The Orphan
The Orphan Archetype
Description
The Orphan archetype is the product of a harsh world. According to Pearson’s The Hero Within, the Orphan often begins as an Innocent, who relies on others to care for them and knows nothing of the destruction the world can cause. Then, through an Eden-like fall, the Innocent is suddenly abandoned, usually by parental figures, although any care-giver or support system can be the source of the Orphan’s fall (26). Although death is a common form of this fall, it is certainly not the only one. Abandonment and rejection are other ways that the Orphan archetype is often created. Pearson further characterizes the Orphan archetype in Awakening The Heroes Within. The Orphan's goal in life is to regain that sense of safety that was lost (Pearson 82). This search for safety often takes the form of a search for family; since many protagonists in the fantasy genre are young, the quest for a family or support system is especially important. "The universal appeal of the abandonment story continues and its fascination is not lost on young adult readers. For the child poised to enter puberty, the realistic imagining of parental abandonment might be considered the greatest catastrophe and the guiltiest pleasure" (Munde para 2).
Characteristics
Disillusionment – Although it is not always the case, the Orphan generally receives a rude awakening into the harsh realities of life. This character then perceives the world as the opposite of ideal. This disillusionment is most common in regards to other people; after the abandonment of the fall, the Orphan does not easily trust others.
Loneliness - Although the Orphan is disillusioned by the suddenness of loosing his or her support system, the Orphan is also lonely for no longer having that support system. This makes it difficult, because while the Orphan is simultaneously distrustful of everyone, he or she is also seeking a new family to replace the one that was lost.
Self-sufficiency – Regardless of whether the Orphan was an Innocent that relied on others before the fall, after he or she has no other choice than to fend for him/herself. This simultaneously feeds into the loneliness and disillusionment that the Orphan always feels, while also making the Orphan stronger in a world that preys on the weak.
Purpose
Orphans tend to be used in fantasy literature to move a character into the new world. Whether it is the death of a parent, or the sudden separation from a caregiver, Orphans must suddenly navigate a world where they are responsible for themselves (often for the first time). "Readers can find a special bond with the orphan that they might not be as quick to uncover with a sage, warrior, or other "empowered" archetype" (Mattson para 3). Alice falls through the rabbit hole and cannot get back home; no one else cares whether or not she makes it out of Wonderland. How characters respond to this dictates what other archetypes they identify with. If the Orphan responds by becoming harder than the world that created him or her, than s/he moves into the Warrior archetype. If s/he blocks the world out emotionally and puts up a happy front, then maybe s/he’s a Fool. Regardless of where they end up, the Orphan is a common plot device to move a character into the world and the mindset needed in the fantasy genre – one of change, uncertainty, and loneliness.
A Postcolonial Approach
In this section, I will be analysing three different characters from the Fantasy genre, primarily using a postcolonial approach. A common theme found in the Orphan archeytpe is that of Othering (Said Orientalism), in which a certain minortiy or person is viewed as different from the norm, which is a socially constructed standard.
Characters
Frodo Baggins
Family Matters
Frodo was orphaned at a fairly young age, when his parents drowned on the Brandywine River. Bilbo adopted him when Frodo was between the ages of 20-33. Despite his adoption, Frodo still counts as an orphan because of the way he is excluded from the Shire’s society. The Shire-folk use him, his parents and his uncle as a source of gossip, ostracizing him form the community. Frodo is Other, as far as the rest of them are concerned, in a way that Bilbo generally escapes because he was born in the Shire. Not only is Frodo Othered, but he experiences abandonment in the first chapter. Bilbo leaves without saying goodbye, prompting Frodo to experience a moment of abandonment when he realizes that he likely won’t see Bilbo again. To make matters worse, Frodo’s other main parental/guardian figure, Gandalf, abandons him as well after the Mines of Moria.
Despite all of this, Frodo still exhibits some Innocent qualities. Frodo has a worldview that is very much in keeping with the Innocent archetype; he sees the Shire as safe and does not want to leave it behind (this is the reason that Bilbo does not invite Frodo to leave with him). Frodo seems to walk a fine line between Innocent and Orphan throughout the beginning of The Lord of the Rings.
The Fall
It’s difficult to say exactly when Frodo falls completely from Innocent (who’s goal is to stay in a safe environment and seek rescue when danger calls) to Orphan (who believes that there is no such thing as safety and no one is coming to save them); he seems to go through several falls throughout The Lord of the Rings. One moment that could be classified as the fall is when Frodo finally leaves the Shire with the ring. Once he passes the borders of the Shire, Frodo is no longer safe. While the reader knows that Frodo will not be safe no matter where he is as long as he has the Ring, for Frodo the Shire represents a safe environment that cannot be corrupted by evil. However, I would argue that the point in which he truly falls from is when Frodo claims the Ring at the council of Elrond. It is this moment when Frodo gives up any hope that he will return to the Shire.
Finding Family/Moving On
Although Frodo undoubtedly finds a family in the Fellowship, he never moves beyond the Orphan archetype. Orphans need to open up to others and build a new family/support system in order to no longer be classified as this archetype, and Frodo is unable to do this. By the end of the series, the ring has corrupted him so completely that no one can help him. His only choice is to retreat to the Gray Havens where he will (as far as we know) live as an Orphan forever.
Aerin-Sol
Family Matters
Aerin is not an actual Orphan (at least until the end of the book), yet she embodies the archetype completely. While Aerin has a father that lives through much of the book, Arlbeth’s emotional distance from his daughter is enough to classify her as Orphan for the her entire childhood and into adulthood. Aerin has no family telling her that she is fine the way she is. Even Tor and Teka, the people who accept her most readily from an early age, are unable to provide enough support for Aerin to feel truly safe in the court.
Her parent’s circumstances Other her completely from the rest of the court. No one wants to accept the witchwoman’s daughter – at least, that’s what Aerin thinks. In a way, Aerin can be seen as a self-Orphaning character, because there are people around her that would happily become her support system if she would only trust them. Her inability to see herself and how others see her clearly makes it impossible for Aerin to escape this archetype during her childhood.
The Fall
Aerin is a fairly unique character because she does not experience a fall from innocence. Unlike most Orphans, she does not begin with a support system that is suddenly stripped from her. Aerin is Orphan from birth, which is highlighted by the first page, when she is reminiscing about how she can’t remember a time when she did not know the popular story of her mother’s birth.
Finding Family/Moving On
Aerin is able to be Warrior and Orphan simultaneously throughout much of The Hero and the Crown. Even as she begins accepting herself as a Warrior, Aerin is still unable to move beyond the Othering she receives from court. In a way, Aerin is consumed by the Orphan’s shadow of cynicism. This shadow envelopes her life and prevents her from seeking a new family.
Aerin finally manages to move beyond the Orphan archetype when she embraces herself and lets people into her heart. Beginning with Luthe, she is first given the chance to know her mother much better. As a result, she has a much firmer sense of herself. She is no longer the witchwoman’s daughter, but the daughter of a powerful mage. Knowing this, Aerin is more ready to accept herself, and let others accept her as well. Not only does she find a support system in Luthe, but also in Tor, Teka, and the entire kingdom.
Harry Potter
Family Matters
Harry Potter is a very traditional Orphan. His parents were murdered when he was a baby, and he was raised by an Aunt and Uncle who not only lacked the ability to tell him his true identity, but spent every possible moment displaying their preference for their real son. Harry was never truly adopted into a new family the way Frodo was, nor did he have the small, but valuable support of characters like Teka and Talat. Harry was truly alone until the moment Hagrid shows up.
Harry does not get a chance to begin to build a support system until he is introduced to the Wizarding World. His meeting of Ron and Hermione demonstrates that Harry, despite his Orphan archetype, has managed to escape the severe disillusionment that many Orphans adopt to protect themselves from the world. He is certainly lonely and self-sufficient – a lifetime of his extended family has made sure of that – but he does not hold distrust towards the world in general.
The Fall
Because of Harry’s lack of disillusionment, his fall is less traditional than others; even has he is introduced to the new world of Wizards and Witches, Harry seems to experience more of a reverse fall towards Innocence, and the knowledge that he is safe and accepted in this new world in a way that he never was in the Muggle World. If the Orphan’s goal is to regain safety (Pearson 83 Awakening), then Harry manages to leave this archetype fairly quickly. This may seem ironic considering his constant run-ins with danger, but safety in this sense refers to the knowledge that there are people in one’s life that will protect him or her, and Harry finds that in his friends and mentors within Hogwarts.
Finding Family/Moving On
Although the argument could be made that Harry represents other archetypes, such as the Magician, the Seeker, and the Lover, this analysis has just focused on the move towards the Innocent because of its close relation to the Orphan. In a way, Harry represents the total reverse of most Orphan progressions. Rather than beginning as Innocent, falling into Orphan-hood, then either moving on to another archetype or remaining there forever, Harry begins as Orphan, then falls (or ascends) to Innocence.
All Together Now
What these characters demonstrate is the way that the Orphan can take many forms and play different roles for every individual character. Whether it is showing the alienating effects of the Ring or the way that someone finds acceptance in the unlikeliest of places, the Orphan archetype is a common trope of fantasy literature. One reason for this may be because of the ability of the Orphan to highlight key themes in the fantasy genre. Identity, for instance, is a major core to many fantasy works, and many books use the Orphan to bring the reader’s attention to the lack of or misunderstood identity of the character inhabiting the archetype. Another common theme throughout fantasy is the movement from the Orphan archetype into others. Whether it is Aerin moving from Orphan to Warrior, Harry moving from Orphan to Innocent, or Clary moving from Orphan to Artemis, few characters remain in a state of stasis.
Key Passages
"'And he went out boating on the Brandywine River; and he and his wife were drownded, and poor Mr. Frodo only a child and all'" (Tolkien 23).
"He had enjoyed the joke, of course, even though he had been in the know. He had difficulty in keeping from laughter at the indignant surprise of the guests. But at the same time he felt deeply troubled: he realized suddenly that he loved the old hobbit dearly" (Tolkien 31).
"'I wish - I mean, I hoped until this evening that it was only a joke,' said Frodo. 'But I knew in my heart that he really meant to go. He always used to joke about serious things. I wish I had come back sooner, just to see him off'" (Tolkien 36).
Key Passages
"A great dread fell on him, as if he was awaiting the prouncement of some doom that he had long foreseen and vainly hoped might after all never be spoken. An overwhelming longing to rest and remain at peace by Bilbo's side in Rivendell filled all his heart. At last with an effort he spoke, and wondered to hear his own words, as if some other will was using his small voice.
'I will take the Ring,' he said, 'though I do not know the way'" (Tolkien 270).
Key Passage
"Sam stayed at first at the Cottons' with Frodo...but he was often away in the Shire on his forestry work. So he was not at home in early March and did not know that Frodo had been ill. On the thirteenth of that month Farmer Cotton found Frodo lying on his bed; he was clutching a white gem that hung on a chain about his neck and he seemed half in a dream" (Tolkien 1024).
Key Passage
"A king's daughter might go too; a king's daughter who had, perhaps, proved herself in some small ways; who had learned to keep her mouth shut, and to smile on cue; a king's daughter who happened to be the king's only child. She had known they would not let her; she had known that Arlbeth would not dare give his permission even had he wanted to, and she did not know if he had wanted to. But he could not dare take the witchwoman's daughter to confront the workings of demon-mischief; his people would never let him, and he too sorely needed his people's good will" (McKinley 8).
Key Passages
"She could not remember a time when she had not known the story; she had grown up knowing it. She supposed someone must have told her it, sometime, but she could not remember the telling. She was beyond having to blink back tears when she thought of those things the story explained, but when she was feeling smaller and shabbier than usual in the large vivid City high in the Damarian Hills she still found herself brooding about them; and brooding sometimes brought on a tight headachy feeling around her temples, a feeling like suppressed tears" (McKinley 3).
Key Passages
"'When you go - may I come with you?'...The silence went suddenly tight, and the men she faced went rigid: or Arlbeth did, and those behind him, for she kept her face resolutely away from Tor. She thought that she could not bear it if her one loyal friend forsook her too; and she had never tried to discover the extent of Tor's stubbornness. Then the silence was broken by Perlith's high-pitched laughter" (McKinley 9-10).
"They even seemed to enjoy the prospect of Aerin as their new queen; certainly the wedding was a livelier meeting than Tor's crowing had been, and the crowd cheered when Tor declared Aerin his queen, which startled them both" (McKinley 241).
Key Passages
"When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kietchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast" (Rowling 21 Sorcerer's Stone).
Key Passages
"Harry and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Harry broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron. He suspected he wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help him so much.
After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor Tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.
It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever" (Rowling 204 Sorcerer's Stone)