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ICARUS AS A MYTHOLOGICAL PATTERN IN THE CANDLE AND THE MOTH AND A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN
The mythical narratives which represent collective consciousness harbour various images. The myth of Icarus is one of them, shedding light on the images of flight and fall, light and darkness. In the story, the hero desires to escape the darkness of the labyrinth he is confined in and to reach the sun with his wings. As these images have an ontological root, they appear in different cultures’ literature even in different times. The similar mythical elements are also embedded in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man in which Dedalus’s spiritual enlightenment or elevation is followed by deflation. Likewise, in The Candle and the Moth (Şem’ü Pervane), which is one of the products of Eastern literature and is written by Feridüddin Attar as well, the candle and the butterfly motif provides an insight into the image of light and darkness. In this respect, the myth of Icarus, James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and The Candle and the Moth have shared images. On the other hand, these images function in different ways, as each text reflects different cultural codes.
This study aims to compare and contrast different meanings of the images in the myth of Icarus, The Candle and the Moth and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, offering an insight into different cultural values.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Key words: Icarus, the Candle and the Moth, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, culture