The Animus Archetype as Catalyst for Psychological Transformation: Influence and Impact on Chitra's Character Development in Tagore's Chitra
Abstract
Psychological transformation and personality development involve complex interactions between unconscious archetypal forces and conscious identity formation. Within Jungian analytical psychology, the Animus archetype represents masculine dimensions within female psychology that profoundly influence behavior, cognition, and emotional capacities. Despite extensive scholarship on Rabindranath Tagore's Chitra (1913), limited research examines how the Animus archetype dynamically influences the protagonist's character development and psychological transformation. This study investigates the mechanisms through which the Animus shapes Chitra's personality across three domains: self-concept formation, emotional and relational capacities, and crisis-driven transformation toward integration. Understanding these influences illuminates both universal psychological principles and culturally specific gender dynamics within patriarchal contexts. Employing qualitative research design, this study combines close textual analysis with Jungian psychoanalytic interpretation, examining character development through developmental reading strategies that trace psychological changes across narrative progression. Findings reveal that the Animus operates dialectically—simultaneously empowering Chitra through masculine competencies while constraining feminine dimensions, ultimately catalyzing transformative crisis that enables psychological integration and individuation. The research contributes frameworks for understanding archetypal influences on personality development, with implications for contemporary gender psychology and identity formation studies.
Keywords: Animus archetype; Character development; Jungian psychology; Psychological transformation; Tagore's Chitr
