If you're a reader, chances are you've enjoyed books like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and The Outsiders. These stories have become some of the best-selling and most beloved works of middle-grade literature, captivating readers across generations.
What makes these books so unforgettable? It is the characters who stay with us long after we've turned the final page! Harry's courage, Percy's loyalty, Lucy's faith, and Pony Boy’s longing to belong all feel familiar because these traits are built upon universal character archetypes—timeless patterns of human behavior and personality that have appeared in stories for thousands of years.
Understanding character archetypes helps students move beyond simply identifying character traits to recognize why characters make the choices they do, how they change over the course of a story, and why certain stories continue to resonate across cultures and generations.
Why Teach Character Archetypes?
When students recognize character archetypes, they gain a powerful framework for analyzing literature, comparing texts, and making meaningful connections across genres and text types.
1. Archetypes provide a universal framework or blueprint; they are the building blocks of storytelling. Learning common character structures helps students
· more quickly understand a story,
· make predictions,
· analyze the text, and
· connect to the author’s message and theme.
2. Archetypes highlight cultural connections and draw the reader’s attention to universal human traits and experiences. Students learn that the same fundamental human traits and experiences exist across time and cultures.
3. Archetypes help to deepen critical thinking. Students learn to categorize books, comparing how different authors use the same archetype in different stories and situations. They learn to recognize common character motives and themes across varying genres and text types.
4. Archetypes support knowledge building and comprehension. Readers comprehend and remember new information better when it connects to existing mental frameworks. Recognizing recurring literary patterns improves comprehension and transfer.
History of Character Archetypes
The idea that certain characters appear repeatedly in stories is thousands of years old. Ancient myths, cultures, and religions around the world feature familiar figures such as the courageous hero, the wise mentor, the innocent child, and the villain. In the early 1900’s, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustov Jung explained this phenomenon. Jung proposed that all humans share universal patterns, symbols, and experiences he called archetypes. His work inspired generations of writers and literary scholars.
Whether viewed through Jung’s psychological theory or simply as recurring storytelling patterns, character archetypes provide a powerful framework for understanding literature.
Common Character Archetypes
There is no single, official list of character archetypes. Rather than trying to teach every possible character archetype, you can introduce a manageable set of recurring character patterns students will recognize across many different texts. Here are some examples:
1. Hero: Motivated to overcome a challenge and grow through adversity.
Examples: Harry Potter (Harry Potter series), Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson series).
2. Everyman: Desires to belong and find one’s place.
Examples: Pony Boy (The Outsiders), Stanley Yelnats (Holes).
3. Mentor/Teacher: Aspires to guide and teach others.
Examples: Annie Sullivan (The Miracle Worker), Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter series).
4. Orphan: Looks to overcome loss and find belonging.
Examples: Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables), Mary Lennox (The Secret Garden).
5. Rescuer: Willing to risk one’s life to help and save others.
Example: Mrs. Frisby (Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH), Harriet Tubman (Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad).
6. Time Traveler/Traveler: Moves between time or place and uses that experience to understand the world.
Examples: Ebenezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol), Jonah Skidmore (Sent).
7. Detective: Motivated to uncover hidden truths by observing, questioning, and solving mysteries.
Examples: Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes series), Nancy Drew (Nancy Drew series).
8. Athlete/Competitor: Committed to developing a talent, preserving through challenges, and achieving excellence.
Examples: Jackie Robinson (Jackie Robinson: Young Readers Edition), Castle Crenshaw (Ghost).
9. Scribe/Storyteller: Determined to preserve memories, share truth, and inspire others through words and stories.
Examples: Anne Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank), Jacqueline Woodson (Brown Girl Dreaming).
10. Child Nature/Naturalist: Desires to understand, protect, and find belonging in the natural world.
Examples: Jane Goodall (My Life with Chimpanzees), Billy Coleman (Where the Red Fern Grows).
Get Started Teaching Character Archetypes
When students can recognize the patterns provided by character archetypes, reading becomes more than just comprehension work. Students learn to ask questions of the text and seek out the answers. They make deep connections across books and genres, strengthening their engagement and understanding.
Character archetypes are the foundation of the Read Side by Side Reading Program for middle school (grades 7-8). Each unit is intentionally designed to showcase a central character archetype, giving students repeated opportunities to encounter and analyze the character pattern across multiple texts. A whole-class read-aloud introduces the archetype, and students extend their learning through differentiated book clubs.
Across each unit, students learn to “read like a professor.” They analyze character development, track plot structure, interpret symbolism, and compare how different authors use the same archetype to shape meaning. Over time, they begin to recognize that stories are connected by patterns of human nature that repeat across literature.
The result is more than just improved comprehension; it is students who see themselves as capable, confident readers.
Now Available: Middle School Archetype Units (Grades 7–8)
· V1 Orphan Archetype: The Secret Garden, The False Prince, Anne of Green Gables, Oliver Twist
· V2 Time Traveler Archetype: A Christmas Carol, The Devil’s Arithmetic, The Last Musketeer, Sent
· V3 Rescuer Archetype: All Thirteen, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, One Wrong Step, Harriet Tubman
Are you looking for a reading program to increase motivation and achievement?
We are confident the Read Side by Side Reading Program will be the right fit for your next curriculum adoption! To learn more about the program and request a sample kit, connect with one of our advisors!
Written by Sarah Collinge
Founder and President
Read Side by Side Publications, LLC.