Archetypal Criticism
- Northrop Frye
Northrop Frye (1912-1991) was a Canadian literary scholar. His literary theories, which outlined a science of literary criticism based on a core of identifiable mythic forms, had unusual importance internationally, particularly in the late 1950s to late 1970s.
-: Thinking Activity on Archetypal Criticism :-
(1) What is Archetypal Criticism? What does the archytypal critics do?
Archetypal literary criticism 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. It argues that archetypes determine the form and function of literary works.
The meaning of a text is shaped by cultural and psychological myths. Archetypal images and story patterns encourage readers to participate ritualistically in basic beliefs, fears, and anxieties of their age.
These archetypal features not only constitute the intelligibility of the text but also tap into a level of desires and anxieties of humankind. Archetypal criticism also recurrent items from elemental and universal pattern in the human psyche. The Archetypal criticism means identifying pattern of action, characters type and theme in literature as well as in myth, dreams and social rituals.
◆ What does the archetypal critics do?
Archetypal critics find New Criticism too atomistic in ignoring intertextual elements and in approaching the text as if it existed in a vacuum. Archetypal analysis represents each "individual" in a data set as a mixture of "in- dividuals of pure type", or "archetypes".
The archetypes themselves are restricted to be mixtures of the individuals in the data set.The Archetypal critics find out hidden archetype in literature. Northrop Frye's work "Anatomy of Criticism" deal with archetypes but his essays "The Archetypes of Literature" is precursor in this book. The Archetypal critics like to use archetype in literature.
The Archetypal critics find out the symbols, theme, motif and archetypal images is recurrently using in literature. Northrop Frye connect literary genre with four seasons cycle of nature.
(2) What is Frye trying prove by giving an analogy of ' Physics to Nature' and 'Criticism to Literature'?
Northrop Frye has given a unique idea of Archetypal Criticism by comparing the human emotions or human characteristics with the cycle of seasons. physics is the study of nature, criticism, is the study of literature. Frye says that physics is an organized body of knowledge about nature. But generally students say that they are learning physics not nature.
Physics is deep study of nature. Science explores nature and different branches of science explore different aspects of nature. Physics is a branch of science, which explores matter and natural forces of the universe. Literary criticism, today, has become systematic in could be considered as a science. Based on this concept, a work of literature may be critically evaluated, says Northrop Frye.
Criticism is connected with Human nature of romance same way other season like , Autumn is connected with tragedy as well as winter is connected with satite. So, we discuss all seasons which are prove to ' physics to nature' and ' criticism to literature' as below:
1. Spring ( comedy ) :
We know that comedy is a symbol of happiness, so, Frye tried to connect the season Spring with comedy because they both are symbols of birth , development revival , resurrection ,in short something new and full of happiness. Spring refers the human nature of comedy.
2. Summer ( Romance ):
Here summer means not Indian summer but this is a summer of England ,we know that England summer is a very cold ,so people marriage in summer time and marriage is also the symbol of romance.so, summer season refers the romance of human nature, and also summer is culmination of life In the seasonal calendar, it means usually a marriage.
3. Autumn ( Tragedy ):
We can connect the season Autumn with tragedy.Because it is a symbol of dying life. Because in autumn all leaves of tree fallen down and tree become empty without flowers and leaves. As well as hero of the novel fallen down and protagonist became tragic hero.
4. Winter (Satire):
Frye tried to explain his concept of ' physics to nature' by take a reference of season Winter as a Satire. Satire is connect with winter because Satire is ' dark ' genre. It is noted for its darkness , dissolution, and the defeat of the heroic figure.
So here, Northrop Frye prove an analogy of ' physics to nature' and ' criticism to literature' by some seasonal reference as they connected with human nature of comedy , tragedy , romance and Satire.
(3) Share your views of criticism as an organised body of knowledge. Mention relation of literature with history and philosophy.
Literature is a part of humanities and humanities include philosophy and history also. These two branches of knowledge provide a kind of pattern for understanding literature. Philosophy and history are two major tools for interpretation of literature and archetypal criticism is based on philosophy and history of a people. Archetypal criticism is meaningful criticism.
Criticism is organised body of knowledge. Criticism is deals with many subjects of literature like mythology, physics, history, philosophy, etc. The literature is written on the base of history and philosophy.
Frye finds that literature is the central division of the 'humanities', flanked on one side by history and on the other by philosophy. The history is about event which happened in past. Basically history is about past events & action. While philosophy is about ideas & wisdom.
Many literary work are historical and philosophical. The literature and criticism is connect with both history and philosophy. For reading literature reader have knowledge about background of history and philosophy of the literature.
(4) Briefly explain Deductive Method with reference to an analogy to music , painting, rhythm and pattern. Give example of outcome of Deductive Method.
Frye suggested two methods of structural analysis: 1. Inductive Method and 2. Deductive Method.
Inductive Method means one goes from particular to general, from example to definition, illustration to explanation. For example: In Physics students learn theory after they observing the things and at the end they get new rule of physics.
Frye contends that structural criticism will help a reader in understanding a text, and in his analysis, he proceeds inductively. That is, from particular truths in a work, he draws forth general truths.
Shakespeare's "Hamlet" gravedigger scene is best example of study of inductive method. In this scene we can see that gravedigger was not effected by the death of others because it is their rutin work. They have romanticized relationship with their jobs. They introduced different skull with person and their works. It is manifestation of the absolute integrity of gravedigger. We came to general observation that the corruption in society.
Owing to jealousy, Othello in the Shakespeare play, inflicts upon himself affliction and this is the particular truth of the drama from which the reader learns the general truth of life that jealousy is always destructive. This is called the inductive method of analysis under structural criticism.
(5) Briefly explain deductive method with reference to an analogy to music, painting, rhythm and pattern. Give examples of the outcome of deductive method.
Deductive Method means one goes from general to particular, from definition to example, from explanation to illustration. In this method first we see the general truth and after that we learn particular truth.
In music we have see the rhythm and in painting the pattern we find. The literature is as same with music and painting. Rhythm means the recurring sequence of events or anything. In literature the narrative style of writing is like a rhythm.
Pattern means structure of the things. In literature we find verbal structure of the text. In literature we see the rhythm and pattern as we find in music and painting.
(6) Refer to the Indian seasonal grid. If you can, please read small Gujarati or Hindi or English poem from the archetypal approach and apply Indian seasonal grid in the interpretation.
In India there are three main seasons which are known as winter,summer and monsoon. There are many works in literature that follows this Archetypal criticism. In literature we find the season is compare with human life. In literary work character or his/her life archetype of Frye's seasonal comparison.
Here I share an example of archetypal criticism of Gujarati poem :-
વર્ષાની રૂમઝૂમતી રાત રંગભીની.
એવી વ્હાલપની વાત રંગભીની.
આકાશે વીજ ઘૂમે,
હૈયામાં પ્રીત ઝૂમે,
છંટાતી સ્વપ્નની બિછાત રંગભીની.
વર્ષાની રૂમઝૂમતી રાત રંગભીની.
બાજે અજસ્ત્રધાર
વીણા સહસ્ત્રતાર
સ્મૃતિના ઝંકાર આંખે લુવે રંગભીની.
વર્ષાની રૂમઝૂમતી રાત રંગભીની.
ઓ રે વિજોગ વાત!
રંગ રોળાઈ રાત,
નેહભીંજી ચૂંદડી ચૂવે રંગભીની.
વર્ષાની રૂમઝૂમતી રાત રંગભીની.
- ઉમાશંકર જોશી
In this poem we can see that poet says about the season of monsoon. And it is archetypal of happiness for love birds. At the beginning of the poem the rainy sky which seems to be wet with the color of love that becomes the tears of memory then tears falls from eyes and at the end the tears of unbearable bereavement.
So in this poem the rainy night is a symbol of memories for lovers.
Thank you.....
.jpeg)
Good work....
ReplyDelete