Chris Wooding Archetypes

“Some will live. Some will die. And then it will get even worse.” Silver by Chris Wooding is an astonishing thriller with twists and turns on practically every page. It is by far one of those books that you CAN NOT put down. What makes Silver such an incredible story is the characters. Chris Wooding does a stupendous job displaying the archetypes clearly in his book which makes the book worth reading. The characters alter the outcomes of the situations so differently because of their archetypes which makes the story a fresh and original read. Three examples of characters with clear archetypes are Erika, the damsel in distress, Adam, the bully and The Infected, whom are all the vampire archetype.
First off, Erika clearly is the damsel in distress
Adam is a stomping intimidating giant who everyone has learned to fear. “Adam glared at him, fists bunched , his thuggish voice screwed up in a fighting scowl. He was bigger than Paul, and more thickly built, but there was no retreat now. Fight! Fight! Fight!”.(1-2) Adam was always the one to start a fight or create tension. He is quick tempered, disrespectful at times, and rebellious. Adam couldn’t fit the bully archetype better. Though Adam seems like pure evil, there is something that everyone doesn’t know, Adam is a coward. “Adam found nothing strange in threatening someone while retreating. He’d had dozens of fights with boys who were much bigger and stronger than he was, but he’s avoided just as many. Acting scared or meek was the worst thing to do. So you made yourself dangerous, and you backed off, and you left with your hide and your pride”. (150) Adam’s greatest fear is losing his pride. He wants to be seen as a fearless “leader”. His way of protecting his pride and staying on top of the heap, was by intimidating everyone with his size and attitude. Adam claims that there are things that he is deathly scared of, such as speaking at a school assembly or talking to the girl he likes, but when it comes to fighting, there is a different effect than fear. “Then his fear got muddled up with his anger. He didn’t feel scared in a fight. He was like a concerned animal instead. The more afraid he should have been,
With its many twists and turns, Silver is a unique thriller that no other author can ever recreate. However, without the characters who distinctly reveal their archetypes, the book wouldn’t have been the same. Without The Infected-the vampires, Adam-the bully or Erika-the damsel in distress, the book would have had many different more dull outcomes. The book wouldn’t have the exciting unexpected results in certain situations. It would be just another thriller. Without these characters Chris Wooding wouldn’t be able to say “Some will die. Some will live. And then it will get even