| Archetype | Core Wound | Story Function | |-----------|------------|----------------| | | Sacrificed everything, resents no one knowing | Forces guilt in others; tests gratitude | | The Golden Child | Must be perfect; collapses under expectation | Creates sibling rivalry; hides deep insecurity | | The Black Sheep | Never measured up; leans into rejection | Brings chaos; exposes family hypocrisy | | The Fixer | Believes peace is their job | Prevents conflict until they explode | | The Ghost | Dead, estranged, or absent – but still ruling the family | Their absence drives every decision | | The Volcano | Explosive temper followed by fake amnesia | Keeps everyone walking on eggshells | | The Silent | Uses emotional withdrawal as weapon | Makes others beg for connection | | The Newcomer (spouse/in-law) | Sees the dysfunction clearly, has no power | Audience surrogate; catalyst for change |
Wealth strips away the polite veneer of family loyalty. When a patriarch dies, siblings stop acting like family and start acting like competitors. | Archetype | Core Wound | Story Function
The "Golden Child" struggles with the fear of failure, while the "Scapegoat" or "Invisible Child" acts out to find a sense of identity. leans into rejection | Brings chaos