Shadowy figures & darkness in English literature
Student: Nathan Berry
Teacher: Steve Tong
Faculty: English
Standard details: AS 91479
[Partially edited. Exemplar of excellence]
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Table of Contents
1.
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….……3
2.
Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………..….……..3
2.1 What is the purpose of the archetypes studied from a psychological view?.........................3-4
2.2 What is the purpose of the archetypes studied from a literary view?....................................4-5
3.
Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………………….….5
3.1 Psychological perspective………………………………………………………………………5
3.2 Literary perspective…………………………………………………………………………….5
3.3 Overall conclusion………………………………………………………………………………5
4.
Reference List……………………………………………………………………………………….…6
5.
Appendices (logs)………………………………………………………………………………….……7
Appendix A: The Dark Knight Returns………………………………………………………..……7-10
Appendix B: Wuthering Heights………………………………………………..………………….11-12
Appendix C: Othello…………………………….…………………………………………………13
Appendix D: Donnie Darko………………………………………………………………………..14
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1.
Introduction
An archetypical character is a reoccurring character that is reborn in many different personas in many
different tales. Archetypes can, however, also be psychological images that appear in myths, legends
and dreams due to the existence of the collective unconscious. My research will focus mainly on
darker archetypes – and their necessity in literature and the human spirit – archetypes such as the
‘Byronic Hero’ and the ‘Shadow’. I will also include less significant archetypes such as the “Mentor”
and “Student/Sidekick”. The archetypes will be divided into two distinct categories: Psychological
Jungian archetypes proposed by Carl Jung and literary archetypes fictional characters repeated
throughout literature.
The research will primarily concentrate on four texts:
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2.
The Dark Knight Returns – a graphic novel by Frank Millar
Wuthering Heights – a 19th century novel by Emily Bronte
Othello – a 17th century play by William Shakespeare
Donnie Darko – a film directed by R. Kelly
Discussion
2.1 What is the purpose of the archetypes studied from a psychological view? In the Dark
Knight Returns Wuthering Heights and Donnie Darko shadow and ego archetypes are used to
show their effect on the self. In the Dark Night Returns we see the effect of shadow denial,
according to R.H Hopke the shadow “contradicts who we would like to see ourselves as”, i.e.
Bruce (the ego) does not want to embrace his super hero self again (his shadow). By attempting
to repress his shadow, however, he only manages to aggravate the situation. Hopcke explains
this stating that the shadow “when repressed or denied continues to work behind the scenes
causing all manner of neurotic and compulsive behavior”. In the case of Bruce this presents as
an overwhelming nightmare and nagging inner voice. According to Jung’s philosophy to defeat
the Shadow we must accept it and all that it entails hereby robbing it of its power of guilt and of
its power over the subconscious, this too is illustrated in the text when Bruce channels his
shadow into more healthy vigilante actions.
Donnie Darko, on the other hand, shows us the effect of a mind ruled by its shadow. Donnie is
controlled by his Shadow, represented by the character of Frank; again we see the
psychological effect the Shadow takes on the unconscious. Donnie’s, apparently schizophrenic,
visions of Frank lead him to commit extreme acts of vandalism and violence climaxing with the
death of his girl friend, Gretchen, and the murder of her killer. This illustrates that, even though
shadow denial is unhealthy for the self, complete devotion to it can be even more detrimental –
leading to violence and immorality. A person fully embracing their Shadow becomes the
contradiction of how they would like to see themselves. The effect of Shadow devotion is
further exemplified in Donnie’s reaction to the death of his girl friend. Unable to cope with
harsh reality of his actions and of Gretchen’s death Donnie’s sub conscious, devoid of
reasoning (due to the impulsiveness of the Shadow), creates an alternate reality in which he
saves Gretchen from death by traveling back in time.
Wuthering Heights is a hybrid of the previous two examples, exemplifying the importance of a
balance between, and the necessity of, the Shadow (dark) and Ego (light). Heathcliff is
evidently the Shadow from the outset, described early on as a “dark gypsy brat”. Dark and
brat are both explicitly related to the Shadow and gypsies are a mystical people full of passion
with a reputation for theft and black magic. His effect on Catherine, the Self, is blatant and
immediate, showing the powerful seductive effect the Shadow has on the Self. Catherine adopts
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the shadow motif of her implicit lover-friend; rebelling from the Ego dominated expectations of
Victorian England i.e. the shadow compels the Self to abandon the Ego – that is until Catherine
is introduced to Edgar, full of the civility of Ego. Catherine longs for a balance between the
Ego and Shadow, desiring stability and civility as well as passion and deviancy. Catherine tries
to maintain a polygamous relationship with both partners, but the two males, of opposing
ideology, can barely stand to be in the same room, let alone share the ‘girl of their dreams.’
According to Hopcke this is typical of the Shadow-Ego relationship he states: “Our egotistic
sense of self…senses its authority challenged by this shadow and feels the shadows closeness as
a threat...” The two opposing archetypes see the each other as a threat to their dominance over
the self; this is the cause of tension between Heathcliff and Edgar. Catherine rebukes the
seductiveness of the shadow choosing Edgar as her partner, as shown in the Dark Knight
Returns shadow denial can be detrimental for the health of the subconscious; this is hinted at by
Catherine: "My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it, I'm well
aware, as winter changes the trees - my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath
- a source of little visible delight, but necessary." She admits that, although she has chosen
Edgar, she still feels drawn to the seductive immorality of the Shadow and, at some base level,
even requires it. Her premonition proves correct and the isolation from the shadow sends
Catherine into hysteria and depression, culminating in her death. These three examples serve to
demonstrate the varying effects the shadow-ego relationship has on the self and that a healthy
subconscious requires a balance between the two.
2.2 What is the purpose of the archetypes studied from a literary view? Many archetypes have
uses besides deciphering psychological meanings, some non Jungian archetypes serve to
portray messages to the audience, while others help the audience relate to the stories and
characters in the text. Sometimes the audience’s individual interpretation of an archetype can
‘hinge’ on their entire understanding of the text.
At the simplest level archetypes such as the: ‘Bully’, ‘Damsel in Distress’, ‘Sidekick/Student’,
and ‘Mentor’ serve only to make the story or a major character within the text more familiar or
relatable, being characters encountered before, or relatable to real life. These are archetypes
that tend to trigger the same response from audiences: the ‘Bully’ makes the audience
sympathetic to the plight of the protagonist, the ‘Sidekick/Student’ helps to humanize the
central character, and the ‘Damsel in Distress’ provides them with a goal to accomplish and
fills the audience with adoration for the hero
The ‘Byronic Hero’, however, serves a deeper purpose; its role is to show the necessity of
darkness. The first example of the Byronic hero studied, ‘the Batman’ shows that the Byronic
hero differs from other heroes in its willingness to ‘get the job done’, even if immoral actions
are required to bring about a moral purpose. The Byronic hero uses its seductive qualities,
troubled past, and passion to seduce the audience in to approving of its quest, attempting to
convince the reader that certain circumstances justify harsh vigilante actions.
The Byronic hero, Heathcliff, in Wuthering Heights, shows that a protagonist doses not have to
be a ‘heroic’, or even moral character. The Byronic hero illustrates that the protagonist can
even be a morally bankrupt villain whose entire existence is based on revenge. Once again it is
the Byronic Hero’s seductive qualities that cause the audience to feel sympathetic towards him.
Heathcliff shows great passion in his revenge and hate, but also in his love, and it is his grand
love for Catherine, amongst a cast of pathetic and removed characters, that eventually brings
the audience ‘on to Heathcliff’s side’.
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Othello is special in this regard as ‘Othello’ at first appears to another Byronic hero, but as the
story progresses, the audience begins to lose sympathy towards him, and he is revealed to be a
closely related ‘Tragic Hero’. In the beginning of the play Othello is passionate in his forbidden
love for Desdemona for which great sympathy is generated by the audience. But as a Tragic
Hero, it is this passion that eventually leads to his downfall. His passionate love for Desdemona
is turned into Passionate jealousy by the mere suggestion of infidelity, showing Othello as
weak and easily fooled, at this point the audience begins to lose sympathy towards the tragic
hero. By the time Othello savagely murders his wife, the audience has lost all sympathy and
sees Othello as a jealousy bestial and cowardly fool. Showing that a Byronic Hero who loses
his passion or dominance means losing all seductiveness to the audience, and he is seen as
week, flawed or even evil.
Besides characters changing archetypes, the archetype interpreted can influence the purpose
and morals of a text, as shown by the character of ‘Frank’ in Donnie Darko. Their are two
interpretations of Frank, dependent on whether the audience sees him as a supernatural time
traveler, or as a delusional vision. If Frank is taken as a delusional vision, then he is the
subconscious’s representation of the shadow (as discussed in the previous section). However if
he is a supernatural time traveler then he fits the ‘Mentor’ archetype, which then means that
Donnie is not a schizophrenic committing random deeds of destruction , but a prophetic hero
working towards a grand destiny. This has a carry on effect in which ultimately the genre of
film changes from psychological thriller to sci-fi fantasy. There by revealing the purpose of
archetypes to define entire stories even changing the genre in which it is set.
3. Conclusions. Therefore the purpose of archetypes is one many functions and depends greatly on the lens
through which they are studied.
3.1
From a psychological point of view the, Jungian, archetypes studied show the effect of archetypes on
the subconscious and the carry-on effect this has on the rest of the mind. They are especially useful in
showing the need for balance and that a healthy mind requires a portion of ‘darkness’ to accomplish
deeds the Ego is unwilling to face.
3.2
From a Literary view archetypes are excellent for: conveying ideas such as the seductiveness of
passion and the necessity of darkness and creating sympathy and an ability to relate through the use
of familiar Archetypes.
3.3
Overall, archetypes defy the story and genre of the story itself with the possibility of two differing
interpretations for Archetypes. It is this versatility and effect, coupled with the quality of characters,
which see archetypes reappear in differing embodiments across countless societies and vast expanses
of time.
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4.
Reference List
Bronte E. (1997) Wuthering Heights, (5th ed.) Roy Blatchford (Ed.), London: Longman Literature.
Hopcke R.H. (1989) A guided tour of the collected works of C.G Jung , Shambhala Boston & Shaftesbury 1989,
pp 71-208
Kelly R. (2001) Donnie Darko, Newmarket Films
Miller F. (1986) The Dark Knight Returns, DC Comics
Shakespeare W.(1996) Othello, (6th ed.) Roy Blatchford (Ed.), London: Longman Literature.
Zolla E.(1981) Archetypes, Allen and Urwin
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Appendix A
Title: The Dark Knight Returns
Author: Frank Miller
Text type: graphic novel
Date finished:
Q1: What archetypes are evident in the text?
Criteria for a Byronic hero:
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Intelligence and perception
Cunning and ability to adapt
Sophistication and education
Self criticism and introspection
Mysteriousness
Struggle with integrity
Power of seduction
Social and sexual dominance
Emotional conflicts
Distaste for social norms
Being an exile outcast, or outlaw
Dark attribute
Disrespect of rank
A troubled past
Cynicism
Arrogance
Self destructive behavior
 Self destructive behavior
Bruce's self-destructive behavior is evident from the establishing screens of the text, wherein he
comes seconds away from death in a flaming car wreck. This behavior is further developed by his
inability to accept his aged body’s condition or to remove himself from harm; he suffers multiple
injuries suffers two heart attacks and is repeatedly stabbed.
 Cunning and ability to adapt
Bruce and his alter ego are often seen as a dark predatory hero hunting a prey of often crude or
stupid villains (the archetypical dumb ‘grunt’ villain). Like all clichéd archetypical heroes Bruce
suffers a defeat at the hands of a large bulking threat to society (‘The Mutant’), is saved by some
form of ‘deus ex machina’ (his new side kick ‘robin’). He recovers from this and, like so many
other incarnations of Bruce Wayne, uses his foe’s size and viciousness against him. Bruce emerges
triumphant, showing his cunning and ability to adapt.
 Sophistication and education
Bruce is often referred to as a “playboy millionaire” with a wealth of possessions, property and the
uncanny ability to invent extraordinary machines and gadgets to combat the villains of Gotham city.
 Self criticism and introspection
In this text Bruce struggles with his mortality and comes to criticize his frail body, referring to
himself as “too late, too old…Clumsy... stupid… doddering… lucky”. He also criticizes his
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inability to kill his arch enemy ‘the Joker’ counting every murder Joker makes as a death caused by
his inability to kill the him.
 Mysteriousness
Bruce’s entire persona is about mysteriousness from the dark mask and costume to his misanthropy
and hidden secrets.
 Struggle with integrity
Bruce struggles to define the kind of hero he wants to be he’s not a perfect virtuous hero like rival
‘Superman’ but neither is he a criminal. He has no problem with hurting people – even police – but
struggles to commit the final acting of killing someone in the name of justice (see Self criticism and
introspection)
 Power of seduction, social and sexual dominance
Bruce’s vigilante actions seduce others in to following his example of the Batman. Groups of
disgruntled citizens fed up with the violence exerted on them by criminals, and criminals seduced
by Batman’s show of power and his example of redemption, join together under the banner of ‘Sons
of Batman’ (SOB). In one scene ‘Batman’ leads the SOB through the streets of Gotham bringing
brutal order to the rioting city.
 Emotional conflicts, and Troubled past
These are explored through his vivid dark dreams. Bruce dreams of running through a field as a
small boy, the field gives way and Bruce finds himself trapped in a dark cave he becomes aware of
a haunting orange glow approaching from the darkness, suddenly the apparition appears at his side
revealed to be a giant bat with eyes and mouth of glowing fire. This scene is then followed by a
dream about his parents’ deaths. Bruce then finds himself awake up right in a chair gazing
distressingly out a large window. An unknown narrator begins berating Bruce “you remember that
night” the voice becomes more aggressive, demanding “I am your soul…you are nothing, a rusty
tap that cannot hold me… I burn you… I flare hot and bright and beautiful”. At the scenes climax
the giant bat motif comes crashing through the window enveloping Bruce in its presence
 Dark attributes
Unlike his cleaner superhero counterparts, Batman has no qualms hurting his enemies in fact he
even prefers it to other solutions: “there are 7 working defenses from this position three will disarm
with minimal contact, three of them kill. The other hurts.” He chooses the option that cripples his
opponent. Further darkness is shown in his dealings with his sidekick, threatening to beat him if he
fails to obey orders – with his once friend and ally Superman, wherein he plans to kill him.
 Disrespect of rank and/or social norms
Due to his vigilante actions, and refusal to answer for these actions, Batman is hated by the police,
media and government. Bruce ignores arrest warrants, presidential orders to hand himself in to ‘the
authorities’, and media requests for interviews. All this comes to a head with physical
confrontations between police, government forces and ex-ally Superman - the president’s “go-to
man” for unruly superheroes.
Jungian archetypes
The shadow is a classical Jungian archetype an opposite to his idea of the ego (this slightly differs
to Freud’s interpretation) the ego tends to represent our more virtuous traits and the shadow,
according to Robert H. Hopcke*, represents “Those unpleasant and immoral aspects of ourselves
which we would like to pretend don’t exist.” Hopcke then goes onto elaborate on the interaction
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between the two characters, stating “Our egotistic sense of self, our autonomy, our uprightness
senses its authority challenged by this shadow and feels the shadows closeness as a threat, a dark
brother/sister constantly at our heels.”
 Shadow and Ego, at a personal level
This means that at a personal level, the Shadow Ego archetypes can be applied to Bruce Wayne and
his alter ego Batman. Bruce is never the vigilante hero until he dons the Batman costume clearly
showing his shadow is in control and this is when he displays his less than virtuous characteristics.
 Shadow and Ego, at a less personal level
The ego shadow relationship can also be applied to that between Superman and Batman. The two
are comparable characters but at opposing sides of the hero spectra, Superman the dutiful soldier
serving the higher power and following every letter of the law, and Batman the dark vigilante hero.
Batman is Superman’s shadow.
 Shadow and Ego, at a more global level
When Gotham city (ego) plunges into chaos it is up to the Sons Of Batman, the city’s shadow (Sons
Of Batman) to restore order.
Q2: How do these archetypes interact with other characters?
Close interactions. Bruce, being a Byronic hero, is an exile and therefore has few positive relationships with
other characters, the closest of those being with:
 His butler Alfred
Alfred has been Bruce's butler for many years and so has earned the respect of the Byronic hero.
 Commissioner Gordon
The relationship is one of mutual respect with a hint of camaraderie.
 Robin
Bruce is Robin’s mentor; however, his dark nature causes him to be unforgiving of his mistakes and
to verbally abuse him.
Antagonistic interactions. Even though the Byronic hero is a brutal archetype, he is still a hero and his
relationship with criminals is one of vicious punishment.
 Leader of the mutants
Accepts ‘the mutant’s’ challenge to hand to hand combat to prove himself as the dominant figure,
the alpha dog. The Byronic hero emerges triumphant taking the mutants followers as his own
(demonstrating his power of seduction, as well as his social dominance).
 Joker
Not content with the penal systems failings with his nemesis, the Joker, the Byronic hero vows that
this will be their last fight – either himself or the joker are to die. To satisfy his self criticism and
emotional conflict, he must put an end to his enemy. However, the Byronic hero struggles with his
integrity and is in the end unable to kill the joker, instead leaving him paralyzed.
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Shadow-Ego interactions.
 The shadow, as Batman, to Bruce’s ego.
Bruce’s conscience ego tries to repress his shadow to the confines of his memories. Eventually, the
shadow emerges as the dominant force creating the Batman persona.
 The shadow ego relationship, Batman-Superman
The ego seeing itself as perfect and embarrassed by the unlawfulness of the shadow is sent to bring
the shadow to answer for its crimes. However, Batman – like the other example – manages to
triumph over the ego defeating Superman before then faking his death.
 Shadow ego Gotham city
The shadow takes control when the ego can’t handle the situation at hand returning the ego to a
state of calm.
Q3: What does this show about the human condition or the archetype?
Clearly the dark knight returns is trying to portray itself as a dark text, utilizing such archetypes as the shadow
and Byronic hero.
 Byronic hero. DKR shows that the Byronic hero is a passionate character, as opposed to other
heroes who are normally calm and removed. This passion helps us relate to the Byronic hero and
helps us find parts of ourselves in him. Adding to this, the Byronic hero’s seductive, self-critical
and rebellious nature also makes us more sympathetic towards his plight; this brings us around to
agreeing with a central theme in the text: we should bend the law to ‘get the job done’, to do what’s
right. Therefore we can conclude that the function of the Byronic hero, in DKR, is to inspire as to
do right even if it is a little wrong i.e. if the end justifies the means.
 Shadow vs. Ego. Bruce Wayne-Superman. This relationship shows a more traditional Jungian
interpretation of the shadow’s effect on the human psyche. According to Hopcke, the shadow
“contradicts who we would like to see ourselves as” i.e. Bruce (the ego) does not want to embrace
his super-hero self again (his shadow). By attempting to repress his alter-self, however, he only
manages to aggravate the situation, Hopcke explains this stating that the shadow “when repressed or
denied continues to work behind the scenes causing all manner of neurotic and compulsive
behavior”. In the case of Bruce, this behavior presented as an overwhelming nightmare. Jung also
proposes that we should accept the shadow as a part of our selves, hereby robbing it of its power of
guilt, embarrassment and of its control over the subconscious. In the text when Bruce finally
accepts his shadow, embracing his past heroics, he robs the shadow of its power, channeling it
towards healthier vigilante actions.
 Batman-Superman. According to Jung a person too in touch with its ego begins to see themselves
as impervious and without flaw. Superman the prime example of the ego has become inflated seeing
himself as omnipotent and always fighting for the side of right. Batman, the shadow, proves both
these concepts to be wrong showing the ego to be both imperfect and a champion of an immoral
government.
 Shadow as Society. In this example we see the collective unconscious’s effect on society, when
the city plunges into chaos the once civil middle class of Gotham (the ego) begin rioting and
looting. It takes the harsh criminal underground and the SOB (the shadow) to restore a brutal order
to the city and pacify the ego.
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Appendix B
Title: Wuthering Heights
Author: Emily Bronte
Text type: novel
Date finished:
Q1: What archetypes are evident in the text and how do they compare with
other similar archetypal characters?
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Heathcliff as the Byronic hero. Heathcliff displays all the criteria for the Byronic hero apart from
sophistication and education, he makes up for this ,however, with his natural wit and cunning.
Heathcliff is also more explicit in his social and sexual dominance when compared with Bruce Wayne
because of strong conations of physical and sexual abuse.
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Jungian archetypes. As in ‘the dark knight returns’ the ego and shadow archetypes are evident in the
relationship between Catherine, Linton and Heathcliff. This time the effect of the ego (Linton) and the
shadow (Heathcliff) are shown on the Self (Catherine). Other archetypes present include the Anima
and Animus which are the missing opposite sex parts to the self i.e. males have a female anima and
females have a male anima.
Q2: How do these archetypes interact with other characters?
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The Byronic Hero’s interaction with other characters: As in other texts the misanthropist Byronic
hero has little positive relationships, the closest being his love hate obsession with Cathy. He suffers
badly at the hands of others and his proud violent nature means forgiveness is nit an often portrayed
emotion leading to actions such as:
 Setting lifelong plans to destroy his brother, love rival, and each of their bloodlines.
 Routinely torturing his wife who is just a replacement for his true love Cathy.
 Forcing his rival’s daughter, Cathy Linton, to marry his own son so that upon his sickly
son’s death he will inherit the Linton fortune.
In this example the Byronic hero stands out as a ruthless strong character in a text surrounded by weak
and pitiful characters, and in this environment he thrives.
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Interactions between the Shadow Self and Ego: Catherine first entranced by the Shadow’s dark
passionate qualities becomes best friend and lover to Heathcliff. Once introduced to Linton, however,
she becomes attracted to his civility and other egotistical qualities, as in previous texts the shadow and
ego clash and are hardly going to share Catherine. Catherine chooses Linton yet the isolation from
Heathcliff sends her into a state of depression and eventually death.
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Anima and Animus. In the text Cathy is Heathcliff’s Anima and he is her Animus. This is made
blatant in Catherine’s statement “I am Heathcliff”
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Q3: What does this show about the human condition or Archetypes? How
does this relate to previous texts studied?
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Byronic hero. It is important to note that in this text the protagonist, Byronic hero Heathcliff, is not
nice or even moral. We see the as an audience we can fall for a morally bankrupt character as long as
they show deep emotion and are passionate in their hate, we become more and more sympathetic to the
Byronic hero even as his deeds become more and more atrocious. We see that once again it is the
Byronic hero’s seductive qualities that draw us in to his web of passion and violence.
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Shadow Ego Self. This shows the importance on the human psyche of the Self being in touch with
both the Shadow and Ego in a balanced manner. Both are needed for the self to fully thrive.
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Anima and Animus. Our Anima or Animus are missing portions of ourselves that we project onto
potential partners who can then not hope to live up to theses projected standards i.e. Heathcliff and
Catherine are disappointed to find that their partner is imperfect and do not live up to the ideals each
had of one another.
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Appendix C
Title: Othello
Author: William Shakespeare
Text type: drama script
Date finished:
Q1: What archetypes are evident in the text and how do they compare with
other similar archetypal characters?
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Othello may be seen as a Byronic hero, like Heathcliff and Batman, but on further inspection he is
shown to lack the rebellious nature as well as lacking sophistication or intelligence, Othello it seems is
a tragic hero. A hero, originally virtuous, whose downfall is brought on by their one fatal flaw, in
Othello’s case Jealousy. Other archetypes present include Iago as the devil and Desdemona as the
pathetic, damsel in distress.
Q2: How do these archetypes interact with other characters? How do certain
archetypes act with other archetypes?
 Othello tries to ‘do right’ by others but his jealousy is abused and manipulated by Iago turning Othello
in to a raging monster. Desdemona the helpless maiden tries to help everyone misunderstanding how
this will be seen by others, for this her husband murders her, to which she submissively accepts not
even raising a hand to stop him.
 Iago manipulates all characters in the text, turning their own thoughts towards his course, and like the
devil none of this is revealed into the final scene where the extent of his ‘evil’ is revealed.
Q3: What does this show about the human condition or Archetypes? How
does this relate to previous texts studied?
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Othello is a play about vice and virtue, virtuous Othello, “the noble moor” falls from grace into vice,
becoming Othello “the lusty moor”. Desdemona full of grace and virtue dies at the hands of her
husband as her actions of kindness were perceived by him to be acts of infidelity. Iago, vice itself, is
the antagonist of the text and not the tragic hero Othello. This shows how the devil archetype is a
scheming calculated one playing from behind the scenes revealing itself only after its plans have come
to fruition. The tragic hero a light character that has become dark is useful for comparison with the
Byronic hero an archetype that is both light and dark.
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Appendix D
Title: Donnie Darko
Director: R. Kelly
Text type: film
Date finished:
Q1: What archetypes are present in the text? How do they compare with
other similar archetypal characters?
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Donnie Darko is special in that it contains both deep, and clichéd archetypes, clichéd ones such as the
‘school bully’, ‘motivational teacher’ or the ‘new girl in town’, and deep ones such as the shadow. In
this text the shadow represented by frank, a man in a bunny suit, frank is a more subtle shadow relying
on its seductive qualities to influence the self ‘Donnie’ who, unlike Bruce or Cathy, does not fight the
shadow but is its submissive puppet.
Q2: How do these archetypes interact with other characters? How do certain
archetypes act with other archetypes?
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In this example of shadow self relationships we see the effect of a mind devoid of any ego which is
completely devoted to the shadow, it presents as schizophrenia. In Donnie leading him to vandalize
his high school and torch the house of a motivational speaker. The other side of this argument is that
frank is not actual a Jungian shadow archetype, but a more traditional mentor archetype. The other,
clichéd, archetypes interact only with Donnie and then serving as only minor roles.
Q3: What does this show about the human condition or Archetypes? How
does this relate to previous texts studied?
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If we see frank as the mentor archetype then Donnie is not a schizophrenic but is instead following a
path towards some grand destiny, instead of vandalizing a school he is creating an opportunity to meet
the love of his life, instead of torching the house of some innocent he is burning down the lair of a
pedophile exposing the truth to the world. This shows that certain archetypes are dependent on the
genre of text they appear, or the genre the audience preserves them to be in. i.e. frank is a dark part of
Donnie’s subconscious if the film is interpreted as a psychological thriller or as a mysterious mentor
figure if it is interpreted as a sci-fi/ fantasy.
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The other shallower archetypes serve only to make us relate more to the film: i.e. the school bully, new
kid, and motivational teacher are all people we’ve experienced before and help the audience feel
sympathetic towards Donnie.
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