Question

7. When you apply a critical perspective to literature, you read a selection through a particular lens or frame. An example is the social or historical perspective would be viewing literature as it reflects issues in society at the time it was written. What would best define the archetypal perspective?

Answer 1

 Viewing literature as an expression of characters, symbols, or patterns that cross cultures.

Answer 2

An archetype is a constantly recurring symbol or motif in literature.

The archetypal perspective of literary criticism is, therefore, that which focuses on recurring myths and archetypes in various types of literary work. These archetypes can be found in the narrative, symbols, images and characters of a text. This perspective was particularly popular during the 1940s and 1950s thanks to the work of Canadian literary critic Northrop Frye.