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=                          Child archetype                           =
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                            Introduction
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The child archetype is a Jungian archetype, first suggested by
psychologist Carl Jung. In more recent years, author Caroline Myss has
suggested that the child, out of the four survival archetypes (victim,
prostitute, and saboteur), is present in all humans. According to
Myss, its presence ranges from "childish to childlike longing for the
innocent, regardless of age" and comprises sub-archetypes: "wounded
child", "abandoned or orphan child", "dependent child",
"magical/innocent child", "nature child", "divine child", and "eternal
child".


                              Jungians
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Jung placed the "child" (including the child hero) in a list of
archetypes that represent milestones in individuation. Jungians
exploring the hero myth have noted that "it represents our efforts to
deal with the problem of growing up, aided by the illusion of an
eternal fiction". Thus for Jung, "the child is potential future", and
the child archetype is a symbol of the developing personality.

Others have warned, however, of the dangers posed to the parents drawn
in by the "divine child" archetype - the belief of extraordinary
potential in a child. The child, idealized by parents, eventually
nurtures a feeling of superiority.

Even where impacting less acutely, the child archetype may inhibit
psychological maturation and result in an adult who is, in essence,
"Mama's darling". A man will end up with a strong attachment to a
mother figure, either real or symbolic, and will lack the ability to
form commitment or be generative. The female version of this,
specified as the "puella", will have a corresponding attachment to her
father figure.


                   Retrospective and prospective
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Jung was concerned with the possibility of one's over-identification
with their own persona, which would turn an individual into a
stereotype born of social expectations and ambition, "unchildlike and
artificial". The child archetype becomes of use in this case,
strengthening the individual's link to their past by helping them
recall childhood experiences and emotions.

In its prospective role, the child archetype is a representation of
future potentialities and psychological maturation.


                      In literature and media
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The child archetype is portrayed in media in various ways. It can take
the form of a child who displays adult-like qualities, giving, for
example, wise advice to their friends, or vice versa (like Raymond in
the film 'Rain Man'). More generally, "the child star can be
conceptualized as a modern manifestation of the ancient archetype of
the wonder-child".


                              See also
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* Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism
* Puer aeternus


                           External links
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*
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120529044642/http://myss.com:80/library/contracts
/four_archs.asp
The Four Archetypes of Survival]


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Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_archetype