Archetypes Over Representation

Stories change minds most often by activating cross‑identity psychological patterns (hero, caregiver, explorer) rather than by literal demographic mirroring. Advocating for an 'archetypal' frame encourages creators and educators to teach readers how to see story roles in themselves instead of insisting every protagonist match an audience’s surface traits. — If adopted, this reframing would shift debates over cultural policy, diversity in media, and curricular choices from identity‑matching quotas to pedagogies that use literature to build empathy and civic self‑reflection.