We Were Liars by E. Lockhart explores the theme of trauma through the use of archetypes. Three important archetypes in the novel that show trauma are the maze, the shadow, and the unhealable wound. Each of these archetypes represents different aspects of trauma and how it affects the characters in the novel.
The maze is an important archetype in We Were Liars as it represents the confusion and uncertainty the characters feel after the traumatic event that occurs on the island. The maze is often used as a metaphor for the characters’ emotions, as they struggle to find their way through the confusion and pain. The characters are lost in the maze of their emotions, unable to find a way out. They are trapped by their trauma, unable to move on from it.
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The shadow represents the parts of ourselves that we hide from others, as well as the parts that we don’t want to face. In We Were Liars, the characters’ shadows are tied to their trauma. They are haunted by their past, and this manifests as negative behavior, such as lying and manipulation. The shadow represents the characters’ inability to fully confront their trauma, and the negative consequences that result from this avoidance.
The unhealable wound is the third archetype in We Were Liars that shows trauma. This archetype represents the physical, emotional, and psychological pain that the characters experience after the traumatic event. The unhealable wound is a symbol of the characters’ inability to fully heal from their trauma. Even though time has passed, the wound remains open and painful. The characters are unable to move on from their trauma, and this wound continues to affect them in different
To some people Death can be scary and some accept their fate. We were liars by E. Lockhart uses different archetypes to show the different sides of death and how it is portrayed as many different things. It can bring sadness, joy, anger, confusion. After all, death can bring out a person's inner thoughts and personalities. Cadence Sinclair Eastman is the main character in this book.
Even if this is all about Greek Mythology (which is, need a huge imagination to follow the story), The Burning Maze is not burdening the readers to visualize about all of the occurrences in the book. Beside of the things I mentioned above, The Burning Maze contains with a lot of amazing quotes and moral value. You will be asking yourself about your daily behavior after read this book because
Introduction: Situational archetypes are recurring patterns found in literature that help to understand and interpret the themes and symbols that the author employs. In E. Lockhart's novel, "We Were Liars," we see the use of several situational archetypes that help to reinforce the theme of survival. In this essay, I will discuss the different situational archetypes in the novel and how they demonstrate the theme of survival. The Journey One of the most prominent situational archetypes in "We Were Liars" is the journey.
This event, combined with the trauma of losing her friends, leaves Cadence struggling with the harsh reality of her situation. The fall archetype is also present in the story's twist ending, which reveals that Cadence's perfect family is not what it seems. The revelation of the family's secrets is another example of appearance versus reality in the story.
The shadow self archetype represents the traits that one doesn’t like in themselves or even tries to cover up. The shadow self of Pi is especially shown when Pi retells his story toward the end of the book. His story reveals that instead of the tiger eating the hyena, since Pi is revealed as Richard Parker, Pi really killed and ate the french cook. This is quite surprising since Pi is a vegetarian but his will to live and anger at the chef for killing one close to Pi overcomes him. We also see this is a shadow self since Pi used a tiger to describe that part of himself instead of admitting it was him.
Cadence, the novel's protagonist, suffers from severe migraines that are caused by the emotional trauma she has experienced due to her family's secrets and scandals. This unhealable wound represents the pain and suffering that wealth and power can cause, even to those who possess it. Despite all their money and privilege, the Sinclairs are not immune to the emotional wounds that come with their wealth and
One of the prominent archetypes in We Were Liars is the fall. Cadence's accident, which occurs early in the novel, serves as a literal and metaphorical fall. The physical injury she sustains is a manifestation of the emotional and psychological trauma she experiences as she uncovers the truth about her family. Cadence's fall also represents a loss of innocence and a shift in her perception of her family and their privileged lifestyle.
In "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart, the protagonist, Cadence Sinclair, is an outcast among her wealthy family due to a mysterious accident she can't remember. This outcast archetype is a key element of the novel, as it creates a sense of isolation and desperation that drives Cadence to seek the truth about her past. Through this journey, Cadence grapples with the light and dark aspects of her family's legacy, which are symbolized by the island setting and the archetypes of light and dark. The island itself serves as an important symbol of survival in the novel, representing both the hope of renewal and the threat of isolation.
n the novel "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart, the archetypes of "the initiation," "the outcast," and "the star-crossed lovers" are used to illustrate the theme of coming of age. The characters in the novel experience various trials and tribulations that force them to confront their inner selves and grow into adulthood. These archetypes are essential to the development of the characters and the overall theme of the novel. The initiation archetype is prominent in the novel, as it is the catalyst for the main character, Cadence Sinclair Eastman, to confront the truth about her family.
This Archetype hit her when her dad left her and her mom, Cady’s mom tries her best to keep the lady Cady used to be. But ever since this, Cady disobeys rules or feels like just because she had a major accident she can still do things that her friends/family do. She does things with her friends and family that her mom tells her and her friends that she must not do because of the accident she had that can spark another major headache. Cady feels very uninvolved in life right now and she doesn’t know what to do, “It tasted like salt and failure. The bright red shame of being unloved soaked the grass in front of our house, the bricks of the path, the steps to the porch.”
Theme: The Misery Caused by Loss During the novel several characters die, of different causes. Misery is also a main motif, while several personas gradually become more and more miserable. The loss of characters caused dreadful misery.
Thousands of years later we still see the mentor archetype. In Harper Lee’s To Kill Mockingbird, which takes place in the 1950’s, Calpurnia portrays the mentor archetype. Calpurnia, who tends to be strict, is the maid of our protagonist, Scout. At this point in the story Scout is in school, and in this town there are different social classes.
The novel We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is about a family on a fictional island called Beechwood, off the coast of Massachusetts. The story is about Cadence Sinclair and is told by her. She is an unreliable narrator because she was in an accident and has memory loss. Cadence is part of a rich, powerful family on the East Coast. Cadence’s grandfather is the owner of the private island which has four large houses on it, one for the grandfather and one for each of his daughters.
We were liars is a story about the ideals we are all supposed to aspire to, simply because of the way our society defines success; as being forceful, reckless, hasty and bold. The dauntless ideal Cadence falls prey for. In my opinion the book is trying to shed light on the insidious backside of our idea of heroism, and the too often gruesome consequences it might bring. That it more frequently than not results in the unnecessary suffering of others. Cady’s cousin Mirren on the other hand, had a very different life motto: ”Always be kinder than you have to”.
The book was suspenseful; it kept drawing me in for more, each and each day. The book really enlightened me because the suspense and action kept my mind thinking and racing with thoughts that I thought I could connect to the book and make predictions on the future events in the book. The themes between my paragraphs were basically saying you have to look at the bigger picture of the story, just like Thomas did in the maze. The theme of my essay correlates with my title. What I mean about ‘running the maze’ is that to get through the maze you have to look at the bigger picture and find a solution.