The Donald Archetype (Part 1)
The Donald is more than a mythological figure, carved out of marble, a descendent of Greek Chaos. The Donald is more than a literary caricature of Everyman. The Donald in his most powerful role is an archetype, a transcendent character commonly present in the unconscious depths of humankind’s psyche.
In Jungian psychology, inherited from Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, an archetype is a fundamental quality or character of human existence embedded within the “collective unconscious” of all human beings. Examples of archetypes are the Hero, the Villain, the Scapegoat, Good versus Evil, the Innocent Youth, the Mother Figure, the Fall, and Redemption.
Humans didn't "invent" archetypes, but they do express archetypes in the conscious world of art, literature, and religion. The Hero or the Villain is not someone or something "out there" in the world; the Hero and the Villain are part of us. To paraphrase Pogo, “We have met the Hero, and he is us.” Likewise, “We have met the Villain and he is us.”
The Donald is an incarnation and personification of the Hero, a character larger than life, who fights and conquers the forces of evil in an attempt to return peace to the realm. Examples of Heroes in literature are Hercules, Ulysses, Sir Lancelot, and Superman.
For his detractors, The Donald represents the incarnation of the Villain, a character who opposes the Hero or whom the Hero must annihilate in order to recapture a lost treasure. Examples of Villains in literature are Long John Silver, Captain Hook, Moby Dick, and more recently the Joker from Batman.
One is hard-pressed to identify another person, in addition to The Donald, who carries the mantel of the Hero on the national political scene today. Hollywood actors play the parts of heroes. But after shooting their scenes and mouthing their lines they return to their pampered lives. Hardly heroes. Name a politician who qualifies as a hero. Politicians gain stature from their position and their rank. American politics is not a meritocracy. From the point of view of the American citizens, politicians qualify more as villains, enslaved to their special interests and chained to the demands of their donors. How do you spell puppetocracy!
Can you not respect a man who puts his own wealth on the line, picks up the torch or freedom, and takes his stand against the entrenched corruption of the most powerful, self-serving mega-political machine on the planet? The Donald declares his purpose is to return Power to the People and Make America Great Again. Can you think of another person who vows to fight the machine in such a dramatic and compelling fashion as The Donald? No, of course not. The politicians are the machine! There is no Donald but The Donald!
Is it really that hard to understand why large swaths of beaten down, battered, and ignored citizens are awakened from a collective coma, inspired by a leader who claims he’ll reaffirm the identity “of the people, by the people, and for the people?” He promises to return their lost rights, stolen benefits, and constitutional protections, which are enumerated in the country’s founding documents?
To Be Continued . . .
