The Girl

Beyond origin lies our consideration of how the archetype functions in literature, found in Queen Question #3: How does the campus queen manifest in the world, and how might the various faces of the archetype reflect society’s fears and desires? Focused on how characters envision and enact fantasies of power, the third chapter considers implications of the campus queen’s perceived power: why she may or may not want it, how she attains or wields it—and conversely, why she may ultimately reject or deny it. The section “Popularity Paradox” offers a chronological overview of how the campus queen has been constructed in literature and culture over time, and “Tiara as Yonic Symbol” explores the layered symbolism of the campus queen’s main accessory: her tiara. Applying the campus queen lens, this chapter also catalogs “Queenly Archetypes” to identify and inventory four main faces within the genre—Campus Queen as Feminine Ideal, Campus Queen as Victim or Villainess, Campus Queen as Superhuman or Supernatural, and Campus Queen as Changemaker. Finally, this chapter concludes with an explication of books and films featuring campus kings.