...Is the Story of Mulan an inspirational tale to women or a subtle reminder by Disney about a woman’s place in society? One could say that they Disney princesses are all the same – Cinderella, Ariel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty- they’re all tall, skinny, undeniably beautiful with their long flowing hair and fabulous gowns. They all play the damsel in distress, completely helpless to fend for themselves in the real world. They all await their happily ever after with the handsome prince charming. Mulan however, is different – or at least upon first glance appears to be. In the film, this young woman plays two opposing roles. On one hand, Mulan is the clumsy young woman, considered such an unfit bride that even the matchmaker considers there to be no hope for her “You are a disgrace, you may look like a bride but you will never bring your family honour...” On the other hand, she also plays Ping, the fearless young soldier who was loved by all, who grew from strength to strength and pretty much singlehandedly saved China from the invasion of the Huns. In order for Mulan to save her father from conscription she must give up her female self to pose as a man and join the army. This however, as far as Mulan is concerned, isn’t such a huge loss as she feels she really doesn’t fit in as a traditional Chinese woman. In the opening song she lists all that she is expected to be as a woman, as the perfect Chinese woman – quiet...
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...Mulan Archetypes In the movie Mulan, the character Mulan embodies a couple very significant archetypes. One major archetype she embodies is the hero. She is the hero of the movie because she saved china from being taken over. She first started to become a hero when she snuck out of her house the night before her farther was supposed to leave for war. She put on her fathers armor and left for war. The whole time she was in war she convinced the other soldiers that she was a man. When the Huns attacked china Mulan was a hero because she saved all of the soldiers by shooting a cannon into a mountain top creating an avalanche which stopped the Huns. She also becomes a hero at the end of the movie when the Huns return to china and almost overtake the emperor, but Mulan once again saved them all by leading the soldiers to take down Shan Yu and the Huns. The other archetype that Mulan embodies in the movie is the Scapegoat. She is the scapegoat because her father was supposed to got to war with the soldiers even though he was old and hurt. He could hardly walk but was going to suck it up for his country. Mulan couldn’t watch her father go knowing he probably wouldn’t make it back. So she took his responsibility and went to war. She also took his suffering away from his because she ended up getting stabbed and injured. She did it all for her father and that is why she embodies the hero and scapegoat archetypes in the...
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...Isabel Mendoza English 12 S1 Anna Dowlen 12 May 2016 Odysseus the Hero By definition, a hero is someone who is admired for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Odysseus represents the definition of an archetypal hero gorgeously merely from the fact that he receives super-natural help from the gods. He resembles his home (Ithaca) in the way that puts him as the main protagonist based upon his exceptional morals, which were considered to be boundless courage and respect for the gods and their traditions. With his outstanding qualities he is looked upon for guidance throughout the story as he tries to overcome the many obstacles that stand in his way as well. Odysseus is an archetypal hero mainly from the fact that he receives help from the gods. For example, Euanthes who grants Odysseus in his trouble gifts that will get him and his crew the opportunity to regain their strength. He also receives help from an entity named Dawn. In a way this character represents Odysseus and almost foretells the struggles he will later be facing. In a section he introduces this entity, “Young Dawn with her rose-red fingers shone once more we all turned out, intrigued to tour the island.” From there we can see the struggles he faces with himself to overcome the many obstacles that Zeus inflicts on Odysseus in hopes to prevent his journey to go any further. Another characteristic of an archetypal character is one in which all heroes contain a flaw that prevents them...
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...Reporter: Rubelle Hope T. Bantayan BSED-III ENGLISH Glen Serrano Topic: Types of Characters in Fiction In fictional literature, authors use many different types of characters to tell their stories. Different types of characters fulfill different roles in the narrative process, and with a little bit of analysis, you can usually detect some or all of the types below. * Major or central characters are vital to the development and resolution of the conflict. In other words, the plot and resolution of conflict revolves around these characters. * Minor characters serve to complement the major characters and help move the plot events forward. * Dynamic - A dynamic character is a person who changes over time, usually as a result of resolving a central conflict or facing a major crisis. Most dynamic characters tend to be central rather than peripheral characters, because resolving the conflict is the major role of central characters. * Static - A static character is someone who does not change over time; his or her personality does not transform or evolve. * Round - A rounded character is anyone who has a complex personality; he or she is often portrayed as a conflicted and contradictory person. * Flat - A flat character is the opposite of a round character. This literary personality is notable for one kind of personality trait or characteristic. * Stock - Stock characters are those types of characters who have become conventional or stereotypical through repeated...
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...Literary Criticism Review Paradigm: a framework containing your basic assumptions, ways of thinking and methodology about how something should be done, made or thought about. Cognitive dissonance (psychology): the excessive mental stress and discomfort experienced by the individual who: * Holds 2+ contradictory beliefs, ideas, of values simultaneously * Is confronted by new info that conflicts with existing BIV Is/ought dilemma: us aging -> the world as we wish to be OR the world as it actually is HISTORICAL LENS/NEW HISTORICAL LENS Historical criticism -> insisted we need to know a literary piece, that we need to know authors bio, social background, ideas during that time, cultural milieu (environment) New historicism New Historicism: seeks to find meaning in a text by considering the work within framework of prevailing ideas/assumptions of its era. *All about paying close attention to historical context of literary works (e.g: poems, novels, plays) GOALS: 1) Study how a work of literature reflects its historical/sociocultural context 2) Understand how literary works comments on and relates to its context Therefore, approach is interdisciplinary Example of this lens: Always by Erasure MARXIST LENS (Karl Heinrich Marx + Friedrich Engles) * A form of critique for interrogating all societies and their texts in terms of certain specific issues like race, class, and the attitudes shared within a given culture (see terms) * Marxist critique may...
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...Stage dramas are created to engage viewers and convey the themes and ideas of the playwright. Stage dramas rely largely on spoken language. Through spoken language characters are created and refined. Davis’ language choices have developed the characters in a way that portrays the characters to be exaggerated colonial stereotypes. Characters are the most vital element of a stage drama; they create the link between the audience and the drama. It is through Jack Davis’ writing that we are led to feel particular ways about most of the characters. No sugar is a play that makes an impact. Jack Davis has chosen not to construct realistic characters, but instead characters that fit into and even sometimes challenge the stereotypes placed on Aboriginal people. Although some characters are exaggerated stereotypes there are also many that aren’t. Every character is constructed in a different way, through dialogue and action. No sugar focuses on the hardships faced by an - albeit stereotypical of the 1930’s - Aboriginal family during the continued colonisation of Australia. Gran is the matriarchal figure of the family; she is the one that tries to ensure the continuation of the Nyoongah culture. She is characterised as strong and often stubborn. Her stubborn attitude throughout the play represents, in some ways, Aboriginal stereotypes. The way that Davis has constructed her creates a bond between her and the audience; the audience becomes attached to her. Through Davis’ choice, Gran’s...
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...All movies, books and even plays regarding heroic figures use the same archetypes for their characters. An archetype signifies a symbol which connects to literature, art, and real life. In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, the plot revolves around a group of stranded boys on an island that witness changes in themselves. Throughout the story, each character has an archetypal symbol that connects to a hero’s journey. These archetypes represent the guideline that allows the story to be read through the archetypal literary lens. In literature, the archetypal literary lens allows the reader to read a story by recognizing symbols, character types, and motifs. With this in mind, Golding uses Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack to display the various...
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...The Politically Correct Private Investigator: Not Much Different From The Old Guys People who read detective/Private Investigator (P.I) fiction do so because they are attracted to certain elements that they can expect and enjoy from this genre. Indeed, it seems de rigueur that the hero should have certain character traits and face certain problems in certain ways. In a chapter titled “The Private Investigator,” in fact, we read that a typical investigator will be, male, hard-boiled, an expert on the city, a loner, streetwise, tough, physical, and a mixture of an idealist and cynic. In, however, “Lost Polars,” we see that the author wants to add the novelty of a female character, while maintaining the integrity of the detective genre. Therefore, in Shelley Singer’s depiction of Barrett Lake, the salient and correlative aspects of the archetypal qualities of a private investigator are not tainted with progressive, feminist values. Even though Lake is a woman, she still typifies the noir, solitary hero who stands up for justice even in the face of circumstances that would break the morale of anyone else. This is Singer’s big trick on the audience. We see, for instance, Lake’s intuition, coupled with her quick-thinking, which assured her successful investigation into Judy Garbman’s murder. She’s a woman who does this, but there’s nothing really “feminine” about this process. Her willingness to calm and collectively rationalize and reason, while the rest of her reunion...
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...Ladee Calhoun Hamilton British Literature 1 October 2015 The Ruler After the fall of Roman Empire was the rise of a new religion, Christianity. The Christianity religion was the doctrine or belief that there is only one god which differ the Roman culture. The poet as historian is known as the scop in the Anglo-Saxon culture. To understand culture, one has to understand the belief set. The hero is the most dominant archetype in Beowulf because it deals with the fraternity warrior’s culture. Although the pluralism of Anglo-Saxon culture is very similar to our American culture, the archetype of The Ruler takes place in America today because everyone wants to take control and have power over their own lives and others around. In Literature, an Archetype is a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal pattern or human nature. There are many set archetypes; The Innocent, The Lover, and The Rebel. However, the one that dominates the most in Anglo-Saxon culture is the Hero. “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me” (Beowulf’s Last Battle 607-610). In Anglo-Saxon culture being boastful and prideful is praised because it is a characteristic of a Hero. The poem itself was named after Beowulf to show that he was the dominant hero, the one who stood in the spotlight. “Then he stepped to another still body, clutched at...
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...fairytales contain character archetypes, but they also include situational archetypes such as quests, impossible tasks, or the triumphs of the poor. Although all fairytales have different plots, they are all extremely similar to each other due to the common motifs and archetypes that are present in all fairytale stories. To determine whether a story is a fairytale or not is incredibly easy because one can easily discover numbers of motifs and archetypes that are exhibited throughout the story. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum is a story about a girl named Dorothy who is sent to fulfill arduous tasks and lengthy quests in order to find her way back home. As she tries to find her return home, she has many rough encounters with evil but is assisted by various characters and eventually returns home safely. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz would be considered a fairytale because of the common motifs and archetypes that are present and consistent throughout the story. The motifs and archetypes in the story are the hero, the trickster, the talking animals or objects, the glorified human strength of kindness, and the guardian. The hero archetype in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz proves that this story is a fairytale and is evident through the actions of Dorothy. Dorothy is a little girl from Kansas that is taken away from her homeland by a cyclone that took her and her house into a wonderful country known as the Land of Oz. Dorothy is considered the hero archetype because the story revolves...
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...In the stories Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief and “The legend of Perseus”, the Legend of Perseus is modernized in Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief by changing the events, Hero Archetypes, and themes. Have you ever wonder how Roman stories are like today and how they are made modern to meet your expectations? Events are one of the main thing modernized from ¨The legend of Perseus¨ to Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief. The events are modernized through the Hero’s Journey because in “The legend of Perseus” Perseus never meet the mentor and instead journeyed on his own “Perseus bid his mother good-by and set out to search for Medusa” (D'aulaires,117) unlike Percy Jackson who had several mentors Grover, Poseidon, and Chiron (Percy Jackson...
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...Theory of forms The theory of Forms may be understood best in terms of mathematical entities. This Theory was his way of explaining how the same universal term can refer to so many particular things or events. An individual is human to the extent that they resemble or participate. In the Form "humanness" if "humanness" is defined in terms of being a rational animal and human being to the extent that he or she is rational. An object is beautiful to the extent that it participates in the Idea, or Form of beauty. Everything in the world of space and time is, what it Is by virtue of it's resemblance to, or participation in, it's universal Form. The supreme Form is the Form of Good, which like the sun in the myth of the cave, illuminates all the other ideas. The theory of Forms is intended to explain how one comes to know and also how things have The forms are eternal and changeless, but enter into a partnership with changeable matter, to produce the objects and examples of concepts, we perceive in the temporal world. These are always in a state of becoming, and may participate in a succession of forms. The ever-changing temporal world can thus, only be the source of opinion. Plato likens the opinions derived from our senses, to the perception of shadows of real objects, cast upon the wall of a cave. True knowledge however, is the perception of the archetypal forms themselves, which are real, eternal, and unchanging. Whilst the forms are invisible to the eye, our souls have participated...
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...Archetypal Analysis: How the Grinch Stole Christmas The school of criticism that best interprets Dr. Suess’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is an archetypal analysis. The author frequently follows recurring symbols and themes found in numerous types of literature. Using several universal symbols, images, and character types, Dr. Suess has definitely created a poem filled with archetypal images and story patterns. Generally, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” follows the archetypal pattern in which the main character, the Grinch, leaves his home on a quest – specifically, to stop Christmas from coming in Whoville. During this journey, being in itself a popular story line in literature, the Grinch encounters several common archetypes that reflect particular actions or situations that represent human nature. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is an obvious example of “Good versus Evil.” The “Who’s down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot,” (1); a happy, family-oriented town of individuals who had no notion of evil in their minds is distinguished as something “good”. However, “the Grinch hated Christmas”(2) and succeeds in stealing Christmas from the guiltless Who-families, distinguishing himself as “evil.” Additionally, the evil Grinch encounters Little Cindy-Lou Who, who asks him, “’Santy Claus, why,/Why are you taking our Christmas tree?” (74, 75) Her innocence reflects yet another archetypal character. She may also be considered a hero, as she predominantly exhibits goodness...
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...moments across a clear and discernible 3 act structure. A cross comparative analysis of the two mediums, utilising Volger’s 12 steps Hero’s Journey demonstrates however how the games at first honours this time honoured journey, being plotted along Volger’s step before discarding them to its own detriment. The similarities in the narrative structure of both the film and the game differ little, particularly across their first act structures. Much like the films protagonist Jake Scully your character avatar, Able Ryder, will similarly find him/herself awakening from cryo after a prolonged journey from earth, leaving the ‘ordinay world’ and answering the ‘call to adventure’ within the exotic forests of Pandora. The hero archetype Jake is a fully realised character from the films introduction, who during the film’s first act quickly traverses Volger’s first two narrative points through a series of cut scenes and narration. There is no vagueness surrounding Jake’s character, the internal polarities of that character or the ordinary world he is leaving. The remaining narrative points (‘refusal of the call’, ‘meeting the mentor’ and ’crossing the threshold’) inherent in act one are also traditionally...
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...Out of madness springs The Hollow Men, one of T.S. Eliot’s critically acclaimed poetic masterpieces. This poem has been analyzed over and over, and is so full of references to texts that it can be confusing to find a launching point. Just like most things in life, the beginning is a good start. T.S. Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri and attended Harvard, and went overseas to England for graduate school. It was here that he settled down, becoming a banker, and more importantly, writing poetry (Nobelprize.org). In the early and mid-1920’s, Eliot suffered from numerous nervous breakdowns, and during one of these breakdowns in 1925 the poem The Hollow Men was written. Using the archetypal literary school of criticism we will magnify the archetypes of hopelessness, desperation, misery, and despair throughout the work. The archetypal school of literary criticism determines a text’s meaning using cultural and psychological myths. Commonly used symbols such as crucifixion or the snake serve as a marker to delve deeper into the reading. Carl Jung, whose theory of a “collective unconscious”, has been accredited with founding this school of literary criticism. This Jungian theory claims literature imitates the “dream of humanity”, not life. Archetypal criticism splinters from the Formalist or New Criticism schools of literary criticism by approaching the work in the context it is read in, instead of holding it aloof from other texts. Archetypal images, sounds, and symbols are used in...
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