English 2F - Children's Lit
Response #9 - C.S. Lewis and Archetypal Theory
Purpose: To analyze the elements of fantasy, to identify the archetypes in the book, to explore the question of how fantasy affects children psychologically, emotionally and soacially.
Directions:
| Note: The responses are intended to be a way for you to explore ideas that you might later wish to refine in a paper or a discussion. I will not censor these responses in any way, nor will I grade them on content or grammar (though, like the seminars, they must be coherent and display some measure of critical thinking about the question at hand). You do not have to answer all the questions, nor do you have to confine yourself to these questions. You can write as much as you want, as long as you meet the minimum length requirements for the assignment |
1. Read C. S. Lewis's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
2. Review the material on fantasy from Module 7, especially the material on Carl Jung and arechtypes. Choose one or more ideas from at least one of the web resources to use in your response.
3. Write a page analyzing some aspect of the book. Questions to consider:
- What elements identify "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" as fantasy?
- What archetypes (universal symbols) can we find in this story? Identify a few characters, symbols, plot elements, or images that we recognize. What do we expect from the archetypes? Do they live up to the expectations, or does Lewis somehow subvert them? If he subverts them, why do you think he does so? What is the effect on the audience?
- What elements from other stories do you recognize in C.S. Lewis's fantasy? (Hint - you will find lots of Christian symbolism in the book, but remember that Christian symbolism often derives from other, older mythologies and stories - can you name a few?).
3. Include at least two quotes from the web resource/s to back up your interpretation of the book.
4. Submit your response to the assignments chamber.
5. Extra Credit Option: Post your response to the extra credit forums, "Response #9 - C.S. Lewis and Archetypal Theory". You will receive extra credit if you post your response and respond to at least one other student's posting. |