What’s that in the sky? A bird? A plane? No, it’s the sidekick! Wait, something is wrong with this situation. It should be the hero who is getting recognition and hype from curious spectators while the sidekick is ignored, but this is not how it should be. The importance of the loyal retainer is so great that without them, the hero would not be the person with such power and nobility. They should not be ignored completely, and authors, directors, and creators have come to this realization that a loyal retainer makes for a great story. This realization has created an archetype used in many pieces of literature across time and cultures everywhere. A loyal retainer has the task of showing a hero’s power and nobility; therefore, this character …show more content…
has become an archetype for many reasons. Shrek, Harry Potter, and Gilgamesh are well-known heroes for their individual strengths; however, without Donkey, Ron and Hermione, and Enkidu this would not be known or as easily seen. There are so many variations of ideas for characters in literature that show up as little as one time, yet a loyal retainer keeps reappearing unlike these character roles. A lot factors into why this type of character has become an archetype. One of the first factors is the role of the character. Without someone to compare the difference between a hero their inferior with, a hero may not be seen as great as they should be or it will go unnoticed. An example of this comes from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone when Ron sacrifices himself in the chess match because he knew Harry has to be the one to go on to get the stone. Ron’s actions shows viewer or readers that Ron has abilities, but he doesn’t have the abilities of Harry to be able to accomplish their goal. Hermine is agreeing with Ron’s choice during this time because she also believes Harry is superior to them. Another reason as to why the loyal retainer is an archetype, is it is more relatable to a human’s mind. A hero’s goal seems much more plausible with the help of another. An example of this, is when in The Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh and Enkidu battle with Humbaba. While Gilgamesh is ⅓ god, he is still not a match to the god Humbaba by himself. The conquering of Humbaba was made by the help of Enkidu. From these factors, the loyal retainer has become a reused character in many pieces of literature and culture. As talked about in the previous paragraph, human’s find it more relatable to have a friend’s help when dealing with achieving a goal.
This archetype demonstrates the human nature of being social just by itself. Humans are naturally social creatures that understand the social benefits in having a companion in life. People get married, have partners in projects, and do so much more that seems only possible if there is the help of another person. The same goes for characters in stories. In Shrek, Shrek is skeptical to having the company of Donkey on his journey. Ogre or not Shrek still sees the benefits of having Donkey on his journey because he has the mind of a human. The human nature that a loyal retainer displays is so relatable to many people from many cultures that it is obvious why this is a recurring …show more content…
character. The importance of a loyal retainer to a story or culture is to help the hero in any way they can.
Whether this is to show the hero’s power or to help with a task the retainer is there to do it. It is also important because it facilitates a reader’s or viewer’s understanding. A hero’s power and the importance of a loyal retainer cannot be seen without the loyal retainers presence. Also, not every viewer or reader can relate to the hero, so placing a companion in the story attract more attention. If a loyal retainer is taken away from any sort of story, then things are hidden and seem unreasonable. The importance of this character archetype is as important as any other character in a story.
A loyal retainers job in a story is to show the hero’s qualities and to assist on the hero’s journey in a story. Compared to all other character ideas, a loyal retainer has become a character archetype for many reasons of importance. It is a common action of ignoring the sidekick in any story, but this simply shouldn’t be the case. Both the hero and sidekick in any story have equal importance because without one, the other cannot be as great or exist. Many writers have adopted this idea because of their realization of its greatness that it brings to a
story.
“Look out for the people who look out for you. Loyalty is everything.” In the book, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher, Ms. Lemry is loyal. Ms.Lemry is a teacher and a swim coach for a school. She is a teacher who stays loyal to her students. She is loyal because she cares for her students who are in her class. Ms. Lemry stands by Sarah at all times and is there for her. Sarah is a girl who got abused by her dad when she was younger. Sarah’s father when she was younger out her face on the stove. Sarah was always scared of her father and she still is because she is afraid of her dad coming back and killing her. Sarah was about to go on the train and Lemry was there to inform her to not get on the train. Her class is called CAT known
They add conflicts, uniqueness, and interest. Each character brings a unique trait to the table and adds diversity to the story. Some have the power to engage our emotions; others obtain the power to influence other character. In “Poor Fish”, the dishwasher is a round, dynamic character that identifies with the readers and experiences an internal change; while Ida is a flat, static character who does not change but influences the perspective of the dishwasher. No matter what type of character, major or minor, each affects the story in their own particular
Examples of loyalty can be found in many pieces of classic literature such as _Don Quixote_, _The Odyssey_, and _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_. Many characters in the stories profess their loyalty to other characters. Some of them fail in their loyalty tests while others prevail. I found loyalty to be an underlying theme in all three pieces of literature covered in this paper. The examples provided should prove the theme of loyalty.
Consistent in literature throughout every era and culture, archetypes represent a recurring image, pattern, or motif mirroring a typical human experience. An idea developed by Carl Jung, archetypes in literature exist as representations reflecting vital perceptions of the human psyche expressing the manner in which individuals experience the world. Using Jung’s concept, writers of all epochs embeds archetypes in structures, characters, and images of their narratives. John Gardner, in his novel Grendel, integrates several of Jung’s archetypes into his epic tale derived from the early story Beowulf. Gardner associates Jung’s personas of the outcast, the shadow, and the mentor-pupil relationship through the identities of Grendel, the narrator of events, and the dragon.
Everyone has their own perception on what defines a hero; some may argue that they exhibit characteristics such as honesty or courage, while others may think that heroes have special power. Our society may have changed the values in which we associate heroes with, but one thing seems to have never changed: the main character of the book turns out as the hero. In my analyst, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye, is put on trial as we see through our own eyes how Caulfield can not be considered a hero in modern society.
While the hero of any story may appear to be the sovereign protagonist, heroes cannot succeed without support from one or more sidekicks. Sidekicks are the characters who support heroes through the their journey; they often complement the hero’s weaknesses and build upon their strengths. Throughout history, the sidekick archetype has evolved: ancient sidekicks were minor characters who only existed to assist the hero, but modern sidekicks are complex, developed characters increasingly similar to heroes.
From the call to the return, Toy Story Two is a modern example of Homer’s classic Journey of the Hero cycle. The movie Toy Story Two is taken right out of Homer’s archetype for his book the Odyssey. Both Toy Story Two and the Odyssey both go through a mundane world, the first stage that the hero does not want to be in, a call to adventure, and the point where the hero leaves the first world and goes to a different one. There is also a path of trails where hero goes on a new adventure meeting new people, and the Master of two worlds stage, when hero returns to old world as a changed person. All of these thing fall under the journey of the hero archetype. The next paragraphs will explain specific pieces from the movie and how they relate to the journey of the hero archetype.
Cooper uses a great portion of the novel illustrating either the loyal or treacherous temperament of various characters. Through his numerous descriptions, Cooper defines what loyalty is in The Last of the Mohicans. Cooper shows loyalty to be not one’s dedication to an individual, association or institution, but a cause. These various causes, which vary from character to character, act as the cores of various individuals’ loyalties. Cooper writes “let us not delay a moment, without some good and obvious cause” (196). This supports Cooper’s illustration in that it is vital for one to be dedicated and loyal to a specific cause in order to succeed in any effort. These bases for various characters’ loyalties allow them to show allegiance to other individuals, nations, etc. From the beginning of the novel, General Heyward shows allegiance to his cause of safely delivering both Alice and Cora Munro to their father. Alice and Cora show themselves to be dedicated to this same cause through their insistence on seeing their fathe...
Social Psychology is the scientific study of how we influence, affect, and relate to one another. Social psychology is studied to see how the influence of others can impact how we act. This can be seen in many aspects in life. Most specifically, social psychology can be seen in movies. Recently, I have viewed the movie Shrek which was released in 2001. Shrek is a kid’s movie about an ogre named Shrek who rescues a princess from a castle for Lord Farquaad in order to regain his swamp and privacy. During this process, however, Shrek falls in love with the princess and discovers a secret about her. While watching Shrek, I have noticed that many theories and concepts from social psychology were apparent in the film.
The twentieth century is the century with the greatest loss of human life in the history of civilization. It was a time of mistrust and espionage. To be loyal is defined as “faithful to one's oath, commitments, or obligations” (OED). Some loyalties are bought, while others are earned. Earned loyalty tends to last while loyalty that is bought tends to fade. Two books, The Human Factor by Graham Greene and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro show this difference. While both characters demonstrate external loyalty, Stevens’ loyalty was purchased, and Castle’s was earned. Castle’s genuine loyalty allows him to risk his life, while Stevens’ loyalty is only compliance.
In each of the five plays that we have studied throughout this semester: Oedipus the King, Black Watch, Life is a Dream, Noises Off, The Caretaker there were various characters that used the themes of loyalty, honor and duty to guide their actions in order to maintain a positive reputation and righteous self-image. For each of the five plays that we have discussed there is at least one example of characters using loyalty, honor and duty to maintain a righteous self-image, a positive reputation or both.
A hero is someone that you look up to, someone who goes out of their way to help you or others at their expense. Hero’s, to me, are those who unexpectedly help you, because no one thinks they can because of who they are and where they come from. To me, hero’s possess qualities such as loyalty, courage, and kindness. A lot of people judge others based on the clothes they wear or their style of hair, but after reading this book, I feel that those stereotypes can be disproved by the three Greasers, Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy- Curtis from “The Outsiders”, who to me, are heros. They can all be considered heroes because of some of their actions and choices they made throughout the book.
As I was watching Harry Potter on TBS, I saw how Ron Weasly affected Harry and how he acted and what he did because he knew Ron was there for him. Harry knew that whatever he did Ron was going to be there for him. Then I started to think to myself, Ron is a sidekick. From that idea, I believe the sidekick affects the story more than the main character. Without the sidekick, the main character won't have anyone he can rely on to help him. Therefore, they can't make those bold decisions to take down the enemy. So, what is the loyal companion/sidekick archetype? What exactly is an archetype? Also, how does the loyal companion/sidekick archetype affect the decision/choices the main character makes? All these questions build up to one idea. What
Sadly loyalty is a rare thing, so when you find it you shouldn’t even hesitate to do anything you can to keep it. Loyalty is a privilege whether or not we are the ones giving or receiving it, it is a gift.