Character Archetypes Of The Novel The Of Nick Cutter...

To truly understand what adulthood means, grasping who we are as people, we all must first undergo a metamorphosis. This transformation from boy to man has overtime been a common theme amongst writers. Typically, the passage a young adult must make to enter adulthood is romantic or sexual, experiencing their first relationship, or purchasing their first condom. However, a severe, twisted and arguably more meaningful test into adulthood is understanding mortality, and one’s depth of humanity. Mercilessness of individuals and our world is often viewed as a theme amongst horror novels, creating an ideal platform for a coming of age adventure. In all forms of storytelling, character archetypes are expressed. How they react in various†¦show more content†¦Ephraim can be seen as the warrior, he is at times cruel, but ultimately cares very deeply about Max. Specifically, he represents the passive shadow of the warrior, the masochist. â€Å"Eef was my best friend, you could count on Eef. He always stuck up for you. He has a really big heart.† (Cutter, 2014. p.347) Sadly, when faced with his own mental weakness he is brought down by Shelley’s manipulation. Ephraim is a character haunted by his past, wishing to fight the parts of himself that represent his father, his anger and regret. His father was abusive, breaking Ephraim’s arm as a child. Ephraim is the masochist even before the events of Falstaff island. He is a daredevil, often got into fights. As max expresses of he displays signs of displacement (Cutter, 2014 p.266). Displacement is one of Freud’s seven defense mechanisms, an integral part of Ephraim and the warrior’s shadow. According to displacement theory Ephraim expresses his anger for his father toward the easiest target, himself. This is because his anger needs to be expressed in one way or another, and the paranoia of the worms is the perfect platform to become completely self-destructive (Baumeister, 1998). His anger is his foil, losing his close friendship with max and allowing Shelly to fully take control of his mind. To become a men and a pure warrior Ephraim needs to allow for disappointment in authoritative adult figures, and loose the illusion of the adult despite the inevitable blow to his