Archetypes of Literature by Northop Frye

 Archetypes of Literature: Northrop Frye

Introduction:

Northrop Frye was a Canadian literary critic who became famous for his unique way of understanding literature. One of his most important essays is “Archetypes of Literature”, first published in 1951. In this essay, Frye explains a method of literary criticism called archetypal criticism. This type of criticism looks at the common patterns, images, and stories that appear again and again in literature of all cultures and times.

To understand Frye’s ideas, it is also important to know where the concept of “archetype” comes from.

Origin of Archetypal Criticism:

The word archetype comes from Greek and means original pattern. The idea of archetypes was first developed by the Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung. Jung said that the human mind contains certain universal symbols and images, which he called the collective unconscious. These are ideas and stories that all humans understand because they come from shared human experience.

For example, figures like the hero, the mother, the wise old man and stories like death and rebirth or the journey are found in myths, fairy tales, and literature everywhere in the world. Jung called these figures and stories archetypes.

Literary critics like Maud Bodkin and Northrop Frye used Jung’s idea of archetypes to study literature. They said that literature is full of these universal patterns and that understanding them helps us see the deeper meaning of stories.

Frye’s Main Ideas in "Archetypes of Literature":

In “Archetypes of Literature”, Frye explains how archetypes shape the way stories are told. He says that all stories and poems can be understood as part of a larger pattern, and that these patterns come from myths and rituals of ancient societies.

1. Literature and Myth

Frye argues that literature is connected to myths and rituals because both are ways of expressing the deepest feelings and beliefs of human beings. Myths are the earliest stories humans told to explain the world. Literature continues this tradition.

2. Why Look for Archetypes?

Frye says that if we only study literature as individual works, we miss the big picture. Archetypal criticism helps us see the connections between different works and cultures. It shows how all literature is part of a larger “order” of human imagination.

3. Types of Archetypes

Frye identifies some common archetypes in literature:

·        The hero’s journey (a young person goes on an adventure, faces challenges, and grows up).

·        The death and rebirth (something dies or ends, but something new begins).

·        The seasons (spring = birth/rebirth, summer = happiness, autumn = decline, winter = death).

Frye and the Seasons:

One of Frye’s most famous ideas in Archetypes of Literature is his connection between literature and the four seasons of the year.

He noticed that many stories, myths, and poems follow patterns that are similar to the cycle of the seasons — spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These seasons are natural cycles of life, death, and rebirth — and human beings have always expressed these cycles in their stories.

Frye connects each season to a certain type of story (or literary mode), like this:

·     Spring — Comedy

·        Spring represents birth and rebirth, new beginnings, hope, and joy.

·        In stories, spring is like a comedy — the characters overcome problems, and everything ends happily.

·        Example: A play where misunderstandings are resolved, lovers are united, and life goes on.

·     Summer — Romance

·        Summer is the time of fullness, growth, and happiness. Everything is alive and at its best.

·        In literature, summer matches romance (or idealized heroic stories) — the hero achieves great things, love flourishes, and the world seems perfect.

·        Example: A story about a brave hero who saves the world or a perfect love story.

·     Autumn — Tragedy

·        Autumn is the time of decline and decay. Things start to die or come to an end.

·        In stories, autumn is like tragedy — the hero falls, things go wrong, and life becomes sad or bitter.

·        Example: A play where the hero makes mistakes and suffers a downfall.

·     Winter — Irony and Satire

·        Winter represents death, darkness, and barrenness. Nothing grows; it is cold and harsh.

·        In literature, winter matches irony and satire — stories that show the world as hopeless, meaningless, or absurd.

·        Example: A story where characters struggle in a cold, uncaring world, and there is no happy ending.

Why is this important?

Frye says these seasonal patterns are not just in nature — they are in our minds too. People see their lives as a cycle of beginnings, growth, decline, and endings. That’s why writers across cultures use these seasonal patterns in their stories.

These patterns appear in almost all stories, whether they are ancient myths, Shakespeare’s plays, or modern novels.

Why is Frye’s Essay Important?

Frye’s essay is important because it changed how people study literature. Instead of looking at each work separately, he showed that literature has universal patterns. This approach makes it easier to see how stories from different times and cultures are connected.

He also argued that literature should not only be studied for its historical or moral messages, but also as a creative expression of human imagination. Archetypal criticism focuses on how stories work as part of this imagination.

Conclusion:

Northrop Frye’s “Archetypes of Literature” explains that all literature is built on a foundation of universal patterns called archetypes. These archetypes come from myths, rituals, and shared human experiences. Frye’s work is based on the ideas of Carl Jung, who believed in a collective unconscious full of these universal images.

Frye’s essay helps us understand that literature from any culture or time is connected by these common patterns. It also reminds us that literature is not just a collection of separate works, but a part of the larger story of humanity’s imagination.