#theeveryman

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Archetypes are a set of specific and identifiable traits that helps an audience pinpoint why they’re able to relate to a character from a book or movie- though they don’t always have to be relatable. In the novel, Every Heart a Doorway, readers get introduced to a multitude of unique characters. They all share a sense of otherness that people in their lives can’t comprehend, hence why their parents sent them to a boarding school in hopes that it would normalize them, but in actuality, the school helps them embrace their individuality. Because the book emphasizes how different each student’s world are from one another, I thought it would be interesting to explore what archetype suits a few of the main characters’ personality and why I’ve selected the archetype for them. By simplifying the characters' personas into the 12 possible archetypes, it’ll be easier to understand their motivations and goals in life.

Nancy (The Everyman)

As the protagonist of the story, Nancy resonates with readers as she's figuring out her new life at Eleanor's boarding school, similar to how readers are navigating the new world the author has introduced. For most of the story, she goes along with whatever is occurring at the school to fit in and feel less like an outsider. Before discovering the real murderer at the school, Nancy was afraid of her schoolmates and the administrators blaming her for the recent deaths as she's the new girl with an eerie background. Despite having those suspicions running through her head, Nancy remains grounded and does her best to be helpful by burying and disposing of the bodies of her ex-schoolmates.

Kade (The Sage)

The Sage is someone who others seek knowledge from and often referred to as a mother figure or mentor. From the beginning of the novel, Kade distinguishes himself as this archetype by guiding students at Eleanor’s boarding school. For instance, when Nancy first arrived, Sumi introduced her to Kade so that he can fix the clothes her parents packed for her. As the story progresses and students at the boarding school begin to die mysteriously, Kade remained level-headed and was able to console Eleanor and Nancy when they became overwhelmed. Kade’s calm demeanor, along with his natural leadership abilities, makes it more plausible that he’ll be a phenomenal headmaster of Eleanor’s school when he inherits it.

Jack (The Explorer)

Jack embodies the personality traits of the explorer as she’s someone who doesn’t stick to the status quo and likes to explore the unknown. She labels herself as a mad scientist and was in her element when she was disposing of Loriel's body. Throughout the book, Jack remains confident of her innocence and didn't let her classmates' comments get to her. In fact, it fueled her to find out the cause of Loriel's death. Additionally, Jack's experience with being Dr. Bleak's apprentice motivates her to continue satiating her love for science.

Jill (The Lover)

Unlike her twin sister, Jack, Jill remains hopeful that she'll be reunited with her Master, so much so that she's driven to kill her classmates. Jill believes that building "the perfect girl" will allow her to make the skeleton key that unlocks her door, not realizing how irrational it is to kill others for her benefit. Despite everyone pleading with her on how illogical her plan to return to her Master is, she still proceeds to kill Seraphina, but luckily her sister intervened before she could. Jill's main downfall is letting her emotion guide her decisions, not realizing her Master is using her naivety against her.

Sumi (The Jester)

Although we don't get to see much of Sumi due to her death in Chapter 4, from what readers do get to see, she is a free-spirited girl who could care less about what others think of her. In a way, she provides comedic relief, especially during Nancy's transition living in the boarding school, by being extremely blunt. She asks all sorts of questions like if Nancy wants to do the "bing-bang" with Kade or if it was ok if she masturbates in their bedroom. It's the kind of joking banter that two friends would have. Although Sumi doesn't get to live out her dream of living in Eleanor's attic for the rest of her life, her letter (later discovered at the end of the book) does provide insight (like the jester) for Nancy before she walks through her door. 

To wrap up my analysis on the archetypes, Every Heart a Doorway is a light-hearted book that presents darker themes, like death, which make it easy for readers, like myself, to read without feeling there’s a hidden message I’m not grasping. I also appreciate how the author introduces LGBTQIA+ characters seamlessly and conveys it through interesting dialogue. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would like to continue reading the series to learn more about these character's personalities.

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