Thinking Activity on Northrop Frye's Archetypal criticism

Herman Northrop Frye CC FRCS(July 14, 1912 – January 23, 1991) was a Canadian literary critic
 and literary theorist, considered one of the most influential of the 20th century.Frye gained international fame with his first book, Fearful symmetry(1947), which led to the reinterpretation of the poetry of William Blake. His lasting reputation rests principally on the theory of literary criticism that he developed in Anatomy of criticism (1957), one of the most important works of literary theory published in the twentieth century. The American critic Harold Bloom commented at the time of its publication that Anatomyestablished Frye as "the foremost living student of Western literature." Frye's contributions to cultural and social criticism spanned a long career during which he earned widespread recognition and received many honours.

(1) What is Archetypal criticism ? What does the Archetypal critic do? 

Ans : Archetypal criticism the term denotes recurrent designes, patterns of action, character types, themes and images which are identificable in a wide variety of works of literature,as well as in myths,dreams and even social rituals. 


(2) what is Frye trying prove by giving an analogy of " physics to Nature " and " criticism to literature " ?

Ans : The physics is basically study of Nature. But the students of physics never say that they study nature ,they all say that they physics.Anyone cannot able to teach or learn literature. But what we learn is criticism. But though we say that we learn literature. The way nature works for physics in the same manner criticism works for literature. 


(3) share your views of criticism as an organised body of knowledge. Mention relation of literature with history and philosophy. 

Ans : when we learn something we take an example of history and philosophy .History is the event of past and philosophy is the idea. So, history and philosophy helps us to connected present idea and history and philosophy always remain together with literature. "Literature is the central division of Humanities. "


(4) Briefly explain inductive method with illustration of Shakespeare's Hamlet's grave Digger's scene. 

Ans : inductive method is journey which leads from specific to general. As we read some specific literary work and comes to a general conclusion , in this way we extend from specific outcome to general outcome . The best example of this method is grave digging scene from Hamlet. It is a specific scene  and From that scene  we come to some general conclusion. In that scene there were two grave diggers and they seemed in  quite in harmony with their work. They were talking with one another and singing a song during the grave digging time. They were also mocking on dead Ophelia and commented that whether she allowed to buried  or not .it became their general work so they  have no emotion for dead one. 


(5) Briefly explain deductive method with reference to an analogy to music, painting, rhythm and pattern - Give example of the outcome of deductive method. 

Ans : Deductive method, it is form general to particular also. Some arts move like music and painting. In both cases the organizing principle is  recurrence ,which is called rhythm,when it is temporal and then it is spatial. We speak of rhythm of music and the pattern of painting .
Music - Inductive method 
Rhythm - Deductive method 

(6) Refer to the India seasonal grid (below)  If you can, please read small Gujarati or Hindi poem from the archetypal approach and apply Indian seasonal grid in the interpretations. 

Ans : 

  Aaya basant hansata gaata,
 rang-birangi phool khilaata. 
 jhoom rahi hai har daali daali,
 kook rahi koyal matwaali. 
 Gun gun gun gun bhanwara gaata,
 titali raani se batiyaata.
 Khush ho bachche patang udaate,
 wo-kaata ka shor machaate.
 sardi kehati ab hai 

This poem is about spring season. Here we  see when spring season comes flower becomes full of life and people enjoys this season and sing a song. With this moment branches of trees also dance. Small children also enjoy flying kites.

• Sunday Reading:- 

Here , I am going to more talk about Northrop Frye's talk on Religion and rituals. It is a part of thinking activity of Sunday reading.


• Dharma ; Religion:- 

• As it is already mentioned in article that in India there isn't any kind of term named Dharma and Dharma is not religion. We are much familiar with our country India and it's religion. Most of the citizens are much connected with religion.

India was a land of dharma but Europeans reduced it to Hinduism, Islam. And we accepted it.

• We have inherited the term religion from the Judeo-Christian tradition and applied it indiscriminately to different Indian philosophies, myths, rituals, and practices. But there is really no one term for religion in India. There never has been. The term dharma does not mean religion. It simply means duty.so,it means duty then it should every kind of duty like social, economic, individual, Everyone should have obey their duty but,it doesn't mean they are going to blindly follow the religion. Infact, in current time its happening,that all are blindly follow the rules and rituals of religion. On the name of religion they are misrepresenting the Dharma. As it is mentioned that in triangle that Religion , literature and science had triangle,they don't have good relations. After learning literature I am able to understand what is religion and how to deal with it . I want to give one example that with misunderstanding of bill on CAA the people are doing strike and what not . On the name of religion many are going against this CAA . 

Here my opinion is that first we have to understand the particular matter,we have to search for it, we should know the real truth and then we should decide. This current time is not for you trust on anybody and take decision. Here you have to fight for your right.with the help of criticism we are learning literature very well. It gives us many vision or perspective on particular thing and we have space to think and put our ideas. Northrop Frye also talking about Archetypal Criticism, history and philosophy which gives very deep understanding on religion and literature. I think only literature gives us space to study the religion and science widely.The religion which binds our horizon and force us to follow without questioning, if we have questions and we want to ask ,yet we can't ask. So, religion was kind of cage or prison that we have our independence still we don't have right to question on Guru . What is the most important is Narration and process. In the past  from all story we find many such myth. But all Narration are not real they have many perspective to look. There are many stories which deal with philosophical and real ideas. Moroever,the science which broke many myth, theory and discover new theory hence it is differ from religion. As Northrop Frye said that " Poetry is the criticism of life "and every creative writer has first critical. So , in a way without criticism , literature has emptyness itself. Literature teach us lesson which had been useful for our lifetime.

References:- 

https://theprint.in/opinion/india-was-a-land-of-dharma-but-europeans-reduced-it-to-hinduism-islam-and-we-accepted-it/341923/

Thank you........