Lessons+3+and+4+Themes+and+Archtypes

Skills Cluster 1: Reading and Analysis
 * LESSON NUMBERS 3 & 4 – WHAT ARE RECURRING THEMES & ARCHETYPES IN FANTASY LITERATURE! **


 * Quick Lesson Overview: ** The Fantasy genre has a huge following made up of many fans.Most importantly, fantasy is capable of transporting the reader to another world or another place in time. Great fantasy literature also provides interesting characters whose stories can inform and entertain the reader.In this lesson students have now chosen some quality fantasy literature to explore. These are novels that show what’s best about the fantasy genre as well as their appeal to teen readers.Fantasy literature can sometimes present its own challenges to the reader, so the lesson continues to provide tools to help readers understand the unique structures of fantasy texts.These “archetypes” are themes or structures that appear often across many fantasy selections.


 * Learning Objectives: **
 * 1) Identify recurring themes and common structural archetypes in fantasy literature.
 * 2) Understand how the “Hero’s Journey” is an important archetype in fantasy and mythical literature
 * 3) Read closely to cite strong textual evidence from the book selection and connections to fantasy motifs.


 * Standards Addressed in This Lesson: **
 * R 1.2-­‐3.3 -­‐-­‐ R1.2-­‐3.3 ** Explains and compares the different roles and functions that characters play in a narrative (e.g., antagonist, protagonist, hero); interprets characters’ actions, dialogue, physical attributes, thoughts, feelings, and interactions with other characters to describe nuances of character and how characters change in response to events in the plot.


 * R1.2-­‐4.2 ** Understands that themes are suggested by connections among setting, characters, and plot; identifies story-­‐level and abstract themes and describes their connections to setting, character development, and plot; recognizes the differences between concepts (e.g., truth, fairness, loyalty) and themes (e.g., good friends are loyal to each other).


 * __ Essential __****__ Lesson __****__ Question/s: __**


 * // What are some universal themes or conflicts that make fantasy literature compelling for readers? What are common themes and archetypes found in fantasy literature? //**


 * // Does the “Hero’s Journey” quest have relevance in fantasy literature and/or in your book selection? //**


 * // Mini-­‐task //**
 * // Prompt: // After reading and discussing common archetypes in fantasy literature students will discuss the application of these motifs in the fantasy book they are reading.
 * // Mini-­‐task scoring: No scoring //


 * __ Pre-­‐planning __****__ Notes __****__ for __****__ the __****__ Teacher: __**

This lesson relies heavily on outside sources related to Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey as well as videos from PBS and a current fantasy author. In order to facilitate the best discussion, teachers should review all of these resources ahead of time.


 * __ Lessons __****__ 3-­‐4 __****__ Instructional __****__ Sequence: __****__ (Day __****__ 3) __**


 * 1) 1. During the first part of these lessons, the goal should be interactive class discussion interspersed with some short reading and viewing opportunities.Fantasy literature is one genre that leans heavily on mythical archetypes.Initially you’ll want to prime the pump using class discussion to create this awareness.Here are some possible options.
 * 2) Write the word hero on the board, and have your class brainstorm possible meanings.
 * 3) Ask the class to identify some examples of conflicts that illustrate the ‘good vs.evil’ evil theme in the modern world.
 * 4) Some examples may include tobacco companies vs.non-­‐smokers, large chain stores vs.mom and pop operations, or polluters vs. environmentalists.
 * 5) Use a“pair—share” and ask each group to share five heroes.Share individual results with the class and post the results.
 * 6) The handout on the next page is a good summary of common “archetypes” or motifs found in literature—fantasy literature in particular. Ask students to read in pairs—underlining the most important information.

** ARCHETYPES IN LITERATURE, ART, AND MUSIC **

In a world searching for the one, true God, people, who had no contact with each other at all, formed myths to explain natural phenomena, such as great floods and the creation of the world as well as to answer such questions as why we die and why we are born.These fantasy images appear in literature and art and music all around the world in different time eras like recurring patterns. This challenges us to learn about archetypes and to identify them in our culture.


 * Characteristics of Archetypes: **


 * 1) They are not individual, but are the part we share with all humanity.
 * 2) They are the inherited part of being which connects us to our past.
 * 3) They are universal. From Roman gladiator to the astronaut, they remain the same.
 * 4) Their appearance in diverse cultures cannot be explained as many cultures are so separated by geography and time.
 * 5) Archetypes are recurrent, appearing in slightly altered forms to take present day situations and relate them to the past to find meaning a a contemporary world.


 * Archetype Defined: **

Archetype is an original model, after which other similar things are patterned; it comes from the Greek word “arkhetupos” meaning “exemplary.”

From: Zehnder, Sean. //The Hero and the Shadow: A Study of the Factors of Age and Gender in the Perception and Understanding of Archetypes of Good, Evil, and the Duality of Human Existence//. < http://kidtv.georgetown.edu/zehnder/Shadow_ressearch_proposal.pdf (17 August 2002)

"The hero is an archetypal figure recorded in literature and other art forms throughout history in cultures from all around the world. Some of these figures take fantastic journeys that test their heroic strengths and worth. Other figures undergo tremendous suffering for some greater, heroic purpose. Some suffering figures reach a level of heroic transcendence in a victory over adversity and their own limitations. The nature of the figure may receive a different emphasis in different cultures, and in some cultures, at sometimes, the anti-­‐heroic figure may defiantly be proclaimed as the dominant archetype. Another common archetype is the superheroic figure, who has exceptional strengths to balance against exceptional monsters and fear."


 * Types of Archetypal Journeys **


 * 1) The quest for identity
 * 2) The epic journey to find the promised land/to found the good city
 * 3) The quest for vengeance
 * 4) The warrior’s journey to save his people
 * 5) The search for love (to rescue the princess/damsel in distress)
 * 6) The journey in search of knowledge
 * 7) The tragic quest: penance or self-­‐denial
 * 8) The fool’s errand
 * 9) The quest to rid the land of danger
 * 10) The grail quest (the quest for human perfection)

** Situational Archetypes **

The Quest – This motif describes the search for someone or some talisman which, when found and brought back, will restore fertility to a wasted land, the desolation of which is mirrored by a leader’s illness and disability.

The Task – This refers to a possibly superhuman feat that must be accomplished in order to fulfill the ultimate goal.

The Journey – The journey sends the hero in search for some truth of information necessary to restore fertility, justice, and/or harmony to the kingdom. The journey includes the series of trials and tribulations the hero faces along the way. Usually the hero descends into a real or psychological hell and is forced to discover the blackest truths,quite often concerning his faults. Once the hero is at this lowest level, he must accept personal responsibility to return to the world of the living.

The Initiation – This situation refers to a moment, usually psychological,in which an individual comes into maturity. He or she gains a new awareness into the nature of circumstances and problems and understands his or her responsibility for trying to resolve the dilemma. Typically, a hero receives a calling, a message or signals that he or she must make sacrifices and become responsible for getting involved in the problem. Often a hero will deny and question the calling and ultimately, in the initiation, will accept responsibility.

The Ritual – Not to be confused with the initiation, the ritual refers to an organized ceremony that involves honored members of a given community and an Initiate. This situation officially brings the young man or woman into the realm of the community’s adult world.

The Fall – Not to be confused with the awareness in the initiation, this archetype describes a descent in action from a higher to a lower state of being, an experience which might involve defilement, moral imperfection, and/or loss of innocence. This fall is often accompanied by expulsion from a kind of paradise as penalty for disobedience and/or moral transgression.

Death and Rebirth – The most common of all situational archetypes, this motif grows out of the parallel between the cycle of nature and the cycle of life. It refers to those situations in which someone or something, concrete and/or metaphysical dies, yet is accompanied by some sign of birth or rebirth.

Nature vs.Mechanistic World–Expressed in it's simplest form, this refers to situations which suggest that nature is good whereas the forces of technology are bad.

Battle Between Good and Evil–These situations pit obvious forces which represent good and evil against one another. Typically, good ultimately triumphs over evil despite great odds.

The Unhealable Wound – This wound, physical or psychological, cannot be healed fully. This would also indicate a loss of innocence or purity. Often the wounds’ pain drives the sufferer to desperate measures of madness.

The Magic Weapon – Sometimes connected with the task, this refers to a skilled individual hero’s ability to use a piece of technology in order to combat evil, continue a journey, or to prove his or her identity as a chosen individual.

Father-­‐Son Conflict–Tension often results from separation during childhood or from an external source when the individuals meet as men and where the mentor often has a higher place in the affections of the hero than the natural parent. Sometimes the conflict is resolved in atonement.

Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity – Some characters exhibit wisdom and understanding intuitively as opposed to those supposedly in charge.

3. After pairs have had a chance to read and briefly discuss the handout, here are some questions for the entire class:


 * What is an “archetype?”
 * What are some characteristics of archetypes?
 * Look at the types of archetypal journeys or situational archetypes described in the handout.Can you think of examples in modern fiction, t.v. or cinema that play up one of these archetypes?
 * Were there any references in the handout that seemed confusing or where you had additional questions?

4. Use the following website and some comments to briefly explain the work of Joseph Campbell and his scholarly work describing the hero’s journey.Campbell is worthy of more in-­‐depth study and exploration, so you can also encourage students to learn more about his work using other resources available in this module.If desired, feel free to share some of these with the entire class.For introductory purposes, the following site has good links and some concise summary information.
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Other sites with good materials can be used if time allows. These include:
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 * // 5. //** In addition to the primary website suggested, it is also important to share Campbell’s important concept of the Hero’s journey as a visual cycle. The handout on the next page does a good job illustrating the various stages of the journey as well as those events that occur in the “known” vs. the “unknown” world.Review the illustration and comment on each part of the journey. Be sure that students understand vocabulary in the illustration like**//: mentor; abyss; atonement.//**


 * __ (Day __****__ 4) __**

6. After discussion and analysis of Campbell’s work, a great segue for students will be the link from Campbell’s work to that of George Lucas and his work with the Star War’s films. Lucas was a student of Campbell’s, and Lucas’s work in the fantasy/cinema world was heavily influenced by Campbell’s scholarship.The following interview between Bill Moyers (for the Public Broadcasting System) and George Lucas is rich with possibilities for future discussion.Be sure to preview this video ahead of time to collect notes for follow-­‐up discussion.

[|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jriIXNrN5aw&feature=related]

7. When students have had sufficient time to digest the new information about archetypes often found in fantasy literature, provide in-­‐class time for individual reading of the literature selections.Ask students to be thinking about any connections they see between recent class discussion and characters or plot structure in the novels.

8. Follow up independent reading with time for Book Group discussion.Inform groups that by tomorrow, each student will be expected to complete an “end-­‐of-­‐the-­‐week” blog where he or she comments on connections they have found between their book group selection and literary archetypes or the Hero’s Journey.The following organizer can be distributed to students, and they can use it to collect notes and comments from their own group discussion.This should assist in their writing task for tomorrow. It is probably also a good idea to set up a reading schedule for the remainder of the three weeks students are in their book groups. This way, there is clear understanding about the amount of reading that should be done according to certain milestones.

“hero or heroine’s journey?” ||  ||
 * ** Question for Discussion: ** || ** Notes from Discussion: ** ||
 * Does there seem to be any central character from you book off on a
 * What are some elements of this quest? ||  ||
 * Go back to your “archetypes’ handout and review the situational archetypes. Are you finding any evidence of these? ||  ||
 * How is your central character being tested or how are they evolving during their quest? ||  ||
 * What tools have you noticed the author using to create a sense of the fantasy “place?” ||  ||
 * What tools have you noticed the author using to build understanding of the primary character/s? ||  ||
 * What do you like best about this book so far? ||  ||
 * What are the biggest challenges about reading this book so far? ||  ||

9. End the lesson on Day 4 with a brief introduction and description of the “badging” process available in this module.