Abstract
This chapter examines the reception of Neapolitan women writers in England, using the case study of Fabrizia Ramondino, and working towards a new approach to recent representations of Naples by women writers. These are the steps of my argument:
• The different interest in, reception of, and approach to women writers in Italian vs Anglophone, and specifically British, academic institutions since the 1970s.
• Fabrizia Ramondino as a writer that illustrates the shifts in theoretical-methodological approaches to women writers, from psychological-discursive to cultural, from female thematics to issues in cultural identities.
• Recent analysis of the representations of the South, Naples, and Neapolitan identity aiming at bringing to the fore the construction and emergence of stereotypes and the attempts of contemporary writers to move beyond the stereotypes in order to take Naples out of eulogizing or demonising representations.
• The need for a new approach Naples that retains and combines essence (Neapolitan difference) and process (internal differences, resulting from a historical stratifications), taking also into account the fact that the city has been and is still perceived, imagined and represented as feminine, as excessive, sensual, sick and transgressive corporeality.
• I propose to apply Braidotti’s theory of the female subject as rhizomatic, multiple, porous, in transition, who, moving multidirectionally, creates new and unexpected relationships, to Naples.
• Braidotti’s theory of Becoming-Woman turns into Becoming-Naples.
• I conclude with a list of research questions that a ‘Becoming-Naples’ approach helps both to formulate and to answer.
• The different interest in, reception of, and approach to women writers in Italian vs Anglophone, and specifically British, academic institutions since the 1970s.
• Fabrizia Ramondino as a writer that illustrates the shifts in theoretical-methodological approaches to women writers, from psychological-discursive to cultural, from female thematics to issues in cultural identities.
• Recent analysis of the representations of the South, Naples, and Neapolitan identity aiming at bringing to the fore the construction and emergence of stereotypes and the attempts of contemporary writers to move beyond the stereotypes in order to take Naples out of eulogizing or demonising representations.
• The need for a new approach Naples that retains and combines essence (Neapolitan difference) and process (internal differences, resulting from a historical stratifications), taking also into account the fact that the city has been and is still perceived, imagined and represented as feminine, as excessive, sensual, sick and transgressive corporeality.
• I propose to apply Braidotti’s theory of the female subject as rhizomatic, multiple, porous, in transition, who, moving multidirectionally, creates new and unexpected relationships, to Naples.
• Braidotti’s theory of Becoming-Woman turns into Becoming-Naples.
• I conclude with a list of research questions that a ‘Becoming-Naples’ approach helps both to formulate and to answer.
Translated title of the contribution | Naples and the 'Neapolitan' women writers in England. Some theoretical-methodological reflections, taking Fabrizia Ramondino as a starting point. |
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Original language | Italian |
Title of host publication | Letteratura meridionale. Contesti nazionali e sovranazionali. |
Subtitle of host publication | Atti del Convegno di Studi ADI Puglia e Basilicata (Lecce, 17-19 maggio 2012) |
Editors | Rita Nicolì |
Place of Publication | Rome, Italy |
Publisher | ADI Editore Associazione degli Italianisti |
Pages | 34-44 |
Number of pages | 11 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9788890790539 |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2014 |
Event | La letteratura meridionale e contesti nazionali e internazionali - Lecce, Italy Duration: 17 May 2012 → 19 May 2012 |
Conference
Conference | La letteratura meridionale e contesti nazionali e internazionali |
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Country/Territory | Italy |
City | Lecce |
Period | 17/05/12 → 19/05/12 |
Keywords
- Neapolitan Literature
- Fabrizia Ramondino
- Neapolitan women writers
- Representations of Naples