BIRTHING AN ARCHETYPE: WAR AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE EPIC CHILD HERO

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Carl Jung suggests that archetypes are created for a specific purpose; they are not merely nebulous figures which were once imposed upon characters in stories, but were instead born in times of need in direct response to that need. In this dissertation, I identify and define a new heroic archetype that I have named the Epic Child Hero, and I trace its origin and evolution from World War II into the twenty-first century, from its earliest appearances in the forms of Tolkien's Hobbits and Lewis's Pevensie siblings to its later incarnations found in British, Japanese, and American children's literature.

It is my contention that the Epic Child Hero is a legitimate new archetype, separate from other archetypes such as the Hero, the Shadow, or the Divine Child, and that it has its own history and function. Born in a time of uncertainty when people had begun questioning even the traditional hero figure, the Epic Child Hero presented itself as a tabula rasa, a character that could carry the hope of the future while also bearing the burden of the past. Like their adult predecessors, Epic Child Heroes are protagonists of epic stories, and though they accomplish great feats of strength, courage, or intellect, it is their youth that equips and qualifies them as heroes above any other quality. Therefore, their tasks must be completed before they officially reach adulthood, for when they grow up, they lose their heroic status, and it is their childhood that is the sacrifice for their cause.

The Epic Child Hero archetype emerged from the collective unconscious in historically unique circumstances made possible by astonishing advancements in the technology of the twentieth century, and it reflects the social, moral, psychological, political, and cultural concerns brought about by two global wars, a crippling economic collapse, the breakdown of global European empires, and the rise of postmodernism. Because of this, the Epic Child Hero is a powerful witness to the history of the twentieth century and stands as permanent tribute to what humanity has wrought.