Date
12-16-2025
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)
Chair
Rachel Griffis
Keywords
Archetypal, character, setting, imagery, collective, unconscious, western fiction, thriller, Jung, Frye, Campbell
Disciplines
Creative Writing
Recommended Citation
Davidson, Ronald A., "Archetypes: Angels of Literary Art; Demons of Science" (2025). Masters Theses. 1412.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/1412
Abstract
This Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing thesis focuses on archetypal literary theory and criticism and their application to Bushido of the Cur, a novella by Ronald A. Davidson. The critical analysis will evaluate the characters in the novella and identify how their roles in the story align with everyday human experiences, suggesting the existence of a literary collective unconscious. The creative manuscript, Bushido of the Cur, exploits the craft of character development to present a storyline that feels authentic, even though it is a work of historical fiction in the western noir genre. The goal of the manuscript is to connect with the reader genuinely by touching on shared human experiences and to help them find answers to a few of life's abundant questions.
