Ad intra e ad extra: riposizionamenti spaziali nella letteratura del xx secolo prodotta da donne

Abstract

In this text, some of the spaces depicted by four renowned 20th-century women writers –Maria
Aurèlia Capmany, Natalia Ginzburg, Elsa Morante, and Mercè Rodoreda– will be examined. The analysis
begins with the contrast between internal space, associated with primary perception, and external space,
influenced by social dynamics. Through the selected texts, the depth of human experience and the inevitable
spatial connections it implies will be explored. The analysis will highlight, in some cases, the adaptive capacity
of the literary protagonists, in others their discomfort, and in yet others their ability to reposition themselves
in space, transcending the limitations imposed on them by history and society. Thanks to this repositioning,
we will see how some of the protagonists reclaim urban space, traditionally a male-centered domain, while
others demonstrate not only the ability to maintain the domestic space but also to reconstruct it, replacing
imposed limitations with new possibilities.
Keywords: space, literature, the city, the home, literary genealogies