ORCID
Stefano Giannini:0000-0001-6589-0997
Document Type
Book Chapter
Date
Spring 6-13-2023
Keywords
Enrico Pea, Giuseppe Ungaretti, Pietro Vasai, Alexandria, borders, Capitulations, diaspora, Egypt, exile, Italian literature, Italy, multi-cultural, nationalities, nostalgia, “Vita in Egitto”
Language
English
Funding ID
CUSE grant number 11-21804-24015
Disciplines
Communication | East Asian Languages and Societies | English Language and Literature | European Languages and Societies | French and Francophone Language and Literature | German Language and Literature | Italian Language and Literature | Latin American Languages and Societies | Linguistics | Sign Languages | Slavic Languages and Societies | Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature
Description/Abstract
This chapter analyzes the postcolonial discourse in Italy, through the voice of the novelist and playwright Enrico Pea (1881–1958). Living outside of Italy, Pea gained a unique awareness of the notion of multi-ethnic societies, of the concepts of nationality, borders, and boundaries. Alexandria, Egypt, is Pea’s referential space. It is a center, and at the same time, a marginal place. Alexandrea ad Egyptum, that is, the door to Egypt, as it was known in antiquity, this city brought together Arab and European artistic experiences that converged on, and were triggered by, its multicultural profile. The history of political exile and migration of Italians to Alexandria dates back to the first half of the nineteenth century. The number of Italians in Alexandria grew from a few thousands at the end of the century to more than 30,000 residents just before World War II. Their original status as migrants shaped a peculiar sensibility toward the notion of multi-ethnic societies that was largely misunderstood or unknown in their home country. Pea writes about the complex notions of borders and nationalities as exiles and economic migrants negotiate different cultural systems, nations, states, and state-crossings. His allogeneous points of view on Alexandrian life are not a mere reproduction of the real city. In his memoir and novels Pea rebuilds the city-space and struggles with the wound of detachment from Alexandria. By focusing on the shifting gaze Pea devotes to his city, this chapter contextualizes discussions on nationality, borders, and boundaries.
ISBN
978-3-031-30311-1
Recommended Citation
Giannini, S. (2023). Enrico Pea and the Awareness of Never-Ending Detachment (Alexandria, Egypt 1896–1914). In: Everly, K., Giannini, S., von Tippelskirch, K. (eds) Spatiality at the Periphery in European Literatures and Visual Arts. Geocriticism and Spatial Literary Studies. Palgrave Macmillan.
Source
sumission
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
Communication Commons, East Asian Languages and Societies Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, French and Francophone Language and Literature Commons, German Language and Literature Commons, Italian Language and Literature Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, Linguistics Commons, Sign Languages Commons, Slavic Languages and Societies Commons, Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature Commons
Additional Information
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30312-8_5