Question

When you apply a critical perspective to literature, you read a selection through a particular lens or frame. An example is the social or historical perspective would be viewing literature as it reflects issues in society at the time it was written. What would best define the archetypal perspective?

Answer 1

A critical perspective can help us understand and explore literature, it is used to analyze works beyond their content, to understand the whole context in which they were written, the background and their impact. One way of analyzing literature can be from an archetypal perspective.

An archetypal perspective can be defined as a criticism focused on the symbols, patterns, forms and characters that are universal. An archetype has its origins from Carl Jung's collective unconscious, in which he stated that the human experience is transferred from generations. This means that an archetype has the same function throughout humankind.

An example of a literary archetype would be a romantic novel in which the characters fall in love but have to face an obstacle to be together, and when they overcome this obstacle they get married.  

An archetype perspective can help us understand complex characters, and situations based on a general perspective, and make literature easier.

Answer 2

The one that best define the archetypal perspective would be : viewing literature as an expression of characters, symbols, or patterns that cross cultures. Archetypal perspective is a form perspective that interpret a literature by focussing on recurring myths

hope this helps