The Archetypes of Story

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“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.” – Neil Gaiman

This was originally published on 7/5/2023. Heads up – you may have already read this!

My kids have been clamoring for me to tell them stories at bedtime. They don’t want made up stories, they want real stories.

One of their favorite protagonists is Simon the Bad Cat. He was a character with a capital “C” – I adopted him from a neighbor when she moved. He proceeded to get into all sorts of trouble breaking into other people’s houses, picking on my dogs, and getting into cat fights. He lived a full life of 19 years and left behind a treasure trove of stories.

Telling these stories has made me think of the hypothesis that are a limited number of plot lines for our stories. I’ve heard this theory in several different ways from nine to twelve archetypal stories. But drawing from overview on Wikipedia of the work of Christopher Booker, The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories here they are:

  • Overcoming the monster
  • Rags to riches
  • The quest
  • Voyage and return
  • Comedy
  • Tragedy
  • Rebirth

Can I fit the Simon stories into these categories? Here are our favorite bad cat stories:

Rebirth: Simon the cat got a claw stuck in between his shoulder blades while fighting another cat. It abscessed and made him so sick that I had to take him to the vet so they can drain the wound. Simon died on the operating table and they had to use kitty CPR to bring him back. Did the hero return home transformed as a wiser cat? Well, he did mend his fighting ways so that we never had to drain an abscess again.

Comedy: Five doors down was a neighbor named Steve who hated Simon because he was always getting into his stuff and messing it up. But it was a love/hate relationship because he noticed how smart Simon was as well. One day when Steve was showing some new tenants around the shared laundry room, he told them they must never leave the outside door open because there’s a bad cat that would get in. They pointed to a shelf right about Steve’s shoulder and asked, “Like that cat there?” and Steve turned around to see Simon smugly listening to his speech.

 Voyage and return: Simon the cat had a habit of breaking into houses and garages that he subsequently couldn’t get out of until someone opened a door. So I was used to him occasionally being gone for a night or two. But when he went missing for twelve days, I did all I could to find him: putting up posters, walking round the neighborhood calling for him, calling the pet shelter. Finally, I accepted that he was gone forever and gave away his food. On day 13, Simon nonchalantly walked up to the back door and demanded to be let in.

Overcoming the monster: I met Simon when I had a 150 pound dog, a gentle mastiff named Samantha. When we’d go out for a walk in the morning, Simon would hide in a bush, then jump out and smack Samantha on the rear. Then having “overcome the monster” (or at least scaring her half to death), he’d proceed to join us for our 12 block walk through the neighborhood.

Telling these stories to my children, I wonder if it is just a silly ritual. But I believe it helps them at a deeper level to make meaning out of their lives and days. Maybe one day when they are struggling with a monster or experiencing the rebirth and renewal that sometimes comes with life, there will be a niggling of a Simon story that reminds them they aren’t alone on their journey.

Perhaps it’ll even help them understand my story of the quest and how that led me to have them as a single parent. Even if it just creates a basis for loving stories, I believe it will help them to live fuller and more imaginative lives.

Don’t you still love a good story?

46 thoughts on “The Archetypes of Story”

  1. Re-reading this post made me think of the bedtime stories I enjoyed with my Pa when I was a kid. And how I didn’t mind hearing the same stories over and over again.

    I guess the archetypes are helpful too because they not only help us make sense of the world but the predictable pattern also brings a sense of calm and comfort.

    Simon the Cat was indeed a Character and how fun that his adventures live on beyond his 19 years on Earth.

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  2. I love this post…the Gaiman quote, Simon misadventures and reminders about Booker’s seven storylines/plots. I’m a sucker for the “voyage and return”…and the overcoming. Gooses me forward with inspiration. 🥰

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    1. Agreed, fantastic post, especially since you walked-the-walk: you made your point… by telling us a story. How wonderful is that? I do agree that we are story-loving people. I think it’s embedded deep inside us, from the time we could first talk. It’s how we understand and remember things, no? Any, of course, those powerful quotes like the Gaiman one! So I’ll add another one, from Kipling “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Think that that’s true?

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      2. All of this reminds me of a comment you made to me ages ago from Yuval Noah Harari and his book Sapiens. Do I have that reference right? About gossip and understanding.

        I love the Kipling quote. But I’d say that over time we humans seem to add too much on top and that’s why we need to continually create. Like for me, the Bible is filled with stories and poems but I frequently forget that unless someone tells one of the stories in a new way.

        What do you think, EW?

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      3. Yes! It’s Harari that stated it so hilariously (or maybe that’s how I remember it?), that gossip is what catapulted us into the top of the food chain! Other members of the ape family can communicate where danger or bananas are, but it takes gossip to “transfer” trust, which is necessary for societies to support communities larger than 150–250 (I think the range was tighter, but without looking it up, that’s what my memory holds…).

        Help me understand what you mean by “add too much on top”? It sounds like a very insightful observation!

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  3. Simon The Bad Cat . . . what a character. “On day 13, Simon nonchalantly walked up to the back door and demanded to be let in.” What’s the big deal huuummman, let me in and feed me too, while you’re at it. Ha, ha, his name is definitely aptly earned.

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  6. I laughed out loud at the Bad Cat on the shelf during the new tenant tour! Cat Simon sure knew how to make his mark in the neighborhood! I think it is not only the story, but the way you tell it that makes it fun and memorable, Wynne.

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    1. I love that one too. Funny thing is that Steve the neighbor moved out of that house but still lives nearby. We ran into him this morning after I reposted this and it made me laugh all over again! 🙂 ❤

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  8. I love Neil’s quotes, and especially love his stories. Great quote of his, Wynne. I do think learning “monster management” is a great way to reinforce to our young ones obstacles can be overcome no matter how fearsome they may first appear.🙂

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  9. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories of Simon the Bad Cat and how you’ve interpreted them through the lens of different storytelling archetypes. It’s beautiful how storytelling can shape perspectives and provide valuable life lessons. Your children are fortunate to have such an imaginative and engaging storyteller as their parent. Keep weaving those meaningful stories; they will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on your children’s lives.

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  10. I especially love a good cat story, and those are some good ones. My cats aren’t characters in that way, which is just as well because they’re indoor cats and would probably make a mess of my already messy home!

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  12. I think you are right and that the kids will benefit and have benefited from the real stories, the made-up stories, and most of all from the ritual of telling them stories. It warms their hearts and, I’ll bet, it often does the same for you, Wynne.

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  13. I love the Simon stories! What a character. Reminds me a little bit of my cat Sherman who I had before Olive. Sherman ran the neighborhood and would sleep in my neighbor’s living room floor in the sun. Once the neighbor had a house guest who was shocked when she crawled into bed and Sherman jumped out of her bed!

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  16. I adore a good story well told. I didn’t know about these 7 basic plots, but now will always think of them whenever I hit publish on my stories. Thanks for the information.

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  19. I’m familiar with the seven basic plots, and honestly, as a writer I hate the idea of being pigeonholed like that. I’ve thought about creating a unique eighth plot just to be different. Maybe I’ll do a redeath story to spite everyone! Or maybe a voyage without a return. A quest without purpose. I dunno…I’m just trying to think outside of the box here!

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  20. Sometimes I’m surprised at the details my grandkids know about me or my childhood, and I realize that my daughter has taken the time to tell them those stories. Precious!

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  21. I love your Simon stories. Wynne. “Comedy” particularly was an LOL for me. I’m a cat person, and one of our two is also a bad boy, so I guess it makes Simon’s escapades even funnier. I’m starting to write more fiction this year, and Christopher Booker’s book looks enticing. (I guess if you are born with the surname Booker, your destiny is undeniable!). 🙂

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