Thinking activity

'With no positivity, there is no hope; with no negativity, there is no improvement…'

Criticism is not in the negative sense but it is the best thing to improve our self. As well as in literature criticism is the medium to understand the unfold layers created by writers in literature. It is also shaped our mind with different method of criticism. In Gujarati literature Zaverchand Meghani praises criticism in his book સૌરાષ્ટ્રની રસધાર (ભાગ 2 ), as following…

"રસધાર ના પ્રથમ ભાગની તારીફ કરનારાઓ તો મલ્યા ઍ પરમાત્માની કરુણા. પરંતુ એની ત્રુટિઓ બતાવનારા બે સ્નેહિઓની સલાહ મને તારીફ જેટલી જ મીઠી લાગી છે…"

For literature criticism is valuable. So, here is my blog on Northrop Frye's Essay Archetype of Criticism. Here are few questions also to understand the theory more deeply...


What is Archetypal Criticism? What does the Archetypal critic do ?

The word Archetype is derived from Greek Arkhetupon. Archetypal criticism is a unique type of critic theory. Its focusing on text and hidden symbols within the text. This type of criticism is beyond the religion because its focusing on…

Symbols 

Images

Character type

A tradition

An event

A story

According to oxford dictionary Archetypal criticism is...

Recurrent as a symbol or motif in literature, art or mythology 

Some symbols are repeatedly come in literary work, and it also has a hidden concept. In Archetypal criticism we have to interpret what does that symbols trying to say and where literary work is going. Not only literary work but we can find as well as in myths, dreams, and Social rituals. It is based on a cycle of nature like seasons...

               

 Archetypal critics…

Archetypal critics find in literary works this type of season mentioned in text and interpret it. Like if there is reference of Spring it might be comic version. Archetypal critics interpret the symbols, the character, the place where the situation or scene occurred. The below image introduces how the Solar cycle, seasonal cycle, life cycle and literary cycles are interwoven or interrelated. And with the help of this interwoven  cycles critics criticized the literary work….

          

What is Frye trying to prove by giving an analogy of physics to nature and criticism of literature?

In his essay Archetypes of literature(1951) Northrop frye gives an analogy of physics to nature and criticism of literature. As we know, the study of physics is related to nature. It is a branch of Science concerned with nature. But a student of physics will never say..

        'I'm a student of nature'

Instead of the student of physics. As well as a student literature will never say 

         'I'm a student of criticism'

While they are not studying literature but studying how to read literature, how to criticize it. 

criticism as an organized body of knowledge and relation of literature with history and philosophy….

Criticism is an organized body of knowledge. Because literature is progressive. With the passes of time reading and observation of literature can be changed and progressive. We can find this through the criticism of literature.  Literature has a deep relation with history and philosophy because literature is based on an event and doesn't present that event as it is, but with philosophical ideas. Philosophy is the mother of all literature. Without the help of  history and philosophy no one can produce good literature. 

As we know that literature is a product of imagination, a fictionalized world. And in this fictionalized world we can find traces of historical event. It can be any event from the history.

Briefly explain the deductive method with reference to an analogy to music, painting, rhythm and pattern..

Deductive method is a method which starts with general observation to particular conclusion. Music has rhythm and free to move and painting has patterns, as well as literature is the mixture of both. It has rhythm in its narrative style and patttern in its structure.

Archetypes in Indian season 

Indian seasons are differ than western seasons.  We have three main and three sub - seasons. All seasons signified some meaning or message. And Archetypal criticism is also based on seasonal grid. 

              

The above picture is about Indian seasons. In many poems we can find archetype according to the seasons. Like if there is archetypes of Autumn we can find the symbols of death or darkness or something bad... If there is a symbol of rainy season or winter we can find the element of love in Indian poetry. Here is an example of hindi poem by Sumitranamdan Pant. Where we can find the archetypes of Autumn...

In this poem we can find the archetype of Sharad ritu it means autumn season. In this air, river, sky, heart and life is full of sorrow. Like 'Nilima Udasin' or 'र्हदय प्रणय से अधीर' there is restlessness in heart for love and restlessness in wind...