Child (archetype)

The Child archetype, is an important Jungian archetype in Jungian psychology, first suggested by Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung. Recently, author Caroline Myss suggested Child, amongst four the Survival Archetypes (Victim, Prostitute, and Saboteur), present in all of us. It ranges from "childish to childlike longing for the innocent, regardless of age", as mentioned in her work, Sacred Contracts, which talk of the presence many aspects of the Child archetype, ranging from the Wounded Child, Abandoned or Orphan Child, Dependent Child, Magical/Innocent Child, Nature Child, to the Divine Child and Eternal Child

Child archetype in literature and media

The child archetype is portrayed in literature in various ways. It can take the form of a child who displays adult-like qualities giving, for example, wise advice to their friends or vice-versa (like the character Raymond in the film Rain Man).

Examples

• Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes
• Linus van Pelt from Peanuts
• Tommy Pickles from Rugrats and All Grown Up
• Arnold from Hey Arnold
• Pippin from Lord of the Rings
• Butters Stotch from South Park
• Andrew "Ender" Wiggin from Ender's Game
• Stewie Griffin from Family Guy
• Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons
• The titular character Lain from the anime Serial Experiments Lain.

See also

• Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism

Further reading

• Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential, by Caroline Myss; ISBN 978-0609810118.
• Abstracts of the Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Ed. Carrie L. Rothgeb, National Clearinghouse for Mental Health Information (U.S.). Karnac Books, 1994. ISBN 185575035X, ISBN 9781855750357.

References

• Stevens, Anthony in The Archetypes (Chapter 3.) Ed. Papadopoulos, Renos The Handbook of Jungian Psychology (2006).
• Jung, C. G. (1934–1954), The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious, Collected Works, 9 (2 ed.), Princeton, NJ: Bollingen, 1981, ISBN 0-691-01833-2.

External links

• The Four Archetypes of Survival