The Archetypes

The chapter on Archetypes talks about the different types of characters that usually make up a story. These include: the Hero, Mentor, Guardian, Herald, Shapshifter, Shadow, Ally, and Trickster. Each type has its own unique purpose in the development of the story. A character does not have to have the same archetype throughout the story. It can change to fit the needs of the story. This chapter also goes into great depth about the Hero and the Mentor. Most stories are about the journey of the Hero. He must have qualities that make him easy to relate to by the reader and also qualities that make him admirable. The Mentor is important in stories as a teacher. He helps guide the hero on his journey.

Every fantasy or adventure book I have read has almost all of these archetypes in some kind of form. The better stories had better developed characters who were not rigid and who changed with the story. I thought it was very interesting that the character flaw of a hero is a very important part of the story. If the Hero did not have any flaws it could not grow as the story went on. I also thought it was interesting that the word “Mentor” came from the Odyssey.

The Hero seems to represent every individual. And all of the other Archetypes described are people they meet during their life. The reason these Archetypes are used from story to story is because they are representation of real life and what real people go through. People like reading things they can relate to.