▁on ▁his ▁master ▁project , ▁a ▁four - volume ▁study ▁called ▁M yth olog iques . ▁In ▁it , ▁he ▁followed ▁a ▁single ▁myth ▁from ▁the ▁tip ▁of ▁South ▁America ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁variations ▁from ▁group ▁to ▁group ▁north ▁through ▁Central ▁America ▁and ▁eventually ▁into ▁the ▁Ar ctic ▁Circle , ▁thus ▁trac ing ▁the ▁myth ' s ▁cultural ▁evolution ▁from ▁one ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Hem is phere ▁to ▁the ▁other . ▁He ▁accomplished ▁this ▁in ▁a ▁typically ▁struct ural ist ▁way , ▁exam ining ▁the ▁underlying ▁structure ▁of ▁relationships ▁among ▁the ▁elements ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁rather ▁than ▁by ▁foc using ▁on ▁the ▁content ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁itself . ▁While ▁P ens ée ▁Sau v age ▁was ▁a ▁statement ▁of ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ' s ▁big - picture ▁theory , ▁M yth olog iques ▁was ▁an ▁extended , ▁four - volume ▁example ▁of ▁analysis . ▁Rich ly ▁detailed ▁and ▁extremely ▁long , ▁it ▁is ▁less ▁widely ▁read ▁than ▁the ▁much ▁shorter ▁and ▁more ▁accessible ▁P ens ée ▁Sau v age , ▁despite ▁its ▁position ▁as ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ' s ▁master work . ▁ ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁completed ▁the ▁final ▁volume ▁of ▁M yth olog iques ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁On ▁ 1 4 ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Ac adémie ▁française , ▁France ' s ▁highest ▁honour ▁for ▁a ▁writer . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁other ▁notable ▁academ ies ▁world