MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

Traditionally, The Heroine’s Journey is fulfilled by the archetype, The Damsel. The object of my paper, however, is to prove that more than one archetype can follow ten simple cycles to further singular plot-based media. By using Katherine Pierce from The Vampire Diaries and connecting her to The Femme Fatale Archetype, she is applied to Maureen Murdock’s Heroine’s Journey. Each cycle is considered to be fulfilled when Katherine matches similar criteria in any episode of any season. Despite Katherine’s villainess actions and existing as a character that viewers “hate to love”, her increase in airtime gives her more opportunity throughout the show to reach the achievements she needs to still be considered a heroine. Fulfilling eight of ten cycles, Katherine manages to be viewed in technicality as a heroine. This opens the doors of archetype versatility in popular television shows, allowing the creation of characters that will not be considered “cliché”, and become a new form of relatability for television viewers.