From Antique Labrinth Mythos to Modern Mythos: L' Emploi du Temps and les Gommes

Abstract

From Sophocles to our day, myths have always been an inspiration for authors and artists. Especially in the 20th century, many dramatists and novelists brought us the antique myths, which guided humanity throughout the ages, by rewriting and integrating their epic characteristics with today’s contemporary components. By creating their own myths in those adaptations, each author has told us the great conflicts and problems that led the humankind astray from its path. These writers have changed the meaning of myths by adapting many mythical heroes such as Oedipus, Theseus, Electra, Ariadne, Cain and Abel into their own characters and by establishing a connection between labyrinth mythos and labyrinthine structure of the modern cities. The aim of this study is to examine two thrillers, L’Emploi du temps by Michel Butor and Les Gommes by Alain Robbe-Grillet in the framework of those antique myths. With their mysterious and circuitous scope and via mythological components and mythic objects, these two works explore not only the mystery of fictional spaces but also labyrinthine spaces which enlighten the brand new mysteries that emerge with the text. With reference to the mysterious or labyrinthine city examples, which are closely related to the epic narratives of Cain, Theseus and Oedipus, our study examines the rich symbols of the myths and the roles they play in the modern narrative.