The archetypal femme fatale: Variations of the anima in American film noir

Carl Jung suggested that art provides a symbolic mechanism by which the human psyche manifests primordial psychological patterns called "archetypes" to confront and resolve its psychic imbalances. Joseph Campbell incorporated Jung's theories into his studies of mythology, concluding that myths spontaneously spring from the archetypal or primordial impulses that Jung identified as residing in our collective unconscious. Relying primarily on the theories of Jung and Campbell, this study explores the female characters in American film noir as representations of the anima---the archetypal feminine aspect of the male psyche---seeking expression and ultimate reintegration with the masculine persona. The study will be presented in chapters concerning (1) Jungian psychology and archetypal theory, (2) mythological foundations of fictional art, (3) history and nature of American film noir, and (4) archetypal themes in representative films, with particular emphasis on the anima archetype and the symbolic quest for psychic reintegration, or syzygy.