The Poem of Manley: An Analysis Based on Jung's Archetypal Criticism

This research deals with the analysis of Manely, a long poem composed by Nima Yooshij, based on Jung's archetypal criticism. Archetypal (mythological) criticism is one of the new approaches in contemporary literary criticism, which engages the archetypes with a psychological perspective on myths and shows their role in literary works. On this basis, in contemporary literature (poetry), myth and archetype are somehow tied to psychology (based on the theory of Jung). In the poem, Manley refers to a mythological hero who, through an introspective journey, by passing from "ego" to "self", achieves "individuality", and by this transformation, he becomes distinguished from others. Also, Manely's actions can be adapted to some the stages of archetype of hero, including exploration and learning. In Manley, the archetypes of death and rebirth, the wise old man and water gain meaning in connection with the myth of the hero. The findings of the research show that Manley, the main character of the story, is a person who came from the lower class of the society and with the help of the wise old man, attains a true self-knowledge and returns to the society in harmony with nature.