the term "mythical"is used to suggest that something is untrue.This minimizing of the word reflects a limited appreciation of the psychological and social truths embedded in myths.The truths in mythology are not found literally in the stories themselves,but rather in our symbolic or allegorical interpretation of them. Allegory,as a fictional mode of presentation,however,is unquestionably out of favor among modern and contemporary authors and critics,for reasons that have to do with the nature of allegory itself.First of all,the didacticism of allegory and its tendency toward a simplified,if not simplistic,view of life is suspect in a world where there is very little common agreement about truth and the validity of certain once universally respected ideas and ideals.Second,the way allegory presents character is simply not in keeping with the modern conception of fictional characterization.In allegory the characters,and the ideas and ideals those characters embody,are presented as a given.The modern author,on the other hand,prefers to build characters and to develop and reveal their personalities gradually,in stages, throughout the course of the work.the term “mythical” is used to suggest that something is untrue. This minimizing of the word reflects a limited appreciation of the psychological and social truths embedded in myths. The truths in mythology are not found literally in the stories themselves, but rather in our symbolic or allegorical interpretation of them. Allegory, as a fictional mode of presentation, however, is unquestionably out of favor among modern and contemporary authors and critics, for reasons that have to do with the nature of allegory itself. First of all, the didacticism of allegory and its tendency toward a simplified, if not simplistic, view of life is suspect in a world where there is very little common agreement about truth and the validity of certain once universally respected ideas and ideals. Second, the way allegory presents character is simply not in keeping with the modern conception of fictional characterization. In allegory the characters, and the ideas and ideals those characters embody, are presented as a given. The modern author, on the other hand, prefers to build characters and to develop and reveal their personalities gradually, in stages, throughout the course of the work