Reproducing the Victim Archetype in Four Young Adult Novels Published by the Institute for the Intellectual Development (Selected from 1981 to 2011)

Archetypes can influence the individual and collective subconscious of humans. However , some of the archetypes play a more decisive role in the collective mindset of a nation. The "victim archetype" could be regarded as the oldest archetype in the Iranians' beliefs which has continuously been available in our history and culture. By analyzing the role of the characters in the story, the present study sought to indicate the reproduction of the "victim archetype" in four novels, namely The Fortresses of the Akhulgheh Castle, and The Bandits, The Beautiful Heart of Baboor, and The Monster's Shadow, which have been the most popular young adult novels at the decade of being published. The result of this analysis shows that the interpretation of the world in these stories is still based on mythical attitudes and regardless of the complexities of the real world and other solutions, it assures the audience that there is no other way than to victimize or be victimized to obtain good or reject evil.