Outlines of Figurative Structuralist Myth Analysis in Literature and an Example from Argentinian Literature

This work aims at presenting the general panorama of the methods of myth studies of Figurative Structuralism through interpretations and evaluations. To provide a basis, the major perspectives about classical and contemporary myths are examined and the myth conceptions that are compatible with our context are emphasized. In addition to this, the concept of euphemism, which is one of the main causes of the wide acceptance of the current myths and the old ones, is discussed. The Myths Criticism method of Figurative Structuralism, which points to uncovering the mythical structures of literary works is extensively studied. Likewise, explanations and comments about the Myth Analysis method are included. In this method a large number of works are involved in the same process and the presence of the determined mythical structures is evaluated on a social level. In this context, Julio Cortázar’s short story, “Secret Weapons”, was studied as an example within the framework of mythical structures, and also the possible focal points of a comprehensive study of Myth Analysis are established. On the other hand, the method derived from Structural Anthropology, which consists of presenting synchronically and diachronically the mythical structure of a narrative, is explained and its use is exemplified in the study of the mentioned literary work.