Archetype


 * __Archetype__** is something original that other things are modeled after; a synonym for archetype is prototype although they are not quite the same thing. The archetype sets the standards for all the models that follow after it. For instance, the American government was the archetype for many other democracies all over the world. After we won our independence, other countries waited for us to falter because no other democracy had succeeded before. When we eventually did succeed, our government became the model for nations such as England, France, and other currently democratic nations. A prototype usually deals with an object of some sort http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archetype

An example of this in //Plot Against America// is when Philip and his family are on a vacation to Washington in chapter 2. When Philip's father gets in a fight with a man in the cafeteria, he gets called a "loudmouth Jew". he is being called this after the origional "loudmouth jew"; he is following after the archetype that non jews have created to help name people like him. //"And the conclusion the stranger drew from his observations he demonstrated with a mocking movement of the head. Then, hissing noisily so as to mislead no one about his assessment of us, he returned to the elderly lady and their sightseeing party, walking slowly off with a rolling gait that seemed, along with the silhouette of his broad back, intended to register a warning. It was from there that we heard him refer to my father as a 'loudmouth Jew'…" (pg65)//

Another example of archetype in Plot Against America, is at the end of the book when Roth copies the archetype of a newsreel to heighten the effect of his writing. This break in the writing not only breaks the writing pattern, but it allows the reader to feel as if he were watching the news in a movie theatre just the same as anyone else who would have been in America at this time. Roth copies the archetype of a news paper to heighten this effect. " //Tuesday, October 6,1942 Thirty thousand mourners stream through the great hall of the Pennsylvania station to view Walter Winchell's//..." (pg301)

An example outside of //Plot Against America// would include the famous play //Romeo and Juliet//. The archetype in this play is when Romeo and Juliet fall in love with each other almost instantly at the Capulet's feast in Act I Scene 5. After that one night, Juliet and Romeo continued to see each other and eventually they arranged a marriage without their parent's consent. However, that one night of love at first sight lead to the tragic suicides of both Romeo and Juliet. They would follow each other in order to love one another, even through death. This is archetype because Romeo and Juliet falling in love at first sight lead to the events that passed and finally, to their deaths. Not only has Romeo and Juliet been a archetype for itself, but Shakespeare was able to write this play and it provided a model for following plays to consist of a love story with a tragic ending, like //The Crucible//.

During the video, you will notice that it is not just love scenes. However, it is a good visual example of archetype because it not only shows the love examples, but also the violence between Romeo and Juliet's family that also played a factor in their deaths. Also, the first few words may not be of great importance, but it helps to represent the violence between the families. media type="youtube" key="Vmi3jIH2JrQ&hl=en&fs=1" height="344" width="425"*You don't have to pay attention to the music.

The light bulb can also be thought of as an archetype. The first electric light bulb created acted as a prototype for many different kinds of light bulbs to come. Inventors would use the concept of the light bulb to try and make it a better model, like a better material for the wires, frosting the bulb, making it last longer, adding different colors and making them into different shapes.
 * media type="custom" key="1972358"* This slide show shows a brief example of how light bulbs have changed over the past 100 years. It starts off with a 107 year old light bulb.