The Child Savior Myth and Literary Archetypes
— Using a Film Clip from Man on Fire
Subject: ELA: Archetypes, Child Savior Myth;
Ages: 14+: High School Level;
Length: Film Clip: 22 minutes; Lesson: one 45 - 55 minute class period.
Excerpts from the Complete Snippet Lesson Plan
Learner Outcomes/Objectives: Students will be able to recognize and analyze the child savior myth, a recurring element in literature and film. Students will be introduced to the concept of literary archetypes.
Rationale: Images of children are important in literature and are used to sell products, win elections, and encourage religious devotion. The child as savior, through whom people find truth, the answer to their problems, or salvation is an important feature of many works of fiction. An understanding of the literary archetype of the child savior will help students analyze and appreciate works of fiction. An understanding of the use of images of children in advertising and the media will help students make informed decisions. Finally, this lesson can be used to introduce students to the concept of literary archetypes, an important element in most works of fiction.
Description of the Film Clip: Man on Fire is an action film in which a former Special Forces operative named Creasy is employed as a bodyguard to protect the young daughter of a wealthy Mexican businessman. Creasy is suffering from remorse for savage deeds committed when he was working in counter-insurgency. . . . [The complete Snippet Lesson Plan directs teachers to the exact film clip in which Creasy finds redemption through his relationship with the child he has been hired to protect.
USING THE FILM CLIP IN THE CLASSROOM
Preparation
1. Review the film clip and to make sure it is suitable for the class. Review the Lesson Plan and decide how to present it to the class, making any necessary modifications. Decide whether to impart the information in the Supplemental Materials through direct instruction or by distributing TWM's student handout, The Child Savior Myth: An Example of a Literary Archetype. Decide which of the activities described in the Snippet Lesson Plan will be best to finish up the unit and whether the activity will be given as a homework assignment or classroom work.
2. Become familiar with the location of the clip on the DVD. Before the class arrives, cue the DVD to the beginning of the clip and make sure that all necessary materials are available, such as copies of the handout.
Step by Step
1. Introduce the lesson, telling the class what is going to be taught and why the lesson is important. A suggestion for an introduction for this Snippet Lesson Plan is set out below. It assumes that the class is beginning its study of archetypes.
This lesson is about archetypes, those characters that repeatedly arise out of the relationships of family and community. They appear time and again in our experience and in our stories, both written and filmed. Archetypes include the mother, the father, the child, there is the good child, there is the black sheep of the family, and it goes on. Examples of archetypes in the community are the leader, the hero, the wise old man or woman, and the trickster. We'll start with the archetype of the child and one of its most important manifestations, the child savior. We all know of a child savior figure that is important in Western religion. Who is it? [After the class identifies Jesus Christ as a child savior, comment that there are child saviors in other religions, and many more child saviors in our stories.]
If we understand archetypes, we can better understand the people around us and ourselves. We can also make more sense of the stories that we read or watch on the screen.
2. Introduce the film clip. The class need only know that in the movie an American named Creasy is employed as a bodyguard to protect the young daughter of a wealthy Mexican businessman from being kidnapped and . . . .
3. Show the film clip beginning at . . . .
[The remaining steps in the Snippet Lesson Plan provide discussion questions, suggested responses, and assignments.]
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The film clip selected from Man on Fire can provide in a few minutes, a striking example of a very troubled man, disillusioned with himself, who finds redemption from the innocence and purity of a child.
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