Archetype?

Question

Ok, this is getting me a little confused. What exactly is an archetype? Give an example of one, and are there any stories related to an archetype? I don't seem to understand it. A little help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Archetype: A symbol, usually an image, which recurs often enough in literature to be recognizable as an element of one's literary experience as a whole. Carl Jung used the term "archetype" to refer to the generalized patterns of images that form the world of human representations in recurrent motifs, passing through the history of all culture. Since archetypes are rooted in the collective unconscious, they may be conceived through the psychic activity of any individual, be it in the form of dreams, art works, the ancient monuments of religious activity, or the contemporary images of commercial advertising. Such archetypes as the "innocent babe," the "unheeded prophet," the "philosopher's stone," and many others which also have their source in the primitive darkness of the unconscious, are repeated in numerous works of cultural creation.

Answer 2

An archetype is the original model for an idea. A prototype.

I'm sure there are lots of personal stories that you can find on the web and whatnot... especially where people would be looking to copyright or patent something.