With an increasing number of English film pouring into Chinese market, we can see the archetypal criticism used in the films to create figures with vivid images, shaping typical images and make a much deeper meaning。 Thus, this thesis will explore the narrative structure underlying Captain America drawing on Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces and archetypal criticism。 Studying this can help us pay attention to the law of literature development itself, which greatly helps us in the understanding of the nature, origin, development and evolution of literary works。

2。 Literature Review

2。1 Synopsis of Captain America

Captain America: The First Avenger is an American superhero film based on Marvel Comics character Captain America which was released in China in September 9th ,2011。 It tells a story about a young man named Steve Rogers who becomes Captain America later。 

Steve Rogers is a poor man who was born in the Great Depression。 He was born to be very thin and weak, being bullied and teased by others when he was young。 Although he is bullied frequently, he is a very good, kind man with a strong sense of fairness and justice。 He is eager to join the army after hearing the news that the Nazi have invaded in Europe。 However, he is rejected for World War II military recruitment because of various health and physical problems。 

While attending an exhibition of future technologies with his friend Barnes, Steve again attempts to enlist。 Overhearing Steve’ conversation about wanting to help in the war, Dr。 Abraham allows Rogers to enlist and join in the “super-soldier”experiment。 Dr。Abraham believes that if the man is a kind man, the experiment can change him into a more virtuous man while if a man has dark in his heart, the experiment can turn him into an evil man。 He insists that Steve is the right person for the procedure after seeing Rogers commit an act of self-sacrificing bravery。 

After a test, Steve is injected with the super soldier’s serum and doses him with ‘vita-rays’。 Steve becomes taller and more muscular and has the most perfect human body from the experiment。 However, Dr。Abraham is killed by an attendee in this experiment。 Steve is ordered to tour the nation in colorful uniforms to promote war bonds rather being studied by the scientists。 Once hearing his best friend Barnes was stuck by Red Skull, Steve infiltrates the fortress of Hydra organization, freeing Barnes and the other prisoners and does a good job in this mission。 After that he takes the body and tactical training and three months later, he obtains the first task as ‘Captain America’。 He participate in the fight against the Red Skull with his bright brave mind and his indestructible shield。 文献综述

At last, he has stopped the plot of Red Skull which makes him die in the ocean with the aircraft and everyone presumes him dead in the accident。

 Steve awakens in an old-style hospital room。 Inferring from an anachronistic radio broadcast that something is wrong, he flees out of the room and finds himself in present-day Times Square, where S。H。I。E。L。D。 director Nick Fury informs him that he has been “asleep” and did not come to himself for nearly 70 years。 In a post-credits scene, Fury comes to Steve, proposing a mission with universal ramifications。

2。2 Archetypal criticism

Archetypal criticism originated in Britain in the first half of the 20th century。 The origins of archetypal criticism can be traced way back into 1725 when the Italian philosopher Vico states that the key to true understanding lies in accepting that the customs and emotional lives of the Greeks and Romans, Egyptians, Jews, and Babylonians were utterly different from our own。 The anthropological origins of archetypal criticism can pre-date its analytical origins by over 30 years。 Frazer made a great contributions to the development of the theory。 His Golden Bough was the first influential work dealing with this theory and influence on later generations。