In her book The Hero Within: Six Archetypes We Live By, Carol S. Pearson identifies six archetypal characters. Influenced by Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell who saw the hero quest as a model for modern life, the purpose of Pearson's book is principally to guide individuals in their personal quest for fulfillment (Pearson xv-xvii). While she does not see the six archetypes she identifies as stages or steps in this quest, she does suggest a movement through the archetypes (Pearson xxvi). In her supporting chapters, Pearson often illustrates these archetypes with examples from literary works.

Pearson's Innocent wants the world to stay as it is (Goal). He or she fears change (Fear), but in order to grow, the character must risk losing the safety of home and face the adventurous world (Task).

The Orphan character seeks safety, fearful of everything and everyone (Goal). The Orphan is especially afraid of being abandoned--by parents, siblings, friends, spouse, or others (Fear). In order to achieve hope, however, the Orphan must learn to face the world alone (Task).

The Martyr never thinks of himself or herself and avoids any question of self-desire or self-interest (Goal). However, to mature, the Martyr must give up self-sacrifice (Fear) in order to achieve true self-worth (Task).

The Wanderer is a character who insists on living by his or her own rules (Goal). Wanderers especially fear conformity, being like everyone else (Fear). But, in order to achieve true identity, the Wanderer must integrate into society, giving up a certain amount of freedom for the common good (Task).

The Warrior is a character who focuses on strength, fearing any appearance of weakness (Goal). This character must learn that victory does not result from strength (Fear) but from courage in the midst of weakness (Task).

Finally, the Magician is a character who seeks wholeness and connectedness (Goal). The Magician fears appearing superficial, shallow, or inauthentic (Fear) but needs to learn that true joy and faith exists apart from what others might think and to trust in himself/herself (Task).

Example of How to Apply Pearson's Archetypes to Characters

In applying Pearson, identify which archetype a character fits. Then explain Pearson's definitions of the Goal, Task, and Fear showing specifically how each definition fits the evolution of the character from the Goal (what the character wants to do) and Fear (why the character resists change and addressing the Task) to the Task (what the character needs to do and the consequences of either completing or not completing that task).

Pearson's archetypes can be applied to a variety of works. For instance, the six archetypes can easily be identified in the Peter Jackson film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

• Frodo is the Innocent. His goal is to maintain the status quo, which for him means remain safe in the Shire; his task, the fall from paradise, is that he must leave, and his fear, losing paradise, is that he is risking never returning. In the end, Frodo does lose "paradise" and cannot remain in the Shire.
• Gollum is the Orphan, who desperately needs the ring to be safe (Goal), is afraid of being abandoned to Sauron (Fear), and as Smeagol, briefly realizes hope until he believes he has been betrayed by Frodo.
• Samwise Gamgee is the Martyr, who never makes choices for himself (Fear - Selfishness), sacrificing everything for Frodo (Goal - Goodness) until, believing Frodo is dead, he takes the burden of the ring on himself (Task - Ability to Give Up).
• Aragorn/Strider is the Wanderer (his name Strider means wanderer). Aragorn, the rightful king, fears being like the previous kings (Fear- Conformity) and chooses to protect his kingdom, not as king, but as a Warder (Goal - Autonomy). He finally accepts the role of King when he accepts the fealty of the dead (Task - Identity).
• Boromir is the Warrior, who constantly argues against destroying the ring, insisting it will give them strength (Goal - Strength) and that, without the ring, they will be weak (Fear- Weakness). He does not realize true courage until he stands alone against impossible odds in defense of Merry and Pipin (Task - true Courage, to do what must be done against hopeless odds).
• Gandalf is the Magician, who strives to a life that is full of both responsibility and wonder (Goal - Wholeness). Despite his fears about Bilbo's ring, however, he fears to act on his own, first researching the history of the ring and then, on confirming its identity, seeking the advice of the head of his order out of a fear of not doing the right thing. But his hesitation places Frodo in peril (Fear - Superficiality). It is only after his rebirth following his confrontation with the Balrog that Gandalf realizes true joy, reborn as Gandalf the White. From that moment on, he is confident and centered, even when facing certain death, having learned to trust himself (Task - realizing true Joy/Faith).

The archetypes can also be used to show the development or growth of a character. For instance, Frodo begins the story as the Innocent, who wants only to remain in the Shire (Goal: Status Quo) and from the beginning worries that he will never return to the Shire (Fear: Loss of Paradise), but, despite this fear and Gandalf's failure to return for him, he takes the perilous journey to Rivendell (Task - Fall, leaving paradise). In fact, because of being the Ring Bearer, Frodo is unable to remain in the Shire at the conclusion. At Rivendell, Frodo becomes the Warrior, taking on the burden of the Ring and the task of destroying it (Strength). His constant fear is that he will be overcome by the Ring (Fear - Weakness) or that he will fail in his task and see the Ring taken from him (Fear - Weakness). When even Aragorn is tempted to take the Ring from Frodo, Frodo makes the decision to leave the Fellowship and take the Ring alone to Mount Doom (Task - Courage). In doing so, Frodo becomes the Wanderer, choosing his own path although he is unable to lose Sam (Goal - Autonomy). His constant fear is that he will become like Gollum and the Dark Riders, slave to the power of the Ring (Fear - Conformity). After nearly dying from Shelob's bite and eventually being rescued by Sam, he again takes up the burden of the Ring despite his failing strength because he is the Ringbearer, charged with the Ring's destruction (Task - Identity).

Viewing the Conflict of Pearson's Archetypes as a Resolution of Opposites (Binary Oppositions)

Another way to view the Goal, Task, and Fear of Pearson's archetypes is to view them as the resolution of opposites. The Goal and Fear stand opposed to each other while the Task becomes the way in which these oppositions are resolved.

• Innocent: The Innocent wants life to continue as he or she has (Goal) and fears change as the loss of what he or she has (Fear). But in order to grow and mature as an individual, the Innocent must fall from this position of simplicity and security and risk losing everything (Task).
• Orphan: The Orphan desires safety above all else (Goal) and sees the loss of safety as an abandonment to the forces around him or her (Fear). However, in order to grow and mature, the Orphan must risk abandonment in order to realize hope and true relationship (Task).
• Martyr: The Martyr wants to always do the right thing (Goal) and sees any choice that favors himself or herself as an act of selfishness (Fear). However, in order to grow and mature, the Martyr must be willing to accept and receive things for himself or herself and give up their insistent self-denial, which limits their relationship with others (Task).
• Wanderer: The Wander insists on living according to his or her own rules or mores (Goal) out of fear of becoming like everyone else (Fear). However, the Wanderer's autonomy isolates him or her from society. In order to grow and mature, the Wanderer must discover his or her true identity within society (Task).
• Warrior: The Warrior defines himself or herself in terms of strength, whether of mind, emotion, body, or will (Goal) and views weakness as self-destructive (Fear). However, in order to grow and mature, the Warrior must learn true courage, which is not based on superior strength but on doing what must be done even when one lacks the strength to do it (Task).
• Magician: The Magician seeks harmony and unity with all things (Goal) and fears being shallow, lacking depth, or empathy (Fear). However, in order to grow and mature, the Magician must set aside the need for understanding in order to achieve a true oneness and balance in the acceptance of life as it is, in all its contradictions (Task)

In viewing Pearson's archetypes in this way, the conflict between the Goal and Fear and their ultimate resolution in the Task can be seen as the outworking of a conflict of opposites and can be applied to a deeper understanding of the characters within the story or as a mechanism driving the crises within the story that lead to its climax and resolution (plot).