In this chapter I draw on Georges Sorel's theory of social myth in order to sketch a theory of the relations between narrative and violence. Following the leads provided by Sorel makes possible the extension of his theory into an encompassing vision of the role of art in producing social change. In developing this argument I will use Mikhail Bakhtin's concepts of heteroglossia and monoglossia. The analytical framework thus defined will be tested through analyses of the ethos engendered by the literary narratives of W. B. Yeats and James Joyce, and by the work of some of their contemporaries.