Greek Mythologemes in the Novels of Thomas Mann

Abstract

This study explores the presence and transformation of Greek mythological figures—especially Hermes, Persephone, and Phaedra—in the novels of Thomas Mann. The analysis focuses on the literary reinterpretation of these mythologemes, informed by Mann’s correspondence with classical scholar Karl Kerényi. The relationship between the novelist and the mythologist shaped not only the thematic choices but also the narrative architecture of Mann’s works. Hermes emerges as a central symbolic figure in The Magic Mountain, Joseph and His Brothers, and Confessions of Felix Krull, embodying themes of mediation, transformation, and irony. These mythic elements are not merely decorative but serve as narrative and psychological frameworks that structure modern identity and inner conflict. The study highlights how classical tradition is reactivated in Mann’s prose not through direct reference alone, but through a hermeneutic process that redefines myth as an epistemological and aesthetic resource for modern literature.