Archetype
Literary term · say it AR-kuh-type
An archetype is a familiar pattern of character, story, or symbol that appears across many works. The wise guide, the dangerous journey, and the return home are examples, though each book can give these patterns its own meaning.
Three ways archetypes appear
Character archetype
A character fills a familiar role, such as the wise guide or the trickster. Their particular choices can deepen or challenge that role.
In The Odyssey, Athena disguises herself as Mentor and encourages Telemachus to seek news of his father. She takes the familiar role of a wise guide helping a young person begin a journey.
In The Odyssey by Homer
Story archetype
A story follows a familiar broad pattern, such as a quest, a homecoming, or a journey from innocence to experience.
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy follows the yellow brick road to seek help from the Wizard, gaining companions along the way. Her journey follows the quest pattern, with a goal, helpers, and obstacles.
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Symbolic archetype
An image, place, or event carries an association found across many stories, such as spring suggesting renewal. Its meaning still depends on the particular book.
In The Secret Garden, Mary tends the neglected garden as spring brings it back to life. The garden's revival echoes the children's growing health and hope, drawing on the familiar link between spring and renewal.
In The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
How to spot an archetype
- Look for a character role, story pattern, or image familiar from other books.
- Compare its role here with its role in those other stories.
- Notice which details follow the pattern and which change it.
What is the difference between an archetype and a cliche?
An archetype is a shared pattern, while a cliche is an expression or idea that feels stale from overuse. A quest or wise guide can still feel fresh when a book gives it particular details, difficult choices, or an unexpected outcome.
What is the difference between an archetype and a motif?
An archetype is a pattern found across different stories, while a motif is an element that recurs within a particular work. Repeated garden images might form a motif in one novel; a garden associated with renewal may also draw on an archetype.
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