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Hannah Bailey

February 12, 2016

Professor Taracuk 

ENG 101-111232

The o!an"ic Hero

Ha#e you e#er no"ice$ "he %a""erns be"&een $ifferen" charac"ers in li"era"ure' The

co!!on reoccurrence of "he s"ron( !ale lea$s &i"h "heir su%%or"in( lo#e in"eres"s, or "he

co!!on fe& $ifferen" "y%es of #illains of"en use$ for $ifferen" circu!s"ances) *arl +un( &as a

s"u$en" of i(!un$ Freu$, an$ in his &ri"in(s he brou(h" "he conce%" of arche"y%es "o li"era"ure)

ne of "hese %ar"icular arche"y%es %resen"e$ &as "he ro!an"ic.(o"hic hero, an$ "his charac"er &as

&i$ely re%resen"e$ in &ha" are consi$ere$ "o$ay/s classics) T&o ea!%les of "his !elancholic

hero are r) arcy fro! Pride and Prejudice, an$ n$rei Bolkonsky fro! War & Peace)

Thou(h "he nu!ber of co!%arisons ou"nu!ber "he con"ras", "hey also ha#e 4uali"ies an$ "rai"s

"ha" !ake "he! #ery $ifferen" %eo%le, an$ "hese $ifferences are &ha" "en$ "o be o#erlooke$ &i"h

arche"y%es)

E#en before so!eone kno&s of "he eis"ence of "hese s"ereo"y%ical "y%es of charac"ers, a

rea$er can easily %oin" ou" "ha" a charac"er fro! one %iece is alike one fro! ano"her) These

co!!on "rai"s is &ha" crea"es an arche"y%e, &hich is a 5uni#ersal %a""erns in all s"ories an$

!y"holo(ies re(ar$less of cul"ure or his"orical %erio$ 7rche"y%es8) rche"y%es can be a%%lie$

"o i!a(es, sy!bols, "he!es, i$eas, a %lo" %a""ern or charac"er "y%es, an$ can be use$ as a &ay "o

ca"e(ori9e "hese "hin(s &i"h e4ui#alen" $e"ails) rche"y%es a%%ear in a nu!ber of !e$ia,

inclu$in( !usic, !y"hs, reli(ion, an$ li"era"ure) The %ar"icular arche"y%e "ha" is bein( a%%lie$ "o

r) arcy an$ n$rei Bolkonsky is "he ro!an"ic hero) The o!an"ic Hero is a 5hero an$.or

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lo#er &i"h a $eci$e$ly $ark si$e 7rche"y%es8 &ho s"ru((les &i"h !elancholy an$ self-cri"icis!:

!ore of"en "han no", a ro!an"ic hero has re;ec"e$ a %ar" of "heir socie"y or has been re;ec"e$

"he!sel#es) This arche"y%e arose $urin( "he o!an"ic Perio$ 7c) 1<00-1<=08 an$ &as seen in

res%onse "o "he French e#olu"ion 71><?-1>??8 &hen Na%oleon &as a le" $o&n for "he i$eal

hero) os" ro!an"ic heroes in li"era"ure are %hilan"hro%ic, !eanin( "hey lo#e "he conce%" of

hu!ans, an$ $is%lace "he!sel#es fro! bein( a hu!an, "hus $esirin( "o be like 5"he!--like o"her 

hu!ans)

5@n #ain ha#e @ s"ru((le$) @" &ill no" $o) y feelin(s &ill no" be re%resse$) Aou !us"

allo& !e "o "ell you ho& ar$en"ly @ a$!ire an$ lo#e you 7us"en8) +ane us"en/s "i!eless

classic Pride and Prejudice brin(s abou" "he sa"irical !ockery of "he !arrie$ life a" "he sa!e

"i!e as crea"in( one of li"era"ure/s !os" belo#e$ !en-- r) Fi"9&illia! arcy) arcy ha$

e#ery"hin( he coul$ %ossibly &an" !oney, influence, fa!ily, an es"a"e, an$ any"hin( he $esire$

coul$ be %ro#i$e$ !o!en"arily) ue "o his u%brin(in(, arcy ha$ his %ri$e) He kne& &ho he

&as an$ he &as &ell a&are of &ha" he &as en"i"le$ "o, as &ell as (uaran"ee$ "his "o his youn(er

sis"er, Geor(iana) arcy &as a fa!ily !an, $e$ica"in( as !uch "i!e as he %ossibly coul$ "o his

$ear sis"er, an$ "olera"in( his ornery aun" &ho na((e$ a" his ear) arcy care $ee%ly for his fa!ily,

an$ &as #ery 4uick "o in"ro$uce "he &o!an he lo#e$ "o "he!) es%i"e bein( as %ri#ile(e$ as he

&as, arcy !a$e a s"a"e!en" as a !an &i"h his o&n $e!ons) si$e fro! %ri$e, arcy &as a

silen" !an &i"h a lack of char!) The only "hin( &o!en see!e$ "o fin$ likeable abou" hi! &as

his !oney, an$ e#en "ha" &as no" "e!%"in( enou(h for &o!en such as Eli9abe"h Benne") @n so!e

cases, arcy/s !oney see!e$ like a curse) He &oul$ &i"h$ra& fro! social (a"herin(s, refuse$ "o

$ance &i"h anyone, an$ ;us" &a"che$ fro! a "ran4uil corner) @" &as as if "he !an belie#e$ hi!self 

se%ara"e fro! "he o"her hu!ans aroun$ hi!, an$ "hou(h i" see!s like i" &as ou" of %ri$e, #ery

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4uickly i" &as reali9e$ "ha" "his $issocia"ion &as $ue "o his !is"rus" of o"hers an$ his feelin( of

aliena"ion fro! e#eryone else) Chen i" co!es $o&n "o his lo#e in"eres", "he #as" !a;ori"y of "he

 book is ;us" "heir s"ory of fallin( in lo#e) Fro! "he %oin" of r) arcy an$ Eli9abe"h Benne"

!ee"in(, i" is es"i!a"e$ "ha" "heir co!in( "o(e"her as a cou%le "ook "he be""er of "&o years, &hich

in "heir cul"ure, "he a%%ro%ria"e len("h of cour"in( "ook abou" "he sa!e a!oun" of "i!e) Fro!

Eli9abe"h/s firs" re;ec"ion of his !arria(e %ro%osal, arcy be(an &ork "o be""er hi!self for her,

an$ she &as ke%" in his !in$ al&ays) He ha$ no" (i#en u%, bu" !a$e (ainin( her be""er fa#or--if

no" her han$--so!e"hin( for hi! "o s"ri#e for) @" is "he "y%e of hones", $e#o"e$ charac"er "ha"

!a$e r) arcy such a sou(h" af"er sor" of !an for anyone &ho rea$ "he s"ory, an$ i" &as "hose

sa!e charac"eris"ics "ha" !a$e hi! "he %erfec" ro!an"ic hero)

5Na"asha, @ lo#e you, @ lo#e you !ore D Be""er "han @ $i$ before) @ &as in "he &ron() @" is

for you D "o for(i#e !e 7Tols"oy8) Prince n$rei Bolkonsky &as in"ro$uce$ in "he no#el War

and Peace by eo Tols"oy as a %hiloso%hical o%%osi"e "o his frien$ *oun" Pierre Be9ukho#)

n$rei &as also re%resen"e$ as &holly $e%resse$ an$ unha%%y &i"h his !arria(e, annoye$ by his

&ife/s si!%le !in$ an$ nee$y "en$encies) He &as also $e%ic"e$ "o be an a"heis", as sho&n by his

ne(lec"ance "o acce%" any reli(ious offerin(s fro! his sis"er) es%i"e "he reli(ious $isa(ree!en",

n$rei an$ his li""le sis"er, arya, are inse%arable an$ care for one ano"her #ery !uch) n$rei/s

&ife $ie$ in chil$bir"h &hile he &as a&ay a" &ar, an$ he e%resses in a le""er "ha" he has re!orse

for "he ne(lec"ful husban$ he &as) " "ha" %oin", n$rei be(an "o chan(e as a %erson en"irely) He

&as $is"an" an$ en(ulfe$ in a $arkness "ha" &as his an$ his alone, an$ n$rei !a$e i" a %oin" "o

eis" a%ar" fro! e#eryone aroun$ hi!) Ho&e#er, all sa$ness "ha" eis"s !ay fin$ en$, an$ he

foun$ "ha" in his lo#e for Na"alia os"o#a) n$rei $escribes his lo#e as a li(h", so!e"hin( "o

 break his &orl$ of sorro&s, an$ &as e#en ner#ous she %ossibly $i$ no" lo#e hi! back) @n s"ark

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con"ras" "o r) arcy, n$rei $i$ no" (e" "o be &i"h "he &o!an he lo#e$, in fac", he broke off

"heir en(a(e!en" ra"her "han for(i#e Na"alia for a !is"ake she ha$ !a$e) This is "he (rea"es"

$ifference be"&een "he "&o !en, is "he ou"co!e of "heir lo#e li#es) n$rei/s a$ora"ion for Na"alia

follo&e$ hi! "o his $ea"h, an$ in $ea"h, $i$ "hey se%ara"e) n$rei/s roller coas"er of a lo#e life

an$ $ee% sorro&s !a$e hi! "he "y%e of $ark !an "ha" a &o!an &ishe$ she coul$ !ake ha%%y,

an$ "hose "ra(ic "rai"s &as &ha" !a$e hi! "he !iserable hero he &as)

There are al&ays "hose charac"ers "ha" !ake &o!en s&oon, or "hey se" "heir s"an$ar$s "o)

The ro!an"ic hero ha%%ens "o be one of "he !os" re%resen"e$ an$ $esire$ %ersonali"ies like "his,

usually sho&n in "i"les like 5"all, $ark an$ han$so!e or 5"he e!o"ional one) The re%resen"a"ion

of "his arche"y%e &as $one bes" by "he classics, na!ely +ane us"en/s r) arcy an$ eo

Tols"oy/s Prince n$rei Bolkonsky) Bo"h &ere &oeful !en &i"h a $arkness in "heir hear", an$

&hen "hey foun$ lo#e "hey see!e$ "o shine in a ne& li(h") r) arcy an$ n$rei &ere so alike,

an$ ye" one of "he! (o" "he (irl, an$ "he o"her en$e$ u% $yin() These fic"ional !en &ere so

si!ilar, an$ ye" so si!ilar, &hy $i$ "hey ha#e en$in(s so o%%osi"e of one ano"her'

Corks *i"e$

us"en, +ane) Pride and Prejudice) Ne& Aork o$ern ibrary, 1??=) Prin")

*olle(e, Hillsborou(h *o!!uni"y, co!%) rche"y%es) "Archetypes for Literary Analysis"  

7201=8 n) %a() Ceb) 12 Feb) 2016)

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Tols"oy, eo, ichar$ Pe#ear, arissa olokhonsky, an$ eo Tols"oy) War and Peace) Ne& Aork

lfre$ ) Ino%f, 200>) Prin")