The Orphan In 'The Hero: The Twelve Archetypes'

One very common archetype found in literature, especially in children's literature, is the Orphan. Cultures and societies across the world somewhat differ from each other regarding the definition of “orphan”. UNICEF defines an orphan as “a child who has lost one or both parents”, while the terms "Single-Orphan" and "Double Orphan" also exists in some countries and depend on the child having lost one or both parents. Jung loosely used the term "orphan" for someone who experienced the act of abandonment by a parent at some point in their childhood, whether the physical death of one or both parents has actually occurred. Pearson describes orphans as children "who are deprived of parental protection and nurture while too young and unshielded to take care of themselves". They …show more content…

The Archetype Orphan itself is an understated but very pure type of hero. He is able to perform the most godly of acts on a daily basis: taking life as it comes and appreciating the present moment for all it's worth. The Orphan understand that everyone matters, just as they are. In his research The Hero: The Twelve Archetypes, J.J.Jonas states that "the Orphan Archetype is down to earth and unpretentious, it reveals a deep structure influences by the wounded or neglected child that expects very little from life but shows a huge amount of empathy, realism and street smarts." The Orphan's goal according to Pearson is to regain the safety it lost or never had to begin with. Its paradise is lost which leads to despair and alienation. It fears to victimized and exploited, seeking to regain the comfort and neonatal safety in the arms of loving and perfect parents, while living in a safe world. To fulfill this quest, the Orphan must go through the agonies of the development stages it has missed. The task is to process pain and disillusionment fully and to be able to accept help from others. Its strength and gift is the interdependence and pragmatic realism that the Orphan had to learn at an