The Importance Of Myths In Modern Literature

In this chapter, ancient myths will be explored. It will demonstrate which myths have been used, how the authors have updated them and why the authors have used them. It will show that these myths have definitely influenced the authors when writing Young Adult fiction. Greek myths can be found everywhere in Young Adult Fiction, from The Hunger Games to His Dark Materials. Many modern literature series draw upon Greek myth in order to enrich the story. Myths have been alluded to in order to give the reader a deeper understanding of the message that the author is trying to get across. The works that I am discussing combine ancient myth with modern issues which often leads to very popular books. Most of the stories that involve Greek myth have been included in the National Public Radio’s top 100 Young Adult novels, proving its popularity. Why is myth still so captivating to a young modern audience?

These stories and myths often draw on themes such as tyranny, the lack of equality in the world and rebellion. These themes are still relevant today and are meant to specifically target a Young Adult audience. The topics of rebelling and discovering one’s own identity is compelling to a Young Adult audience as they are just finding their own way in the world. Contemporary authors therefore use myths and update them so that it is even more relatable. It is often a story about a young hero who has been thrown into an unknown world and has to journey through difficult tasks in order