KEY CONCEPTS OF MYTHOPOETICS IN THE WORKS OF A. DE SAINT-EXUPERY

Abstract

The article examines the key principles of mythopoetics in the literary heritage of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, emphasizing their significance for understanding the profound symbolic structure of his artistic world. The study focuses on identifying archetypal structures and symbols that form the mythodramatic layer of the text, where universal models of human experience are embodied. Special attention is devoted to the analysis of such categories as the hero’s journey, initiation, sacrifice, and sacred space, which are vividly expressed in The Little Prince and Citadel. The author demonstrates that Saint-Exupéry’s creative legacy embodies a distinctive form of modern myth-making, in which humanistic ideals are interwoven with philosophical reflections on the meaning of existence, the mission of humankind, and the significance of spiritual values. In this context, the writer’s texts may be regarded as forms of cultural communication capable of uniting diverse traditions and worldviews. The results of the research broaden the understanding of the role of myth in contemporary literature and open new perspectives for comparative-typological analysis. An important aspect of mythopoetics in the works of A. de Saint-Exupéry is the correlation between the writer’s personal spiritual experience and the universal archetypes rooted in the collective unconscious. The hero of his works is not merely a figure acting within the artistic space but functions as a mediator between reality and the transcendent dimension. Thus, the article not only contributes to the study of the mythopoetics of a French writer of world significance but also provides a methodological framework for investigating similar phenomena in other national literatures, and thereby highlightes the universality and timeless relevance of mythological discourse in modern culture.