Intro
I'm back as promised with another post about the 12 character archetypes with Disney Characters as an example! Today we are going to have a look at 'The Caregiver'.
Just like last time, if you'd like, think about which characters you'd think would fit in there from what you know about the archetype. Let's see if we match with some of them again. Ready to go through them? Alright, let's get into this!
What Is The Caregiver Archetype?
The caregiver is usually nurturing and protective, often also called the 'mother' archetype. Though it often applies to different people, like a parent, spouse or best friend. They provide support and care to the ones they love.
Apart from their caring nature, they also have a lot of wisdom and a deep understanding of the human condition. They offer advice that often offer advice that helps the protagonist grow.
Character Strengths
- Loving Nature: They want what is best for the people they care about.
- Selflessness: They put others before themselves always and sometimes could sacrifice their own happiness for others.
- Generosity: They give people what they need without asking for anything in return.
- Empathy: They can listen to people and understand their emotions very easily.
- Nurturing: They take care of the people love and can be very motherly.
Character Weaknesses
- Naivete: Due to their caring nature they can be very naive.
- Vulnerability to exploitation: It's a little bit the same as the naive character traits. They care, and want to help people. Sadly that also means that people can easily exploit them
- Can be overly protective: Sometimes they might think that they are protecting the ones they love, but it can also go too far.
So these are the traits that can possibly fit the caregiver character. Let's see what characters could possibly fit for this.
Disney Character Examples
As always, they don't have to have all the character traits and you could see some characters that we've already covered as well. But I will try to give you a good amount of characters that can be considered the 'caregiver' type.
Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
She might be the protagonist of her story, but to be honest, I do feel like she fits the caregiver archetype. She is very nurturing. The moment she finds the cottage and thinks that there are children living there, she thinks about how she will take care of them. I can see her as generous too, not only with helping with helping the dwarfs, but anyone. Her kindness shows. When the old hag is attacked by the animals, she instantly dismisses the rule of not talking to strangers or letting anyone in and helps the old woman, also showing her nurturing character again. Sadly, this also comes down to her naivety because she has no idea who she is actually dealing with. I think she would be very vulnerable to exploitation. I feel like anyone could ask her for help and she would instantly do it without expecting anything from them too.
The Blue Fairy (Pinocchio)
She's not in the movie a lot, but she makes wishes come true, which I would count as a caregiver trait. She has that motherly look and seems to be very nurturing too. She cares about Gepetto, making his wish come true because he has done so much for others already. Though she's a fairy and maybe it is her job, she is also very generous.
Queen Elinor (Brave)
Merida's mother I would consider as the caregiver character. Though she clashes with her daughter, and she actually wants what is best for her. She is being shown as nurturing at the beginning of the movie when Merida is young, and I do feel like she is a good mother. Sadly, she is also very over protective and she doesn't like her daughter using a bow or doing dangerous things. By the end of the movie she learns that Merida can take care of herself and she will be okay.
Quasimodo (Hunchback Of Notre Dame)
Quasimodo has been sheltered all his life, watching the people from above and practically knowing everything about them. He is selfless helping Esmeralda to escape from the church and risking getting in trouble himself. He also helps to hide Phoebus when he is nearly killed. Sadly, because of his background he can be naive and he is vulnerable to exploitation. Frolo can easily manipulate him, because he is his father figure and the one who has taken care of him for so long.
Wendy (Peter Pan)
Wendy is a very motherly and nurturing character. She takes care of her little brothers, and is like a mother to Peter Pan an the lost boys. Peter literally took her to Neverland so she didn't have to grow up, and could be their mother. Even though Tinkerbell tried to have her killed more than once, she is also kind and nurturing to her. In the second movie, she is actually a good mother, telling her kids about Peter Pan and reminding them to believe.
Esmeralda (Hunchback Of Notre Dame)
Esmeralda is very kind and nurturing especially towards Quasimodo. She is selfless helping Quasimodo, which gets her in trouble. And when she is told to prey, she doesn't ask for anything for herself, but her people. Even though she is an outcast herself, she doesn't want to be helped herself.
Conclusion
This concludes the third installment of the 12 archetypes. 8 more to go! I hope you enjoyed this. Do you agree with my picks? Any other characters you can think of that belong with the caregiver archetype? Let everyone know in the comments, we can learn from each other!
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