John Chevalier
11/26/13
Composition II: Writing through Literature ENG 102
Dr. C Jason Smith
Literature is the entire body of writings of a specific language, period and people. Without literature, one may argue that universal communication may never have come to existence. Literature gives such accessible entities like books, films, songs (music), and poetry. The cool thing about literature is its connection to humanity, and how it allows a simple person’s message to be omnipresent regardless of which platform mentioned above. Throughout the progression of literature in humanity we have been able to create characters, which more or less, play the same role in every story. The exact definition of this is archetypes. Archetype is something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies. For example, you know that Ursula (in “The Little Mermaid”), and Jaffar (Aladdin) are both villains for their evil ways, and for their disdain towards the protagonist. In these same fairy tales, we can see that Aladdin and Ariel are the heroes/protagonists for their love of life and need to save the day. Something that has also happened was the use of symbols through figurative language. A word is no longer just a word, but it can give different insights to the tone and direction that a certain piece is trying to portray.
Thankfully, a book explaining different archetypes, and how they are associated to us and how we go about the world has been created. This book is called “What Story Are You Living?” in which, Carol S. Pearson, and Hugh K. Mark, break down archetypes to twelve primary carcasses. The twelve archetypes are the innocent, orphan, warrior, caregiver, seeker, lover, destroyer, creator, ruler, magician, sage, and jester. Take a second and think about your favorite Disney character, or your favorite super hero. Surely, you’ll find that they mesh into one of these above. These keys help us further analyze literature.
For instance the 2010 motion picture “Repeaters” is an example of literature that carries loads of archetypes and symbolism. This piece is a psychological thriller that involves three central characters Kyle, Sonia, and Michael whom are recovering addicts in a rehabilitation center to cope and better with their issues. One day they are given a field day assignment, and are allowed to leave the site in hopes to make peace with loved ones that they have hurt because of their drug/alcohol usage. Kyle visits his sister, Michael visits his dad in jail, and Sonia visits her father in the hospital, who is very near to dying. Both Michael and Kyle receive backlash from their loved ones, though Sonia can’t muster the courage to go inside her father’s hospital room (who subsequently ends up dying right after she leaves the place.) Depressed and distraught, that night a thunder storm ensues, and each is electrocuted after trying to turn on their respective light bulbs after a thunder bolt strikes their rehab clinic. Each wakes up thinking it's a brand new day, only to realize they are repeating the same day as before. This day repeats itself over and over again, with no signs of letting up.
It is very important to dissect the symbolism in this film, for starters, the title itself “Repeaters” is a play on words to personify the word “repeat.” This foreshadows the concept of the movie, as the three main characters will be stuck in a loop of one day. In the actual movie, thunder strikes and causes the characters to be stuck in the same reality, and the same day over and over again. Thunder is a representation of chaos, and fear, ironically their lives are already chaotic and now they are stuck in this reality. Later the female lead Sonia falls of a ledge onto a waterfall. She knew that she was stuck in a loop, but at the same time she knew she would die if she fell. When the loop repeated itself, she was once again alive, and told Kyle she saw white then woke up. White is a representation of death, or emptiness, so in other words she left this world and came back. This specific scene changed the rules for everyone, Kyle (main character) wanting to be more safe about it, and Michael (antagonist) not caring for this warning. It was as if Sonia’s resurrection was Michael’s key to unleashing his crazy. Another big symbol was when the antagonist’s raping of a teenager. This showed the audience and the other two characters that Michael meant business and had no intentions of stopping for anyone. The film as a whole could be taken as parodies of the characters’ lives, as they are all stuck in this world having the same things happen all around them over and over, something of a reflection when they are habitually using drugs/alcohol. This brings the question of dream versus reality, ( Are these characters really living this?)
As I mentioned before above, all archetypes are consistent in our lives. The levels of each archetype are what truly tell our story for us though, and as life progresses different archetypes take leadership. For instance, Kyle began the movie, as an Orphan, playing the role of a person who wanted to apologize to his sister for his wrong doings during the times he was under the influence. He was so high and so indebted to the drug dealers at one point, that they came to his house to collect, and in exchange they beat up his sister as Kyle laid there.(In page 90, of "What Story Are You Living" the author explains that an orphan is a character that "is stuck in a powerless situation.") Many call drug addiction, a self induced disease, and this might just be Kyle's "come from." As his story develops, with the instigation of Michael, his seeker archetype begins to dominate and he steals cans of beers as well as doing heroine.( Pg 108, "active in a person on a quest..., to satisfy an inner hunger or yearning.) Things go into real dark territory (page 120, "can be seen as ... an outlaw who breaks unjust rules") when Kyle discovers that his sister had been messing with drugs, with his drug supplier. A scene of kidnapping ensues, (Michael and Sonia involved) where Kyle takes the drug dealer, and forces him to eat what is either cow or horse feces. After this extreme act, time repeats, his caregiver (page 102, "gain satisfaction by giving to others) and lover (page 113, "the desire to merge with each other...") archetypes take over when he urges Sonia to confront her father, as well as forming a boyfriend/girlfriend type of relationship (though it Is never confirmed.) The movie comes to a close when he must save first himself and Sonia, to then saving his sister and her friends who Michael is holding hostage, demonstrating his warrior archetype( Pg 97, "stories where a heroic person stays true to his or her own vision.")
Sonia starts off as a vulnerable, shy woman who doesn’t let others touch her, based on her abusive past with her dad. As mentioned before her piece was to visit her father who was in his death bed. It is arguable that Sonia starts off as an orphan, ( page 90, "he or she can be an adult in a powerless situation at the mercy of unfortunate events, oppressive people...") just like Kyle. Her character seems to be numbed to everything in life and chooses to handle things she cannot control, in her mind, giving off a nonchalant attitude. As the story progresses she evolves into a caregiver, (page 102, "better at doing unto others, than letting others do unto them.") breaking the wall, by assuring that Kyle gets a chance to talk his sister during one of the repetitions. Eventually, her walls are completely broken, when she finally allows Kyle to touch her, and subsequently kiss her, as she becomes a lover (page 113, " but to experience that union fully is to lose the self and one's sense of separate being.") Unfortunately her lover ways make her vulnerable, and cause her to be the damsel in distress to Michael’s attacks.
Which leaves us to the perhaps the most psychologically broken of this story, Michael. He also begins as an orphan (page 190,"..., can also be seen in stories where former victims victimize others"), visiting his father in jail, where his father yells at him, and spits at the two way mirror in disgust of his presence. There is also a scene of Michael being bullied in the beginning, so in terms of what character he played, he was a loser and Kyle looked out for him as an older brother. When time begins repeating itself, Michael decides to push the boundaries (seeker, page 108, " Figures who perpetually seek an elusive "something" just beyond their grasp or who simply enjoy the journey), and soon finds that nothing is off limits. After the robbery of alcohol, Michael becomes a full blown destroyer (page 120, " stories of which faith is lost.) As his spree becomes more and more out of control, Kyle decides he doesn’t want to be a part of what he does. Michael then proceeds to kill a police officer, and rapes a teenager, forces Kyle to slit a drug dealers throat, in order to save Sonia’s life (after having shot her in the leg), and kidnapping Kyle’s sister. Arguably, Michael’s storyline is perhaps the only one without hope. Whereas everyone sought to renew their relationships, Michael was completely content in this new world, where he was king. Something interesting that happens on the last few minutes of the film is that it begins to snow, when on that day it never snowed. This signified to the characters (and audience) that the loop was done, and all the horrific things that Michael was doing would stick with him for good. This prompted him to go to Kyle’s mother’s house and threaten to kill his sister. Cops all around and nowhere to go, Michael commits suicide, by shooting himself in the head. Even more interesting is after the credits, Michael is seen and he awakes in his bed at the rehab.
“Only the very weak minded refuse to be influenced by literature” Cassandra Claire had once said. Literature is an escape into a world of endless imagination. It creates pictures in your head, as well as creating new meaning to words as opposed to their monetary definitions. Literature is fundamental for us human beings because we were made to create. Why not create something that exercises your mind, and the whole world can see?
Works Cited
Pearson S. Carol and Marr K. Hugh. What Story Are You Living?. Center for Applications of Psychological Type, Inc. 2009 Print
Repeaters. Dir. Carl Bessai. Rampart Films. 2010. Film
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