Mother Archetype

Fuente: Zenodo
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
1. Verfasser: Ganganmale, Pramod Akaram
Format: Recurso digital
Veröffentlicht: Zenodo 2026
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866901662622285824
author Ganganmale, Pramod Akaram
author_facet Ganganmale, Pramod Akaram
contents <p><em><span>This paper examines the presence and function of Erich Neumann’s concept of the Mother Archetype as a central structure in psychic development, cultural symbolism, and feminine identity formation. Drawing upon Carl Gustav Jung’s theory of archetypes and the collective unconscious, the study explores the dual and ambivalent nature of the maternal figure as both the nurturing “Good Mother” and the destructive “Terrible Mother.” Through a detailed engagement with Neumann’s The Great Mother and his “Great Round” model, the paper analyses how the maternal archetype operates as a dynamic psychic force that shapes dependency, separation, and individuation. The discussion further integrates the contributions of Marie-Louise von Franz, James Hillman, Nancy Chodorow, Adrienne Rich, and other feminist and psychoanalytic thinkers to demonstrate that the mother archetype functions simultaneously on psychological, mythological, cultural, and socio-political levels. While Jungian theory foregrounds the archetype’s symbolic universality, feminist critiques complicate and historicize it by examining how institutionalized motherhood and patriarchal structures reshape maternal meanings. Ultimately, the paper argues that the mother archetype is not a static or purely biological construct but a transformative psychic principle whose polarity—creation and destruction, protection and engulfment—constitutes the very foundation of individuation. By integrating both its light and shadow dimensions, the maternal archetype emerges as an essential framework for understanding feminine subjectivity, identity formation, and the evolving representation of women in literature and culture.</span></em></p>
format Recurso digital
id zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_18949217
institution Zenodo
language
publishDate 2026
publisher Zenodo
record_format zenodo
spellingShingle Mother Archetype
Ganganmale, Pramod Akaram
Mother Archetype; Great Mother; Erich Neumann; Carl Gustav Jung; Good Mother; Terrible Mother; Individuation; Collective Unconscious; Feminine Identity; Archetypal Psychology; Feminist Psychoanalysis; Cultural Symbolism.
<p><em><span>This paper examines the presence and function of Erich Neumann’s concept of the Mother Archetype as a central structure in psychic development, cultural symbolism, and feminine identity formation. Drawing upon Carl Gustav Jung’s theory of archetypes and the collective unconscious, the study explores the dual and ambivalent nature of the maternal figure as both the nurturing “Good Mother” and the destructive “Terrible Mother.” Through a detailed engagement with Neumann’s The Great Mother and his “Great Round” model, the paper analyses how the maternal archetype operates as a dynamic psychic force that shapes dependency, separation, and individuation. The discussion further integrates the contributions of Marie-Louise von Franz, James Hillman, Nancy Chodorow, Adrienne Rich, and other feminist and psychoanalytic thinkers to demonstrate that the mother archetype functions simultaneously on psychological, mythological, cultural, and socio-political levels. While Jungian theory foregrounds the archetype’s symbolic universality, feminist critiques complicate and historicize it by examining how institutionalized motherhood and patriarchal structures reshape maternal meanings. Ultimately, the paper argues that the mother archetype is not a static or purely biological construct but a transformative psychic principle whose polarity—creation and destruction, protection and engulfment—constitutes the very foundation of individuation. By integrating both its light and shadow dimensions, the maternal archetype emerges as an essential framework for understanding feminine subjectivity, identity formation, and the evolving representation of women in literature and culture.</span></em></p>
title Mother Archetype
topic Mother Archetype; Great Mother; Erich Neumann; Carl Gustav Jung; Good Mother; Terrible Mother; Individuation; Collective Unconscious; Feminine Identity; Archetypal Psychology; Feminist Psychoanalysis; Cultural Symbolism.
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18949217