Mythology in its contemporary phase A Paradigmatic shift as reflected through trilogies of Amish Tripathi

Abstract

Myths have witnessed a paradigmatic shift from antiquity to the contemporary, hence preserving the plethora of lessons and information about people, values, beliefs morality and culture. This research study aims to show how connectivity between the past and present can bridge gaps and help to preserve certain knowledge from the past, primarily because the evolved state of mythology and the free play of elements remain relatively unexplored by researchers in present literature. Amish Tripathi s bestselling texts,The Ram Chandra Trilogy and The Shiva Trilogy draw on modern colloquialisms and simplicity and his works,depict Indian deities as mortal beings whose actions and behavior incites curiosity amongst readers. His retellings are a blend of history and fiction, setting new narratives to delineate myths from rich cultural past in a new and imaginative way. These retellings show how myths from the past have a functional equivalency in the contemporary age if presented in a nuanced and modern style. This study attempts to analyze mythology in the context of contemporary sensibilities by suggesting that mythological literature can still have relevant lessons to teach the present reader when presented in a more modern form. The conceptual framework has been built in view of select prominent theories on mythology worldwide. The study carries out a critical evaluation of Amish Tripathi s select works in order to understand the role of mythology for a contemporary audience. The findings are supported with an underpinning of critical essays and articles focused on myths and their role in literature and society.Thus, the analysis of the works in view of these theories establishes that literature invested in mythology, based on a rich cultural past, can become an effective tool to liberate society from certain social taboos and gender conflicts or biases, if used effectively to suit modern perceptions. newlineKeywords: Mythology, Retellings,Archetypes, Functional Equivalency, Paradigmatic Shift