Deconstruction of archetypal characterization: the case of Nina in Chekhov's The seagull

摘要

This study explores the Jungian notions of 'archetype', 'projection' and 'imago', and suggests the distinction between 'archetypal' and 'cognitive' characterization on the level of intention, and its implications regarding dramatic creativity. Whereas archetypal characterization aims at matching archetypes in the spectators' minds, cognitive characterization aims at saying something true on the nature of real people, in the spirit of naturalism. Archetypal characterization thus offers the opportunity for the spectators to confront suppressed contents of their psyches. This study also suggests a model for the transition from the archetypal mode of characterization to the cognitive one through a process of deconstruction, and applies this model to Nina's process of individuation from adolescence to maturity in Chekhov's The seagull.