Interpretation Of In My Father’s House From The Perspective Of Archetypal Criticism

Ernest J.Gaines is one of the most extraordinary African-American novelists in American literature.He is awarded the membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2000.His fiction In My Father ’s House is a representative work of uniqueness and profundity,which centers on the physical and spiritual worlds of the characters.Once published,the novel has drawn the attention of many scholars and critics.Up to now,lots of scholars have interpreted this fiction from multi-perspectives like the theme,characterization,religion and writing style.Some experts also do comparative studies.However,regarding the domestic study so far,few scholars have noticed and analyzed the archetypal connotations in this fiction.Therefore,this thesis applies Frye’s archetypal criticism to analyze the archetypal images,the archetypal structures and the archetypal themes in this novel systematically.In terms of the archetypal images,different characters have their own archetypal traits and symbolic meanings.The firstborn Robert X is a scapegoat whose suffering and death exchange for his father’s redemption;Alma is a loyal good wife whose support and comfort help Martin regain hope;Angelina is an Angelic loving mother whose care and guide help Martin step on the right path;Adeline is an alluring siren whose charm and temptation deter Martin from progressing.With regard to the archetypal structures,the co-existence of the adapted archetypal U-shaped and inverted U-shaped structure is identified.The complete U-shaped narration,made up of paradise,sin,fall,repentance and redemption,is rewritten into a descent curve,which presents the erosion of Martin’s grand image and his fall.The significance of this downward structure is to satirize Martin’s self-deception and criticize racism’s destruction to black individuals.Meanwhile,the complete inverted U-shaped narration,consisting of beginning,ascension,zenith,fall and denouement,is rewritten into an upward rising course,which shows Martin’s psychological awareness and spiritual growth.The significance of this simultaneous ascent curve lies in the deconstruction of the negative influence caused by racism.As far as the archetypal themes,some fundamental themes like sin and redemption,death and rebirth are interpreted.Martin’s sins mainly include the past ruthlessness,irresponsibility,selfishness and the present pride,which cause him to fall.To achieve redemption,Robert sacrifices his life and Martin begins the journey to repent and pay sins.Death and rebirth are cyclical for Robert’s death promotes Martin’s ultimate transformation to shoulder responsibility,begin anew and achieve rebirth.After analyzing the novel from an archetypal approach,it can be reflected that adopting archetypes is a tradition in Gaines’s fictional creation,and he creatively reworks archetypes to present the black issues,highlighting the importance of the black’s growth as well.Gaines’s innovation on the basis of tradition has a profound significance,providing an ideal paradigm for the development of the African-Americans.