My Tarot

The character archetypes that show up when I write:

	The Doomed Hero (he performs a labor that could almost reduce his humanity, makes him monstrous, but actually strengthens it by exaggerating human capacities – we know deep down that all such heroes must go to Golgotha – whether they end there or not, we know they must go). The image is of Atlas and of Christ, each carrying their burden. Doesn’t have to be the POV character – think of “A Separate Peace”.
	The World (personified) (at counter purposes to the hero – purposeful, intelligent – the evil the hero is capable of becoming). The image is of Ellsworth Toohey (Atlas Shrugged – though all film versions are to be dreaded). Could be a group of such people.
	The Innocent (the vulnerable – who did no wrong to invite The World – type of the hero’s capacity for innocence and vulnerability). The image is from “Rain Man”. Could be a group of harmless or vulnerable people.
	The Lover (fundamentally understands the hero – is heroic herself – reveals what is transcendent in the hero and that he is heroic). The image is from “The 51st State” (she has the most attractive quality I know of – virtuosity in the form of capability).
	The Friend (dedication and loyalty to the hero’s best interests – demonstrates what is likeable in the hero, by being likeable himself). The image recalls Joe’s stellar defense of the best things in the main character in “Meet Joe Black”. Could be a group of friends.
	The Judas (there is always a betrayer, when there is anything to betray – he always has reasons, though – demonstrates an alternate view of the hero). The image is of Judas from “Jesus of Nazareth”. Could be a group – think of the Senate in “Julius Caesar” – but there was also Brutus in particular.
	The Official (reduces the hero to institutional significance/utility – a valueless view of the hero – not evil but nihilistic/pragmatic/petty). The image is Inspector LeStrade, someone continually in Sherlock Holmes’ orbit – the complexity of responses comes from the fact that Holmes is troublesome and embarrassing, yet contributes at an incredibly high level, and from LeStrade’s personal ambitions and pettynesses. This archetype could easily be a teacher or boss or just the representatives of a bureacracy as in Kafka’s writing.
	The Mentor (source of the wisdom the hero doesn’t have – the true parent – demonstrates what the hero could be with more wisdom and sufficient peace/space for it). The image is from “Man in the Iron Mask”, in which three men were mentors to one, when the parent could not be until the end.
	The Animal (the self-willed alien ally – reflects what is animal in the hero, and reveals some that is possible to know without humans around – the raw underlying character). The image is from “I am Legend”, because in that film the animal character demonstrates that at some level the hero is *always* alone when it comes to other human beings. There can be more than one.
	The Redeemed (change is possible – this could be any of the characters – reflects what is possible in the world despite what is inevitable and doomed). The image is Boromir spending it all for good in the end. Can easily be one of the other archetypes.
	The Monster (represents the world beyond – some element that demonstrates that the world is big, that the world we imagine is not all there is). The image is the balrog from “Lord of the Rings”, because it is the unknown, and represents a wider, older world that surrounds the ‘middle earth’ – the world we know and pretend in calling ‘everything’. Apart from something ‘other’, there’s no meaning to anything, in the sense of transcendence. This character, in whatever form – personal or impersonal, explicit or just a feeling, is a placeholder that preserves the remembrance of meaning. Can be personally linked to one of the other archetypes.