NCHS AP English Language

Jungian Archetypes and Ishmael

EMILY REW

An archtype in the Jungian form is part of our unconcious mind that determines behavior patterns, how we shape our lives, and percieves the world around us and that has evolved and become hereditary because of adaptation to our environment. The archetype was one of the two dimensions in the collective conscience which also included the "personal" or the forgotten and repressed memories and material in one's life. Therefore the archetype is a shared unconcious among others and is often present in dreams. For Jung the behavior of someone could tell thier possible archetypes and was also influenced by"cultural, religious, philosophical, psychological and biological frameworks" of society. This was also a radical statement because the human mind was thought to be a "tabula rasa" or blank slate at that time.


Archetypal structure can be found in cultural products of society such as movies and books. In Moby Dick the main character "Ishamel" demonstrates the archetype of the "lonely outsider." As Jungian theory tells us the archetype of a person can be found by studying their behavior; in this case the actions and thoughts of Ishmael throughout the book. Even on the first page the reader finds a symbolic meaning that defines Ishmael in his very name. "Call me Ishmael" he says, and since ishmael means "outsider" in hebrew and was a biblical character who was cast out, he is very much saying "Call me an outsider." He also talks about the "drizzly November in (his) soul" and talks about his state of hypochondria and how he yearns to go to sea where he can observe whaling. Ishmael also displays behavior of an outsider when he goes into New Bedford and wanders the deserted streets while he passes inns of all sorts flowing with life and excitement. All he does though is to draw inside himself and reflect on the situation. Ishamel is also very drawn back from Queequeg when he first sees him and even before that tries as hard as he can to not have to share a bed with a stranger, even using a bench. On board the Pequod, in a set of chapters called Knights and Squires, Ishamel observes and explains the members of the crew to the reader describing most of them as social and talkative. There is rarely an account of Ishmael talking to one of the ships members though. He resorts to his taciturn ways and rather then finding otu about the men through conversation he observes.

Using the Jungian form of an archetype one can study the behavior of Ishmael , and can conclude that his archetype is that ofthe lonely and taciturn outsider.This is because of the reserved behavior he displays, his yearning for the sea and it's mysticism, and his albility to have the view of an outsider commenting on the American culture of the period. Although Ishamel displays this reserved behavior in the first part of the book, maybe some part of his unconcious will be displayed in the latter half and turn the taciturn outsider into a braver and more sociable person.


Archetype, Attachment, Analysis: Jungian Psychology and the Emergent MindBook by Jean Knox; Brunner-Routledge, 2003 (Questia)

posted by NCHS AP English Language III @ 2:06 PM