Category: Archetype

Introduction

“It’s changing out there, just like last time. There’s a storm brewing Harry and we’d best be ready when she does” – Hagrid says this to Harry in film harry potter and The half blood prince screen play by Steve Kloves (15 July 2009). For me that storm was the Harry Potter series and the worldwide phenomena it became. In my dissertation I will present a review of where I consider JK Rowling used classic archetypes, drawn from myths and folklore, to underpin her characters and situations she described in the series of books on Harry Potter. The motivation for the review comes from my love of the stories; which fueled my fascination and love for theatre and I feel was part of the motivation for studying theatre arts at university. For me and a generation of children (and their parents) the Harry Potter books lure them into a world of fantasy, developing and bringing to life a new perspective on the classic archetypes in myths and folklore.

Storylines have incorporated archetypes for thousands of years. Archetypes form the basis of characters and situations in literature that active very specific ideas that are easily identifiable to the reader. I can identify where the heroes and villains of JK Rowling’s books and films are based on the same heroic and villainous archetypes found in ancient Greek mythology and worldwide folklore. Therefore, I aim to explore JK Rowling’s use of ancient myths and folklore to represent classic archetypal structure (Pearson, 1991; as cited in, Evens, 2003) of her characters in the Harry Potter series. In doing this I will review in depth three specific characters from JK Rowling’s writing. I also aim to presents these classic archetypes and outline how I consider she has played with these images and developed alternative archetypal structures for the modern reader. I consider it to be important to appreciate where modern literature has resonated with, as well as developed our understanding of archetypes; as archetypes have the power to touch lives and transform lives (Rohr & Martos, 1996).

In the initial sections of the dissertation I will define the following themes: classic archetypes (based on Pearson, 1991 and Carl Jung, 1919; as cited in Segal, 1999); myths and folklore. Then I will focus in more detail on how these themes are specifically demonstrated in three Harry Potter characters; then I will conclude the dissertation by considering why I think the Harry Potter characters resonated so strongly with children and how I think they stimulated our imagination of what we could be.

Archetypes

The term archetype comes from two Greek words: archos meaning first and typos meaning impression (Online Etymology Dictionary). A simpler definition would be a model used to define and represent reoccurring characters and themes (Evens, 2003). Carl Jung developed a concept of psychological type and archetype in 1919 and often used ancient mythology to better describe them (Segal, 1999). Jung considered the human psyche to fall into four broad archetypes; the persona a mask we wear that represents our self-image we wish to portray to the world. The mask enables us to live and thrive within society. The shadow a person’s unconscious thoughts and desires we often hide from society. The anima and animus, our male and female unconscious sides, which represents our true self, but maybe hidden from society. The self our representation of good and bad and as Jung suggests is a representation of a connection between God and the unconscious mind (Segal, 1999). In his book ‘The origins and history of consciousness’ Erich Neumann (2014, Princeton classics addition), a student of Carl Jung, uses world mythology to describe the archetypal stages in the development of human consciousness. Neumann depicts these stages of development through archetypal factors or primordial images. As these ‘fantasy-images’ have been depicted in world mythology they therefore, have a ‘collective’ element within the human psyche and are inherited (Neumann, 1949).

Jung’s ideas on archetypes are further developed by Pearson and Marr (Evens, 2003) as a measure or indicator of how salient each of the twelve archetypes are to an individual. As described by Pearson (1991) these archetypal identities are listed as: the innocent, the orphan, the warrior, the care-giver, the seeker, the lover, the destroyer, the creator, the ruler, the magician, the sage, and the fool (see Table below for more detail).

Take for example i) the innocent: this is identified as the goal to remain in safety, the fear of abandonment, the innocent’s response to the dragon (Pearson uses the dragon as a metaphor for being confronted with a problem, ether internal or external) is to deny it or rescue it, and their gift is trust and optimism (Pearson, 1991; as cited in Evens, 2003). This archetype is typified in children along with the orphan as most children are driven from a fear of abandonment due to being so reliant on their care-givers. And ii) the seeker is identified as the goal for a better life, the fear of comfortability, response to the dragon is to flee from it, and the gift is autonomy and ambition. This archetype is typified in 15-25 year-olds along with the lover as at this age people are driven to improvement in all aspects of their life, to attract a mate and be independent from their care-givers.

The use of archetypes has a long history in literature. In JK Rowling’s stories her characters fit common archetypes that have been used in many stories before. Take her portrayal of the main character Harry Potter, I consider him to represent several archetypes. The seeker for example, he is seen as wanting to escape the Dersley house, relating to the seekers goal of a search for a better life. The care-giver, I relate this to helping others, compassion and generosity and a fear for selfishness all seen in how Harry always puts others first, wanting to keep people safe. The warrior, similar in many ways to the hero, Harry’s underlined characteristic is to prove himself worthy through his courage and allegiance to Dumbledore and the wizarding world. In this way I see Hermione as the ruler as her goal is always to have order, and her fear is chaos. Her qualities are typified as responsibility and control; Harry could always count on Hermione. “Now if you two don’t mind I’m going to bed before either of you come up with a clever idea to get us killed, or worse, expelled” says Hermione in the Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (Rowling, 1997). But there are also situation archetypes in literature; this type of archetype describes how certain stories will unfold. Take for example JK Rowling’s Harry Potter story lines where she makes her situation archetype the quest for good over evil and the heroes and villains are highly salient to that archetype.

Myths and Folklore

A myth is a type of discourse, but not just any type of written and spoken communication, but language requires special conditions to become a myth. It is a message, a mode of signification, a form in and of itself. A myth is not defined by its detail or by its facts, but rather by the overarching message and how this is communicated (Barthes, 1991 edition). Take for example the myth of Icarus; in this myth Icarus’ father made him a set of wings to enable him to fly. When he gives him the wings he warned Icarus not to fly near the sun. We know from the myth, that in fact Icarus does fly too close to the sun and as a consequence his wings burn and he falls into the sea and drowns. The myth communicates different ideas; one such idea is referred to as the ‘Icarus complex’ a cluster of interrelated variables of personality which was first described by psychologist Henry A Murry (Sperber, 1969) which broadly speaking is associated with over estimating one’s own abilities. A myth creates the idea that life is more than what meets the eye, a colourful semantic discourse to portray meaning. Myths give us the feeling of something bigger, more established than ourselves; perhaps they provide understanding towards the meaning of life. I think of myths as pre literature tools, aids for teaching morals and social conditioning.

In his paper titled ‘Theorising about myth’ Segal (1999) quotes Jung in the use of the term archetype for myth, folklore, and literature “…primordial experience is the source of his [a poet] creativeness. But it is so dark and amorphous that it requires the related mythological imagery to give it form. In its self it is wordless and imageless. It is nothing but a tremendous intuition striving for expression.” (pg 71-72). Similar to how mythology has been used in literature and art, science also uses and explores these concepts. Freud wrote “It may perhaps seem to you as though our theories are a kind of mythology. Does not every science come in the end to a kind of mythology?” to Albert Einstein, in 1932. Freud writes on mythology that “The theory of the instincts is so to say our mythology. Instincts are mythical entities magnificent in their indefiniteness” (cited in, Sels, 2003, paper, Myth, mind and metaphor). From these ideas I would suggest that myths and folklore consist of strong imagery that we intuitively already understand; as such JK Rowling is initiating an intuitively meaningful dialogue with the reader.

Folklore is a term originated in 1848 by William John Thoms (Emrich, 1946) to describe the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community. Typically folklore was passed on through the generations by word of mouth and generally refers to stories that are shaped by what the community finds good and appropriate. An example taken from the Dictionary of English Folklore (Simpson & Roud, 2000) is the folklores surrounding babies and their birth. For example, days and times of the week were supposed to indicate the baby’s future character or success.

Monday’s child is fair of face

Tuesday’s child is full of grace

Wednesday’s child is full of woe

Thursday’s child has far to go,

Friday’s child is loving and giving,

Saturday’s child works hard for a living,

And the child that is born on the Sabbath day

Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

(A. E. Bray’s ,1838, pp. 287–288)

This popular rhyme is from English folklore and was first recorded in Bray’s Traditions of Devonshire (Volume II, pp. 287–288). The folklore of wetting a baby’s head came from Cumberland, where they would wash the baby’s head in rum for luck (Simpson & Roud, 2000). There are also folklores around how a baby is born. For example if a baby is born breech then the folklore suggests, awkward born, awkward all their lives. Harry was born on the 31st of July 1980, which is a Thursday and in terms of the folklore poem means this child has far to go. I consider JK Rowling would have definitely reflected on the day of his birth and used this symbolism and fits in with his archetype the warrior.

A strategy an author of fantasy literature often uses to enhance the connection the reader has with a fantasy world is through folklore. Consider Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series for example; here the writer both creates folklore but also draws heavily on established Nordic, Welsh, and Finnish folklore to enhance the characters and situations portrayed in the books (Sullivan; Western Folklore, Vol. 60, No. 4, 2001). Often fantastic fiction follows the familiar Märchen structure (Märchen, folktale characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural, such as the endowment of a mortal character with magical powers or special knowledge: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020), where the ordinary and very often orphaned main character comes from a mundane world into an adventure. This adventure often takes him through the ‘magic forest’ (in Harry Potter there is an enchanted forest) with staunch companions (in Harry Potter he has Ron and Hermione) to defeat a great evil (in Harry Potter this evil is Voldemort) and he generally returns older, and wiser after this adventure (Sullivan, 2001).

Animal symbolism is often used as archetypal figures in myths and folklore. In an essay by John Berger (1977) titled “Why Look at Animals?” he suggest that animal symbolism represents different aspects of a human’s life span on earth. He concludes that animal symbolism is used “… for charting the [human] experience of the world.” Berger suggested that when humans’ lived a more integrated life with the animals and shared their experiences, this knowledge led to the use of animal symbols in human cultures (Bergers, 1977).

Specific Evidence in JK Rowling’s characters of Archetypes, Mythology and Folklore

Specific evidence of archetypes, myths and folklore is abundant in JK Rowling’s writing. Fluffy for example, one of the first mythological animals we meet in the Harry Potter series is a three-headed dog that guards the Philosophers Stone. She based the main aspects of Fluffy’s appearance on the mythological creature Cerberus, who himself was a three-headed dog, sometimes known as the Hound of Hades. Cerberus had a serpent’s tail, a mane of snakes and lions claws. When Harry and his friends first meet Fluffy, JK Rowling describes that …they were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog which filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling eyes, mad eyes; three noises, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs’ (Rowling, 1997; Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Chapter 9, pg 119).

The three heads of Cerberus in mythology represents the past, the present and the future, in other texts the suggestion was that the three heads symbolised birth, youth and old-age. The name Cerberus comes from the Greek word Kerberos meaning spotted. Interestingly as a gesture to Greek mythology Hagrid tells the children that he bought Fluffy from a ‘Greek chappie he met in the pub’ (pg 141, Rowling 1997). [Interestingly, the link to Greek mythology was clearly lost, when the Greek chappie was altered to the Irish chappie in the film Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone]. But JK Rowling also plays with classic archetypes and mythology by naming him Fluffy, juxtaposition from the terrifying image of the dog she has painted This also adds to the comedic effect and lessens the terror for children reading.

The concept of the underworld is found in many myths and is often guarded by some terrifying creature. In Greek mythology Cerberus guarded the entrance to the underworld – to stop the dead getting out of hell, with razor sharp teeth and a poisonous bite. Very few tried to leave hell with him on guard. JK Rowling describes Fluffy similarly, painting the image of a monstrous dog, with mad eyes, and drooling mouths. Similar to Cerberus, when Harry and his friends first meet Fluffy he is chained to the gates of the underworld, which JK Rowling represents as a trap-door leading to the Philosophers Stone. Although terrifying, Cerberus, is a faithful servant to Hades, the god of the underworld. Similarly, Fluffy is the faithful servant to Hagrid, the giant gamekeeper that takes care of the school and its pupils. I believe that in terms of archetypes, Fluffy, as the faithful servant to Hagrid, represents the innocent and the ruler. As the innocent Fluffy’s main goal is to remain in safety with their greatest fear being abandonment. However, Fluffy’s task is to guard the Philosophers Stone and to enable Fluffy to do this requires the attributes of a ruler; responsibility and control (Pearsons, 1991 as cited in Segal, 2003).

“The soldier, as I shall show, has no means to connect his inner being to his social role; what Jung signifies by ‘trickster’ is lacking” (Rowland). Trickster prompts the existence of the animalistic traits that each individual possesses. Carl Gustav Jung, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, divides our unconsciousness based on the genders. Animus represents male unconsciousness which is present at females, while Anima is female unconsciousness which can be found in males. Trickster’s breaking of cultural and social norms is a base for a further understanding of certain psychological segments, unconsciousness and consciousness.

The line between animal and human behavior

Jung’s research about trickster and his interpretation of the trickster’s connection to the animal world set to remind every individual of its animal roots. In the Winnebago tale, we can clearly see how trickster – representing basic animal instincts, does everything in order to get to the food. Trickster’s animal instincts are especially expressed at the beginning of the tale when he is still so unconscious that he is not aware of his own existence. ‘‘In his clearest manifestations he is a faithful copy of an absolutely undifferentiated human consciousness, corresponding to the psyche that has hardly left the animal level’’ (Drake 7). At the first glance, his behavior may be interpreted as deviant and unusual, but he is simply taking the steps which are necessary to help him reach his goal. Even though his behavior is on an animalistic level in his search for food, he shows traits of an intelligent creature. Later throughout the tale, we can see that he did not rely only on his animal traits, but also on his imagination to get to his goal in a subtle and acceptable way. Changing his gender and appearance in order to marry someone who will be his ticket to the desired point is something that is not unusual at all. People tend to wear masks, change their appearance and adjust their behavior to the situation they are faced with. Jung is reminding us that the line between animal and human can easily be, and often is, surpassed. Few centuries ago, animal instincts were what drove people’s actions and their code according to which people behaved. In modern society, we can clearly see that we have advanced as a species and adjusted our behavior to fit into society. Therefore, the Winnebago tale serves as a representation of how, at the beginning of our species, we have had little control over our animal instinct, but, as time passed, we have advanced our moral and social codes and learned how to behave according to them.

Anima and Animus in each individual

Furthermore, the trickster’s ability to change his gender has a strong connection to modern society. We don’t have the capability to change our gender, in an instant, at least, but all of us have masculine and feminine traits in ourselves. ‘’From the biological aspect, both male and female secrete masculine hormones and feminine hormones’’ (Zhu and Han). We can clearly see through the Winnebago tale that the trickster has the ability to transform himself into a pretty woman who is able to satisfy all male needs. This is presented in an exaggerated manner in which trickster has the ability to transform his whole appearance in an instance, but the possibility of one individual to express feminine or masculine traits no matter of the gender is unquestionably realistic. Also, people are shaped by the environment which is clearly shown on the example of a shape-shifting character who is characterized by being reckless, tough and foolish; and who changes into a loving, protective and emotional husband. Just like in the Winnebago tale, the trickster is shaping his masculine and feminine traits according to the situation. In addition, each woman provokes certain male traits from her male partner and vice versa. ‘’For thousands of years, a male has anima archetype by interacting with a female, and a female has animus archetype by interacting with a male’’ (Zhu and Han). Women tend to be more gentle, seductive and nurturing when in the company of a man. On the other hand, men show their protective side much more when they are close to women. ‘’Anima and Animus should be displayed in an individual’s consciousness and behavior’’ (Zhu and Han). Suppressing the masculine/feminine traits in ourselves means you are not wiping these characteristics, but on the contrary – they are strengthened. From our early childhood we have imposed certain traits we should act according to based on our gender, which makes us suppress the opposite gender traits in ourselves even more. Trickster, because of his unusual nature of not being raised by anyone, didn’t have any problem in expressing feminine traits when he needed, nor did he care about what anyone would think about it. His non-concern about others lies in his own nature, but also in the fact that he was not imposed with any type of behavior from his early childhood.

The unconsciousness of humans and trickster

However, we need to be aware that usually, people are not aware of their Anima/Animus – it is part of their unconscious mind. We are driven by two forces: our consciousness and our unconsciousness. People say for a reason that it’s really hard to change something influenced by your unconscious. We can hardly predict our behavior and we can’t control it in a moment if we are not aware of what’s provoking it. It is hard for a man to stop suppressing his feminine traits if he has been subconsciously manipulated from his early childhood to ‘act like a man’. In the Winnebago tale, we can see how trickster, at the beginning of the tale, was so unconscious of himself that he couldn’t control his body movement. This is, again, an exaggerated way of showing us that your unconscious part of mind can control your thoughts and your behavior. All relationships in our life are influenced by our unconscious thoughts. A woman who decided to forgive her husband for lying to her and to start over, can behave in that manner only to the point when her unconsciousness takes over. Her behavior, no matter of her rational thoughts and decisions, will be impacted by her unconscious thoughts which are provoked by the first event. There are many things about ourselves that we are not aware of, and in order to change them, we need to come to the core of our unconsciousness and make it the conscious part which can be changed. In Winnebago tale, we can see the trickster’s process of becoming aware of himself. ‘’Only when his consciousness had reached a higher level could he detach the earlier state from himself and objectify it, that is, say anything about it’’ (Lock). The tale started by trickster’s inability to control his body movement but by the end of the tale trickster started being aware of himself and therefore, he learned how to control his body movements and even how to transform his body. This is a good representation of how liberating your unconscious mind may bring some new abilities and new behavior for any individual.

In essence, we need to be aware that each one of us is influenced by the animalistic traits in ourselves. Even though I was quick to judge trickster’s behavior by describing it as deviant and unseen, I have found many parallels that can be made to our society. It doesn’t matter how educated, intelligent or rich an individual is, we all have the same animal roots which can’t be uprooted. The most important parallel I would make from Winnebago tale is how an individual is ready to do (almost) anything to reach his goal. The goal for trickster was to get food, which sounds primitive considering all the other available goals that are imposed on us from birth. Trickster found his way to the food, just as everyone today is finding their own way to money, success or acceptance. The only difference between trickster and people today, is that trickster’s path to the goal is presented in a primitive way, while today, people are much more subtle and have learned how to act according to the norms – or how to pretend they are playing by the rules.

Death states, “Did they deserve any better, these people? How many had actively persecuted others, high on the scent of Hitler’s gaze, repeating his sentences, his paragraphs, his opus?” (Markus Zusak p. 375-76) 1942, was a year known for being the beginning to an unfortunate end. Although some survived the horrific war known as, World War Two, effects rendered and impacted much more than their social lives. Around this time, the Nazis movement took place in Germany and Adolf Hitler, “the fübrer,’ was its leader. This crisis altered the way people saw the world as terror reigned upon them. These changes can be categorized into different types of archetypes. In further detail, an archetype is a typical character, action, symbol, theme, or a situation that is something universal. Markus Zusak’s, The Book Thief is a historical fiction type book that examines and demonstrates many types of archetypes, such as the narration by the death itself, the books and the traits of the main character.

To Begin, the narrator played by the infamous as well as the dreaded behind the scenes character, death, is considered to be a significant theme throughout the storyline. He knows and explains the outcomes of the story through words as well as colors, each describing a specific scene and loss. “ I am all bluster- I am not violent. I am not malicious. I am a result.” (Markus Zusak p. 6), announced Death. According to the characters, death is undoubtedly the antagonist as well as the one to blame, for all shortcomings. However, he could even be considered more humane than most as he clearly portrays many feelings and emotions. Usually, the act or subject of death is classed into darkness and terror, but this novel sheds light on a new and original perspective on this matter. It is noted that the narrator loves his job, picking up bodies, but even so, empathy and grief still manage to haunt him. To add, his final words were nothing if not honest as he pronounced “I am haunted by humans.” (Markus Zusak p. 552) This is quite shocking since the element of mortality is expected to be all mighty and very powerful. In reality, he expresses his one and only weakness, his love for humans. In fact, he held a soft spot for the main character, Liesel Meminger. This is true, because he witnessed every little detail or development made all throughout her life, from start to finish. In most cases, he comes in contact with a soul once in their lifetime, but Liesel was special, he could not help himself. Nevertheless, sadness reached him countless times while taking away the souls which were loved and cared for by her. This act of sympathy has been noticed since the beginning of the novel. It all begun, when he stole her little brother, Werner, from her mother’s lap whilst on the train, on route to Himmel street. To resume, the archetypical theme involving loss develops a unique yet clear understanding of darkness into an odd but humanizing form portrayed by none other than, death itself.

Furthermore, the words and messages seen throughout the novel are a perfect example of a symbolic archetype. More specifically, the books read or stolen by the main character, Liesel, represent different stages of her life as well as her will to learn. In detail, “the word shaker”, stole her first book, “The Gravedigger’s Handbook”, upon leaving her younger brothers funeral. This text represented her first act of rebellion which initiated many more, as she went on to steal far greater than worded stacks of paper. As young Liesel, grew up, she realized the horrors of the world that she was currently living in. During this time, Nazi Germany was at its grandest prime and there was no choice but to obey the laws and rules given. In part four of the novel, Max Vandenburg, “the struggler”, made his way onto the Hubermann household. There, he became friends with the young girl and introduced her to a different side of Hitler that she had never heard about. Those secret conversations shifted her perspective on books as well as their messages since she, later on, developed a strong hatred for such things. She quickly acknowledged that words have the power to bring good and evil, amongst others. This became so very troubling that she truthfully spoke, “The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn’t be any of this. Without words, the Fübrer was nothing (…) what good were the words?” (Markus Zusak p. 521) At that moment it was clear that the book thief had been tremendously hurt by the words written by Hitler.“Mein Kampf” was a popular book written by the Chancellor, which was enforced as an obligatory household item and an emblème of the Nazi ideology. Under those circumstances, this controversial novel had the sole purpose of turning the entire German population against the Jewish community, due to a senseless vendetta. It is noted that, from the beginning, the novels brought a significant amount of joy to the main character, but by the end, it became the opposite. She felt selfish and did not think that she deserved to be happy. The words brought nothing but false hope and empty promises. In summary, the books, as well as the words, symbolize the power that knowledge has on individuals since language is a dangerous weapon when in the wrong hands.

Also, the protagonist, Liesel Meminger, is considered to be an archetype as she resembles the characteristics of an average person. To specify, an everyman archetype is labeled as an ordinary person whose problems and lifestyle is in relation with most. In truth, she is said to be the center of morality and all understanding. Towards the end of the novel, Death revealed one of his desires as she spoke, “ I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn’t already know? (…) I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious at the same time, and its words and stories so damming and brilliant.” (Markus Zusak p. 550) Surprisingly, death nonetheless had some wise words that he wishes he could have spoken to her. To add, even if any of these messages has not reached the book thief, she had already learned these lessons and facts. This justifies her normality trait, because, in the real world, people often learn the harsh but transparent reality of society, even as children. In detail, she has not had an easy life, as she has lost her brother and her father whilst also being disowned by her real mother at only 9 years of age. Despite being the victim of several difficult situations Liesel has managed to find ways through all of the recurring traumas. Just like most in her shoes, upon her arrival at 33 Himmel street, the young girl had troubles with communication amongst others. This is certainly caused by the feeling of solitude, running within her. She had since learned about the losses and the terrors that her family and friends have faced. This has not only furthered her understanding in relation to her new surroundings but also, changed the way that she valued life. As a result, Liesel became very angry at Hitler and his entire organization, as it affected poorly the ones she loved. She had a strong desire to one day out her feelings, but her will was deemed logically too dangerous. It would be much more preferable if she refrained from speaking on the subject. Similar to how, others would have reacted, Liesel wanted justice for the wrongs who have been committed towards her and her loved ones. In short summary, the main character of the book thief, Liesel Meminger is categorized as an everyman archetype, because she portrays the feelings and emotions of an average person who faces similar situations.

To conclude, Archetypes are labeled as different compartments within themes or situations which represent something universal. The book thief, written in the concise words of Markus Zusak, demonstrates a large number of the previously mentioned archetypes. These symbols are seen through the actions made by the main characters and by the symbolism through books and their messages. It is true that, The Book Thief, portrays many different varieties of the subject. But, while archetypes are most commonly found in novels, they could also be observed in today’s society.

Work Cited

1. Zusak , Markus. The Book Thief Based on the Best-Selling Book. Twentieth Century Fox, 2014.
2. Zusak, Markus, and Trudy White. The Book Thief. Knopf, 2013.
3. Sparknotes.com. (2019). SparkNotes: The Book Thief. [online] Available at:https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/the-book-thief/characters// [Accessed 2 Apr. 2019].
4. Shmoop.com. (2019). The Book Thief. [online] Available at:https://www.shmoop.com/book-thief/[Accessed 2 Apr. 2019].

Moreover, it explains that Santiago still needs the community, the individual who shares and supports the same idea, in his decision-making process.

Santiago’s choice to be a shepherd illustrates that Santiago has the freedom to choose. The freedom is entailed by his responsibility, to enjoy his days as a shepherd. However, this decision sets him apart from his family. This joy is experienced by Santiago since he could pursue his dream as he uttered that “it’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting…. (11).” As a result of his choice to be a shepherd, Santiago accepts all the responsibility. Being separated from his family is a situation that he must overcome. Being a shepherd also means that he has to be alone, his sheep are the only friends he has. But still able to meet other people when he arrives in a town and spends most of his time in the field with his flock. Those did not let him experience solitude.

Being a shepherd, Santiago had a temporary shelter. When the day is hot, Santiago must feel hot and when the night is cold, Santiago feels the cold. He only has a jacket which warms him when the cold night comes. But when he does not need it, the weight of the jacket sometimes irritates him. At times, he is annoyed by the jacket’s weight but Santiago tries to remember how helpful, the jacket is to warm him (8). He also has a book that he reads during the day and he uses it as a pillow when he sleeps (3). Those illustrate that Santiago is aware of the consequences of his choice to be a shepherd. Moreover, his acceptance of the obstacle is proof of his responsibility toward his decision. His acceptance of his choice also leads him to enjoy his life as a shepherd.

Seeking Treasure in Africa: Another dilemma occurs after he becomes a shepherd. In the following dilemma, he has to choose whether to be a shepherd to meet the merchant’s daughter or to leave his job as a shepherd to seek the hidden treasure in Africa. In Santiago’s dream, he is in a field where a child appears and begins to play with his sheep. After playing for a while, suddenly the child takes both his hands and transports him to the Egyptian pyramids. The child said to him if he came to the Egyptian pyramids, he would find a hidden treasure. He wakes up when the child shows him the exact location (13-14). This dream happens when it is only four days until he meets the merchant’s daughter he admires (6). Santiago is very enthusiastic about the meeting because the last meeting with her mesmerized him. But he doubts whether the merchant’s daughter still remembers him or not:

And now it was only four days before he would be back in that same village. He was excited, and at the same time uneasy: maybe the girl had already forgotten him. Lots of shepherds passed through, selling their wool. (6)

Santiago worries about his future meeting with the merchant’s daughter because he is afraid that it would make him stop traveling, as he said

“…like seamen and like traveling salesmen, always found a town where there was someone who could make them forget the joys of carefree wandering (6-7).”

Those choices puzzled him. Both, the merchant’s daughter and the hidden treasure are unsure matters. It means that both choices do not promise certain results. Santiago doubts whether he should pursue one of the choices or not; going to Africa and sacrificing all his sixty sheep for something he knows nothing about or meeting the merchant daughter whom he is not sure that she still remembers him. It is a complicated choice. This circumstance illustrates that Santiago thinks very carefully of all the possibilities and the consequences of each choice he makes.

After a day of thinking about the options, Santiago decides to accomplish his dream, looking for the hidden treasure (28). Before it, Santiago asks a Gypsy woman to interpret his dream but he is very disappointed since there is no precious good fortune he gets from the fortune teller. Despite this, the Gypsy even wants one-tenth of his treasure as payment if he can find it (15). This meeting makes him feel cheated and discourages his plan for the hidden treasure. This event illustrates that Santiago is a skeptic person. It is caused by the fact that his perspective, his subjectivity, is his basic reason for deciding. Shortly after he meets with the Gypsy, he has a conversation with Melchizedek, the King of Salem. Although at the first time of their meeting, he does not care about Melchizedek but in the following meeting Melchizedek gains Santiago’s spirit of finding the treasure. In this dilemma, Melchizedek has a function as the community because Melchizedek supports Santiago’s decision.

Melchizedek tells Santiago about many things such as about the world’s greatest lie (18), Personal Legend (20), and the omens (29). Melchizedek also tempts Santiago’s will to travel by telling Santiago about a baker who wants to travel. The baker once thinks of becoming a shepherd, but he decides to buy his bakery and put some money aside because bakers are considered to be more important people than shepherds, as Melchizedek said “…bakers have homes, while shepherds sleep out in the open. Parents would rather see their children marry bakers than shepherds (23).”

The statement above drives a distinction between Santiago and the crowd, when Santiago already has sixty sheep he does not think to put his money aside to have his own business, because he enjoys traveling. On the other hand, the baker, like the crowd, prefers having any other businesses that are considered important in their society.

Even though Melchizedek seems to impress and challenge him, but Santiago does not trust him immediately. In the last moment of the first meeting, Melchizedek says that he will show Santiago how to find the treasure but he asks for one-tenth of Santiago’s sheep (20). He gives Santiago a day to think about the choices (25). Although all the subject of his conversation provokes Santiago it is Santiago himself who has full authority because Melchizedek leaves him when Santiago makes a decision. Melchizedek has the same function as Santiago’s father in the first dilemma. Melchizedek’s presence is to give him guidance to his dream. In the time when Santiago makes the consideration, Melchizedek does not meet him to avoid influencing too much. Santiago decides to go to Africa to find the hidden treasure. After Santiago makes a decision, and he meets Melchizedek for the second time. Here the function of Melchizedek is to help Santiago to firm up his decision. He gives Santiago two stones called Urim and Thummim. Urim is the black stone and it signifies ‘yes’, while the white stone is Thummim which signifies ‘no’. Those stones will help Santiago to read the omens if he is unable to (30). But Melchizedek suggests Santiago make his decisions if he can. This point shows that Melchizedek teaches Santiago to trust himself because it is only he who has full authority over himself, not the stones or the crowd. Santiago’s second meeting with Melchizedek intends to firm Santiago’s decision. The second meeting occurs after he does the decision-making. This explains that Melchizedek takes a part in supporting Santiago’s decision. Melchizedek does not influence Santiago in the process of decision-making because the decision is chosen by Santiago. In the next dilemma, all statements and messages said by Melchizedek later have a significant influence on Santiago. The occurrence above shows that Santiago still has a relationship with other who empowers and supports him.

Sirens, synonymous with their seductive and tempting voices in Greek mythology, which bewitch men causing their deaths, is one archetype intertextually present in both O Brother Where Art Thou and Homer’s Odyssey which the film is loosely based on. Through strategic employment of diegetic sound, the careful and thought-provoking composition of the mise-e-scene, and numerous camera shots, the archetype is introduced, with the scene being a direct allusion to an important plot twist in Homer’s Odyssey. Apart from the brilliant use of diegetic sound with the siren’s call being a lullaby, the directors successfully place the sirens in situ as sirens and mermaids are traditionally displayed on rocks. This creates a carefully constructed mise-e-scene to support the powerful diegetic lullaby. This scene is preceded by a medium shot of the protagonists driving a stolen vehicle with all three characters’ upper bodies visible.

The medium shot is the commencement of the scene capturing Everett, Delmar, and Pete in the car. The directors subtly hint at the apparent leadership that Everett has, which parallels the influence that Odyssey had on his crew. The theme of the journey, which this scene evokes is connected intertextually with the theme of the journey in Homer’s Odyssey, which is interrupted by the intrusion of the diegetic sound. With this transition, the diegetic sound of feminine voices from the riverbank is effective in foreshadowing the intertextual reference of Sirens. Pete immediately and individually affected by hearing the sirens is overcome with lust and gasps for breath at the sensuous sound of the siren’s voices. He gestures for Everett to stop. An establishing shot of the river, the mise-e-scene described above and in sepia tones reminisces mythological authenticity as the viewer establishes the connection between our sirens and the archetype of the siren embedded in cultures across the world in one form or another. Knowing this, intentionally foreshadows what is to come.

The three men walk to the edge of the river and behold the beautifully staged mise e scene where they sit perched atop rounded boulders within a flowing stream. The sirens sing in unison a lullaby with supernatural effects, intensified by the directors, which capture the minds of the trio. The sirens sing ‘Go to sleep baby’ whilst authoritatively giving them alcohol, symbolizing the risk accompanying temptation apparent also in the Odyssey. The purposeful utilization of a close-up shot emphasizes Delmar and Pete’s emotional state as they are rendered speechless; however, Everett filled with hubris, attempts to implement his eloquent gift of speech however his siren exerts full control over him. This characteristic of Ulysses is like that of Odysseus, where he orders his crew to bind him to the mast, despite the temptation they are exposed to. His pride desires him to be the first mortal to survive the siren encounter, living to tell the story. The ritualist anointing of the protagonists is an allusion to the anointing of the sacrificed.

The traditions of mythical storytelling organically developed as a way for human civilizations to relate to one another. This process of storytelling dates back to what antiquity recalls as the Paleolithic prehistory. At least, that’s as far as we can date back to early mankind’s prehistoric rock art. It is this shared cultural experience of storytelling, a deeply woven use of human communication that has propelled humans to connect with one another, to relate to shared experiences throughout their lifetime. It is the evolution of the storytelling process where antiquity gifted us with the significance of mythology.

American culture’s fascination with superheroes suggests a modern adaptation of Greek mythology, creating valuable and teachable morality in contemporary times. Through this bevy of guidance, concerning our modern mythologies of Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League, we collectively implore humanity to become the greatest version of itself. These notions are most vital in this particular generation because they keep us tethered to reality as we inch toward global destruction through various cautionary concerns arising, such as pandemics, climate change, and impending nuclear catastrophes.

Mythology has been deeply ingrained in current pop culture, with year after year, Hollywood revealing at least a half dozen superhero films. So, it was with my inquisition of personal interest, and a will to understand what the modern mythologies of the superhero influence truly mean, and what it lends to our global culture. This leads me to present an important consideration to modern-day pop culture: the archetype of superheroes is often relatable to humanity because they experience great loss, subsequently overcoming their own identifying obstacles with optimism, steadfastness, and meaningful substance within their individual causes.

It was as an adult that I begin to find my attraction to this set of superhero archetypes, which I felt encouraged individualized personhood and the personification axis of being an ideal human being. And as the more superheroes I came across, the more the ideas hit home. It is with a genuine effort to understand why so many others are also captivated by this pop culture phenomenon. With the assistance of the readings of the celebrated legendary Joseph Campbell, I am able to decode the great importance of superhero relatability in our modern era. Campbell suggests, “…in this wonderful human brain of ours there has dawned a realization unknown to the other primates. It is that of the individual, conscious of himself as such, and aware that he, and all that he cares for, will one day die” (Campbell, 21).

It is with our own sense of mortality that we cathartically connect to the superhero archetype, as a means of fulfilling our fantasies of our mortal transience. Our concerted consciousness of superhero culture empowers humanity to think critically about our current age. Superheroes inspire us to put the efforts of humanity first before any one person’s particular needs in order to preserve our existence.

Mythologies inform us of the importance of morality and principles of social constructs and the comprehension of global caretaking. Mythology is present in every major religion or belief system, serving as an important overview of how civilization should conduct itself. Accompanied with thematic personifications of leading a virtuous, gratuitous, meaningful life. With mythology frameworks in every major religion, it serves to prepare civilization on how to institute compassion for the integrity of humanity. The epidemiology of the word ‘mythology’ is derived from Greek origins; ‘mythos’ is generally translated into ‘fable’ or ‘legend’. This is where this notion of the word origin translates seamlessly into our modern American culture, superhero narrative.

The 20th century conceived our most beloved superhero – the famous moniker Clark Kent, also known as ‘Superman’. To better understand his exact purpose and his notable influence on pop culture, we need to look towards his introduction to our society, beginning in the early Depression era. We can always find our most notorious superheroes’ onsets witnessed in full alignment with our national disposition. The birth of Superman as a comic book series unified the American public, as this Depression era was a dark mark in our nation’s history. With the nation in a collective era of low American morale, pop culture sprung forth the idea of an archetypal savior, someone who might carry us to the light. Just as Superman ‘saves the day’ in many of his stories, he also gave our nation hope of overcoming these tragic economic circumstances.

Delving further into the ideas behind the superhero narrative is that of the monomyth, defined as a focused story based on a singular ‘hero’s journey’. Many modern superheroes have these elemental functions, even going so far as to say, alignments to god-like qualities, or are perceived as part of the god in their origins. Our modern-day superheroes tend to come from other planets, harvesting powers that are considered to be superhuman, drawing obvious analogies to a religious text.

In those parallels to Christianity and Judaism, Superman is sent via a heavenly father, with the explicit purpose on Earth to save humanity, he does not begin his public service until age 30. Similar to stories told of Christ. He also resurrects at some point, and just like Christ, Superman exhibits phenomenal mystical powers, and he goes so far past the supernatural that he has the capacity to fly. With endearing abilities to forge through gargantuan feats that no other mortal man has the strength to commit to.

Superman’s origin story of having been sent to Earth as a baby is reminiscent of the tale of Moses, being a child adopted into a culture in which he saves its people, but he does not originate from the culture he saves. There are arguments suggesting his well-known ‘S’ emblem on his chest is a comparison to the shape of the Holy Trinity. With Superman’s inception, he is the first homegrown superhero, our mythological archetype, and he directly sets the precedent for our subsequent superhero pop culture in America. Superman is very much connected to our present-day archetype of the Savior or the Messiah.

In Greek mythology, we see comparisons of Superman to the classical myths of Hercules and Perseus, who are demigods and champion many monsters, as Superman triumphs over his perspective supervillains. As did civilizations in antiquity, we adopt superheroes as a relative of modern mythology, functionally explaining the world around us, within the fantastical stories, we also use superhero archetypes to institute lessons of justice and morality and to empower us to stand in their place to save humanity.

Circa 1941, we are graced with the female archetypal companion to our first male superhero – Wonder Woman. The story of Diana Prince comes directly through the vein of Greek mythology, as she is the product of the Amazonian queen and the great Greek god Zeus himself. Her genesis is similar to Superman, her missions are to save humanity from any impending doom, and the consequences of evil doings, and she seeks peace rather than conflict.

Diana Prince is a wordplay on her background being an Amazon princess, in addition to a symbolic embodiment of male equality in strength. Her greatest attributes are her power of forgiveness, her power of love, her righteousness, and her ability to seek justice while using her kindness and wisdom to bring peace to the world. She is meant to rule not through force, but to influence through love. She is specifically imagined in a way to show womanly traits as a means of strength, not weakness. In 2017, Wonder Woman rightfully earned her first contemporary cinematic feature film. Her background of a being demigoddess and an Amazon warrior princess makes for an incredibly impactful feminine archetype. Our latest version of Wonder Woman is directly concerned with humanity’s own self-destruction, by way of war, in its gruesome totality.

In many ways, Wonder Woman is the ultimate ideology of the most perfect woman. She exhibits a sense of dignified beauty, power, strength, independence, and collective ethical righteousness. The architecture of Wonder Woman reflects early feministic endeavors of the women’s suffrage movement, which imparted the genderized value of equality and how vast a woman’s contribution to society can truly be. Moreover, the creator of Wonder Woman was directly inspired by the women’s liberation movements, so it is natural that she carries many of these values. She is a woman so heroic that she alone can save humanity.

One of the most renowned Greek myths of the sea is that of Jason and the Argonauts. Jason and the Quest for the Golden Fleece is one of the oldest myths that showcase the hero’s journey. This adventure myth tells of an undertaking of many Greek mythological forces uniting to accomplish one mission – to recover the fabled Golden Fleece. Jason’s tasks are so daunting that he knows he cannot accomplish them on his own, so he prays to Athena and Juno for their assistance. And the goddesses work together, pulling a group of the bravest men, demigods, and other heroes. They assist Jason in building the famed Argo ship.

Knowing his fate rests in the hands of others, Jason rises as the leader of this assemblage of comparable heroes, helping him complete his task. Jason demonstrates bravery knowing that he could perish during his trials. Jupiter rouses Jason and volunteers to come along for the journey. “Jason, trembling – although the omen of the gods was a happy one – jumped up from his couch… the weeping of the mothers grew louder and the brave hearts of the fathers grew heavy. Weeping they clung to their sons in long embraces. And now it was time. With its sad signal the trumpet, sounding three times, loosened the embraces that were both wasting the breeze and delaying the ship” (Hendricks, 186)

Bravery displayed in the face of adversity is a character attribute that we generally admire and revere, and is something of a necessary quality that we idolize amongst our superhero archetypes. The superhero band as seen in the Justice League is equivalent to the mythological stories of Jason and the Argonauts. In this representation of quantitative heroes aligning and fighting together, we observe a superhero mash-up, the Justice League, which happens to include both Superman and Wonder Woman.

Each superhero has its own specific skill set and power, its own personality with compassion, love, a sense of justice, and equality that lends itself to the ultimate goal of saving humanity. We have much to learn from the cinematic themes that are displayed in our current superhero culture. It is selfless perseverance and shedding of egotism that brings several people to gather for a shared cause. In the discussion of pulling together an alliance, Batman speaks to Wonder Woman: “I wouldn’t count on the tribes of men… they act like the doomsday clock has a snooze button” (Justice League, 2017).

With impending climate change, coupled with the fact that we have more people on the planet in this generation than any other preceding one, we are faced with a certain adversity when it comes to caring for our humanity and the state of our planet. The superhero archetype allows us to relate to these concepts in a thoughtful humanistic nature. We can take pause, reflect, and see ourselves in the mirrored image of a superhero archetype, with cause to a shared purpose. In the last dozen years or so, our entertainment industry has seen a prominent influx in a steady stream of superhero productions. In her compelling essay ‘Avengers in the Void: Nietzsche, Nihilism, and Why We Need Superheroes’, Abby Moore suggests this is directly related to our national mourning and posttraumatic trauma of the September 11th attacks. “There is no doubt that the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, played a part in rebooting the superhero industry back into high gear. Fear of instability, fear of future attacks, and worry about a new war in the Middle East are obvious reasons for people to want to escape into fantasy worlds” (Moore, 3).

While viewing the film ‘Justice League’ (2017), in the opening scene Superman describes his emblem as the ‘S’ is similar to “…that of a river, but it does stand for hope. And that hope, it’s like your car keys, easy to lose but if you dig around it’s always close by” (Justice League, 2017). Later on, in an endearing conversation with Superman’s mother, Louise Lane expresses what her passion is behind being a news writer… and this is no coincidence that both she and Superman worked together as journalists. It is easy correlation to see how we are all distinctly connected through our shared consciousness of the act of storytelling. Storytelling gives the human race a sensibility of resolution and control of the world environment around them, just scan through the channels of your television set for evidence of this concept. The more we can report on the world we live in, the more we can do to protect it, guide it, and see it through to its ultimate safety. “Stories just make sense, it was more than just a puzzle, it was about the truth; it was about seeing the engine of the world when it still ran” (Justice League, 2017).

Our now engrained cultural, psychological functions of superheroes are used in a framework of secular god-like manifestations. German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, wrote about his concept of the Übermensch (loosely translated as ‘Overman’) in exactly this way, which bares resemblance to the character of Superman and is thought to be connected to the inception of his character. The archetype of the Übermensch was meant to be a leader, a philosopher-stylized king of men who would recreate morality in accordance with his own will. Nietzsche theorized that under the right societal conditions, humanity would be engaged to continue to evolve and grow towards idealistic humanitarian betterment.

This should suggest that the concept of the Overman is someone who can establish his own values as an independent free thinker in the world in which others live their lives. This would designate an Overman who can affect and influence the lives of others, setting him apart from groupthink scenarios. An Overman is then someone who has a life, which is not merely to live each day with no meaning, he lives with an unequivocal focus on the present, but with the understandable purpose for humanity, furthermore, the reformation of humanity. Nietzsche expected that greatness might be achieved through necessary suffering, which may rely on qualities that could be unconventional in nature, and that a ‘good outcome’ excuses any wrong acts that were created as a byproduct to attain said outcome. As the anecdotal saying goes, “The end justifies the means”. Nietzsche implies that the idea of the overman helps to refine our best version of ourselves.

Our unified gravitation towards superhero archetypes offers humanity a momentary escape of entertainment, on the surface, but subconsciously we ingest our superhero material to find important elements on how to live one’s life. We are deeply invested in the pop culture ‘religion’ of the superhero. The philosophies of an adopted superhero thought processes have been firmly rooted in our American popular culture. In her essay, Moore states: “…the world is still fighting an uphill battle against entropy, but the fact that he keeps fighting means that the systems are worth saving, optimism is a view worth having, and human existence is ultimately meaningful. Even if the battle lasts forever, that’s fine – because the fight itself gives us meaning, too” (Moore, 18). These archetypes encourage the betterment of our global consciousness in our most trying times. This is one of those times. Now, with so much to lose by way of global warming, nuclear technologies, and apocalyptic natural disasters, the planet is sending a message. Although our revered superheroes are that of fiction, through our reverence of mythological storytelling, we might take action to the likes of our beloved superhero archetypes and use their teachings as a beacon of light in this dark time, as we always have. These paramount mythical archetypes propose the embodiments of impeccable humanitarian preeminence of self-preservation, and an overall reverence of our one and only home, Earth.

Have you ever looked at a task and just deflated because of how confusing it sounds? That was my exact initial reaction to finding out we were learning about Shakespeare. I used to get so caught up in the stereotypical view that surrounded Shakespeare claiming that he was boring and “old news”. It made me disinterested in learning about him. However, after finding out about his core values I have now grown a new perspective on the way I view him and the world. He uses universal themes of love and betrayal to connect to his audience in a way that they can relate to, as well as archetypal characters that can be found in our everyday lives. This makes the audience feel more personally connected to his plays because of the experiences in their own lives.

Shakespeare uses the elements of drama to explain the universal theme of love in his popular play “Romeo and Juliet.” This is completely relevant to us as teenagers today. Relationships are becoming such a huge part of our lives during our teen years, and these can significantly impact our mental health as they can tear us apart and let our “fatal flaws” shine through. In the story of “Romeo and Juliet”, the two lovers were unable to stay in a relationship due to classic family conflict. They later decide that life is not worth living if they are unable to be with each other. They then commit suicide. Although this is quite tragic, we can compare this to our own lives. When we are introduced to a new relationship, we can be blinded, meaning that we do not think rationally, and make mistakes. Shakespeare shows this through the Elements of Drama. An example of this is costuming. Juliet is shown in the play to be a virgin; pure and innocent. This is shown when she wears her soft-coloured long dresses. Another Element is shown through Romeo. He is completely and utterly love-sick, a hopeless romance. He is a classic archetypal character who would go to extreme lengths to make sure that he is always with his lover and it stays that way till he’s in the grave. This can be shown in our everyday lives when young people don’t think rationally about decisions that will affect the rest of our lives.

Another example where Shakespeare uses a great use of drama elements to show the universal theme of betrayal is in the history of Julius Caesar. I felt that this play connects to young people on a more personal level because of the conflict in relationships surrounding high school. In the play, Julius is quite literally stabbed in the back by his friends for achieving power. Shakespeare helps the audience to understand how all the characters are feeling in this play through the use of soliloquies. For example, in Act 2 Scene 1 Brutus tells the audience “I know no personal cause to spurn at him”. This shows that Brutus doesn’t have a problem with Julius’ personality, however wants to kill him out of pure jealousy. An archetypal character that can be found in Julius Caesar is the character Brutus because he’s the typical character who’s out to get his successful friend. The archetypal character of Brutus is revealed through the dramatic element of hamartia where Brutus’s fatal flaw, pride, proves to be the reason he dies. At the end of the play, Brutus commits suicide because he would rather kill himself than be subject to war. We can relate to this because, in our own lives, people can become too proud of themselves to admit their wrongdoings.

Teenagers in our modern-day society shouldn’t be pushing Shakespeare away, they should be celebrating his life as an incredible and historical playwright. Shakespeare has opened up my eyes to how even though we are all unique and different from each other, we all have the same fundamental emotions that connect us as humans. Before reading Shakespeare I felt that drama was irrelevant, something that was messy. However, now I feel that Shakespeare has turned the drama into a natural human quality by using archetypal characters that I can relate to.

Australia is about 25 million people where about half of its population possess a passenger car. It has been found that the best customer archetype for a car worthing around 25 000 AU$ are the young men between 25 and 34 years old. They represent 1.66 million people within the country and most of them lives on the Est-coast, when it comes to downsizing to a specific area, 10% of them lives in Brisbane. On the basis that only one fifth of them show an interest for sport car around the price of 25 grand, they represent 34 200 within the city which represent a large customer potential knowing that a car assembly line will required only 410 car to pay back the operating cost. From the interviews, their fundamental pain usually revolves around the high costs of purchasing the vehicle. The reasonably high purchasing power from a large section of the population, coupled with the demand for cars, triggers the prices. As such, ownership of a vehicle is often a sacrifice, albeit with a high satisfaction rate. The other issues pertain to dissatisfaction tied to poor designs. The interview reveals that the high cost of vehicles does not necessarily guarantee the desired aesthetic value. Besides, customers have a limited contribution to the impending design and often have to cope with unsatisfactory makes. Low performance is also a fundamental pain associated with the vehicles. The identification of specific challenges may be achieved instantly or after limited exposure to a particular vehicle. However, this customer archetype also witnesses multiple gains, including a sports line, recognizing desire and comfort. The following product is actually a sport car providing a similar gain than another sport car at a more reasonable price. However, the starting product have low performance but can be upgrade through aftermarket product to compete with other cars. The other benefits emanate from different incentives, including a two years warranty, environmental-friendliness, and high safety standards.

Business Model Canvas

Value propositions

The sports care category is an essential detail for the customers. It involves one of the largest categories of car enthusiasts. Many people yearn for sports cars but are cognizant of the resources constraint. Sports car embody luxury and are historically associated with high prices. However, the new model is expected to change the notion by aligning with the financial capability of a large section of the population. With a purchasing price in the range of 25000 AU$, the car competes with a wide range of different models of vehicles. The associated aftermarket product that will improve the performance of the car is the primary feature that resonates with prospective users. Ground clearance is an important aspect, the difference between the front and rear magnitude allow to increase the strength of the car shape, the rear of magnitude is about 315 mm whereas the front is only 223 mm. Some others important dimensions include a total length of 4684 mm, an overall width of 1860 mm, and an overall height of 1383 mm, making the car just in the middle range size car. The curb weight covers 1240 kg and it is made up of a 3-cylinders engine in line that weigh only 104 kg and deliver 129 horsepower, providing a good ratio weight/power, which is an important detail when speaking of performance. Furthermore, the fuel tank accommodates 55 liters while and the car has a sustainable consumption, standing at 6.3L / 100km CO2. Some of the essential equipment includes 18-inch aluminum wheels, sports bucket seats, heated mirrors, and air conditioner. Music lovers will also enjoy the filter audio HiFi 4 speakers. The front part consists of the driver airbag, radio LCD and USB port, LED Daytime Lights, and Anti Fog lamps. Some key security details include the theft system approval, electric front and rear windows with child safety, and automatic front lights. Consequently, the car will solve the problems of well design car that are to expensive with its starting price of 25 grand, and performance with the possibility to have install some aftermarket product.

Customer archetypes

The customer archetype analysis concerns the Australian men in the mean age 25 to 34 present a particular situation of the car industry. They are 1.6 million within the country and a fifth of them are potentially interest in sport car. A primary defining factor of the particular customer archetype is that there is an increased emphasis on details, particularly regarding the quality of the car and the value of money. Their priority is usually found in the design and performance of the car, and has the least concern about the environmental aspect. The requirement explains the focus on paying the least insurance compared to the younger segments of the population. The customer archetype earns a median salary of 50,000 dollars annuals. They are also keen on conserving friendships. The car helps to facilitate movement and taking advantage of free time.

Persons in the mean age of 25 to 34 are also early adopters. They are well conversant with different quirks and features of multiple vehicles. The customer archetype also engages with different issues in the car market beyond the technical detail. It includes the arising developments, technologies, and alignments with the international standards for quality and efficiency. Persons in the dominant customer archetype are also interested in developing social networks, which will facilitates the community, leading to seamless information gathering and sharing around the brand online. This impending community could be a platform for multiple social incentives. The groups cannot resist the desire for admiration and the pleasure of being valuable members of the community. The men’s financial capability is also an important finding. The high purchase power, amounting to 20000 to 30000 AU$, presents multiple incentives to the industry. It is an ideal reference to the future realities of the car market within and beyond Australia.

Channels

Socio networking is an integral aspect of the car industry. Different social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook support multiple needs, including business and interaction. High usage of either of these platforms translate to a higher engagement rate from the customer to the brand. However, Instagram has the upper hand regarding customer engagement. It is 58 times effective, more than Facebook and 120 times more than Twitter. Some of the integral features include stories, inbuilt analytics, and page promotion. The use of different platforms suggests that customers will have a different judgment regarding any arising expectations in the car market. Facebook is known to be effective when including esteem to the society whereas Twitter can advertise the brand through tweet that can goes easily viral. Besides, online platforms support sharing ideas from different persons from within and beyond the country.

They are others essential channels, ranging from car transport business, partnership, and online business that are critical to spread the car around Australia. As example, Ceva is a car transport business that can move the car from Ipswich anywhere to the main city which are Adelaïde, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Townsville. Partnership with existing dealership such as Toyota could present an advantage to promote and sell the cars. As an instance, Dacia in Europe make a partnership with Renault dealership to help to sell their car in exchange of a compensation, and it has worked very well since they sold their car and were out of stock really fast. Another way to sell the car could be an online website, such Tesla did to sell their own car, this will facilitate retrieval and analysis of essential information regarding quality and comfortable cars as supports the interest of the brand to the customers.

Customer relationship

The Customer relationship is a critical aspect regarding a brand and his position on the market. It is the foundation for understanding the existing needs and working towards delivering the required needs. Manufacturers use different approaches to understand and support the needs of the population. They are bound to benefit from the creation of a highly interconnected community. Some of the primary incentives include social network, which is an integral platform that will help to get more survey from people in order to put the business on the right path. The first survey made outside had allow the business to know its customer archetype which represent a great value when engaging the market, which make it more efficient the way to get customer. Business image is also an important requirement, the brand logo will primarily conforms to the Australian colors in order to get the customer’s attention and appreciation on the market, make him proud to drive the only car that is assembly within the country. Besides, the original manufacturer and partner of the car model is also making a racing model called the TR180 based on the model, which will represent the car and the brand in automobile competition.

To keep the new users, the business should achieve multiple inducements, including aftermarket support, maintenance, and survey. The inducements suggest a highly personalized commodity commencing from the point of accessing the vehicle and throughout the time of using it for different needs. Furthermore, the use of survey will be a requirement to obtain the necessary information that will keep defining the right needs of the customers as it will support them better.

Lastly, the developments of new model such as SUV, UTE and others also avail essential growth prospects for the business. Expanding the offer also required new survey in order to fit with the new requirements.

Revenue streams

The business will capitalize on the numerous revenues streams available from the large Australian market among a consequent category of car enthusiasts. Car sales constitute the largest revenue stream, given the highest cost compared to any other commodity. The business will mainly target customers from the Brisbane area aged between 25 and 34 year olds. The inducement arising from the affordability means that we can anticipate a large market size. Service and maintenance is also a critical requirement. The buyers will be interested in retaining the car that has offered such needs over the years or acquiring one with the required incentives. The aesthetic value of a car is also a relevant aspect. The buyers will spend extra money to make slight adjustments to attain the desired utility. They also may want to spend the least amount of different needs despite awareness of the inevitable costs. It makes it possible to retain the vehicle for the longest period possible. Such persons have also formed unique personal relationships with car dealers and mechanics.

Aftermarket product upgrades the car performance to obtain more power. The underlying approach features multiple benefits and is competitive in diverse ways. Many aftermarket product can be found across the world to fit the special need of the car. A typical car owner is also increasingly passionate of their vehicle. They may go to the extent of receiving highly personalized services. It is upon the dealers to strike a balance between earning from maintenance and facilitating the utility of the vehicles for the benefit of the customers.

Key partners and suppliers

Partnership is a critical requirement in every industry. The development of the sports car has led to the involvement of key partners facilitating different technical and logistical needs. MPM is one of the integral players. The company is a French car manufacturer that will provide the schema to assemble the car. MPM will also provide the parts of the car and ship them to the business. The other player is regarded as JDSK, a Chinese car assembly provider that will provide all the machine required to assemble the car in Australia. Furthermore, JDSK can also provide some parts to assembly the car.

Besides, the inclusion of others partners, over the time, are bound to cut the costs of production. The business will affirm the interest to offer affordability by engaging clients with a limited budget, which presents multiple incentives. The first benefit entails exposure to a large range of choices. The modern era of car manufacturing establishes variety as an important attribution. As such, the customers can choose from multiple options. It covers essential categories, such as power, practicality, and personalization. The other incentives revolve around high performance. The customer archetype is assured of the best performing for the car will be available. The incentives may also cater to the need for luxury and preference. It largely emanates from the provisions for customization and personalization.

Consequently, the involvement of multiple partners is a key foundation for innovation in vehicle manufacturing. The research and development made by others are concerned by offering the latest developments and satisfying the individual desires of a large section of the population.