Topic > An Analysis of the Archetype and the Collective…

Characters like McMurphy and Nurse Ratched exhibit many archetypes that better explain their unconscious actions. Carl Jung's article on archetypes and characters by Key Kesey correlates perfectly with the definitions of Mother and Soul Archetypes. For example, The Archetype of the Soul explains how, in men, they tend to present forms of infatuation, idealization and fascination with the opposite sex. Furthermore, in women, the Soul will radiate as a form of fate or destiny and move away from the ideas of the conscious mind, which may be more possible or realistic. In the novel the protagonist, Randall McMurphy, develops The Archetype of the Soul when he bets with the other patients that he will be able to surpass the head nurse of the institute. The Soul developed due to his sudden infatuation with the nurse. This archetype explains the unconscious mind by verifying what McMurphy actually feels involuntarily or naturally. Another Archetype that has developed to justify the results of the unconscious is The Mother Archetype. Nurse Ratched, the head nurse of the mental institution, displays characteristics of this archetype by establishing specific rules and regulations for patients. In women this archetype shows love, care and a diminished expression of individuality. The mother tends to do this