardi Department of English,Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Northrop Frye's contribution to 'Archetypal Criticism'
Introduction:
It is a type of critical theory that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes in the narrative, symbols, images, and character types in a literary work.
What is an archetype?
Arche "first" and typos "form" An original model or pattern from which copies are made. "Archetypal criticism looks in literature for patterns and traces them through works of classical antiquity into modern texts, and interprets those reverberations as symbols or manifestations of universal human conflicts and desires."
Jamses G. Frazer gave the theory of Archetypal in 'The Golden Bough' Developed in 1934.
Archetypes were first suggested by Carl Jung, pronounced. According to Carl Jung, these patterns are embedded deep in the "collective unconscious" and involve "racial memories" of situations, events, relationships from time immemorial.
About Author:
Herman Northrop Frye was born on July 14, 1912, Sherbrook, Canada, and died on January 23, 1991, Toronto. He was a Canadian educator and literary critic who wrote much on Canadian literature and culture and became best known as one of the most important literary theorists of the 20th century.
He is famous for his masterpiece “Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays” This four essays are titled "Historical Criticism: Theory of Modes", "Ethical Criticism: Theory of Symbols", "Archetypal Criticism: A Theory of Myths", and "Rhetorical Criticism: Theory of Genres."
Archetypal Criticism:
Northrop Frye's 'Archetypal Criticism' is a literary theory that explores the common patterns and symbols found in literature. According to Frye, these patterns and symbols are universal, and they reflect the shared human experience. He believed that literature is a product of the human imagination, and it reflects our deepest fears, desires, and aspirations. In Frye's view, literature is a way of understanding ourselves and our place in the world.
At the heart of Frye's theory is the concept of archetype. An archetype is a symbol or image that has a universal and timeless meaning. For example, the hero archetype represents the human desire to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness. The mother archetype represents nurturing and caring, while the shadow archetype represents our darker impulses and fears.
Frye argued that literature is full of archetypes, and that they form the basis of all literary genres. He identified four main literary genres: romance, tragedy, comedy, and satire. Each genre is defined by its use of archetypes and its approach to the human experience.
Romance, for example, is characterized by the hero archetype, which represents the hero's journey of self-discovery and transformation. Tragedy, on the other hand, is defined by the conflict between the hero and the shadow archetype, which represents the hero's darker impulses and fears. Comedy is characterized by the integration of opposing forces, such as the masculine and feminine archetypes, while satire is characterized by the exposure of hypocrisy and the use of irony.
Frye's archetypal criticism emphasizes the importance of the reader's role in understanding literature. He believed that readers should be aware of the archetypes and patterns in literature, and that they should recognize the symbolic language of literature. By doing so, readers can gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Critics of Frye's theory argue that it is too focused on universal patterns and symbols, and that it neglects the unique qualities of individual works of literature. They also point out that his theory places too much emphasis on the reader's role in understanding literature, and that it overlooks the importance of historical and cultural context.
Despite these criticisms, Frye's archetypal criticism has had a significant influence on literary theory and criticism. His emphasis on the importance of archetypes and symbolism has helped scholars to understand the deeper meaning of literature, and it has provided a framework for analyzing and interpreting literary works.
Four Methos:
The fourfold division has important consequences for the subsequent structure of Frye’s argument. Schematically, the cyclical paradigm is located within the order of nature, whereas the dialectical one moves from the order of nature toward or into the higher apocalyptic realm. The existence of these broad cyclical and dialectical movements within mythos leads Frye to conclude that there are “narrative categories of literature broader than, or logically prior to, the ordinary literary genres' (Frye: “Anatomy of Criticism”). He calls these pre generic elements mythoi, another fundamental distinction in Frye’s master design, for the cyclical and dialectical movements of mythoi underlie the entire second half of Anatomy of Criticism. In terms of the origin of his most basic categories, mythoi derive ultimately from poetic imagery or, more accurately, from the movement of poetic imagery which is a part of our experience of literature. Frye’s method of argument at this point is based upon the similarities of “movement” between the seven categories of reality and the cyclical and dialectical processes of archetypes. Cyclically, the analogy produces four mythoi: comedy, romance, tragedy, and irony or satire (this latter also called “realism”). Dialectically, it produces an upward and downward movement between innocence and experience, apocalypse and nature, the ideal and the actual, the comic and the tragic.
The top half of the natural cycle is the world of romance and the analogy of innocence; the lower half is the world of "realism" and the analogy of experience. There are thus four main types of mythical movement: within romance, within experience, down, and up. The downward movement is the tragic movement, the wheel of fortune falling from innocence toward hamartia, and from hamartia to catastrophe. The upward movement is the comic movement, from threatening complications to a happy ending and a general assumption of post-dated innocence in which everyone lives happily ever after. In Dante the upward movement is through purgatory. (Frye: “Anatomy of Criticism”)
Spring/Comedy:
The dawn, spring, and birth phase. Myths of the birth of the hero, of revival and resurrection, of creation and (because the four phases are a cycle) of the defeat of the powers of darkness, winter and death. Subordinate characters: the father and the mother. The archetype of romance and of most dithyrambic and rhapsodic poetry. (Frye:”The Archetypes of Literature”).
“It will be most convenient to work out the theory of comic construction from drama, using illustrations from fiction only incidentally. What normally happens is that a young man wants a young woman, that his desire is resisted by some opposition, usually paternal, and that near the end of the play some twist in the plot enables the hero to have his will. In this simple pattern there are several complex elements. In the first place, the movement of comedy is usually a movement from one kind of society to another. At the beginning of the play the obstructing characters are in charge of the play's society, and the audience recognizes that they are usurpers. At the end of the play the device in the plot that brings hero and heroine together causes a new society to crystallize around the hero, and the moment when this crystallization occurs is the point of resolution in the action, the comic discovery, anagnorisis or cognitio.”(Frye: “Anatomy of Criticism”)
Summer/Romance:
The zenith, summer, and marriage or triumph phase. Myths of apotheosis, of the sacred marriage, and of entering into Paradise. Subordinate characters: the companion and the bride. The archetype of comedy, pastoral, and idyll. (Frye:”The Archetypes of Literature”)
Frye gives literary form to the romance, the quest. The complete form of the romance is clearly the successful quest, and such a completed form has three main stages: the stage of the perilous journey and the preliminary minor adventures; the crucial struggle, usually some kind of battle in which either the hero or his foe, or both, must die; and the exaltation of the hero. We may call these three stages respectively, using Greek terms, the agon or conflict, the pathos or death-struggle, and the anagnorisis or discovery, the recognition of the hero, who has clearly proved himself to be a hero even if he does not survive the conflict. The story of Adam and Eve in Eden has thus a canonical position for poets in our tradition whether they believe in its historicity or not. The reason for the greater profundity of canonical myth is not solely tradition, but the result of the greater degree of metaphorical identification that is possible is myth. In literary criticism the myth is normally the metaphorical key to the displacements of romance, hence the importance of the quest-myth of the Bible in what follows. (Frye: “Anatomy of Criticism”)
Autumn/Tragedy:
The sunset, autumn, and death phase. Myths of fall, of the dying god, of violent death and sacrifice and of the isolation of the hero. Subordinate characters: the traitor and the siren. The archetype of tragedy and elegy. (Frye:”The Archetypes of Literature”)
Thanks as usual to Aristotle, the theory of tragedy is in considerably better shape than the other three mythoi, and we can deal with it more briefly, as the ground is more familiar. Like comedy, tragedy is best and most easily studied in drama, but it is not confined to drama, nor to actions that end in disaster. Plays that are usually called or classified with tragedies end in serenity, like Cymbeline, or even joy, like Alcestis or Racine's Esther, or in an ambiguous mood that is hard to define, like Philoctetes. On the other hand, while a predominantly sombre mood forms part of the unity of the tragic structure, concentrating on mood does not intensify the tragic effect: if it did, Titus Andronicus might well be the most powerful of Shakespeare's tragedies. The source of tragic effect must be sought, as Aristotle pointed out, in the tragic mythos or plot-structure. (Frye: “Anatomy of Criticism”)
Winter/Satire:
The darkness, winter, and dissolution phase. Myths of the triumph of these powers; myths of floods and the return of chaos, of the defeat of the hero. Subordinate characters: the ogre and the witch. The archetype of satire (the conclusion of The Dunciad).(Frye:”The Archetypes of Literature”)
The chief distinction between irony and satire is that satire is militant irony: its moral norms are relatively clear, and it assumes standards against which the grotesque and absurd are measured. Sheer invective or name-calling ("flyting") is satire in which there is relatively little irony: on the other hand, whenever a reader is not sure what the author's attitude is or what his own is supposed to be, we have irony with relatively little satire. Fielding's Jonathan Wild is satiric irony: certain flat moral judgements made by the narrator (as in the description of Bagshot in chapter twelve) are in accord with the decorum of the work, but would be out of key in, say. Madame Bovary. Irony is consistent both with complete realism of content and with the suppression of attitude on the part of the author. Satire demands at least a token fantasy, a content which the reader recognizes as grotesque, and at least an implicit moral standard, the latter being essential in a militant attitude to experience. Some phenomena, such as the ravages of disease, may be called grotesque, but to make fun of them would not be very effective satire. (Frye: “Anatomy of Criticism”)
Five Realms:
In 'Archetypes of literature' Frye gives the idea that genre of the work depends on how symbol or image is to be interpreted and gives five realms of archetypes to study.
Human:
The comedic genre often depicts characters who are happy, successful, and surrounded by supportive friends and family. These characters embody wish-fulfillment and community-centeredness. In contrast, the tragic human world is characterized by isolation and the fallen hero. Tragic works often depict a protagonist who is separated from society, often due to their own flaws or mistakes. These archetypes help to define and distinguish between different genres.
Animal:
Regarding animals, in the comedic genre, animals are often docile and pastoral, such as sheep or cows. They represent the idyllic life of the countryside and the harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Conversely, in tragic works, animals are often predatory and hunters, such as wolves or lions. They represent the dangerous and brutal aspects of life, highlighting the protagonist's vulnerability and mortality.
Vegetation:
In the realm of vegetation, Frye notes that the comedic genre often represents vegetation with gardens, parks, roses, and lotuses. These symbols represent a cultivated and orderly environment in which everything is beautiful and harmonious. Vegetation has no particular life forms, structures, or any specific botanical or geographic characteristics. In contrast, the tragic genre often represents vegetation with a wild forest, which symbolizes chaos, danger, and the unknown. These archetypes help to create a sense of mood and atmosphere within the work.
Mineral:
Regarding the mineral realm, in the comedic genre, cities, temples, or precious things often represent the mineral realm. These symbols represent a stable, civilized, and cultured environment. However, in the tragic genre, the mineral realm is often characterized by deserts, ruins, or "sinister geometrical images." This realm represents a harsh and unforgiving environment in which everything is unstable and uncertain. These archetypes help to create a sense of setting and tone within the work.
Water:
In the water realm, in the comedic genre, rivers often represent this sphere. They symbolize the life-giving power of water and the importance of nature in sustaining life. Conversely, in the tragic genre, water is often represented by the sea and floods, which signify destruction, chaos, and the uncontrollable forces of nature. These archetypes help to create a sense of tension and conflict within the work.
Inductive and Deductive method:
Inductive Method:
Inductive method is journey which leads from specific to general. As we read some specific literary work & comes to a general conclusion, in this way we extend from specific outcome to general outcome.
The best example of this method is grave digging scene from Hamlet. It is a specific scene & from that scene we come to some general conclusion.
In that scene there were two grave diggers and they seemed in quite in harmony with their work. They were talking with one another & singing a song during the time of grave digging. They were also mocking on dead Ophelia & commented that whether she allowed to buried or not. Here we can see that they have no grief for deadly one.
Deductive method:
Deductive method is a journey from general to specific. Music and Rhythm both are the form of an art. Music is a form of art which moves in time and Painting also is a form of art which moves in space. Music is rhythm and painting is a pattern. In a music we can understand the rhythm of it while in painting we can understand the pattern of it. Rhythm is a narrative form, while pattern is simultaneous mental grasp of verbal structure and it has meaning and significance. It provides a mental visuals. By listening some of the music we can't get everything, but when we see the visual images (paintings) ...we can get the actual idea of the patterns.
Conclusion:
Archetypal criticism is a type of critical theory that analyzes a text by emphasizing recurring myths and archetypes in the narrative symbols, images and character types in literary work. Archetypal criticism related with the theory of myth differentiates many things in archetypal. Archetypal is the study of myth and myth is a very important tool in literature so ‘every work of literature has its place within this scheme or myth, every piece of literature adds to the myth.
References:
Denham, Robert D. “Northrop Frye and Critical Method: Theory of Myths.” macblog, https://macblog.mcmaster.ca/fryeblog/critical-method/theory-of-myths.html. Accessed 20 March 2023.
Frye, Northrop. Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays. Princeton University Press, 2000.
Frye, Northrop. “The Archetypes of Literature.” The Kenyon Review, vol. 13, no. 1, 1951, pp. 92–110. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4333216. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.
Word Count: 2715
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