Archetypes
Themes
Motifs
- The female ogre who is married to the child-eating ogre is representative of the friendly beast archetype because she is a non-human character who acts as a companion to Jack by providing him with food and safety.
- Jack is representative of two archetypes in the fairy tail. Jack can be seen as the hero because at the very end of the story when the giant ogre is chasing Jack down the beanstalk, he chops down the beanstalk to save not only himself, but his mother who was worriedly waiting at the bottom of the beanstalk.
- Jack is also representative of the trickster archetype because every time he enters the ogre’s house, he doesn’t leave without stealing something whether its the bag of gold or a gold harp. He tricks the welcoming wife ogre into thinking that he is only coming in the house because he is hungry, but he is really entering the house to steal something.
- The giant male ogre is representative of the creature of nightmare because he is known for capturing small children and cooking them and eating them. The creature of nightmare is said to be a monster that threatens the lives of the hero/heroine and this is true Jack and the Beanstalk. The husband ogre threatens the life of Jack who is seen as the hero when he chases after him down the beanstalk.
- In the story, the beanstalk is representative of the magical weapon archetype. The beanstalk allows Jack to travel to the ogre’s house where he steals very expensive items that help him and his mother become prosperous.
Themes
- One major theme in the story is the concept of good versus evil. Jack is representative of the good and the giant is representative of evil. When Jack chops down the beanstalk and kills the ogre, the good triumphs the evil.
- Another major theme in the story is overcoming adversity. Jack overcomes adversity when he kills the giant and defends the prosperity of his family.
Motifs
- Consistently climbing up and down the beanstalk is a major motif in Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack climbs up the beanstalk to reach the gold which will ultimately result in a higher social status. Climbing up the beanstalk is representative of climbing up the social ladder.