The Employment of the Greek Sisyphus Myth in Arabic and Uzbek Fiction: A Comparative Review

Abstract

This study examines the phenomenon of myth employing in literature as a dynamic and continually renewed creative practice, through which writers reconfigure mythological heritage in ways that serve their intellectual and artistic visions. It argues that approaches to myth vary across historical periods and literary movements. In modern world literature, what has come to be known as “Neomythology” has emerged, characterized by the reinterpretation of myths in light of contemporary human concerns. Consequently, modern national literatures have increasingly employed myths and religious narratives to address social and intellectual issues through innovative artistic forms. This trend is particularly evident in the short story genre, where inventive treatments of symbols and myths have appeared, notably in both Arabic and Uzbek literatures. Adopting a comparative critical methodology, this study aims to elucidate how the Greek myth of Sisyphus has been employed in Arabic and Uzbek short fiction. It concludes that, although both traditions draw on the original myth - where Sisyphus symbolizes repetitive human labor and perpetual suffering - they depart from its classical implications in significant ways. Arabic and Uzbek writers tend to advance more optimistic interpretations, employing the myth to affirm the value of labor, the possibility of meaning-making, and the pursuit of spiritual perfection. This reflects a broader tendency in contemporary Eastern literature, which does not regard life as inherently absurd, but rather as a domain of hope, purposeful action, and the realization of human aspirations.