Mythology and Postmodernist Literature

The influence of philosophy on literature is undeniable. We just need to think of how Heidegger’s philosophy left its imprint on the whole postmodernist literary movement.The Emphasis on interconnections between man and the universe,the endeavor to understand   those interconnections and the attempt to return to their origins and sources are three fundamental principles of Heidegger’s philosophy, which have penetrated and shaped postmodernist literature. These three fundamental principles are also found in mythology and in this article we will highlight their similarities. Apart from sharing these three elements, minor parallels can also be found such as the “Unconscious” aspect of mythology, being a direct result of oral tradition while in postmodernist literature the same aspect becomes “Consciousness” since a priori agreed conditions are intentionally applied. In this article, while focusing on the philosophy of Heidegger, we discussed the characteristics common between mythology and postmodernist literature.