Critical Theory Reflection

What I knew Before

- I did not have a big understanding of archetypes before taking this course

- I originally thought that archetypes and tropes were the same thing, but this course taught me that archetypes are universal, while tropes vary throughout different traditions

My Learning

Persona

- Our personas are the images that we consciously present to the world

- We often put on "masks" which are different personas that are not true to our character

- These masks are used as safety blankets to hide our real personalities, possibly out of fear of being rejected or not fitting in with others

Shadow

- Our shadows are who we truly are inside

- People often do not like who they are and will hide their shadow either unconsciously or on purpose

"Gutter Child"

In this novel, the main character is pregnant with a baby. Deep down in her shadow, she knows that she wants to keep this baby and be a nurturing caregiver to it. However, she must put on a mask and pretend that she wants nothing to do with the baby, otherwise it will be taken away from her too soon.

Application to Life

- I have been able to recognize recurring archetypes that appear in my everyday life through the media I consume and the people around me

- for example, my parents represent the archetype of caregivers as they are both compassionate, nurturing, generous, and providing towards me

- I have now begun to notice that lots of people put up personas or wear masks on social media

- I am able to recognize and understand that the fear of not being accepted in society is what drives most people to hide their insecurities (shadow) and display a more likeable persona on social media

What I knew Before

- I had been viewing many stories through the perspective of the victors, not knowing much about how different stories can be when told by the other side

- my learning in previous school years made it seem like the discovery of Canada by European settlers was a glorious moment

My Learning

"Gutter Child"

In this novel by Jael Richardson, there are two groups of people: Gutter people, who are colonized, and Mainlanders, who are the colonizers. Different characters from the two backgrounds share their perspectives on how their society has been shaped into the way it is. The Mainlanders, who have won all the power, feel like what they did was for the greatness of the country, but when I see the negative effects that the Gutter people have to live with as a result, it is clear that colonization only benefits the colonizers.

"History Lesson"

This poem by Jeanette Armstrong tells the story of colonization in Canada from an Indigenous point of view. It reveals the devastation that colonization actually caused for the environment, animals, and Indigenous people. This poem gave me an understanding of how it feels for the colonized to have their whole lives stripped away from them.

"Little Snow-White"

This fairy tale by the Grimm Brothers does not explicitly talk about colonization, but I was able to apply post-colonial criticism to the story and extract an underlying message from it. This story taught me about how people in power dominate over others by using tactics of dehumanization.

Application to Life

- I now know more about how and why certain people or groups of people are more powerful than others

- I can now use the post-colonial lens to dig deeper into stories, understanding what has happened through multiple perspectives instead of showing bias towards one side

- I can use this criticism to see the long-lasting effects of colonialism in my country and other colonized countries around the world

What I knew Before

- I had a brief understanding of misogyny (the hatred or prejudice towards women)

- I had some knowledge of gender roles and stereotypes created in our society (ex. girls wear pink, boys wear blue; girls are sensitive, boys are tough)

- I knew that there is an imbalance of power between men and women in our society, but I was not sure what causes this

My Learning

"Gutter Child"

- In this novel, the society has been built to set women up for failure

- Girls are forced down career paths that are stereotypically feminine, such as housekeeping and kitchen work

- As a result, girls make much less money than men, giving them a huge disadvantage and lack of power

"Little Snow-White"

- This fairy tale made it seem like girls were just innocent creatures that are only valued for their beauty

- Snow-White was easily taken advantage of by multiple characters in the fairy tale

- Snow-White had no power to control her own life

Application to Life

- Gender stereotypes have been so heavily implemented in our society that it seems like the norm

- Moving forward, I will challenge patriarchal ideologies when I see them

- The feminist lens has helped me understand how men have the upper hand in society, and women are always a step behind