Archetypal Criticism by Nirthrop Frye
1. What is Archetypal Criticism? What does the archetypal critic do?
Archetypal criticism is a body of critical interpretations which highlights the images, symbols, and ideas according to the preconceived patterns of ideas or is shaped by cultural and psychological myths. An archetype is a symbolic or consistent representation of a human or a thing considered from a common as well as universal patterns.
According to M H Abrams,
“In Literary criticism, the term archetype denotes narrative designs, patterns of actions, character types, themes, and images that recur in a wide variety of works of literature, as well as in myths, dreams, and even social rituals.” (Abrams and Harpham #)
Northrop Frye in his work, “The Anatomy of Criticism” justifies the archetypal criticism in an essay called “The Archetypes of Literature”. He tries to provide a skeleton of literature. There is a possibility that the archetypes that he suggests opens up the new investigation of any literary work. By observing that every story has the beginning, the middle and the end, Frye suggests that the law of Nature works uniformly. And with the law of Nature, Literature can also have a certain pattern where the ideas, characters, concepts, environment works symbolically with nature. Frye suggests ‘Mythos Grid’.
2. What is Frye trying to prove by giving an analogy of 'Physics to Nature' and 'Criticism to Literature'?Share your views of Criticism as an organized body of knowledge.
By drawing an analogy between physics and criticism, Northrop Frye is trying to argue that literary criticism should aspire to be more systematic, organized, and scientific just as physics is in its approach to understanding the physical world of nature. Frye observes,
“Every organized body of knowledge can be learned progressively; and experience shows that there is also something progressive about the learning of literature. Our opening sentence has already got us into a semantic difficulty. Physics is an organized body of knowledge about nature, and a student of it says that he is learning physics, not that he is learning nature. Art, like nature, is the subject of a systematic study and has to be distinguished from the study itself, which is criticism. It is therefore impossible to “learn literature”: one learns about it in a certain way, but what one learns, transitively, is the criticism of literature.”
Physics approach nature in a systematic and scientific way, developing theories and laws that identify patterns and structures.
Similarly, Frye argues criticism should approach literature systematically to discover the organizing principles, archetypes, and conventions in imaginative works.
This will allow criticism to produce a coherent, organized, unified framework capturing the recurring structural elements in literary symbolism and imagination.
I agree with Frye's analogy and his vision to establish criticism as a more serious discipline with shared concepts and methodology. Some key reasons:
Systematizing and identifying structures, patterns, conventions across literature. It allows stronger analysis putting works in context rather than viewing them in isolation. Critical reading and enjoyment reading is different thing. Criticism can be learned by the time and so that it is organised body.
Additionally, It enables comparing works in more meaningful ways around common elements. A developed framework would aid teaching literature and literary concepts effectively to new learners. For instance, in the essay " The New Criticism : Pro and Contra" Rene Wellek argues that in later phase of 1940s criticism became part of academic course and therefore organised teaching and learning of criticism started.
An organized critical knowledge system lends more weight, credibility to the study of literature as a serious discipline rather than just subjective impressions. Importance of critics and their role in shaping literature is as pivotal as creative writer. Movie like "Chup : A revenge of Artist" directed by R. Balki throwing light upon that by using the story od serial-killer of critic.
Frye's vision to transform criticism into a shared systematic field of study seems important for both strengthening analysis and elevating the critical study of literature. Developing organized critical knowledge highlights meaningful structures versus getting lost in granular work-specific details.
3. Mention the relation of literature with history and philosophy.
History {Events }+ Philosophy {Ideas} = Literature
"If a pattern exists (in systematic and progressive learning of literature), then 'criticism' would be to art what philosophy is to 'wisdom' and history to action."
Literature is highly multidisciplinary. There is a number of incidents occurred in history. For example, battles, massacres, celebrations; among them, some are most important. Creative writers choose the events and connect them with philosophical ideas such as virtues and vices. This is how literature comes into existence. Frye sees literature as a key part of the humanities, positioned between history and philosophy. Currently, criticism is considered a subdivision of literature, and for a systematic understanding, students often refer to the historian's framework for events and the philosopher's framework for ideas. Even critical sciences like textual editing are seen as part of a broader background that connects with history or other non-literary fields.
For example, the historical incident Commander K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra was a 1959 Indian court case where Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, a Naval Commander, was tried for the murder of Prem Ahuja, his wife's lover. Commander Nanavati, accused under section 302, was initially declared not guilty by a jury, but the verdict was dismissed by the Bombay High Court and the case was retried as a bench trial. ( Detailed Reading) Now, this incident was repeatedly depicted in literature. First, in the movie "Rustom," second in "Midnight's Children" where the son observed it, and even in "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam," a similar pattern of a wife loving someone else occurred.
However, it is interesting to see the philosophical ideas behind this. Whether there is a progressive idea of accepting reality and arranging lovers' meetings or killing the person that gave space into the literature. In this way, literature is connected with history as well as philosophy.
4. Briefly explain the inductive method with an illustration of Shakespeare's Hamlet's Grave Digger's scene.
The scene opens with the legalistic chop-logic between two grave diggers.Commenting on the Ophelia’s death by drowning,the first clown speaks in a light-hearted manner describes the incident in an amusing way.He also questions on the doubtfulness of Ophelia’s death and asks what the proper definition of suicide.
He then asks the second clown a question: What is he that builds stronger than either the manson,the ship-wright,or the carpenter?The second clown fails to answer and the first clown then says that it is the grave digger who builds stronger than anybody else because the house that the gravve digger builds lasts till doomsday.The domesday.The grave diggers also comment on the unequal treatment of the church laws.All this is light –hearted talk.
Apart from the comic relief two others important things come out this comic scene.The first thing is the criticism of the organized religion and the second thing is the universility of death.
Prologue to the ’worm meat’ theme :
The gravediggers talk a lot about death, setting the stage for the 'worm meat' theme in the scene. As the Second Gravedigger leaves for some liquor, Hamlet and Horatio arrive and chat with the First Gravedigger. They engage in a clever question-and-answer game. When the first gravedigger throws up a skull and breaks it, Hamlet starts thinking about death and how it levels everyone.
Hamlet's fascination with the body's decay, seen in his first soliloquy ("O that this too too solid flesh would melt"), continues in this scene. He fixates on Yorick's skull, imagining decomposed features. Hamlet reflects on death, seeing everyone as worm's meat, emphasizing that death treats everyone the same, regardless of status.
Hamlet considers the equalizing effect of death, thinking about famous figures like Alexander and Julius Caesar. Despite their greatness, they, too, turned to dust. Hamlet marvels at death's fairness, turning politicians, lawyers, and even esteemed individuals into just "quintessence of dust." Death becomes the great equalizer, reducing everyone, regardless of their past eminence, to the same humble end. (Ataullah Nuri)
The scene is both poignant and humorous, showcasing Shakespeare's ability to blend tragedy and comedy seamlessly. We can generalize that Shakespeare often employs a combination of tragedy and comedy in his works to explore profound themes.
5. Briefly explain the deductive method with reference to an analogy to Music, Painting, rhythm, and pattern. Give examples of the outcomes of the deductive method.
The deductive method progresses from general theory to a particular observation. It is described in the third part of the essay where Frye lists some examples of music and painting – the arts which move in time and space. In both the art forms the organizing principle is recurrence. All forms of art can be conceived either temporally or spatially. Literature is an intermediate between music and painting.
The deductive method helps us interpret works of art, providing a way to understand them. In literature, rhythm is like the storytelling flow, and the pattern is an image created by the words. One can see rhythm in nature's cycles, like flowers blooming or birds singing. According to Frye, things in nature, similar to works of art, are connected to the rhythms of their surroundings, especially the solar year. Frye mentions that bird dances during mating or harvest festivals can be seen as rituals.
In literature, patterns act like symbolic pictures that represent the text. It's a visual way to understand and see the story being told. For example, the general characteristic of the villain as elite and corrupt in literature is the core idea. Going deeper into the study of their representation in literature, if we take a reference from movies, in "Mother India," the villain was a Baniya and landowner, whereas in a present-day movie like "Thunivu," the villain is a bank owner. Thunivu Movie
6. Refer to the Indian seasonal grid (in the blog). If you can, please read a small Gujarati, Hindi, or English poem from the archetypal approach and apply the Indian seasonal grid to the interpretation.
Here is the photo of Indian seasonal grid
Gujrati Poem :
નદીની રેતમાં રમતું નગર મળે ન મળે
નદીની રેતમાં રમતું નગર મળે ન મળે,
ફરી આ દ્રશ્ય સ્મૃતિપટ ઉપર મળે ન મળે.
ભરી લો શ્વાસમાં એની સુગંધનો દરિયો,
પછી આ માટીની ભીની અસર મળે ન મળે.
પરિચેતોને ધરાઈને જોઈ લેવા દો,
આ હસતા ચહેરા; આ મીઠી નજર મળે ન મળે.
ભરી લો આંખમાં રસ્તાઓ, બારીઓ, ભીંતો,
પછી આ શહેર, આ ગલીઓ, આ ઘર મળે ન મળે.
રડી લો આજ સંબંધોને વીંટળાઈ અહીં,
પછી કોઈને કોઈની કબર મળે ન મળે.
વળાવા આવ્યા છે એ ચ્હેરા ફરશે આંખોમાં,
ભલે સફરમાં કોઈ હમસફર મળે ન મળે.
વતનની ધૂળથી માથુ ભરી લઉં ‘આદિલ’,
અરે આ ધૂળ પછી ઉમ્રભર મળે ન મળે.
The title itself is symbolic with reference to the river. Firstly, the season Varsha (monsoon), in which there is full of water. From ancient times, civilizations developed at the banks of rivers, whether it is the Indus, Ravi, or Thames. The tears and emotional downpour in relationships can be linked to the monsoon season, reflecting a cycle of emotions. The metaphor of the scents in the breath and the warmth of the earth suggests a connection to the intense emotions and heat of summer (Grishm).
The realization of unfulfilled connections and the contemplation of relationships may parallel the reflective nature of autumn. To take a last glance at the village, showing a connection with Sharad (winter). The coldness or absence in relationships might be likened to the starkness of Hemant and Shishir, emphasizing emotional barrenness.
Moreover, the usage of symbols of a grave shows a longing for meeting but ultimately unable to connect with the past. In a way, the poem shows the "Carpe Diem" theory of seizing the day.
Nind by Manav Kaul :
The change from "golden" to "black" in the poem represents a moment of realization or transformation. The mention of sleep and the fear of morning hints at a journey into self-discovery or the unconscious.
The poet is thinking about whether to embrace the darkness (black) or stick with the golden perception, showing a common theme of transformation in archetypal criticism.The fear of the morning and the wish to stay in the golden state might show a reluctance to accept the cyclical nature of life, a topic often explored in archetypal themes.
The poem takes us on a journey through different seasons, capturing the essence of each. In Varsha (monsoon), the shift from golden to black mirrors the unpredictability of rains, symbolizing life's changes and uncertainties. Moving into Sharad (winter), the fear of morning and the yearning to stay in the golden state align with the introspective nature of winter, inviting contemplation.
Hemant (autumn) arrives with a reluctance to face the morning, presenting a choice between black and golden, reflecting the emotional barrenness often associated with this season. As we step into Grishm (summer), the warmth and intensity of emotions, hinted by breath and scents, resonate with the heat of summer, adding a layer of depth to the seasonal journey. [ Chat GPT ]
Thank You.
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References :
Abrams, Meyer Howard, and Geoffrey Galt Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Cengage Learning, 2015.
Ataullah Nuri, Mohammad. “Significance of the Gravediggers' Scene in Shakespeare's Hamlet.” Literary Articles, 9 November 2017, https://www.literary-articles.com/2009/12/various-functions-of-gravediggers-scene.html. Accessed 25 January 2024.
Frye, Northrop. “The Archetypes of Literature.” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ETCSC2oNeEhRcXKdgxJHxKJ998-wwl1k/view. Accessed 25 January 2024.
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