LINGUISTIC REPRESENTATION OF ARCHETYPES IN FANTASY LITERATURE
Abstract
Fantasy literature relies heavily on archetypal patterns to construct recognizable characters, narratives, and symbolic worlds. While archetypes have been extensively examined from mythological, psychological, and literary perspectives, their linguistic realization remains comparatively underexplored. This article investigates how archetypal figures are linguistically represented in fantasy discourse, focusing on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling. Employing a qualitative linguistic approach, the study analyzes lexical, syntactic, and discourse-pragmatic features that contribute to the construction of archetypal roles such as the Hero, the Mentor, and the Antagonist. The analysis is based on selected passages from The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and the Harry Potter series, examined in their original English form. The findings demonstrate that archetypes in fantasy are not merely narrative abstractions but are systematically encoded through recurrent linguistic patterns that guide reader interpretation and emotional engagement. By foregrounding the linguistic dimension of archetypal representation, the article contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of fantasy as a genre in which language functions as a central mechanism of mythic continuity and narrative coherence.
Keywords
fantasy literature, archetypes, linguistic representation, discourse analysis, Tolkien, Rowling.How to Cite
References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Rayhona Narzikulova
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