The Circle and Psycholinguistic Wholeness of the Group Hero Archetype (The Case of Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Abstract

The paper presents the correlation between the circle as a symbol in contemporary screen narratives and the psycholinguistic wholeness of the characters, who represent a group hero archetype. The research focuses on six films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, depicting the group heroes of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy. When in the plot heroes form a circle, facing outwards, they are fighting an external enemy; if they face each other, they need to resolve inner conflicts and insecurities. When the circle stays intact, the heroes stand united and successfully complete their mission. If the circle is disrupted, the heroes lose their fight to the enemy, being unable to cope with their own traumatic past.