{"id":2022,"date":"2017-03-03T08:14:17","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T16:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/storymind.com\/blog\/?p=2022"},"modified":"2017-03-03T09:36:43","modified_gmt":"2017-03-03T17:36:43","slug":"what-are-archetypes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/storymind.com\/blog\/what-are-archetypes\/","title":{"rendered":"Archetypes vs. Stereotypes"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Melanie Anne Phillips<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Archetypes, by definition, are characters defined by their plot function, such as the protagonist, who is trying to achieve a goal, and the antagonist who is trying to stop him. All of the archetypes have a counterpart whose approaches are opposite one another. For example, there is a Reason character who tries to solve plot problem with logic, while the Emotion archetype hopes to succeed through passion.<\/p>\n

Stereotypes, on the other hand, are collections of personality traits, such as a Nerd or a Bully. So you can think of archetypes as the underlying psychology of a character, and stereotypes are the personalities that are built on top of that psychology.<\/p>\n

For example, a protagonist could be a bully or a nerd. And so could an antagonist or a reason archetype or an emotional archetype. It is the archetypal function that determines what a character will do in the plot and the stereotype personality that determine how they will act while they do it.<\/p>\n

In this way, composite characters reflect everyone we encounter in real life. We identify them emotionally by their personalities, and classify them logically by the roles they play.<\/p>\n

Stereotypes allow us to connect with fictional characters because, quite literally, we’ve seen that type before. Archetypes allow us to understand where these characters are coming from – what their motivations are, and what they are trying to achieve.<\/p>\n

Archetypes exist because each represents a facet of our own minds, turned into a character, so we can learn what is the best way to go about solving a problem in our own lives.<\/p>\n

By observing how each archetype fares in the effort to resolve the story’s issues (which extend far beyond simply achieving a goal), we learn the author’s message about how to achieve satisfaction and fulfillment for ourselves.<\/p>\n

Learn more\u00a0about archetypes and stereotypes in this video clip:<\/p>\n