Archetypal literary criticism

Archetypal literary criticism is a type of analytical theory that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes (from the Greek archē, "beginning", and typos, "imprint") in the narrative, symbols, images, and character types in literary works. As an acknowledged form of literary criticism, it dates back to 1934 when Classical scholar Maud Bodkin published Archetypal Patterns in Poetry.

Archetypal literary criticism's origins are rooted in two other academic disciplines, social anthropology and psychoanalysis; each contributed to literary criticism in separate ways.^{[citation needed]} Archetypal criticism peaked in popularity in the 1940s and 1950s, largely due to the work of Canadian literary critic Northrop Frye (1912-1991). In the twenty-first century, archetypal literary criticism is no longer widely practiced; there have not been any major recent developments in the field (with the possible exception of biblical literary criticism^[1]), but it still has a place in the tradition of literary studies.^[2]^[3]

^ For example: Larsen, Brian (2018). Archetypes and the Fourth Gospel: Literature and Theology in Conversation. Bloomsbury Academic (published 2019). ISBN 9780567692894. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
^ Devika, S. (2016-11-02). "Archetypal Criticism". Dr. S. Devika. Retrieved 29 March 2017. The heyday of archetypal criticism began to decline after the 1970s. however, its impact can still be seen in the interpretation of children's literature, science fiction, and feminist criticism.
^ Bremm, Doris (2010). "Archetypal criticism", in The English Literature Companion, edited by Julian Wolfreys. Houndmills, Hampshire: Palgrave. pp. 270–72. ISBN 978-0230008137. In recent years, archetypal or myth criticism has found itself under attack for being reductive and for ignoring the historical and cultural context of literary works. However, the area of criticism still has a place in the literary tradition and has had an effect on other disciplines and branches of literary study such as gender studies, comparative literature, cultural studies and narrative theory. [...] Only a few contemporary critics still engage in strictly Jungian or 'Fryeian" readings, though.

[1] For example: Larsen, Brian (2018). Archetypes and the Fourth Gospel: Literature and Theology in Conversation. Bloomsbury Academic (published 2019). ISBN 9780567692894. Retrieved 5 December 2019.

[2] Devika, S. (2016-11-02). "Archetypal Criticism". Dr. S. Devika. Retrieved 29 March 2017. The heyday of archetypal criticism began to decline after the 1970s. however, its impact can still be seen in the interpretation of children's literature, science fiction, and feminist criticism.

[3] Bremm, Doris (2010). "Archetypal criticism", in The English Literature Companion, edited by Julian Wolfreys. Houndmills, Hampshire: Palgrave. pp. 270–72. ISBN 978-0230008137. In recent years, archetypal or myth criticism has found itself under attack for being reductive and for ignoring the historical and cultural context of literary works. However, the area of criticism still has a place in the literary tradition and has had an effect on other disciplines and branches of literary study such as gender studies, comparative literature, cultural studies and narrative theory. [...] Only a few contemporary critics still engage in strictly Jungian or 'Fryeian" readings, though.

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