Introduction

We recognize elements of ourselves in fairy tales and our own life’s journey in terms of projection. Interesting word, projection, as the image is projected on the screen. An alchemical mixture of algorithms depending on each other in relationships – object relations in computer language. Transferred into a virtual reality that touches our own. I don’t intend to analyse either the characters in the movie or the movie makers. Nor do I wish to make an analysis of the person watching the movie, I do wish to propose a subjective reading of the archetypes and what they might mean.

Looking at the movie from another angle, the creation of Shrek the movie was an intensely creative process:

… Shrek features what computer graphics artists consider to be the Holy Grails of CG animation — realistic, believable human characters; rich, organic natural environments; mixtures of fluids (especially interacting with characters); clothing with detailed textures and movement; and realistic hair, fur and fire.

Warner noted that creating “realistic yet stylized” human characters is one of the most important technical and artistic advances in Shrek.  (Blair, 2001)

This pushes the boundaries of what is considered art in the sense that Jung intended it. So very different for example from the view of Winnicott (1971) who felt that even the act of breathing could be seen as a creative act, if done with pleasure. By contrast Jung stated that ‘When anyone breathes, his breathing is not a phenomenon to be interpreted personally’ (Jung, 1968b, p.187).

On reflecting on the nature of poetry, Jung admits that the question of creative processes is complicated, especially if the poet, or in this case perhaps the creators of the movie, identifies with his creative process (Jung, 2003). William Indick has this to say:

Fairy tales and myths have persisted as central figures in the collective unconscious for thousands of years, with only human voices and picture books to illustrate them. Imagine how much more vibrant and alive these ancient archetypes become through the modern sorcery of graphic computer animation, philharmonic orchestrated scores and digitally enhanced sound. If a picture tells an thousand words, then a thousand, thousand pictures tell a whole universe of ideas. (Indick, 2004, p.4)

Aligning Isabel’s and Jung’s 16 Type models

Introduction

In the Summer and Autumn issues of Typeface, Jungian analyst Dr. John Beebe wrote how we all have the capacity to access the full range of consciousness offered to us through awareness of the role our eight function-attitudes (or attitudinal-functions) play in our personal typology.

Dr. Beebe wrote:

Dr. Beebe’s paper suggests we all have four functions and two attitudes in differing priorities – (eight A-F’s or attitudinal-functions - ET,IT; EF,IF; EN,IN; ES,IS) any one of which will be our dominant or lead. A second attitudinal-function – the auxiliary - works in tandem with the dominant.

 This two part article will explore the potential of the types through examining all possible combinations of the top two A-Fs. In addition we will explore whether Jung himself believed there was more to the typological psyche than 16 type frame might encompass.