Archetypes In Batman Nightwalker

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While reading Batman Nightwalker the idea of trust is portrayed by Bruce’s skeptical outlook on life after his parents have passed. As an example, in Batman Nightwalker Bruce is betrayed by Madeline, a prisoner who was aiding him until she tricked him into enabling her escape. Throughout the book, the idea of careful trust is important to Bruce as he enters adulthood. The dark, explorer, and mentor archetypes are present in the novel and relate to Bruces’ feelings of being careful who you can rely on.

Batman Nightwalker is a novel written by Marie Lu, originally published in January 2018. This book has elements of fiction and mystery that tie together for a riveting series of adventures and challenges. The main character is Bruce Wayne, …show more content…

The darkness is somewhere where Bruce feels comfortable and he can find peace. Following “his parents' deaths, he had spent many nights tucked in the safe black space of his closet”(Lu 121). Again, Bruce references his childhood to give insight into why the darkness is an escape for him and he feels protected by the darkness. As he sneaks into the Nightwalker's hideout, “he felt comfortable here in the darkness”(Lu 121). He remains tranquil as he descends into darkness and he stays unphased in the hospitality the darkness offers him. The connection between Bruce and the dark grows during a prison break while he is interviewing Madeleine, a prisoner in Arkham Asylum with whom he has a particular interest. Whilst the other inmates try to make a break for the exits as the doors open and the alarms sound, “she hadn’t opened her door”(Lu 140). In the moment, Bruce notices that she has not tried to escape her dark cell and he stays calm and fights off the other prisoners from her cell until the backup has arrived. A level of trust has developed between Bruce and the darkness …show more content…

He knows that he is sheltered from the outside world and fortified when he has darkness on his side. Bruce himself is a representation of the darkness archetype, he is a symbol of justice and morality, yet he is also a dark figure. The darkness archetype in the novel is also heavily represented by the main antagonists, the Nightwalkers. The Nightwalkers are a group of criminals terrorizing Gotham city. Known as “the city's most brutal criminals”, The Nightwalkers are the epitome of darkness, they murder innocent civilians for their fortunes and turn their technology against them(Lu 212). The Nightwalkers are represented as the physical embodiments of crime and mayhem, and their presence in Gotham City shows as a present reminder of the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of