Thinking Activity: Northrop Frye

Thinking Activity :  Northrop Frye

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Here is my blog on Thinking activity Northrop Frye given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. Northrop Frye The Archetypes of Literature. In this Essay Northrop Frye look at Structural method and origin of the narrative.

Here are some questions which is given by Pro. Dilip Barad sir.

1 ) What is Archetypal Criticism? What does the archetypal critic do?

          Archetypal Criticism as it applies to literature is a form of criticism " that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes". 

      

          Archetype in literary criticism , a primordial image, characters or pattern of circumstances that recurs throughout literature and thought consistently enough to be considered a universal concept or situation.

   

        Northrop Frye look at structural method and origin of the narrative. 

        Novel, Narrative, Play > Dreams> The Beginning> The Middle> The end.

If we think the job of Archetypal critic then we find that they have to know about the various Archetypes and do note on how one writer used that specific Archetypes, in this literary work, How that is appropriate with the context of history.

2 ) What is Frye trying prove by giving an analogy of "physics to nature" and "Criticism to Literature?

Frye trying prove by giving an analogy of  "physics to nature" and "Criticisms to Literature". There are two basic categories in Frye’s criticism. Comedic and Tragic. That category is subdivided into comedy and romance for the comedic, tragedy and satire for the tragic. Frye uses the seasons in his archetypal criticism. Fyre discuss four seasons that is  spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

  

Each season arrange with a literary genre.

Comedy (spring),

Romance (summer), 

Tragedy (autumn), 

Satire (winter).

So here each season align with a literary genre. Each season give symbolize to every season with different genre.

3 ) Share your views of Criticism as an organised body of knowledge. Mention relation of literature with history and philosophy.

Criticism is the organized body of knowledge. That through we look at various approaches.  Literature have a vital reaction with History and Philosophy. Literature is the central division of the " humanities " flanked on one side by history and on the other side by philosophy. Importance of  Philosophy as well as history in literature. Literature gives an Events and Ideas. If we look at on History that concern with Actions and Philosophy concern with Wisdom.

4 ) Briefly explain inductive method with illustration of Shakespeare's Hamlet's Grave Digger's scene.

Northrop Frye discuss the two methods in the  Archetypal criticism. He used two methods to prove his observation. He used "Inductive Method" and "Deductive Method". Inductive Method from observation to theory and from particular to general. De active method is from theory to particular observations and from general to particular.

Shakespeare's Hamlet's grave Digger's scene is an example of Inductive Method.

5 ) Briefly explain deductive method with reference to an analogy to Music, Painting, rhythm and pattern. Give examples of the outcome of deductive method.

Deductive method from theory to particular observation and from general to particular observation. Deductive method with reference to an analogy of music, painting, rhythm and pattern. So, if we can see a music where music move in time whether painting presented in space. We listen to music we found a rhythm. So here we "listen" to narrative. We look at the painting there is found pattern. So here we "see" to means.  So something is recurrence in music and painting.

   

6 ) Refer to the Indian seasonal grid (below). If you can, please read small Gujarati or Hindi or English poem from the archetypal approach and apply Indian seasonal grid in the interpretation.

The Human Seasons

                                              BY JOHN KEATS

Four Seasons fill the measure of the year;

      There are four seasons in the mind of man:

He has his lusty Spring, when fancy clear

      Takes in all beauty with an easy span:

He has his Summer, when luxuriously

     Spring's honied cud of youthful thought he loves

To ruminate, and by such dreaming high

     Is nearest unto heaven: quiet coves

His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings

     He furleth close; contented so to look

On mists in idleness—to let fair things

     Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook.

He has his Winter too of pale misfeature,

Or else he would forego his mortal nature.

"The Human Season" by John Keats is one of the most famous poems that talks of man and his relationship with nature. The poem talks of man's nature like the four seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter. So here we can found archetypal approach through the human nature 

First is the spring that is "lusty" symbolizing the  excitement of man's youthful life.

Second comes the summer season. In this season, man thinks of sweet things, even dreaming as high as that can reach the heavens. As archetypal Criticism we can see that summer is the season of maturity. So dreams come at age of maturity. This time is best for fulfill all dreams.

Third is the season of autumn, when he begins to lose a bit of faith and liveliness of life. So here we can say that fall in the faith and trust.

Lastly comes the winter, the cold, cruel and "pale misfeature". Also symbolise death of his mortal nature.

SR : literature and religion : Northrop Frye- ritual, myth and archetypes of literature.

            There is a very close relationship between literature and religion. literary criticism the term archetype denotes narrative designs, pattern of action, character type, theme and images which are identified in a major term of literature as well as in myth and social ritual.

             Archetypal Criticism as it applies to literature is a form of criticism " that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes". 

      

            Archetype in literary criticism , a primordial image, characters or pattern of circumstances that recurs throughout literature and thought consistently enough to be considered a universal concept or situation.

Archetypes in literary criticism as critics we find many characters and he considered God as man in archetypal criticism, So here God is superior as normally but we can see as archetype so here God is portrayed as a man or as a character.  If we can see Ramayan so there is Ram as God but in the archetypes literature we can consider him as a character.

  

Similarly religion is not associated with scientific actuality, with religion how things look like. Religion provide both form and substance for all literary culture. Literary criticism work on conceivability. Likewise,  religion function on conceivability. There can be no place for scientific actuality in both, but what is conceived is accepted by all. So both the religion and literature work on its place. It is revelation of God and truth. So there relationship between literature and religion.

                Thank you….