Archetypes in Movies and the Literary Analysis Paragraph

Here is the Formula:

1. Identify the archetype (situational or character) to be discussed. Explain the connection to the film.
Example:
Marty McFly, in Steven Spielbergs Back to the Future I, fits the archetype of a hero.
2. Define the archetype in your own words. Be sure to include all parts of the archetype.
Example:
In literature and film, the hero goes through a journey and typically must perform a specific task that serves an
important and significant purpose for a greater good.
3. Provide a context for the film. Think of it as a brief summarya one-liner!
Example:
As a hero, Marty, because of his relationship to an eccentric scientist named Doc, is placed into a situation where
he goes back in time to the year 1955.
4. Give the first example that proves and shows how this aspect of the movie fits this particular archetype.
Example:
Through this experience, he is faced with the task of making sure that his parents still fall in love. If he fails at this,
he risks the future for himself and his siblings, who seem to erase from existence as time moves on in 1955.
5. Give the second example that proves and shows how this aspect of the movie fits this particular
archetype.
Example:
Marty also feels a great responsibility to warn Doc about his 1985 self who receives fatal bullet wounds. He feels
that if he can inform him of the future, he can save his life. Marty makes numerous attempts to do this, and
ultimately, he succeeds.
6. Explain the area where the definition of the archetype is not a complete match. Where is there a
difference between what you saw in the movie and the definition of the archetype? (Be sure to include a
transitional word or phrase, when needed.)
Example: Mary fits the definition of a hero fully.
7. Concluding sentence that offers insight to the use of an archetype in the movie.
Example:
Use of the hero archetype in this film involves the viewer in the film; the audience can identify with Marty and
becomes invested in his quest.
Here is the whole paragraph combined:
Marty McFly, in Steven Spielbergs Back to the Future I, fits the archetype of a hero. In literature and film, the
hero goes through a journey and typically must perform a specific task that serves an important and significant
purpose for a greater good. As a hero, Marty, because of his relationship to an eccentric scientist named Doc, is
placed into a situation where he goes back in time to the year 1955. Through this experience, he is faced with the
task of making sure that his parents still fall in love. If he fails at this, he risks the future for himself and his
siblings, who seem to erase from existence as time moves on in 1955. Marty also feels a great responsibility to
warn Doc about his 1985 self who receives fatal bullet wounds. He feels that if he can inform him of the future, he
can save his life. Marty makes numerous attempts to do this, and ultimately, he succeeds. Use of the hero
archetype in this film involves the viewer in the film; the audience can identify with Marty and becomes invested
in his quest.