| The Wounded Hero archetype is a close cousin to the Hero archetype, combining qualities of courage, honor, and fortitude with the mortal vulnerability of injury. The following dissertation investigates the Wounded Hero archetype within the context of governmental, societal, and familial attitudes towards service members returning from the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan who have been physically, psychologically, and/or spiritually wounded during deployment. In particular, the challenges faced by the children of wounded military service members are explored, and it is argued that exposing children to mythic narratives of the Wounded Hero archetype may encourage the development of a universal perspective on a very personal, and often isolating, experience. Through puppetry, a rich and expressive art form with a long and dynamic history across many cultures, myths of the Wounded Hero can be "brought to life" for children, and provide an accessible language and landscape for families to communicate about post-deployment adjustment and parental reintegration.;After laying a foundation of research exploring the transformative aspects of archetypal symbolism, mythology, artistic manifestation, ritual, and performance, this dissertation delves into the theory that puppetry is a uniquely suited art form for representing potent myths to families experiencing the challenge of welcoming an injured parent home from war. Two myths, "Tyr's Hand" (Norse) and "The Tiger's Whisker" (Korean) are amplified from a Depth Psychological point of view and parallels between the characters of these myths and the challenges faced by wounded heroes throughout history are discussed. Details of the Dissertation Production puppet show titled Hero's Welcome for wounded veterans and their families, featuring the two aforementioned myths, bring the conversation into the present, and hopes for additional mythological puppetry projects point to a future of support and inspiration for traumatized children and families through mythology and the performing arts. |
