Archetypes and Parallels in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini Bachelor’S Diploma Thesis

Masaryk University Faculty of Arts

Department of English and American Studies

English Language and Literature

Jan Talpa

Archetypes and Parallels in The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis

Supervisor: Mgr. Filip Krajník, Ph.D.

2016

I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography.

…………………………………………….. Author’s signature

Acknowledgement: I would like to thank Mr. Hanzálek for his patience, and my family for their constant and unyielding support.

Table of Contents

Introduction ...... 5 1.0. Definition of Archetype ...... 6 1.1. The Hero Archetype ...... 8 The Usage of the Hero Archetype ...... 9 1.2. The Wise Old Man Archetype ...... 11 The Usage of the Wise Old Man Archetype...... 13 1.3. The Shadow Archetype ...... 15 The Usage of the Shadow Archetype ...... 16 2.0. The Parallels of Archetype Development in The Inheritance cycle ...... 19 2.1. The Hero of The Inheritance Cycle and his Journey ...... 19 The Hero of Star Wars and his Journey ...... 22 The Hero Parallels in The Inheritance Cycle and Star Wars ...... 25 2.2. The Wise Old Man in The Inheritance Cycle ...... 27 The Wise Old Man in Star Wars ...... 28 The Wise Old Man Parallels in The Inheritance Cycle and Star Wars ...... 29 2.3. The Shadow in Star Wars ...... 30 The Shadow in The Inheritance Cycle ...... 31 The Shadow Parallels in The Inheritance Cycle and Star Wars ...... 32 Conclusion ...... 35 Works Cited ...... 36 Résumé in English ...... 38 Résumé česky...... 39

Introduction

This BA thesis explores The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini in terms of Carl

Gustav Jung's theory of archetypes and collective unconscious, which was also discussed by

Joseph Campbell, Andrew Samuels and many other scholarly figures. Chapter 1 will offer a brief overview of key concepts such as “archetype”, the specific names and roles of three of those and depict how they function in a few iconic stories to demonstrate the diversity of usage as well as to reinforce the understanding of those concepts. The first archetype discussed in this work is the one around which the story revolves, the hero. There is also some time devoted to the hero's journey, which is its inseparable part as it partakes in hero's creation. The second is the old wise man archetype, an essential guide and mentor to the hero.

The third archetype is the shadow, a constant inner enemy to the hero.

What will mainly be addressed in Chapter 2 of the thesis is the usage of archetypes in

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini and its vast similarities to that in the original

Star Wars trilogy. One by one, I analyze each of the chosen three archetypes and how they are developed in The Inheritance Cycle, then how they work in the original Star Wars.

Chapter 2 is less general and focuses much more on the specifics of character development, plot and story twists. The final part of each subchapter compares the respective archetypes of the two stories and attempts to demonstrate how each of them develops in the same way and meets the same challenges and fates.

Since many of the concepts may be difficult to grasp to any who have not specifically studied the works of Jung, Freud or Campbell, I shall begin my analysis with a brief explanation of the key concepts and their applicability to my subject.

1.0. Definition of Archetype

Carl Gustaf Jung was a Swiss psychologist and one on of the most influential figures in his field, where his theories are recognized and worked with to this day. Jung dismissed the tabula rasa theory of human psychological development, thinking instead that evolutionary pressures have individual predestinations given shape in archetypes. At first, Jung used the term “primordial images” or “patterns of functioning” to refer to what he later labelled

“archetypes”. Jung's archetypes were founded on Immanuel Kant's categories, Plato's Ideas, and Arthur Schopenhauer's prototypes. (Samuels 2-4) For Jung, “the archetype is the introspectively recognizable form of a priori psychic orderedness” (Jung, Synchronicity 140).

Archetypes may be thought of as an empty canvases in our subconscious that do, however, give shape to the final product. As he describes in the 300th paragraph of his book Two

Essays on Analytical Psychology, “These images must be thought of as lacking in solid content, hence as unconscious. They only obtain solidity, influence, and eventual consciousness in the encounter with empirical facts.”

The archetypes shape a preconceived and dynamic substratum shared by all humanity, on which is built the foundation of every life experience, each individual giving them color with his unique personality, events and traits. Thus, despite the fact that the archetypes themselves may be conceived of as a relatively few intrinsic amorphous forms, from those may arise innumerable forms, metaphoric symbols and patterns of behavior. Although the emerging images and shapes are perceived consciously, the archetypes which permeate them are elementary structures which are inherently unconscious and impossible to perceive.

Jung once compared the form of the archetype to the axial system of a crystal, which gives shape to the crystalline structure of the mother liquid, despite it lacking material

existence of its own. This first looks in accordance to the unique and specific way in which the atoms and molecules aggregate (The Archetypes 393). In one of his many other attempts to describe archetype, Jung says that

The archetype in itself is empty and purely formal: a possibility of

representation which is given a priori. The representations themselves are not

inherited, only the forms, and in that respect they correspond to the instincts.

The existence of the instincts can no more be proved than the existence of the

archetypes, so long as they do not manifest themselves concretely. (The

Collected Works 13-14)

According to Jung, “there are as many archetypes as there are typical situations in life” (The

Archetypes 48). They are complex and interrelated. To try to create an elaborate study and interpretation of every archetype would go beyond the research field as well as the intended purpose of the thesis. My discussion of the usage of archetypes in The Inheritance Cycle and how it parallels mainly that in the Star Wars movies in terms of how they are developed is concerned with a specific few of those. Therefore, in the next few pages, the chosen few of those archetypes that seem most pertinent to my subject are defined and elaborated on. These few were chosen on the basis of being most often encountered in the study and interpretation of epics and myths. While I do not wish to argue that The Inheritance Cycle and Star Wars movies are myths by definition, Jung and Campbell argue that myths are a constant and the function of myths and mythic equivalents is as relevant and necessary for the modern human psyche as it was when what we call “ancient” myth was created and that the human psyche actively searches for and creates new myths. From this perspective, every story in history contains some traces and equivalents of those ancient myths.

1.1. The Hero Archetype

The archetypal hero appears in all myths, religions and epics of the world. He is an expression of our personal and collective unconscious, a psychological wholeness beyond that which the rational consciousness can attain on its own (Jung, The Archetypes 172). All archetypal heroes share certain characteristics. The fact has only come to light this century, after people like Joseph Campbell began comparing mythologies of the world. According to

Campbell, the journey of an archetypal hero begins

with someone from whom something had been taken, or who feels there’s

something lacking in the normal experiences available or permitted to the

members of his society. This person then takes off on a series of adventures

beyond the ordinary, either to recover what has been lost or to discover some

life-giving elixir. It’s usually a cycle, a going and a returning. (Campbell, The

Power of Myth 152)

The hero has to pass through several stages in this “cycle” that is his story. Since I shall discuss these stages in more depth during my comparison of Star Wars movies and The

Inheritance Cycle, I will only give a brief general overview here.

There is often an unusual aspect to the hero's birth. He is either born in perilous situation, born into royalty or his father may not be known. These situations mark them as different and destined for greatness. The hero often has a weapon or a tool that only he can wield and also tends to have a supernatural help.

Another stage is the hero's Call to adventure. The hero's confrontation with the outside world is initiated by an old wise man archetypal figure. He tells the potential hero about the journey and goal that hero ought to reach. Sometimes the Call is refused based on some obligation the hero has or because of him being unwilling to let go of his personal

interests, but an event at later stage changes those circumstances (Campbell, The Hero with a

Thousand Faces 62). The hero is made to leave his family or homeland, whether that is after a traumatic event which forces the hero on a quest or an urgent errand that sets him on the path. Hero experiences many things on this quest, among which is a descent into a kind of

"hell". In this hell he experiences a low point in his life that leaves him scarred forever with a real or psychological wound that will not heal. This is often called the Unhealable Wound.

The hero learns from this descent into "hell" much about himself and usually matures greatly from the experience.

On several occasions, the hero is challenged by the Road of Trials which tests his abilities, resolve and character, all of which become strengthened in the process. At some point of his journey, the hero tends to have to deal with his past, often times he has to avenge his father or atone for his father's sins.Campbell summarized the journey of archetypal hero by saying that

A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of

supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive

victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the

power to bestow boons on his fellow man. (Campbell, The Hero with a

Thousand Faces 30)

This hold true for most of the heroes of fantasty and science fiction stories from ancient myths to modern works.

The Usage of the Hero Archetype

Despite the fact that most of the heroes share the progression stages and events on their journey I briefly discussed earlier, there is still much room to fill and work with. As is

with any archetype, it is but a frame to be filled with the author's creativity. To give a few examples of how diverse the archetype usage can be, I will take the hero archetype from some of the works that became cultural phenomena of this age and briefly set their journey into the archetypal frame.

Let us first take Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Harry

Potter receives his Unhealable Wound before the main storyline even begins, right after

Voldemort murders his parents and then attempts to do the same to him, but fails

(Philosopher's Stone 9). Harry is left with a scar that becomes his most notable mark that many of the characters recognize him by. These perilous and mysterious circumstances of

Harry's birth is also what differentiates him from people around him and are one of the defining features of the hero. Harry's Call arrives at the night of his eleventh birthday, when he is revealed the existence of magic and is invited to study it at Hogwarts, a magic school

(Philosopher's Stone 39). While Harry's Road of Trials is a very long one and every book essentially contains its own, the general objective of the story is to fight against the threat of

Voldemort and to finally stop him for ever. Again, there is the recurring theme of avenging the hero's father, or in this case, both parents. Harry Potter's abilities and character are tested many times on his journey, as even Voldemort tries to recruit him to his side several times, though the sincerity of his attempts may be questionable.

Another cultural phenomenon I will discuss archetypes of is The Lord of the Rings by

J.R.R. Tolkien. Though there are arguably several characters of the hero archetype, I will debate what I consider to be the most iconic one and that is Frodo Baggins. Frodo is forced to accept his Call by outside circumstances, since he is the only one able to carry the One Ring to Rivendell, where he is later decided to carry it further on the mission to destroy it. Frodo receives his Unhealable Wound on his way there, when he is stabbed by the Witch-king of

Angmar (Tolkien 256). The reason it becomes the Unhealable Wound is the fact that all of

the Ringwraiths were equipped with Morgul-blades, a special kind of weapon that makes healing nearly impossible and leaves permanent damage. Similarly to Harry Potter, Frodo is also often times tempted by the main antagonist, Sauron, via the Ring's power and influence to use it. The theme of making up for father's mistakes is also present, as Bilbo Baggins,

Frodo's adoptive father, was the one who secretly found and kept the One Ring, although without knowing its origin or importance. Frodo's Road of Trials is ridden with internal struggle with the seducing power of the Ring and while Frodo and Sam do encounter physical danger on their journey and have to combat on several ocassions, that is not what their actual journey is about. The hero in The Lord of the Rings does not really need to increase his prowess or skills in any way to succeed on his journey. For Frodo, the true test is that of his character, as is the case for most of the characters in this book series of books.

1.2. The Wise Old Man Archetype

The wise old man archetype is sometimes referred to as the sage, the guide or the spirit. Despite its name, this archetype can appear equally well in the form of an older woman, an animal or even a member of fantastical race like goblin or dwarf (Jung, The

Archetypes 216). This archetype is characterized by being old, bearded, father-figure type who uses his great personal knowledge of the world and offer guidance to the hero, thereby taking the role of mentor. According to Jung, it represents “knowledge, reflection, insight, wisdom, cleverness, and intuition” (Jung 222). It symbolises “the pre-existent meaning hidden in the chaos of life” (Jung 35).

This archetype is often seen to be in some way "foreign", that is, from a different culture, nation, or occasionally, even a different time, from those he advises. In extreme cases, he may be a liminal being, such as Merlin, who was only half human. In medieval

chivalric romance and modern fantasy literature, he is often presented as a wizard. The fact that he often appears as animal, magician or supernatural creature also indicates that it is above the merely human level of understanding. The figure is often mysterious and fascinating in its own right, partly because it is itself unknown, and partly because it often shows the way to the unknown (Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces 55). He can also occassionally be featured as a hermit. The wise old man is the answer of the collective unconscious for times when the conscious mind of the individual is in need of advice on questions and situations typical of humankind. Therefore it very often appears at times when personal experience or knowledge is insufficient, when “insight, understanding, good advice, determination, planning, etc. are needed but cannot be mustered on one's own resources”

(Jung, The Archetypes 216). Wise old man allows the main protagonist to develop or to find themselves and their potential.

The one feature most of the wise old men archetype share is that they are rarely directly participating in the events of the story, or they are doing it in an indirect way. This is to prevent them from being more impactful force than the hero, as their wisdom or power could ruin the story progression. They offer advice, guidance and help to teach the hero or give him some understanding needed for him to overcome his obstacles.

The wise old man appears to the hero at the threshold of the adventure and then each time thereafter when the hero needs advice or help to enter a new stage of the journey. His entering the scene tends to mean that hero has reached the end of his possibilities and cannot proceed without his help. He is the one who makes the hero ask himself the important questions to reflect on his identity, destination and the reasons for undertaking the journey.

On the other hand, he may also function as a critic or the one who evaluates the hero's abilities or aptness for his quest by testing him and may even make his help dependent on the results his tests (Jung, The Archetypes 225).

There is both positive and negative side to the wise old man archetype, like there is to all the others. The help he offers may lead to success as well as a failure and in some cases he even might be the source of the hero's dilemma. The hero has little other possibility than to heed the guide's advice, however ambiguous it may be, as it may as well be indispensable for achieving his goal. But when this “simple” and “kindly” old man makes his appearance, “it is advisable... to scrutinize the context with some care” (Jung, The Archetypes 227). There is a measure of balance and integrity that needs to be followed if the character is to keep his own personality. While the shadow, another archetype I am going to discuss, is behind the gateway to the unconscious, the wise old man is the one who interprets the messages of the unconscious. While he is a guide to the meaning,

this supernatural principle of guardianship and direction unites in itself all the

ambiguities of the unconscious – thus signifying the support of our conscious

personality by that other, larger system, but also the inscrutability of the guide

that we are following, to the peril of all our rational ends. (Campbell, The

Hero with a Thousand Faces 73)

To put it differently, the motives of the unconscious through the wise old man ought to be understood by the rational consciousness first to make sure it is agreeable with the individual's morals and ideals. The integration of the conscious and the collective unconscious is the pivotal factor, because if it fails, it may lead to a possession by an archetype like paranoia or schizophrenia (Jung, The Archetypes 288).

The Usage of the Wise Old Man Archetype

As with the hero, there are many ways to utilize this archetype, although in the case of the wise old man, the variety is most likely even greater. Whether it is a kind old man, a harsh

teacher or a mysterious magician, the wise old man is always there to propel the Hero in the right direction when he is drawing a blank.

Albus Dumbledore is the wise old man archetype of Harry Potter series. He is described as the greatest sorcerer of modern time on several ocassions and is also a headmaster of Hogwarts magic school (Philosopher's Stone 39). He is the one who initiates

Harry into the world of magic, although he sends Hagrid to deliver his letter for him. Having many responsibilities, he truly intervenes into the story when Harry is in dire need of help or guidance, but this becomes more and more frequent as the books progress, as there are more and more difficult situations. But despite being helpful to Harry, there is also another aspect of him, as he is often times difficult to read, his agendas and motives being unclear and cryptic and while his overall intentions are arguably good, the way he manipulates others to achieve them is questionable at best (Deathly Hallows 573). An argument could be made that he was treating Harry in a certain way so that he would give his life in the end for

Dumbledore's plan to be successful, as that was the only way to get rid of Voldemort. Harry was an indispensible tool that had to be used and eventually destroyed if Voldemort was ever to be defeated (Deathly Hallows 579-580). But we have to taky into account that Dumbledore even calmly planned his own death, once he had seen it was inevitable (Deathly Hallows 575-

576). This is where we begin to see that while the Old Wise Man is generally not “evil”, he can certainly be pragmatic.

In The Lord of the Rings, it is Gandalf who represents the wise old man. Like he did previously with Bilbo, he is the one who mediates the Call and sends Frodo on his journey

(Tolkien 81-83). Although he tends to not use his powers too much, he is one of the few wizards of Middle-earth. This fact contributes to his decision to not carry the Ring himself, because it would be capable of wreaking even more havoc if it managed to seduce him

(Tolkien 80-81). For some time, he accompanies the fellowship of the Ring and serves as

their guide, until his death by the Balrog of Morgoth. He is brought back, due his task not being done yet, and serves as a voice of reason, teacher and a moral support to several key characters and even kings.

1.3. The Shadow Archetype

While the Self archetype represents a whole persona as a combination of consciousness and unconsciousness, the shadow represents the unconscious part of the whole.

It has been called by many names such as the stranger, the other, or the nemesis. It is often described as the dark side of the psyche and represents chaos, wildness and the unknown. The shadow is composed of repressed desires, ideas, instincts and weaknesses and it is usually one of the many obstacles the hero has to face and overcome on his journey. As this dark side of personality is usually something an individual is ashamed of, it “threatens us to such an extent that we are usually not able to admit its existence even to ourselves” (Schechter 31).

Jung thought that the main goal of Self should be to achieve synthesis of consciousness and unconsciousness, reconcile with the shadow archetype which represents the negative aspects of its personality and accept itself despite his dark side (Jung, The Archetypes 164, 251). It should cast aside the “mask of the actor” as he labels it and become the person it really is

(20).

When the individual is encountered with their shadow, there are three usual ways of approaching it: the first is repression, where the individual simply represses the undesirable traits, subduing that part of himself. The second way is denying it is part if one's personality at all and the third and final is projection, where we project these characteristics onto

someone else. By any and all of these methods we deny the “evil” we are capable of and instead blame put responsibility on something or someone else.

Jung claimed that while the shadow symbolizes the dark and evil side of the soul, it is just one part of who a man truly is and in order to become whole in his personality, one needs to accept it because there is no good without evil. The hero needs to acknowledge and confront this reality. However, this does not mean “accepting” this side in a passive way, but rather to subject it to conscious criticism (Jung, The Archetypes 265). For many people, it is very difficult to merely acknowledge the shadow's existence, let alone setting up on the rigorous journey of introspection to confront it, so not everybody possesses the inner strength required to overcome their shadow. But as long as the shadow is unconscious, all it does is give rise to feelings of jealousy, shame and inferiority and “ much Self potential and instinctive energy is locked away in the shadow and therefore unavailable to the total personality” (Stevens 67). Once the shadow has been made conscious and was confronted, its negative effects are minimized as the repressions and projections cease to be. Only then it is possible to learn from one's shadow. Stevens described this attainment of self-knowledge and understanding through confrontation with one's shadow as “own(ing) one's shadow” (67)

The Usage of the Shadow Archetype

The shadow usually comes in a form of symbol in the outside world, which reflects a part of the hero's psyche, specifically the part of his unconscious. Therefore, it can take many shapes and forms and the symbol may not even be a character, as anything can serve as this mirror that peers into and reminds the hero the hidden part of his soul. Whatever form the shadow takes, it tends to be something that the hero has to constantly or repetitively come

into contact with. It is useful to remember that the shadow has as much presence in the physical world as it has in the hero's psyche.

In Harry Potter, there are several things acting as shadows to Harry. The most impactful shadow is probably the horcrux that is within himself. When Voldemort attempted to kill infant Harry, he unwillingy and unknowingly made him his horcrux (Deathy Hallows

579), meaning he imparted a piece of his own soul into Harry, creating a profound connection of their minds and even emotions. This affects Harry and his psyche to a great extent, starting from The Chamber of Secrets, when he is revealed to speak Parseltongue (194-195), a language of snakes, which is one of the abilities Voldemort himself was famed for. This is where other people, and consequently even Harry himself, begin to question his character and allegiances. There are many similarities between Harry and Voldemort. Even their wands share the same core and are therefore “siblings”, which is something very rare, and as

Ollivander said “The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr Potter... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great." (Rowling, Philosopher's Stone 85). However Harry thinks about it, there are many connections between him and Voldemort and as the story progresses, it starts to become more and more prominent. The whole matter of mental connection culminates when Voldemort is ressurected (Goblet of Fire 641-643) and Harry starts having visions of the things he does, hears and sees from Voldemort's own perspective (Order of the Phoenix).

Harry's internal fight with his own shadow consists of him fighting his doubts about himself as well as him trying to suppress this “inner” Voldemort that resides within him. In the end, he “owned” his own shadow and accepted it, which even led him to accept his own necessary death as he walked towards it in the Forbidden Forest (Deathy Hallows).

In The Lord of the Rings, as we follow the journey of Frodo and Sam through Middle- earth, we discover that their travels through unknown landscapes may actually mirror the

exploration of the unconscious. The whole world is teeming with archetypes and there are several shadows to be seen. The most obvious ones are probably the Ringwraiths, whose faceless figures represent the loss of Self. Once they were seduced and overcome by their own shadows, by their greed and lust for power and control, and now they are nothing more than a faceless puppets bound to forever serve Sauron (Tolkien 66-68). However, probably the most relevant shadow in the story is Gollum. He is the one having the deepest effect on

Frodo as he is the living embodiment of what the hero is most afraid of becoming. Frodo's meeting with him is pivotal to his process of individuation as Gollum represents what Frodo could become if he gave into the temptations of the One Ring. Their relationship symbolizes the different stages of individuation. In the beginning of the story Frodo laments that Bilbo did not kill Gollum when he had the chance (Tolkien 73) indicating a somewhat immature psyche, with a need to destroy an outer expression of himself as he does not consciously recognizes it as such. But as the story progresses he is able to extend his understanding and compassion to Gollum (Tolkien 640) revealing a maturation of the mind. Frodo is now starting to see his own shadow and its aspects. In Mordor, at the pinnacle of the journey,

Frodo merges with his shadow and succumbs to temptation - he forfeits the quest in order to keep the One Ring for himself (Tolkien 981). Frodo's giving in to the One Ring completes his immersion into the shadow and his personality fuses with that of Gollum. However, Frodo's

Self survives the merging with the shadow and he is able to detach himself from it again having gained an experiential, introspective and complex knowledge of his whole Self. This process of transformation perfectly exemplifies how the hero must bring his shadow into his consciousness in order to access the totality of the psyche and achieve mental and emotional balance. Having experienced his own shadow, Frodo can never go back to his prior state of blissful ignorance.

2.0. The Parallels of Archetype Development in The Inheritance cycle

Before the discussion of parallels in The Inheritance Cycle, I am bound to point out that I still consider the tetralogy to contain a great deal of its own original content. What my research focuses on, however, is the ways in which it seems to strongly imitate the original

Star Wars trilogy, which is my main argument to prove. The way I am going to proceed is to focus on my three chosen archetypes, which are all a paramount driving force of the overall story, and I will try to depict the way they work in their respective works. Then I will discuss the similarities in the ways of how the archetypal characters develop and compare them to one another.

2.1. The Hero of The Inheritance Cycle and his Journey

The first archetype of the Inheritance Cycle I am going to discuss in correlation with parallels to Star Wars is the hero. Since the hero's journey is particularly lengthy, I will attempt to briefly summarize it and focus mostly on the significant events and crucial turns of the story that are relevant to proving my point. Eragon's adventure begins on a farmland in the village of Carvahall, where he works with his uncle Garrow and his cousin Roran. One day, while he is on a hunting trip, he encounters a strange object, which looks like a stone

(Eragon 15). It is this object that becomes the reason why he ends up being pursued by the

“evil” Empire that currently rules over the most of Alagaësia. King Galbatorix, the ruler of the Empire as well as the main antagonist, sends his second-in-command, Durza the Shade to hunt down Eragon and retrieve the object. Eragon soon discovers that the object is actually a dragon egg, which chose him to be its Rider. It later hatches with Eragon naming the hatchling Saphira (Eragon 36,52). Saphira's existence put Eragon's relatives into a great danger from Galbatorix, who wished to reestablish the order of the Dragon Riders under his

own control. When Garrow is killed by the Ra'zac, the servants of Galbatorix, Eragon and

Saphira are forced to flee Carvahall.

On their flight from Carvahall, they are joined by an older man called Brom, who was a Carvahall's cryptic storyteller. Brom fills the role of the old wise man archetype and guides the heroes on their quest to find and kill the Ra'zac. He educates Eragon in the use of magic powers, which are bestowed upon all of the Dragon Riders, as well as the art of swordsmanship. He also gives Eragon Zar'roc, a special sword, but refuses to reveal its history (Eragon 84). They eventually succeed in tracking down the Ra'zac, although it is them that are ambushed and Brom is fatally wounded in the encounter. They are saved during the ambush by a mysterious man name Murtagh, which joins them on the journey.

Throughout the whole time since after they fled Carvahall, Eragon keeps having dreams or visions of a beautiful, imprisoned woman who appears to be in great pain. Some time meeting Murtagh, they set out for Gil'ead in hopes of finding a contact who could tell them the location of the Varden, the only official resistance to the Empire. It is there that Eragon is captured by Durza's forces. Durza imprisons Eragon in the same cell where the maiden from his dreams is being kept. Eragon manages to escape, together with the unconscious elven maiden and they head out with his party towards the Varden's location. Before they get too close to the Varden base, Murtagh stopped Eragon and said he needed to tell him something.

He reveals that he is the son of Morzan, the first and the last of the Forsworn, group of

Dragon Riders that betrayed their vows and joined Galbatorix to serve him and hunt down the rest of their order.

After reaching the Varden's hideout, it is soon revealed that the elven maiden they managed to rescue is princess Arya, a person of great significance to the Varden and one of their most important agents and diplomatic figures. After they join the Varden, an information gets to the Varden that their base was discovered by the Galbatorix, who is

immediately sending an army their way, under the command of Durza. The Varden, having no way to escape, are left several days to prepare for the upcoming battle. It is during this battle that Eragon, although with a great deal of luck and outside interference, manages to deliver a killing blow to Durza, but not before the Shade inflicts upon him his Unhealable

Wound in the form of a great scar on his back (Eragon 376). This scar becomes a significant theme in the second book as it is the cause of recurring fits of severe pain so strong that it even makes him faint on several occasions. Murtagh is revealed to have been captured by the

Empire's forces some time after the battle and taken away, possibly killed (Eldest 16).

After the battle, Eragon is mentally contacted by a strange entity and is set on a journey to Ellesméra, the capital of the forest land of the elves. It is there that he meets the person that contacted him, who is revealed to be Oromis, the last survivor of the Council of the Elders, a group of the wisest of the Dragon Rider order (Eldest 223). Most of the Eragon's part in the second book focuses on his training with Oromis in Ellesméra. Oromis expands on his training and teaches him a lot of the order's ways and magic. Eragon is also healed of his scar at a very unique elvish ceremony (Eldest 371). One day, he uses the magic of scrying and sees the Varden gathering and preparing for a battle. This vision is what makes him leave

Ellesméra to help the Varden, as defeating the Empire was his reason for training in the first place. Oromis advises him to not go, seeing as his training is not yet complete, but the advice is left unheeded. Eragon arrives at the scene of battle and leads the charge at the Empire's troops. There, he fights and loses against a mysterious new Dragon Rider, who is revealed to be Murtagh, now in a forced service to Galbatorix. After soundly defeating Eragon, Murtagh reveals a terrible secret to him- Eragon is the second son of Morzan, the most prominent figure of the Forsworn (Eldest 505).

After running a few errands after the battle, Eragon returns to Ellesméra to finish his training with Oromis. He tells Oromis about what he had been told by Murtagh, but Oromis

reveals to him that it was Brom who was his real father, and that Eragon and Murtagh only share the same mother. He also reveals the secret of Galbatorix's power. While in Ellesméra,

Eragon decides to forge a new sword with the help of Rhunön, a master smith who forged all the swords of the Dragon Riders. After obtaining his new weapon, Eragon, along with all the elves, prepares for a final sequence of battles in the war against Galbatorix.

The series continue to depict the conquests of several large cities around the capital,

Urû'baen, where the king resides. Oromis and other elves fight on a separate front from the advancing humans and while participating in one of the battles, Oromis is overpowered and killed by Galbatorix (Brisingr 438). The whole story culminates when Eragon with the help of many defeats Galbatorix and decides to find a place to reestablish the order of the Dragon

Riders.

The Hero of Star Wars and his Journey

Luke Skywalker's adventure begins on a farm on a desert planet Tatooine, which is about as far from any civilisation as a planet can get. He was raised there by his uncle Owen and aunt Beru. His life is turned upside down on the day that his uncle purchases two droids, who, unbeknownst to him, carry something very valuable. Luke discovers that one of the droids holds a message for a man named Obi-Wan Kenobi, but when he asks his uncle about such a man, he responds that he “is just a crazy old man.” (Lucas, New Hope). However, the droid runs away on its own in an attempt to locate Obi-Wan Kenobi, which forces Luke to follow it in order to bring it back. On the desert, both the droid and Luke are saved by

Kenobi, who invites them into his hut to see the message. It was sent by princess Leia, who is now being imprisoned by the Empire. In the message she says that it contains plans for a new weapon of the Empire and that those are crucial for the Rebellion if they are to have any

chance of destroying it. She asks Obi-Wan to join them and deliver the message to the

Rebellion, which is something she was unable to do as they were ambushed by the Empire.

Obi-Wan shows and gives Luke a lightsaber, which he said belonged to his father. The lighsabers were weapons of a “more civilized times”(Lucas, New Hope) and they were wielded by the members of the Jedi Order, dedicated to preserving peace and harmony in the galaxy. He then asks Luke if he wants to join him. Luke does not want to leave his stepparents at first, but when he arrives home, he sees that they were already killed by the

Empire, who were in pursuit of the plans in the message. Luke joins Obi-Wan on his quest and they escape Tatooine. On their escape, Ben begins to teach Luke how to use the Force, a mystical energy harnessed by the Jedi that can be used for a wide variety of seemingly impossible feats.

They do not get too far and are soon captured by the Empire and dragged onto the very station that was described as the weapon by the message. They manage to fool their captors and escape. On their way back to their ship, Luke also meets and rescues princess

Leia, who was being held prisoner on the same base. Obi-Wan Kenobi duels with his former apprentice Darth Vader, the Emperor's second-in-command, who is also a former member of the Jedi as well as the one who led the mission to capture Leia. Vader dispatched his former master, but not before Ben had bought his party enough time to get off the station.

After escaping, they finally get to the rebel base, where Luke decides to join the

Rebellion. Leia presents the plans of the base and a mission is conceived to destroy it, Luke being part of it. Rebels succeed in their mission when Luke manages to use the Force to hit a critical spot on the base and thereby destroying it. Some time after the battle, Luke is mentally contacted by a spirit of Obi-Wan, which tells him that Luke needs to find Jedi

Master Yoda to finish his training. As Luke arrives on planet Dagobah, an unlikely hiding place of the Jedi Master, he is greeted by a little green humanoid, who is later revealed to be

Yoda. Yoda reluctantly begins to teach him the ways of the Force. Luke is revealed to be extremely gifted, although impatient student. In one of their training sessions, Luke sees a vision of his friends being in danger in some “city in the clouds” (Kershner, Empire Strikes

Back). Despite the discouragement of both of his masters, Luke decides to leave his present training and go on a mission to save his friends. What Luke does not know, however, is that the whole situation is a trap designed by Darth Vader to lure him out.

Luke's quest leads him to a scene in the carbon-freeze chamber on Cloud City, where

Vader plans to trap him. Even the lighting of the scene, which is very dark and red, gives viewer a hint that this is the metaphorical descent to hell on his journey. In the duel that takes place between Luke and Darth in this chamber and beyond, Luke loses his hand, but even that pales in comparison to what he is about to experience. At the fateful moment when Luke is defeated, Darth Vader reveals a horrible secret- Luke's father is not dead, like Ben told him,

Darth Vader is Luke's father. Crushed by the fact, Luke chooses to jump to almost certain death rather than give in to Vader's proposal to join the Dark Side of the Force. Luke's loss of his right hand in the duel is his Unhealable Wound. Clearly, this is the lowest point in Luke's journey to become a Jedi Knight and save his father. His wound and this low point teach him about himself, however, and eventually help him to become what he is supposed to be. Luke is barely saved by some of his friends and manages to escape. He got his hand replaced by a mechanical one, but it remained a constant reminder of the confrontation.

Luke comes up with another plan to rescue friends he did not manage to before, and this time, he succeeds. After that, he returns to Dagobah to finish his training with master

Yoda, but Yoda tells him that no further training is required and that all he needs to do to become a true Jedi is to confront Vader again. Right before Yoda dies and becomes one with the Force, he reveals to Luke that “There is another Skywalker” (Marquand, Return of the

Jedi). Luke's instinct told him that it was Leia, which Obi-Wan's spirit confirms. Before the

rebels' final mission, Luke surrenders to the Empire forces and lets himself be taken to Vader, intending to confront his father and make him acknowledge that there is still good inside him.

Vader denies it and takes him before the Emperor. The Emperor tries to provoke Luke into giving in to the Dark Side of the Force and makes him duel his father again. There is a moment in their fight where Luke momentarily succumbs to his feelings, right after Vader mentions that if he will not manage to convince Luke, he will make Leia join them. After a brief outburst of Luke's rage, he stops himself when he sees that the part of Vader's hand that he cut off is robotic, just like his own. Upon seeing that he will not turn Luke, the Emperor is furious and starts killing Luke with his Force powers, but is stopped and ultimately killed by

Vader, who is fataly wounded in the process. It is presumed that after the story's culmination,

Luke Skywalker started rebuilding the Jedi Order, as he was the only remaining member alive.

The Hero Parallels in The Inheritance Cycle and Star Wars

When looking at the very beginning of the hero's journey, both Eragon and New Hope start out in exactly the same way. The princess, which later becomes one of the main characters of the story, carries a stolen object of extreme importance that she is supposed to deliver to the safety of the rebel base. However, her and her escort are pursued by the forces of “evil” nation who wants to retrieve the stolen object. The princesses are captured by second-in-commands of the main antangonists, but not before they manage to send the object away, hoping it will reach the right person. When discussing the development of the hero archetype, it becomes apparent the Paolini was also heavily inspired by Star Wars, to say the least, when creating Eragon. Both Luke and Eragon are raised by their stepparents on a farm in a distant rural place, while their true parentage is either not known or is refused to be

discussed. The lives of both boys are changed when they receive an object that is important to some “evil” dominant nation- respectively the Galactice Empire and the Broddring Empire, which then pursues them in order to get it back. Both of those objects are crucial to the rebelling forces against those evil nations. Both refuse to leave their stepparents at first, but the stepparents are then murdered by the ruling nation, forcing them to flee if they wish to survive.

The arrival of old wise man archetype ensues. He guides them and initiates them into the arts of an ancient, almost extinct order of peacekeepers, to which their fathers also used to belong. Another parallel in hero's journey is when they are both imprisoned by the evil nation and both succesfully rescue the princess character, which happens to be held in the same place. They are both given a unique weapon that used to belong to their fathers, although they do not know their true identities. In Luke's case, Obi-Wan told him an indirect truth, which is later clarified by a confrontation with Vader. Eragon is told that the sword belonged to

Morzan, who is later revealed by Murtagh to also be Eragon's father, although this is disputed when it is revealed that Brom was the actual father and the weapon already belonged to him.

They also both lose their unique weapons after the second part of their respective stories.

Then they build their main replacement weapons- Eragon's Brisingr and Luke's green-bladed lightsaber. Eragon and Luke are both taught by two masters, who are considered to be the last members of the ancient order, and who also eventually die in the story. Eragon and Luke leave their second masters before they manage to finish their training because of an imminent danger to their friends. Both heroes also have a sibling they do not know about- Murtagh is half-brother to Eragon and Leia is Luke's twin sister - until later in their lives. Overall, Luke and Eragon face the same kind of obstacles and need to master similar skills to succeed on their journey. At the end of their journey, the heroes are the sole members of their respective orders and it is left up to them to reestablish them.

2.2. The Wise Old Man in The Inheritance Cycle

I consider Brom and Oromis to be the two prominent old wise man characters in the overall story of The Inheritance Cycle, but an argument could be made that Angela also occasionally acts like one. Although not being in the story for a long time due to his early demise, Brom is the one who initially guides Eragon on his journey and is his first teacher of both magic and swordplay. He is also the one who gives Eragon Zar'roc, the sword of

Morzan, the first of the Forsworn. It is later revealed that Brom knew Morzan before the Fall of the Dragon Riders and that the two were friends, although Brom often idolized Morzan and was easily manipulated by him. It is stated that after the Fall of the order, Brom went into hiding while simultaneously keeping an eye out on Eragon. Brom is considered to be one of the most renowned figures among the Varden, as well as one of their founders. He is also one of the last two members of the order of the Dragon Riders by the time the story starts. He is mortally wounded in an ambush by the Ra'zac, a creatures in service of Galbatorix.

Oromis is an elven Dragon Rider, who also taught Brom and even used to be on the

Council of the Elders, an elite group of the Dragon Riders praised for their wisdom and knowledge. He first makes contact with Eragon as he recuperated after his fight with Durza and he told him to come seek him out to finish his training. He is a second master to Eragon and teaches him many of the advanced ways to use magic as well as furthering his knowledge of the Ancient Language. Oromis often made Eragon question his previous beliefs and preconceptions and made him look at things from different perspectives. However, he did not manage to complete Eragon's training, because Eragon left on an urgent mission to help his friends in a battle. When Eragon came back after the battle, he imparted to him an essential

knowledge to defeating Galbatorix. Oromis died in one of the battles against the Empire by the hand of Murtagh, who was temporarily taken over by Galbatorix's will.

The Wise Old Man in Star Wars

The archetype of old wise man is represented quite undoubtedly by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda in the original Star Wars series. While Owen mentions him once before, saying he is a “crazy old man”(Lucas, New Hope), Obi-Wan is first introduced in an encounter in the desert where he saves Luke and his droid from a group of tusken. As is revealed later in the story, he knew and taught Luke's father before he became Darth Vader and the two were good friends. Him and Luke go see the message intented for him inside the droid and then they set out on a journey to deliver the content to the rebel headquarters. The message also shows us that the Rebellion regarded Obi-Wan highly, as he was on the side of the Galactic

Republic throughout the entirety of Clone Wars and he also witnessed the founding of the

Rebellion. After the Clone Wars, he went into hiding, but also kept an eye out on the son of his former friend. Obi-Wan gives Luke a lightsaber, which used to belong to his father, and begins his training to become a Jedi Knight. As they are caught and imprisoned on their way to the rebels, Obi-Wan confronts Darth Vader for the last time. During their duel, Darth

Vader strikes Obi-Wan down and he becomes one with the Force.

Luke is at a later stage contacted by Obi-Wan's spirit and sent to seek out Master

Yoda on planet Dagobah. Yoda used to teach Obi-Wan and was once a member of the Jedi

Council, as well. Luke finds him, but is fooled by his appearance, as he expects Yoda to look like a “great warrior”, whereas Yoda is very small in stature and does not emit a fearsome aura at all. But as Yoda tells him “Wars not make one great” (Kershner, Empire Strikes

Back). Yoda teaches Luke many things about the Light and Dark Side of the Force, as well as

morality in general. Luke's training does not come to fruition, however, as he decides to leave to help his friends, whom he saw endangered in a vision. After his mission, he returns to

Yoda and the two have their last conversation. Yoda confirms that Vader is indeed Luke's father, but also tells him that there was another Skywalker. Yoda then dies of old age and becomes one with the Force.

The Wise Old Man Parallels in The Inheritance Cycle and Star Wars

Although I suspect Paolini diverged from his original notion of the story, Obi-Wan and Brom are still very similar characters. Both are living a secluded lives, keeping an eye out on the main hero, while none of the people around acknowledge or know of their true identities. Both know the hero's true parentage, although they do not admit it directly. They both directly participated in the conflicts that preceded the fall of their respective orders and then they went into hiding. Obi-Wan and Brom are both first presumed to have been betrayed by the hero's father, but in the case of Brom, the identity of Eragon's father later shifts from

Morzan to himself. Brom and Obi-Wan are the first old wise man characters the heroes encounter and they are the first to introduce them into the way of the ancient order. They also give the heroes a special weapon of their order, Morzan's Zar'roc and Anakin's lightsaber.

Brom and Obi-Wan are both held in a high regard by the rebellion against the evil nation, as both were participating or present at their founding. Both of the first old wise man characters also die at about the same stage of the story, before the princess character is rescued. Brom and Oromis are both the last living members of their order and the same can be said about

Obi-Wan and Yoda.

Oromis and Yoda are the great masters that are long forgotten or presumed dead by the main antagonists. They were both members of the esteemed councils of their respective

orders, the Jedi Council and Council of the Elders. They are the second old wise man the hero encounters and also the ones who finalize their training. They are also stated to have taught the first old wise man character at some point (Paolini, Eldest 223). The abilities of both are in some way impaired, which prevents them from taking any meaningful action against the evil nation themselves. Yoda is extremely old and Oromis was cursed by the Forsworn as he said they “...broke something within me...”, rendering him “...no longer [able to] control magic, except for the smallest of spells.” (Paolini, Eldest 219)They are also both left by the hero before their final tests. Their deaths are different, but both die in peace and knowing they have done what they could to enable the hero to succeed on their journey.

2.3. The Shadow in Star Wars

Of all the archetypes discussed, the shadow is probably the hardest to pinpoint, mainly due to its idiosyncratic nature. I will first discuss the shadow in Star Wars, since it is easier to identify and it also makes this archetype in both series easier to correlate. In Star

Wars, the shadow is most clearly Darth Vader, as he reflects all of Luke's fears of what he might become. The familial bond between them only intensifies all the worries in Luke's mind. Darth Vader was first introduced during the ambush on Princess Leia's ship, as he was the first that the Emperor charged with retrieving the plans of Death Star. He is a fearsome figure of great power and authority and acts as the second-in-command of the Emperor. He is, on several ocassions, seen to kill his subordinates for not following the orders precisely, then immediately replacing them with others of similar rank. After revealing himself to be

Luke's father, Vader attempts to turn Luke to the Dark Side and make him rule the galaxy with him “as father and son” (Kershner, Empire Strikes Back). Perhaps the most iconic display of Darth Vader as Luke's shadow is seen in the Dark Side Cave scene, where Luke, as

a part of his training, confronts an illusion of Darth Vader and defeats it in lightsaber combat.

It is in this test that Luke momentarily succumbs to his fears and passions when he strikes the illusion down, only to see its mask explode and underneath it, his own face. When Luke asks

Yoda what is in that cave, Yoda answers “Only what you take with you” (Kershner, Empire

Strikes Back). It may very well be for this reason that Luke insists that there is still good in

Vader and that he can be redeemed, which he ultimately proves.

The Shadow in The Inheritance Cycle

The shadow archetype in The Inheritance Cycle is a bit more difficult to pinpoint, mainly because there are several characters who act as the shadow to Eragon. The first one is

Morzan, perhaps the least impactful of those. He is first presented as Eragon's father by

Murtagh (Paolini, Eldest 505). Morzan was the first and the most loyal servant to Galbatorix, making him a figure very similar to Darth Vader. He was described as an aggressive, cruel and impulsive man. This is all evidenced by the fact that he once threw his sword at his own three-year-old son Murtagh, in a fit of rage (Paolini, Eragon 286), which nearly killed him as well as leaving him scarred for life. The reason for his lack of impact on the story is the fact that he was already killed by Brom before the story of Eragon starts. Nevertheless, when

Eragon hears that Morzan was his father, he feels disgusted and starts to doubt his personality as well as his character traits.

Durza fills the more active part in the first book as the second-in-command to

Galbatorix. He becomes a central antagonist of Eragon when he imprisons Arya and later

Eragon, as well. He tries to make Eragon reveal his true name so that he could take control of him. It is implied that Durza conspires against Galbatorix when he told Eragon to “...think on who[m] you[he] would rather serve: a Rider who betrayed your own order or a fellow man

like me, though one skilled in arcane arts.” and that “When the time comes to choose, there will be no middle ground.” (Eragon 232). He also leads the attack on the Varden during

Eragon and inflicts the Unhealable Wound on Eragon, which greatly crushes his spirit and will in Eldest by causing him immense pains.

The third and probably the most significant shadow is Murtagh. Murtagh is a half- brother to Eragon as well as a son to Morzan, by whom he was raised. He is later trained as a

Dragon Rider by Galbatorix and effectively becomes his most powerful servant, although unwillingly. Eragon temporarily shares a scar on his back very similar to Murtagh's. This also connect them on an emotional level as they have shared a similar trauma. After he defeated

Eragon on the Burning Plains, Murtagh said “You and I, we are the same, Eragon. Mirror images of one another. You can't deny it.” and Eragon retorts “We're nothing alike. I don't have a scar on my back anymore.” (Paolini, Eldest 506). The fact that they share a familial bond as well as the fact that that their roles could have very easily been reversed, if the events had transpired a little differently, is what makes Murtagh Eragon's shadow. He is the Eragon that, due to an accidental misfortune, failed on his journey and became a puppet to

Galbatorix. This is also a part of the reason why Eragon strives to redeem and save Murtagh, rather than just defeat him.

The Shadow Parallels in The Inheritance Cycle and Star Wars

The main thing to understand when comparing the shadow in The Inheritance Cycle and Star Wars series is that Darth Vader is essentially all of the three characters I mentioned-

Morzan, Durza and Murtagh. He is Morzan in the way that he was the one to join the

Emperor and annihilated his order, betraying his friends and teachers. Morzan did the exact same thing before the start of Eragon. They both were the most loyal servants of the main

antagonists and acted as their seccond-in-command. They were also at some point proposed to be the fathers to the main heroes. Both Morzan and Vader also generated children that turned against the side of evil nation eventually.

Durza acts as the first big villain of the story, just like Vader. At the beginning of

Eragon, he leads the mission to retrieve the object stolen from the evil nation and ambushes the princess and her escort. Then he imprisons her at an important fortress of the Empire and tortures her for its location. All of this is exactly what Vader does in New Hope. The way he resembles Vader is also how he operates. They are willing to calmly execute their own soldiers because of some form of failure or infidelity, then promoting another person to take their place immediately afterwards without noting their strengths or experience (Paolini,

Eragon 231). They also, at some point, offer the hero to join them and it is heavily implied that they have hidden agendas and are conspiring against the main antagonist, though it is debatable if those attempts were not just a ruse to make the hero join their side.

The final form of the shadow, Murtagh, is connected to Eragon on several levels.

When they first meet, Murtagh saves his life and they are friends for some time. Then he is kidnapped by Galbatorix and made into his puppet by magic vows. This effectively makes him a Vader figure. Like Luke with Vader, Eragon and Murtagh share the same Unhealable

Wound. In Luke's case, it is his hand, which was cut off during his fight with Vader. Vader's hand has been similarly cut off at an earlier stage of his life, as we are shown in the final confrontation with Luke in Return of the Jedi. Murtagh has his scar across the back, caused by his father Morzan. Eragon was similarly maimed by Durza and his scar bears striking resemblance to Murtagh's, which even more emphasizes how alike they both are, something that Murtagh himself mentions several times. Yet another major parallel is that both Vader and Murtagh are related by blood to the main hero. Rather than just being defeated, they are

both characters that need to redeemed by the main hero, just like the shadow needs to be reconciled with and not just suppressed.

Conclusion

This thesis deals with the issue of archetypes and parallels as they are present in both

The Inheritance Cycle and Star Wars the original trilogy. Its focus is specifically on the hero, the old wise man and the shadow. It is divided into two chapters. The first introduced the archetypes in general, as well as elaborated on the aforementioned three in more detail. The first chapter also offered two specific examples of each archetype that show the variety of their applications. These examples are taken from very popular contemporary series which also belong to the same genre of science fiction and fantasy, The Lord of the Rings and Harry

Potter series.

The second chapter focused on how those three archetypes work in The Inheritance

Cycle and the original Star Wars. One by one, it had stated which archetype is represented by what characters and then provided the reasoning, as well depicting how the specific character operates and develops in the series. Then the third part of each subchapter describes the ways in which the respective archetypal figures in The Inheritance Cycle parallel the ones from the original Star Wars and provides examples of those similarities, showing that the characters and plot twists are very much the same.

Works Cited

Primary sources:

Paolini, Christopher. Brisingr. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. Print.

---. Eldest. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.

---. Eragon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. Print.

---. Inheritance, Or, The Vault of Souls. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. Print.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Screenplay & Dir. George Lucas. Lucasfilm &

Twentieth Century Fox, 1977. Film.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. Dir. Irvin Kershner. Lucasfilm & Twentieth

Century Fox, 1980. Film.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. Dir. Richard Marquand. Lucasfilm & Twentieth

Century Fox, 1983. Film.

Secondary Sources:

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. New York: Meridian Books, 1956.

Print.

---. The Power of Myth. New York: Anchor Books, 1991. Print.

Jung, C. G. Synchronicity. London: Taylor & Francis, 1985. Print.

---. The Collected Works of C. G. Jung. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. - 2.

Ed. - 1971. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1970. Print.

---. Two Essays on Analytical Psychology. New York: Meridian, 1956. Print.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. London: Bloomsbury Children's

Books, 1998. Print.

---. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. London: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2007.

Print.

---. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. London: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2000. Print.

---. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. London: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2003.

Print.

---. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 1997.

Print.

Samuels, Andrew. Jung and the Post-Jungians. London: Routledge & K. Paul, 1985. Print.

Schechter, Harold. New Gods: Psyche and Symbol in Popular Art. Bowling Green: Bowling

Green University Popular Press, 1980. Print.

Stevens, Anthony. Jung: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Print.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. London: Guild Publishing, 1981. Print.

Résumé in English

This thesis deals with the concept of archetypes, which was defined by Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung. The first chapter defines the concept of archetype as it was debated by many great scholarly figures like Joseph Campbell, Anthony

Stevens and Andrew Samuels, to name a few. Its purpose is also to expound a specific three of those archetypes, which are namely the hero, the old wise man and the shadow. The final purpose of the first chapter is to give several examples of characters that belong to the specific debated archetype. These examples are drawn from the phenomenal contemporary fantasy and science fiction series, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

The second chapter focuses on the specific applications of the three archetypes. It describes how the three respective archetypes work in The Inheritance Cycle, then how they work in the original Star Wars series. The third part of each subchapter then correlates the developement of the archetypal characters in both series and points out the similarities among them. The main argument that this thesis attempts to prove is that Paolini imitates the development of archetypal characters of Star Wars in his The Inheritance Cycle. The main tools of proving that is pointing out the character roles, crucial plot twists, character backgrounds and the general relations between the characters as well. After highlighting this specific information on the characters, the thesis proceeds to compare it to that of their equivalent in Star Wars, proving the strong parallels in the process.

Résumé česky

Tato bakalářská práce se zabývá konceptem archetypu, který definoval švýcarský psychiatr a psychoterapeut Carl Gustav Jung. První kapitola definuje koncept archetypu tak, jak byl diskutován mezi mnohými velkými učenci, jako jsou kupříkladu Joseph Campbell,

Anthony Stevens a Andrew Samuels. Jejím účelem je také objasnit tři specifické archetypy, kterým se přezdívá hrdina, moudrý stařec a stín. Posledním úkolem první kapitoly je uvést několik příkladů postav, které spadají pod specifický archetyp. Tyto příklady jsou vybrány ze soudobých fantasy a science fiction fenoménů, kterými jsou Pán prstenů a Harry Potter.

Druhá kapitola se zaměřuje na specifické použití těchto tří archetypů. Popisuje, jak tyto tři archetypy fungují v Odkazu Dračích jezdců a poté jak fungují v původní trilogii

Hvězdných válek. Třetí část každé podkapitoly poté spojuje rozvoj postav reprezentujících tyto archetypy v obou sériích a zaměřuje se na znázornění jejich podobností. Hlavní argument, který se tato bakalářská práce snaží dokázat, je ten, že Paolini napodobuje rozvoj archetypů v Hvězdných válkách ve svém díle Odkaz Dračích jezdců. Hlavními nástroji k dokázání tohoto argumentu jsou zvýraznění rolí postav, klíčových dějových zvratů, historie postav a vztahů mezi nimi obecně. Po vyložení těchto specifických informací o postavách je tato bakalářská práce srovnává s jejich ekvivalenty v Hvězdných válkách a dokazuje existenci silných paralel.