The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity.
Umberto EcoRead
Does the novel have to deepen the psychology of its heroes? Certainly the modern novel does, but the ancient legends did not do the same. Oedipus' psychology was deduced by Aeschylus or Freud, but the character is simply there, fixed in a pure and terribly disquieting state.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote discusses how modern novels explore character psychology more deeply than ancient legends.
Umberto Eco reflects on the differences between modern and ancient literature, suggesting that while contemporary novels often delve into the intricate psychology of their characters, ancient legends presented characters in a more static and simplistic manner. He acknowledges that figures like Oedipus can be analyzed psychologically by later thinkers, yet in the original narratives, these characters exist in a more defined and unsettling state, lacking the complexity that modern storytelling typically embraces.
Themes
NovelPsychologyCharactersAncientModern
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the evolution of storytelling at a literature conference.
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