The Manifestation of the Shadow Archetype in Manfred Macmillen’s «Novel» and Jiří Karásek ze Lvovic’s «Scarabeus»

Abstract

The article analyzes the manifestation of the Jungian shadow archetype in two parts of Jiří Karásek ze Lvovic’s trilogy Romány tří magů: Román Manfreda Macmillena and Scarabaeus. The focus is placed on the evolution of the psychological processes of the main characters, Manfred Macmillen and Marcel d’Offémont, by examining their attitudes according to the following framework: the causative factor, the projection mechanism, and the tragic outcome. The analysis demonstrates that in Manfred’s case, the shadow manifests through a fear of lacking originality and the projection of a doppelgänger figure, leading to destructive paranoia and an ultimate surrender to fatalism. Conversely, Marcel d’Offémont experiences a pathological assimilation of the shadow, where the repression of weakness and a fascination with his ancestors criminal heritage result in sadism and a pursuit of absolute control over others. These considerations are situated within the fin de sičcle context, utilizing the concepts of Carl Gustav Jung and Jerzy Prokopiuk to interpret occultism as a metaphor for psychological states.