THE MOTHER ARCHETYPE SEEN THROUGH FEMINIST THEORY IN THE VIDEO GAME BLOODBORNE
THE MOTHER ARCHETYPE SEEN THROUGH FEMINIST THEORY IN THE VIDEO GAME BLOODBORNE

Summary/Abstract: In this essay, I will be looking at the Mother archetype through the lens of feminist theory, using the video game Bloodborne (2015) as the prime example. The part that I will be discussing is adapted from the novella The Shadow over Innsmouth (1936) by H.P. Lovecraft, however the focus of this paper will be mainly on the video game. I will also briefly explain how player agency within the video game changes the perception of the Mother archetype and influences the ending. While The Shadow over Innsmouth presents a largely fixed narrative in which female bodies are subsumed into an inevitable biological destiny, Bloodborne complicates this dynamic through player agency and decisions that can shape the ending of the narrative. By looking at how this archetype is presented within the video games’ medium, the paper tries to highlight how player agency can change and modify preconceived notions about motherhood and feminine roles within a narrative.

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