| The potential of literary myths to be recreated and rewritten across different time periods and places is an essential characteristic of these characters, which in fact guarantees their immortality. Over time, with the evolution of attitudes and mindsets over time as well as the creativity of writers, we have long witnessed the deconstruction, recreation, alteration, and enrichment of mythical figures in various artistic and literary discourses. A prime example is the recreation of the legendary adventures of Ulysses and Sinbad, who emerged in Western and Eastern literature and imagination, respectively, in numerous works. The archetype of the adventurous of these two mythical heroes, transcending time and space limitations, are still living in the world’s art and literature spheres. To provide a practical example, this study will undertake a comparative analysis of Sinbad’s Journey by Bahram Beyzaei and The Unknown Woman from Arras by Armand Salacrou, employing the model of the hero’s journey archetype proposed by Christopher Vogler. Similar to the character of Sinbad in One Thousand and One Nights, Beyzaei’s Sinbad is an adventurous, mythical sailor who explores every corner of the world, though in this case, he seeks love and the truth rather than wealth. Salacrou, on the other hand, gives Ulysses’ journey an unhappy ending, representing the irrecoverable nature of time and an impossible love. By comparing these two literary works and their original antecedents, one can conclude that it is possible to review the archetype and identify new patterns by focusing on the hero’s journey archetype in the literary works produced in different cultural contexts. |
