Having spent time recently immersed in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces and Carl Jung’s Modern Man in Search of a Soul, I found myself reflecting on their ideas as I watched Nightbitch at the cinema this weekend. The film’s visceral exploration of motherhood struck me as a vivid portrayal of the archetypal and symbolic themes both Campbell and Jung discuss. Parenthood, as the film so powerfully illustrates, is a rite of passage—a journey filled with challenges, transformation, and the birth of a new identity.
The film offers a lens through which we can examine the raw, instinctive realities of parenting alongside the universal patterns of human development described by Campbell and Jung. Parenthood emerges as far more than a role; it is a profound and sacred adventure, mirroring the timeless archetypes and myths that shape our collective consciousness.
Awakening the primal parent
In Nightbitch, the protagonist—a mother—undergoes a profound transformation as she begins to embrace a wilder, more instinctual version of herself. Her discovery that she may be transforming into a wolf-like creature serves as a metaphor for the untamed and primal aspects of parenthood. Jung wrote extensively about the archetypes that govern our unconscious—the mother archetype, in particular, symbolising both nurturing and fierce protection.
This transformation parallels the call to adventure in Campbell’s hero’s journey. Parenthood often begins with a similar call—a moment when the familiar world is left behind, and we enter the unknown, where we must confront new and often overwhelming aspects of ourselves. As Jung observed, this process awakens the Self, the totality of our psyche, which seeks to integrate the conscious and unconscious parts of who we are.
Rites of passage and psychological transformation
Parenthood, like the hero’s journey, is a rite of passage. It demands the shedding of old identities and the integration of new ones. Jung emphasised the importance of individuation—the process by which an individual becomes whole—through engagement with archetypal forces and the confrontation of the shadow.
The mother in Nightbitch embodies this journey as she grapples with societal expectations and her internal, instinctive reality. Her wolf-like transformation symbolises the emergence of her shadow, those aspects of the psyche that are often suppressed or denied. Instead of rejecting these parts of herself, she begins to integrate them, emerging as a fuller, more authentic version of herself.
This mirrors the death and rebirth stage in Campbell’s framework, where the hero must confront their deepest fears and limitations to transform. For parents, this can manifest in the transition from being an individual to embodying the profound responsibility of nurturing another life.
The archetypes of parenting
Jung’s archetypes provide a powerful lens for understanding Nightbitch and the experience of parenting. The mother archetype in Jungian psychology represents both the nurturing and the destructive—the dualities inherent in creation and care. Similarly, the shapeshifter archetype, prominent in Campbell’s hero’s journey, appears in the film as the mother moves between her human self and her wolf-like persona.
These archetypes resonate deeply with the experience of parents, who often feel torn between the need to care for their children and the instinct to preserve their own identity. As Jung writes in Modern Man in Search of a Soul, “The primordial image, or archetype, is a figure—be it a daemon, a human being, or a process—that constantly recurs in the course of history and appears wherever creative fantasy is freely expressed (1955).” In Nightbitch, the wolf is this archetype, representing the untamed power and resilience of motherhood.
The rhythm of life and the archetypal journey
Campbell and Jung both teach us that transformation is cyclical, a process of death and rebirth. In Nightbitch, the mother’s journey reflects this rhythm as she moves through moments of despair, self-discovery, and ultimate integration. Parenthood demands a similar rhythm: the surrender to the challenges, the discovery of strength, and the eventual emergence of a new sense of balance and purpose.
Jung believed that the soul’s journey is one of seeking meaning through transformation. Parenthood, with its trials and triumphs, offers a profound opportunity to encounter and integrate the archetypal forces within us. Nightbitch captures this journey vividly, inviting us to see the sacred in the everyday struggles of parenthood.
What “Nightbitch” teaches us about parenthood
Nightbitch reminds us that parenthood is not just a role—it is a transformative rite of passage, a hero’s journey that awakens the deepest parts of our psyche. Drawing on Jung’s archetypes and Campbell’s hero’s journey, the film invites us to embrace the raw, instinctive, and sometimes messy realities of parenting as a profound and sacred adventure.
For parents, the message is clear: the challenges of this journey are not signs of failure, but part of the process of growth and integration. As Jung wrote, “We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate; it oppresses (1955).” Embracing the shadow, the instincts, and the archetypes within us can lead to a richer, more meaningful experience of parenthood.
Finding balance in the wildness
As a parent, you are the hero of your own journey, navigating the trials and transformations that come with raising a child. Nightbitch and the insights of Jung and Campbell offer a reminder that the wildness, the instincts, and the archetypes are all part of the process. By embracing these elements, you can find balance, purpose, and a deeper connection to yourself and your family.
Parenthood is not just a duty—it is a path to wholeness, where the wild meets the sacred, and the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
Campbell, J. (2012). The hero with a thousand faces (3rd ed.). New World Library.
Heller, M. (2024). Nightbitch (Film). Searchlight Pictures.
Jung, C. G., & Dell, W. S. (1955). Modern man in search of a soul (W. S. Dell & C. F. Baynes, Trans.). Harcourt Publishers Group.
