Historical and Mythological Motives in Literary Works of Oe Kenzaburo

The aim of the current research is to determine the role of the use of mythology in the works of Oe Kenzaburo as a means of constructing a mythological space intertwined with the historical reality of Japanese society. To achieve this aim, the following research tasks were completed: the biography of the Japanese writer and the factors that influenced his work were studied; specific works of the writer are analyzed and their similarities and differences are identified; historical and mythological motives of the works are identified, which most fully reflect social changes in Japan after the Second World War. The relevance of the topic of this research is explained by the insufficient number of scientific works devoted to the analysis of symbolic and mythological aspects in the work of Oe Kenzaburo, despite the importance of his literary heritage and numerous literary awards. The basis for the research was a set of methods primarily used in literary criticism, which made it possible to determine the characteristics of the time in which the works in question were created. The work analyzes the impact of historical events, especially the post-war occupation period and its consequences on Japanese society. This study was able to identify how these and other historical events of the 1960-1980s are reflected in the key works of Oe Kenzaburo, such as “Football 1860”, “Games of Contemporaries” and “Waters Swept Me Around My Soul” and how they reflect Japanese society of that period. In addition, through analytical comparison, common themes in the writer’s works were identified. It was concluded that in addition to historical motifs, the works often contain symbolic and collective images, mythologized spaces, natural elements, as well as a folklore component. It was revealed that Oe's myth-making allows him to create metaphorical and symbolic images that expand the semantic horizons of his works.