The research investigates the roles of archetypes and symbolic imagery in literary works, analyzing their influence on narrative structure, character development, and thematic evolution. Utilizing C. G. Jung’s notion of the collective unconscious and archetypal critique, the research examines recurring figures such as the hero, the shadow, the trickster, and the wise old man, alongside symbolic themes including the road, the home, water, and darkness. A comparative analysis of examples from classical, romantic, realist, and modernist literature demonstrates that archetypes function as culturally shared frameworks that structure experience and facilitate communication between author and reader, transcending the confines of individual biography and historical context. Symbolic pictures are seen as tangible aesthetic representations of these patterns inside specific texts, where they engage with story, genre, and style. The paper contends that the efficacy of archetypes is derived not from stringent repetition but from their ability to be recontextualized inside novel ideological, psychological, and cultural frameworks. A particular focus is placed on how contemporary writing disrupts conventional archetypal frameworks, incorporating ambivalence, irony, and fragmentation while yet depending on profound symbolic structures. The conclusion underscores the significance of archetypal and symbolic analysis in the comprehension of literary texts and in comprehending the enduring presence of mythical thought in modern culture.

Archetype, symbolic picture, collective unconscious

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